White House at Bird Lake No. 2
What You Get
Internet (WiFi)
Swimming Pool (Private)
TV (Satellite/Cable)
Washing Machine
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The Experience
As you sit comfortably on the veranda overlooking the placid lake or enjoy a long, lazy lunch on the sundrenched dining terrace followed by a dip in your own private swimming pool, you will appreciate how this villa has been created to make its guests feel very much at home. Its design, merging the indoors with the outdoors, was inspired by the work of the late Sri Lankan master architect Geoffrey Bawa whose work typically celebrates the island’s stunning beauty and tropical climate. Local materials used in the construction including timber, concrete and metal have been combined in such a way to give this property a modern edge.
The design of the villa complements the sloping piece of land that it was built upon. The timber ceiling of the dining room soars metres above, making it feel spacious but not overwhelming. A staircase at the middle of the building zigzags up four floors and connects a cosy lounge, three bedrooms and a roof terrace from where the best views of the lake can be appreciated. The high ceiling, open plan design and airy nature of the build allows the air to circulate and ensures that the property remains breezy and cool. The layout of the villa works well for families (with older kids) and groups, and is also intimate enough for a couple to enjoy.
The suitability of this villa as a holiday home is enhanced not only by its proximity to the famous beach resort of Hikkaduwa (3km) but also by its large private pool, its big kitchen and selection of modern conveniences including a wall-mounted plasma screen TV, DVD players, a CD player and an iPod dock. Although the property is primarily designed for self-catering, a chef can be arranged to prepare simple Sri Lankan cuisine for an extra daily charge whilst the friendly housekeeper discreetly cleans up after you.
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Our review
- Overall Rating:
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7.3
- Reviewed:
- 14-Jan-2014
The huge Bread Fruit tree offers a good focus for bird watching.
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.
Individual Scores:
| Character/Charm: | 7 | Location: | 8 | Outside Area: | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Area: | 7 | Bedrooms: | 7 | Bathrooms: | 6 |
| Kitchen: | 8 | Facilities: | 8 | Staff: | 7 |
| Value: | 8 |
Highlights
The large private swimming pool really enhances this property, whilst its modern design provides plenty of spots for dining and lounging. For those wishing to stay close to the lively resort of Hikkaduwa but not in the thick of it, the villa’s location three kilometres away in picturesque surroundings overlooking the serene Bird Lake will be a major highlight; having restaurants and a water sports centre close by further enhance its appeal. The large modern well-equipped kitchen is also a highlight for those wishing to self-cater – especially families with kids; the housekeeper cleaning up after you makes it even easier!
Surprises
Be aware that there might be some noise from the Kallabongo Resort, to the left of the villa, which has a pool, a water sports centre and infrequent discos (a handful of times a year). Neighbouring White House at Bird Lake No.1 adjoins the property, so if there are other guests staying there this might cause a disturbance! Although each property is independent, walled-off and built on different levels, their bedrooms overlook your pool, and vice versa, so exclusive privacy is not guaranteed. Due to the many split levels and steps, parents should keep an eye on toddlers and young children both inside and outside of the house, however the owner has recently added a handrail to the stairs linking the lounge and dining area. Be aware that the final stretch of road leading to the villa (around 1km) is a dirt road and in a poor condition.
PROs
- Peaceful location near Hikkaduwa
- Decent kitchen for self-caterers
- Water sports centre next door
- Lots of living and dining space
CONs
- Pool is overlooked by neighbouring villa
- Many steps; unsuitable for the less mobile or toddlers
- No in-house cook
- Staff speak basic English
Guest reviews (3)
- Rachel T, Australia checked out on 28-Dec-2013
- Overall Rating:
-
8.3
- Reviewed:
- 15-Jan-2014
Individual Scores:
| Character/Charm: | 9 | Location: | 5 | Outside Area: | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Area: | 9 | Bedrooms: | 7 | Bathrooms: | 7 |
| Kitchen: | 10 | Facilities: | 9 | Staff: | 10 |
| Value: | 9 |
- Freddy Van Noten , Belgium checked out on 30-Sep-2010
- Overall Rating:
-
8
- Reviewed:
- 03-Nov-2010
Contrary to the web-site a safe was not available and the wine fridge was out of order the whole time. Several times we had no hot water in the morning due to a short circuit in the kitchen switch. Need to say that it was always immediately repaired by the staff but the problem occured again during the night. The cooking by the staff was delicious and very cheap. Although upon request tuc-tuc drivers were immediately available the house is a little too far from the main village and restaurants. But this minus point was made good by the wonderful food of The Asian Jewel Hotel in the immediate neighbourhood. Can certainly recommend the White House for 2 or 3 couples as it is too big and expensive for just two people.
