Est. 1912 · Weligama, Sri Lanka

Halala Kanda

A private plantation house for fourteen guests

An enchanting plantation sanctuary on Firefly Hill, where serenity meets luxury. Five suites, two acres of garden and a 23-metre pool, looked after by a full staff, for you and no one else.

1912
The year it was built
5
Suites
14
Guests, exclusive stays only
23 m
Saltwater pool
2 acres
Of restored gardens
As featured in W Travel Magazine Financial Times Daily Mail Business Insider House and Garden
From 1912 to today

A legacy of stories, where history and romance converge.

1912

Built to win a bride.

The son of a wealthy Sri Lankan plantation family raised the house on Halala Kanda, Firefly Hill, as a romantic gesture. Vaulted halls, deep verandahs and a grand arched portico made his intentions plain.

Archive photograph of two men in suits
1946

Emperors and cricketers.

Sri Lanka's aristocratic families came to stay. So did Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and the touring Australian cricket team of 1946. If walls could talk, these would tell of romance, decadence and legendary guests.

Archive photograph of a cricketer in a team blazer
A card printed with the name of H.I.M. Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia
2010

Found under the jungle.

After many decades empty, the estate was rediscovered, overrun and near ruin. Walls had fallen and a tree was growing through the roof of the entrance.

A bare brick wall and doorway before restoration
Today

Restored by hand.

Four friends and a team of local craftsmen spent years on a meticulous and soulful restoration, saving most of the original structure and filling it with Sri Lankan art and antiques.

A craftsman at work during the restoration
The paved arrival court with a sculpture, the house beyond The house seen across the lawn The house seen across the pool The pool running to the garden pavilion The garden front of the house with the pavilion The garden pavilion among palms The estate seen from above in the jungle
The estate

Every angle of a 1912 house.

The arrival court

    Living spaces, where time stands still.

    Step through the grand arched portico and you enter a world of light, space and ambience. Walk the house in the order its builder intended.

    The arched portico framed by palms
    The porticoA grand arch frames the first view of the garden.
    The hallway lounge beneath a barrel-vaulted ceiling
    The hallway loungeCrowned by a soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling.
    A carved wooden mask on a white wall
    A room with deep green walls lined with cabinets
    The Room of CuriositiesCabinets of finds behind deep green walls.
    Books and leather notebooks on a dark table
    A lounge with antiques and a carved wooden horse
    The loungeVictorian flair and contemporary elegance.
    Woven hats on a carved wooden stand
    Verandah seating among white columns and louvred shutters
    The verandahChaises for long, lazy afternoons.
    A potted plant in a white doorway
    The long open-air dining pavilion
    The dining pavilionA twenty-seat stone table, open to the garden.
    An antique dresser with a carved figure
    A circular stone seat sunk into the garden
    Conversation escapesThe garden compass and the lounging steps, bordering nature.
    Broad stone steps under palms
    French doors open from a suite onto the garden
    A tall doorway between suite rooms
    A doorway onto a suite with a wooden chest
    A canopied four-poster bed in a white suite
    A suite with tall windows and a desk
    Mosquito net drawn around a bed
    Bunk beds in the Family Suite
    A writing desk in the corner of a suite
    A plant in a white doorway onto a private garden
    A draped bed beside a hand-painted wall hanging
    A bathroom with twin basins
    A painted wardrobe with a robe hanging inside
    A white bathroom with a freestanding basin
    A painted textile hung above a bed
    The pool 23 m

    Sink into the blue. Twenty-three metres of saltwater, set on axis with the garden pavilion and flanked by jungle and paddy fields.

    Float beneath the palms, or simply watch the light move across the jungle.

    A private Eden, designed for indulgence.

    Once overtaken by wild growth, the estate's two acres have been released into a living tapestry of cashew, coconut, tea, cinnamon and pepper. Birds sing through the canopy and the scent of jasmine hangs in the air.

    The pool and garden pavilion at sunrise
    A great tree spreading over the lawn
    A stone path through the garden
    Inside the open garden pavilion
    Sun breaking through the garden beside the house
    The estate in its canopy, seen from above
    Children on the cushioned bench of the sunken lounge

    When the light turns gold.

    As the sun begins its slow descent, retreat to The Folly, a sunken Art Deco lounge where cocktails flow and the golden hour lingers. The verandah chaises invite long, lazy afternoons where time is of no consequence.

    Verandah chairs among white columns
    The open garden pavilion with a hanging lantern
    The dining pavilion and its long stone table under a dark timber roof

    A feast for body and soul.

    Mornings begin with Ceylon tea and fruit picked from the gardens. Afternoons bring Sri Lankan feasts, infused with spices hand-harvested from the estate.

    In the open kitchen, join Lasitha to roll hoppers and blend curries. Come evening, stories are shared by candlelight at the twenty-seat stone table.

    The chef standing at a round table in the kitchen
    Breakfast of tropical fruit and juice, seen from above
    Flames inside a wood-fired oven at night
    Hoppers and sambols on a plate
    Hands slicing fresh fish on a board
    Bowls of Sri Lankan curries
    Fishermen on stilts in the surf off the south coast
    “Everything that makes Sri Lanka special.”
    W Traveller Magazine

    Beyond the gates, to wander and delight.

    Halala Kanda offers seclusion and stillness, and it is also a base for adventure. Quiet village paths wind through tea estates, jungle and the ripple of rice paddies.

    See the curated walks on AllTrails
    Two walkers under an umbrella on a village lane Swimmers in the bay at Weligama A sheltered cove with clear water A white lighthouse among palms Green paddy fields edged by jungle Tuk-tuks and bicycles on a village street

    Reserve the whole house.

    Whole villa fromUSD 1,200per night, breakfast included
    • Exclusive stays onlyThe entire villa and its staff are yours.
    • Breakfast includedOther meals and drinks are provided at cost, curated to your preference.
    • Three-night minimumFive nights during festive periods.
    Prefer to talk? A phone and WhatsApp line would sit here.