This is an excellent holiday home for independent couples, families or groups of friends looking to self-cater or enjoy an extended holiday as it offers good value too. The villa’s imaginative build celebrates its picturesque and very serene natural location. The interiors feel homely and, since the rooms are spread across three floors, either sociable or intimate depending upon the occasion. When we first visited the villa back in 2009 it was brand new. Nearly four years on, the villa still felt charming, and the garden beautifully lush, but we noticed that the interiors were starting to look a little tired in places - the fish tank, particularly, looked forlorn. An iPod dock has been added though, along with many more books, CDs, DVDs and games.

The villa is set up for self-caterers. There are a few restaurants located within walking distance of the villa which means that if you don’t feel like cooking, you don’t have far to go to eat out – these include Asian Jewel, where you can enjoy a hearty English breakfast, and Kallabongo Resort. The White House manager, Chaminda, is also the manager of Sun Beach Hotel in Hikkaduwa and can arrange a chef to come to the house to cook for you with advance notice; rice and curry is recommended. A staff of two assists self-catering guests and are on hand to clean, tidy and make drinks for you throughout the day. Their English is limited, but they do understand guests’ needs. Chaminda can be called at any time to assist with more complex queries - local calls from the house telephone are free – and the villa has a very detailed information guide. The staff can arrange a tuk tuk if you’d like to head into Hikkaduwa or you could jump aboard the villa’s two (slightly dilapidated) bicycles to peddle there yourself. Chaminda can organise scooter hire or a car  for onward travel.