Mount Cinnamon at Mirissa Hills, Mirissa Sri Lanka, The South Coast

On a cinnamon plantation a few kilometres or so inland from the beautiful sandy beach at Mirissa, lies the magnificent hill top villa, Mirissa Hills.

The design is contemporary and simply stunning. The one floor building is well spread around the summit of the hill and the result is an amazing 360 degree vista. In the Asian modernist style, the building blends well into its environments, while providing guests with cool and spacious interiors. Through the wide glass walls at the front of the house, the sweeping curve of Weligama Bay offers itself up as a private picture frame.

The four bedrooms lie either side of the large open ended courtyard, with a pool and grassy lawn in between. The rooms are spacious with superb en-suites and spectacular views. The dinning room, reception and sitting areas lie at one end of the villa, in a large and gloriously light room, with a breathtaking piece of sculpture by Laki Senanayake as the centrepiece. There are not many private properties that can carry a sculpture as bold as this one, but in this context it looks wonderful and adds to the sense of privilege one feels at being the proprietor, if only for a day or two, of this wonderful villa.

The service is laid back and friendly with non of the over the top service that characterise the more colonial offerings in this country. The pleasant manager has been overseeing the cinnamon estate for the last four years, so will happily share his considerable knowledge of cinnamon. The food is created to taste by the local chef, with seafood being the speciality and much other fresh food available besides. The prices are eminently reasonable, at $5 for lunch and $7.50 for supper.

Combining the peacefulness and serenity and views of the high country bungalows with close access to the beach, I cannot recommend this villa to highly.