Individual Scores:
| Character/Charm: | 8 | Location: | 8 | Outside Area: | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Area: | 9 | Bedrooms: | 8 | Bathrooms: | 7 |
| Kitchen: | 8 | Facilities: | 7 | Staff: | 9 |
| Value: | 8 |
- Alison Armstrong, United Arab Emirates checked out on 19-Jun-2010
- Overall Rating:
-
7.6
- Reviewed:
- 27-Aug-2010
Individual Scores:
| Character/Charm: | 6 | Location: | 8 | Outside Area: | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living Area: | 8 | Bedrooms: | 6 | Bathrooms: | 7 |
| Kitchen: | 8 | Facilities: | 9 | Staff: | 7 |
| Value: | 9 |
Gallery
Google Map | Video |
Location
The White House is three kilometres from Hikkaduwa on the fringe of Naskadeniya village overlooking placid Bird Lake. Set in tranquil natural surroundings, the villa is neighboured by a scattering of other private homes and guesthouses as well as a small boutique hotel with restaurant. As its name suggests, Bird Lake is a good area for birdwatchers; flashes of colour and song can be seen and heard from the verdant greenery that sprouts from the lake’s meandering boundary. Water sports enthusiasts can enjoy the placid surface of the lake via the facilities of the Kallabongo Resort, which is located right next door to the villa.
Places of Interest(KMs) |
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| Hikkaduwa | 3.0 |
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| Ambalangoda | 17.0 |
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| Galle | 21.0 |
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| Balapitiya | 23.0 |
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| Unawatuna | 26.0 |
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| Ahungalla | 28.0 |
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| Kosgoda | 31.0 |
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| Kosgoda | 31.0 |
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| Bentota | 38.0 |
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| Kalutara | 59.0 |
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| Matara | 64.0 |
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| Colombo | 102.0 |
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| International Airport | 131.0 |
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About Hikkaduwa
The lively beach resort of Hikkaduwa is famous for its colourful coral, tropical fish and long stretch of golden sand fringed by a variety of rustic guesthouses, hotels, restaurants, dive centres and tourist shops. As one of the oldest beach resorts on the island and despite its popularity back in the 70’s and 80’s as a hippie hangout, Hikkaduwa has reinvented itself so that while it still retains its characteristic laid-back charm, it is now more appealing to a wider range of visitors. There’s plenty to do here both on land and in the water; visitors can explore the tropical fish and colourful coral of the marine sanctuary just offshore either by snorkeling, diving or chartering a glass-bottomed boat. Surfing is also very popular here and many experienced locals are often to be seen expertly riding the waves of the resort’s most famous surfing points or teaching inexperienced westerners their home-grown techniques. With a wide stretch of beach, many visitors to the resort just choose a spot to eat, drink or just relax on loungers under the tropical sun overlooking the ocean. A range of restaurants offer plenty of opportunities for dining on anything from the simplest local dishes to more complex international cuisine; seafood is especially good here and one of the resort’s specialties. Hikkaduwa has a relatively lively nightlife; during the high season (November to April), regular discos are held at Vibrations (Fridays) and Mambo’s (Saturdays) whilst many of the restaurants’ closing times are dependent only on when the last customer leaves. The town is linked to Colombo and Galle on the Coast Line railway route and has plenty of banks with ATMs and money changing facilities as well as supermarkets, fresh produce stalls, travel agencies and pharmacies.
About West Coast
The west coast of Sri Lanka is the island’s original tourist hotspot, blessed with numerous picture-perfect gold sandy beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see. These wide beaches are fringed with hotels and restaurants often hidden below the tall, swaying palms. Sandy tracks lead to water-sport facilities, signs point towards intimate spa and Ayurveda centres whilst stone pathways take you to bijou shopping malls where a whole range of island memorabilia can be found.
