Ratnakara
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→Overview
5 bedrooms
5 bathrooms
12 guests
Minimum stay varies
The minimum stay for this property changes depending on the dates selected
Villa
Ratnakara is an exclusive and private five bed villa built on the South Coast of Sri Lanka. The property is set in 1.5 acres of land on top of a small hill overlooking a quiet bay approximately 1km from Dondra Head Lighthouse. The house is ensures a get away from it all lifestyle but with the amenities of Matara, Sri Lanka's southern commercial hub, only a short tuk tuk ride away. Ratnakara is a great place to base yourself for exploration of the south coast or the perfect retreat to sit in the shade and read a book... The house comes with house staff including a private Chef who will cook to order and everyone will be on hand to look after you as much or as little as you require. A friendly welcome is guaranteed!
House Rules
Pets not allowedKid friendlyNo smoking
We do allow entertainment on site. Please ask for details
Bedrooms
4 Kings5 Twins
Bathrooms
5 Attached (ensuite)
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Reviews (53)
loup33
Johannesburg, South Africa25 contributions
Perfection
This was a holiday of a life time all the staff were amazing, the chef made delicious fresh meals and the recommended tour guide exceptional, the Ayurvedic practitioner amazing. I would go back at any time for another trip. Nothing was too much for the staff it’s hard to think of anything to fault
Visited June 2019
Written March 28, 2021. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kevin_Cook
Valencia, Spain37 contributions
A perfect base near the southern tip of Sri Lanka
Faultless.
Just can't pick holes in this place.
A perfect base for a relaxing stay in Southern Sri Lanka.
Villa staff were amazing and looked after us to a very high standard.
Food was awesome (we opted for local Sri Lankan dishes every day).
Local Monkeys a source of constant entertainment!
Can recommend without hesitation.
Loved it.
Visited December 2019
Written January 30, 2020. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sightsee56745282370
Many thanks your review Kevin. Please come back and visit us again :) All the best from the team at Ratnakara
Written June 5, 2020. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Travelling Kettle
Portsmouth, United Kingdom3 contributions
Paradise in the South of Sri Lanka
11 of our family ranging from 7 to 75 stayed at the amazing Ratnakara villa for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year. The house is perfect for large groups and there is plenty of space. The house staff are totally amazing, cooking, cleaning, advising and making us laugh. The POOL is incredible I reckon 22m long and built stretching into the trees. There is a space for yoga and two massage rooms - the house staff can arrange for a yoga teacher and masseurs to come to the house. The house backs into the jungle and there are often daily visits from the naughty monkeys, peacocks and the palm squirrels scurry about all day. The 'fisherman's' beach is a very short walk down the hill and gives you a glimpse into real life in Sri Lanka. Tuk tuks can be arranged in 15 mins and can take you to Dondra, Matara or one of the beautiful beaches to the East - our favourite were Talalla for unspoilt palm frindged beauty and Hireketya for surfing and people watching. We had two days trips - one to a tea plantation (Virgin White tea) and then onto Galle for a bit of shopping at Barefoot Sri Lanka and wander around the fort and look at the cricket ground and one trip Udawele National Park were you are pretty much guaranteed to see dozens of elephants.
The rest of the time we were happy to relax at the villa - 3 x delicious and healthy meals cooked for you a day, a great pool, yoga, massages, snoozes in the shade and monkey watching.. The big tick is the staff - so kind and nothing too much trouble. Booking and communicating with the owner of the house and Katy who manages the house - were brilliant and they want way above and beyond to help us.
WE WILL BE BACK and you should not hesitate to visit!
Visited December 2019
Written January 19, 2020. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sightsee56745282370
Thanks very much for your review! We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us and would be more than happy to see you come back to see us. Many thanks again. Ratnakara.
