Waves roll onto the beach beyond 23 Palm in a 180-degree spectacle that’s enhanced by 130m of uninterrupted oceanfront panorama. With its two-acre garden, 23 Palm offers lucky guests a spaciousness that’s unmatched on this golden stretch of Galle coastline. Each of this elegant villa’s supremely generous suites and sumptuous sitting areas benefits from sweeping sea views as the tufty grass of the palm-shaded lawn descends to invisibly join the soft, shell-scattered sand of the beach. The only signs of life from the outside world are the misty silhouettes of ships passing by on the horizon, accompanied at dusk by an orange twinkling collection of fishing boats that magically illuminate the night.

The American owner of 23 Palm actually stumbled upon Sri Lanka serendipitously after visiting friends in Nepal; after the assassination of the Nepalese royal family in 2001 he desperately took the last flight out of Kathmandu, which just happened to be heading to Colombo. On arriving in Sri Lanka he fell in love with the country and bought this patch of land – an old prawn factory - for its oceanfront views. The land grew over time to include the site of a neighbouring tsunami-demolished hotel, and soon the owner’s architectural scribbles on restaurant napkins blossomed into 23 Palm. Built with pillars, verandas, archways and high roofs to resemble a Dutch colonial mansion, and filled with a collection of treasured art and antiques, the owner named the property not after the number of palms found there but in keeping with family tradition and the mysteriously recurring number 23.

Perfect for couples and families, the villa’s interiors speak of a life well-travelled; vivid modern artwork highlights Africa and Asia whilst the furnishings have a more European feel as they blend colonial designs with contemporary comforts. There’s a fully-equipped kitchen towards the rear of the house plus an air conditioned DVD Room tucked beside one of the two expansive bedroom suites. The front veranda offers plenty of seating and overlooks the garden with its green-hued swimming pool and elevated tea house whose white wicker furniture feels British even though the tropical seascape surrounding it is undeniably Sinhalese. The villa comes with a friendly staff of eight, including an experienced chef who prepares restaurant-style cuisine.

• Main Dining (6 persons)
• DVD Player
• Ceiling Fans
• Hairdryers
• Internet (WiFi)
• iPod
• iPod Dock/Speakers
• Iron/Board
• Equipped Kitchen
• Laundry Service (In-house)
• Air-con
• Bed Linen
• Car
• Car Parking
• Food Menu
• Oven/Hotplates
• CD Player/Stereo System
• Swimming Pool (Private)
• Towels
• TV (Local channels)
• Washing Machine
• Security
• Service Staff
• Shopper
• Housekeeping (Full time)
• Chef/Cook (All meals)
• Manager

No rates available currently.

The main entrance to 23 Palm takes you into a hallway with access directly ahead into a sitting room that immediately offers you tantalising glimpses of the sea. Set in the middle of the house between the two suites, the sitting room offers plenty of comfort with its pair of squashy sofas and accompanying armchairs. On the walls are paintings of Indian characters whilst a cascading chandelier takes pride of place hanging above the centre of the room. Twin carved statuettes from India’s Jaipur gaze on as five sets of louvered doors open out onto the terrace.

Beside the hallway is a fully equipped kitchen with black and white tiled floor to the right, and a washroom that leads into an air conditioned TV Room or study to the left. This brightly coloured room, furnished with a sofa and equipped with TV, DVD player and a stereo, is an ideal place to chill out in on a hot day. Attached to the study is a shower room and a doorway leading into the Tangalle Suite.

The two magnificent suites are equitably sized and similarly laid out. Named after the popular seaside towns each faces towards – Galle and Tangalle – they both have air conditioning and ceiling fans, king-size beds dressed in 500-thread-count cotton sheets, built-in lockable cupboards, a cascading water feature, louvered doors to let in cooling breezes, a twin vanity unit plus an ensuite bathroom with both inside and private outside monsoon shower. The Tangalle Suite additionally has a single bed.

To the front of the villa, overlooking the gardens and sea, is a deep, multi-pillared, stone veranda built in Dutch colonial style. To either end of the veranda, in front of the bedroom suites, are circular tables with seating for four whilst in the middle, just outside the sitting room, six rattan armchairs surround a larger table that’s used for dining.

Across the garden, to the far side of the swimming pool, is the tea house. Furnished with English-accented white wicker furniture, this elevated pavilion is perfectly placed for soaking up the spectacular sea views.

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