Local residents are friendly and never fail to offer their services; whether it is to take visitors bird watching inland, to a marine turtle hatchery such as Kosgoda, for a special temple tour, on a surfing safari in Hikkaduwa or on a scenic adventure up the Madhu Ganga River for a glimpse into Sri Lanka’s lush interior.
Between the bigger resort towns, the beaches (Balapitiya to Kosgoda for example) are more unspoilt and often deserted except for a handful of sarong-clad fishermen and their multi-coloured boats. But no beach is ever too far from the main road. Look up to the skies and you will see that the coconut palms in this western region, especially around Bentota, are often connected by tightropes used by toddy tappers - men who climb into the trees to obtain the sweet, milky sap of the coconut blossom that is distilled into the local alcoholic brew, arrack, which you must try at least once!
Just a short distance inland the scenery bursts with different shades of green as paddy fields, coconut and rubber plantations, verdant hills, lush valleys, mangroves, lagoons and foliage-covered buildings represent an authentic Sri Lankan village scene.
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Rooms
The entrance of the villa, to the right of a small gated garden, opens directly into an open-plan lime and black colour-themed lounge attached to an open-air courtyard, which is furnished with cushioned-topped sofas and a wall-mounted plasma screen satellite TV and DVD player.
Steps lead down from the lounge to the dining room home to a dining table for eight and a fish tank built into the back wall. Wide folding doors open from here onto a furnished veranda and grassy lawn beyond. To the left of the dining room is a small washroom tucked under the stairs and a spacious kitchen with cement-topped work surfaces, a large oven and a courtyard where herbs and spices grow. To the front, the kitchen opens onto an alfresco dining terrace furnished with a round concrete dining table encircled by black metal chairs. The dining terrace connects to the veranda via an archway and both spaces share views of pool and lake beyond.
Back in the lounge, a zigzag stairway leads up over several levels, eventually reaching a furnished roof terrace with excellent panoramic lake views. On the first level above the lounge are two bedrooms. The first (above the veranda) overlooks the pool and lake from wide folding louvered windows, and has a four-poster double bed, built-in wardrobes and an ensuite bathroom with built-in cement tub and shower. The second bedroom (above the kitchen) is furnished with a double bed, built-in wardrobes and an ensuite bathroom with shower. This double bedroom also shares in the lake views from a private balcony.
Up another level (above the lounge) is a third bedroom, which has a view towards the back of the property, as well as an interior window looking down over the dining room. This bedroom features twin beds, a suspended mosquito net, built-in wardrobes and an ensuite bathroom with shower. Facilitated with a small TV/DVD player, this room is ideal for children. All bedrooms are fitted with air conditioning and ceiling fans.
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Key Amenities
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Internet (WiFi)
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Swimming Pool (Private)
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TV (Satellite/Cable)
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Washing Machine
Other Amenities
- Air-con (Bedrooms)
- Baby Cot (On Request)
- BBQ
- Bed Linen
- Bicycles
- Board Games/Toys
- Book Selection
- Car Parking
- CD Library
- CD Player/Stereo System
- Ceiling Fans
- Coffee Machine
- DVD Library
- DVD Player
- Equipped Kitchen
- Hairdryers
- High Chairs (On Request)
- iPod Dock/Speakers
- Iron/Board
- Main Dining (8 persons)
- Oven/Hotplates
- Safe
- Towels
- Tumble Dryer
Villa Staff
- Chef/Cook (All meals) (Extra)
- Garden/Pool Staff
- Housekeeping (Full time)
- Manager (Restricted hrs)
- Shopper (Extra)
A modern, 3-bedroom holiday home in a picturesque lakeside setting yet close to lively Hikkaduwa. With a simple – though striking – design, The White House at Bird Lake has cosy living and dining areas, a large swimming pool, modern conveniences and a fully equipped kitchen ideal for self-catering families, groups and couples.
http://www.thevillaguide.com/villa/white-house-at-bird-lake-no-2.aspx