Written June 5, 2020. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
University_Doc
Doha, Qatar16 contributions
Paradise ...during troubled times
My wife and I with our 7 year old daughter spent an amazing 10 days here. The food was excellent and all the staff were incredible..friendly and helpful. This was during the Easter Sunday troubles so we were far away from Colombo. We had the whole place to ourselves which was wonderful. The swimming pool was lovely and cleaned every day by the staff. We discussed our food menu the night before and opted mainly for Sri lankan food and found it was excellent. I would really recommend coming here for a peaceful vacation. Although we did not visit Galle it is an hour away by car. We went on the elephant safari in udewalawe and to a tea plantation which was also very interesting.
Now for the challenges:
- I would bring an unlocked mobile and buy a dialogue sim card and use it for communications. It's useful to call your driver as well as the villa whenever you need to. They are cheap to buy and calls and data are very cheap. In addition I would say the wifi in the villa is variable and you are advised re this. It's a remote area and actually if you are coming to expect to work with fast internet connections then it's not for you. With your own local sim card purchased at the airport (big queues) or in local matara (expect to wait 20mins for service and bring your passport) you can access a good 4G signal and access email from your phone or indeed activate the mobile hotspot phone function and link your laptop to it. That way you can keep in touch with relying on the wifi.
- aircon. There is no aircon in the villa. With massive high ceilings and big rooms it's not easy to do this properly I suspect and with a large cost implication. But there are fans and mosquito nets although these were not a big problem. I would.still bring some repellant esp when you are out and about at any time of the day.
- transport. We used Ruwan for short journeys by tuktuk. These were ok but beware drivers in Sri lanka do not follow the rules! He spoke some English and we really liked him. For the longer journeys we used Ajith or Suresh again initially via the villa. After I had my own sim card I contacted them directly and fixed a rate for any trip in advance. It's fairly cheap. Their English was also quite good.
- beaches. The local beach near the villa is rocky and wild and has local fisherman! You can't swim in the sea here. If you want to be super critical it's not immaculately clean but again in Sri lanka you may not find that easily unless its linked to a hotel and they do the cleaning of the beach. There is another beach further down where Katy the manager lives and I've heard that's ok for a swim. Most of the time we took a tuktuk to the Talalla beach which was really nice and big. Again the sea was quite rough although many people were swimming in it! The beach could be cleaner when examined and I think the high tides often wash a few things onto the shore. Saying that we enjoyed walking along it and having a drink at the Zephyr Bar. They served great cocktails and was quite busy. On this beach my wife bought lots of simple beach dresses for herself and friends and our daughter. Maleesha was a young girl on the beach who made these dresses and was very helpful and made things to order. In fact on one occasion we went with her to a fabric shop in Matara to pick the material with her. She worked hard to make these dresses at night to sell during the day supporting her family..
I forgot about the nearby lighthouse. Well worth a visit for the views esp at sunset. A great experience.
So overall an amazing experience for us. I believe it's all about good communication with the staff in the villa. They were the stars here and Ian the owner / manager and Katy the local manager have done a fab job with the villa and the high level of service provided. When we left for the airport all 6 of the staff lined up to say goodbye to.us and we felt very sad esp with the ongoing political situation in the country.
Visited April 2019
Written April 29, 2019. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sightsee56745282370
Thanks very much for your review. We do hope that we will see you back. Many thanks from all at Ratnakara and the land of big smiles :)
Written April 29, 2019. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anette M
Copenhagen, Denmark3 contributions
2 weeks in paradise
Exceptional wonderful place for a family stay.
An amazing house located a beautiful place surrounded by lots of wildlife
Completed by an incredible service-minded staff who keep such fine order and makes so wonderful food that you never want to leave.
Try it - and you won't regret it
Visited February 2019
Written February 28, 2019. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sightsee56745282370
Many thanks the fantastic review! It really does mean a lot to the whole team to get such great feedback and we all truly appreciate it. You were fantastic guests to host and we would love to welcome you back again should you choose South Sri Lanka as a future holiday destination. Very Best Regards, Ratnakara.
