Ambassador's House

Even by Galle Fort’s standards, there are few villas as sizeable as Ambassador’s House, a seventeenth-century villa nestled within this UNESCO-certified old town. Gloriously decadent and nostalgic, this five-bedroom mansion built in the Dutch colonial style exhibits soaring ceilings, thick walls, highly polished floors and a pleasing rooftop garden.

In a former life, Ambassador’s House was favoured by the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Pakistan, Iraq and Bangladesh for entertaining, and with such generous proportions it’s easy to see why. A huge living room, open on three sides, welcomes you into the villa and spills onto a double-colonnaded veranda. Across a courtyard, deeper into the villa, is a dining room furnished with a grand table for ten. Three ensuite bedrooms open onto an elongated pool whilst a further two ensuite bedrooms are situated upstairs, with direct access onto an expansive dual-level roof terrace, shaded from the sun.

The villa suits company, and is a fabulous place for families, inter-generational groups and clusters of friends to relax and unwind. There is ample space for everyone to find their own little corner for stealing away or for socialising, depending on the mood. The personable staff team tend to every request and ensure that the youngest family members are kept entertained; there’s a fan-cooled TV room flanking the pool terrace and the villa is equipped with a number of kids’ facilities including stair gates and games.

From its prime location within atmospheric Galle Fort, you only need step out of the villa’s front door to regale in the history of this fascinating town with its narrow cobbled streets lined with charming centuries-old homes, museums, tiny boutiques, restaurants, ice cream parlours and cafes. Watching the sunset from the fort’s grass-tufted ramparts, as cricket games start up, is the best way to end the day. Galle’s golden beaches are only a ten-minute drive away.

Seemingly timeless, Galle Fort’s richly historic walls have given shelter to a dizzying array of merchants, traders, colonialists and foreign nationals over the years, who have all left their indelible mark on this seventeenth century Dutch fortress. Narrow streets bearing English and Dutch names exhibit an astounding concentration of colonial properties whose delicate fretwork, magnificent columns and ornate plasterwork constantly inspire.

Walks atop the fort’s grassy western ramparts are a highlight for many and these stoic walls, mere footsteps from your front door, are the venue for boisterous cricket matches, couples stealing private moments together and kamikaze jumpers launching themselves into the sea below. Museums showcasing the fort’s rich history plus many restaurants, street side cafes and independent boutiques are a five-minute walk away.

Indoor Living:
- Sumptuous fan-cooled living space spilling onto the deep front veranda, furnished with sofas
- Separate Dinning Room with a Dinning Table for 10 with adjoining separate kitchen
- Middle Courtyard with Round Wooden Table with four chairs
- Fan-cooled lounge TV lounge with 42-inch screen, DVD player, built-in sofa and views over the plunge pool

Outdoor Living:
- Dual-level, flower beds with bougainvillea and furnished with sunloungers.  
- Pavilion with built-in sofas on the top level
- Gorgeous courtyard 2m x 11.5m plunge pool
- Pockets of tropical gardens, including inner courtyard garden beside the lounge room

Master Bedroom:
- Four-poster king-size bed and rattan planter’s lounge
- Antique wardrobe, table and chairs
- Private living space and direct access to roof terrace
- Soaring ceilings and polished timber floors
- Air conditioned and fan-cooled
- Linen mosquito net
- En suite with moulded tub, twin sinks and his-and-hers showers

Twin Bedroom:
- Two four-poster double beds
- Soaring ceiling and polished timber floors
- Direct access via private veranda to the roof terrace
- Antique wardrobe and furnishings
- Air conditioned and fan-cooled
- Linen mosquito net
- En suite with rain shower

Ground Floor Bedrooms:
- Three double bedrooms are located on the ground floor, with access through pretty archways onto the plunge pool
- Tranquil and light
- King-size four-poster beds and Dutch-style wardrobes
- Air conditioned and fan-cooled
- Linen mosquito nets
- En suite bathroom with rain shower

From its prime location within atmospheric Galle Fort, you only need step out of the villa’s front door to regale in the history of this fascinating town with its narrow cobbled streets lined with charming centuries-old homes, museums, tiny boutiques, restaurants, ice cream parlours and cafes. Watching the sunset from the fort’s grass-tufted ramparts, as cricket games start up, is the best way to end the day. Galle’s golden beaches are only a ten-minute drive away.