We were looking at a tall order and when we looked at the criteria for our family get together. My parents in their 70's, their three sons, wives and 7 grandchildren aged between 18 and 2. This place appeared to tick every box when we booked the trip and smashed the criteria into the stratosphere when we got there. It just got better everyday, to say we didn't want to leave is an understatement.
We had 15 people so hired the Villa and the Abbey, they are next door to each other and each had a pool. Then there was the beach which was only yards away. The bedrooms are massive, air conditioned with adjoining bathrooms. They are kept pristeen by the team of wonderful staff who you barely notice. As you know with kids near a beach, and pool, sand and water was constantly dragged into the houses. You would never know it, gone, before you had chance to apologise to the staff. The rooms were all tidied and beds made before you were back from breakfast and if you wanted coffee, tea or a beer you simply had to ask and you could sit at any of the beautiful parts of the property and enjoy the sun, the shade, the peace and quiet or go and be a part of the action at whichever pool was populated by the kids that particular day.
We stayed for 12 nights and we all ate together at the Villa and spent evenings after at the Abbey. The food was first class and the chefs would cater for whatever tastes you wanted. We all love spicey food and the local dishes were superb and graded heatwise to peoples different preferences including dad who asked for super spiced and got exactly what he wanted! That was him happy for the whole fortnight. They also catered for the younger children and made excellent pizza's, soups, pastas and burgers when they fancied some less exotic food.
Everyday was made special by the staff, hand picked by Sonali who we did not meet, but we did meet her son who took the older kids quadbiking while we visited their family tea plantation. We also met her husband who dropped by to deliver another beautiful cake and a welcome bottle of wine. Nothing was too much trouble.
We ate out a couple of nights at posh hotels in Galle and realised the food at home was just as good so not worth the effort. What was lovely was taking a 2 minute tuk tuk ride to the nearby Fortress Hotel for pre dinner cocktails which we did a couple of times.