Written March 8, 2019. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
rob123
3 contributions
Exceptional - quality through & througg
Simply outstanding rental home which allowed us to fully enjoy our trip to Sri Lanka. High quality home & furnishing added to by a fantastic staff who could not do enough for us. The food was amazing and the chef offered a great variety.
The booking process and communication with Ian could not have been easier.
Only down side was having to come home
Visited December 2018
Written January 3, 2019. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sightsee56745282370
Rob123, Many thanks your review, we really appreciate your feedback and hope that we can host you again in Sri Lanka at some time in the future. Best wishes for 2019, Ratnakara.
Written January 6, 2019. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Didierouv
Angers, France37 contributions
Superbe
Séjour hyper agréable, un staff au top, très attentionné. Un lodge magnifique, chambres spacieuses avec dressing , Wc et SdB attenante . Le salon confortable et une piscine superbe.
Visited November 2018
Written January 3, 2019. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sightsee56745282370
And if you done speak French...(from google translate)
Stay super nice, staff at the top, very attentive. A beautiful lodge, spacious rooms with dressing room, Wc and adjoining bathroom. The comfortable living room and a superb pool.
Didier,
Many thanks for your review. It means a lot to us that you took time to give us feedback and it means a lot to the whole team who make the villa expreiance work for our guests. Please come back and see us again! Best regards, Ratnakara
And if you don't speak English, in French from Google translate!
Et si vous ne parlez pas anglais, traduisez en français à partir de Google!
Didier,
Merci beaucoup pour votre avis. Cela signifie beaucoup pour nous que vous ayez pris le temps de nous faire part de vos commentaires et pour l’ensemble de l’équipe qui fait que la villa fonctionne pour nos invités. S'il vous plaît revenir et nous revoir! Cordialement, Ratnakara
Written January 6, 2019. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sbl
Skopelos, Greece21 contributions
Fabulous villa by the sea immersed in nature
We stayed for Christmas 2018 and were blown away any this magical place. Beautifully designed, architectural house, set in wonderful tropical vegetation. We saw and heard monkeys, iguanas, chipmunks and peacocks every day - not to mention kingfishers, hornbills and other wonderful birds.
The house staff are exceptional. Very relaxed and smiley but with great care for their guests and high service levels. Never intrusive but always there if you needed something. The chef is fab - we ate incredibly well. Some of the best curries I have ever eaten were on the beautiful outside dining terrace at Ratnakara. Wasantha the house manager deserves special praise - his constant good humour and generosity to us were lovely and his daily cocktails at 7pm were a highlight of our whole trip. We left relaxed, happy and feeling very lucky to have chosen this special place.
Visited December 2018
Written December 29, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sightsee56745282370
Many thanks your fantastic review :) It means a lot to the whole team when we know we are "getting it right" and we would be delighted to see you stay with us again. Best wishes to you all for the New Year. Ratnakara.
Written January 2, 2019. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
angelalomas
Birmingham, United Kingdom5 contributions
Piece of paradise on Earth
One word...WOW!!!! We knew from reading previous reviews & looking at pictures & videos that Ratnakara was going to be the highlight of our tour of Srilanka, but nothing could prepare us for the wow factor when we arrived! It is so spacious & has been designed to maximise on light. The pool is bigger than we thought too. Bedrooms are gorgeous & we loved the outdoor showers too. It’s set amongst a natural background that we will dream about for years. We were truly spoilt by the amazing staff here. They cooked, cleaned, washed & helped us with booking transport. They were ever present but in a professional manner that they never encroached on the time we spent as a family relaxing. Katie was on hand for lovely chats too. She is one inspirational lady! We would dearly love to return one day. God willing we will.
Visited August 2018
Written August 11, 2018. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
FarAway428320
Angela, Many thanks for your wonderful review! We are delighted you enjoyed your stay with us and very much look forward to giving you a warm welcome again at some time in the future. Very Best regards, Ratnakara.
Written August 13, 2018. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
elainebatho
High Wycombe, United Kingdom1 contribution
Ratnakara
Had a fabulous stay in this gorgeous villa, the people, the food, the comfort everything was perfect.
There is so much space at Ratnakara, it has an open and natural vibe. You feel like you are amongst the tees with the wildlife.
The team are all so welcoming and kind nothing is too much trouble. We felt thoroughly taken care of all week.
The food is fabulous. I was quite particular with what I wanted as I was hosting a wellness retreat, even cooking foods and using ingredients they had not used before, each meal was outstanding.
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and I can’t think of a better villa to base your trip from.
There is loads to see and do from here, we went to an organic tea plantation, Udawalawe National Park, Matara and of course to see the light house during a stunning sunset. We visited a temple and on our final night had a barbecue whilst being entertained by local fire dancers at the villa.
I could write much much more it really is a fantastic place to stay. I highly recommend it.
Visited September 2017
Written October 22, 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
FarAway428320
Dear EB, Many thanks for taking the time to write a wonderful review of our property. The team here would be delighted to welcome you back next time you are planning an event. Best regards , Ratnakara.
Written October 26, 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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What this rental offers
Property features
- Staff on property
Location info
- Kid friendly
- Beachfront/Lakeside
Outdoor amenities
- Balcony
- Garage
- Private outdoor pool (unheated)
- Private yard
- Terrace
Things to do
- Fishing spots available
- Watersports
- Cycling areas
Parking
- Parking available
Bathroom and laundry
- Iron
- Linens provided
- Towels provided
- Washer
Wi-fi and internet
- Wi-fi
Nearby
- Hiking areas
- Countryside area
Indoor amenities
- Internet access
Kitchen and dining
- Grill
- Dishwasher
- Freezer
- Refrigerator
- Kettle
- Microwave
- Stove
- Toaster
Map
Getting there
Bandaranayake Intl Airport
99.4 mi
Mawella Lagoon Airport
6.2 mi
Restaurants
Talalla Juices & Curry
2.3 mi
Fire Fly Cafe & Grill
1.8 mi
The Dutchman's Street
4 mi
Canilro
2 mi
Attractions
Dondra Head Lighthouse
15 min • Lighthouses
Weherahena Buddhist Temple
2.5 mi • Religious Sites
Star Fort
4.3 mi • Architectural Buildings
Matara Paravi Duwa Temple
2.8 mi • Religious Sites
About the neighborhood
When you are not indulging in rest and relaxation at the villa there is plenty to do and see in the neighbourhood including swimming from unspoilt, uncrowded, palm-fringed sandy beaches, climbing Dondra Head Lighthouse, visiting a blow hole, going whale watching, taking an elephant safari, seeing the largest Buddha in Sri Lanka, visiting Temples, tea plantations and turtle sanctuaries, fishing, cycling, wildlife watching...
Getting around
We can also arrange excursions including transport please ask for further details
Access
Car not needed
How to get there
Ratnakara is a 2.5 hour drive from Colombo Airport. Sri Lankan Airlines is the national carrier and has a good network with modern planes flying direct from many major European and Asian cities. There are also plenty of other quality carriers that fly into Colombo including Etihad, Emirates, Qatar and Jet Airways. Let us know your flight arrangements and we can assist you with arranging a minibus/Taxi to meet you on arrival.
Activities nearby
Fishing spots availableWatersports
About this property
- First, check the Availability tab on this page to see if your dates are available. If they are, contact the owner via the Tripadvisor Rental Inbox to confirm availability.
- Initially, you may contact the owner via the Tripadvisor Rental Inbox. This inbox is created after you send your first message or booking request to the owner. After you've made your first payment, you'll be able to see the owner's contact information.
- This owner will contact you via the Tripadvisor Rental Inbox.
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This property is affiliated with All bookings are direct with the owner
Property #HL222268924
Frequently Asked Questions about Ratnakara
- Ratnakara is able to accommodate up to 12 guests. See all property details.
- Ratnakara has 5 bathrooms available. See all property details.
- Ratnakara has 5 bedrooms available. See all property details.