Lake Villa

The villa was incredible…many times we didn't want to leave the place most of the time. The staff were so lovely and helpful and we spent most of the dinners at the house as the chef was amazing! It was impeccable in cleanliness, and safety. The only thing I recommend is laundrying the towels more frequently as they were never done while we were there! Didn't bother us though! Pool was spectacular :)

We had a fantastic stay at the Mandalay villa - apart from obviously being a beautiful place to stay, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful and kept the place running very well throughout our visit. All of us, including our children (7 years, and 10 month old twins) were very happy and comfortable. We will definitely be back!! Thank you.

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Ranking 4 very good.

Mandalay Villa is ideally located in a private setting. Typically Bawa architecture, the living quarters are both well appointed and beautiful and very in tune with nature.We could experience nature from every angle. We didn't go without the creature comforts either. The beds were very comfortable and romantic with the massive four poster bed netting canopy. We all enjoyed peaceful sleeps in our tranquil setting.

We loved being surrounded by nature and enjoyed the monkey and monitor visits. If you are still and quiet enough you can see and hear many beautiful birds.

The staff at the Villa are warm, friendly and helpful. The chef is a delight and knows how to cook. I would not bother leaving the villa. I am still thinking about his the dishes he prepared! He was kind enough to share his recipes. I only hope that I can replicate.

Our only disappointment was the pool. The tiles had worn in many places leaving razor sharp edges that the children continuously cut their feet on. The owners were aware of this at the time of booking and failed to bring it to our attention and prevent injury. Nor did they offer a discount rate. I also noticed that the pool was a bit cloudy. This was a real let down for me as this is the central activity for children.

Also I found the lack of credit card or pay pal facility a pain and and a significant additional expense.

It would also be of benefit to have a pre arrival orientation. We arrived late in the afternoon to no food. I suggest that you let guests know more about the service. The chef was more than happy to go and get food and cook it. It was the last thing I wanted to think about as I was hungry and tired from traveling. You could send a brief menu of options for arrival snacks and dinner for guests to choose before they arrive.

While i prefer to eat local cuisine, for western travelers, La Clochette in Galle is a must. Guests will happily pay for the homemade jam and amazing French bread and pastry to be ordered from the Villa.

It was sad that the chef could not make hoppers as he did not have the right pan! We love hoppers and there is so much to do with them as they can be both sweet and savory.

When I return to Sri Lanka, I will go directly to the Villa ( stopping to buy 2 hopper pans) to spend a relaxing week there with daily Avurvedic massages at the Villa.

Karina

EDEN VILLAS
Dear Karina, thank you taking the time to write the review. I am happy to confirm that the pool has now been retiled and looks gorgeous. Our sister company Eden Villas Management has taken over the management so for future guests they will be sending menu options and the chef now has some hopper pans. Thank you again for your time and we look forward to welcome you back to Mandalay.
Regards
Jack Eden

We had a fabulous holiday. The villa is spacious and very well appointed: it easily accommodated two families. The pool was large and was perfect for little children. We had thought that the lake might be a problem with our little children but we found it easy enough to dissuade them from going anywhere near it so it wasn't an issue at all. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. We would recommend going shopping with Chintaka early on to establish the cost and availability of ingredients as that might be a surprise. Chintaka provided us with good contacts for good tuk tuk drivers and great places to eat and drink on the beach. The villa is located slightly out of the way but don't be put off by that - it is only a few minutes from the main road, and its lakeside location means that there is a beautiful sense of serenity. We were sad to leave.

We had such an amazing time at Mandalay. The staff were so lovely and looked after us without bombarding. The pool was the perfect temperature and we enjoyed 7 nights to just relax, read our books, swim, catch a tuk tuk to the local restaurants and beaches and basically have a lovely, relaxing time (as relaxed as it can be with 3 children!). Our girls are 4 and 6 and relatively strong swimmers, the pool is divine however it was only 6 year old who could stand in it so something to be mindful of. We had monkeys leap from tree to tree around us which was lots of fun plus there were a few local dogs hanging around but they were lovely and very relaxed and unobtrusive. The Chef is amazing - much better at the local Sri Lankan cuisine than the western style so we ended up doing it the Sri Lankan way for breakfast lunch and dinner! Delicious! Huge room upstairs and downstairs had two single beds that actually fit our 3 (king size singles). Internet / Wifi was available and we took our Apple TV which was great although they had plenty of DVDs to choose from. All in all I can highly recommend the Mandalay Villa - we had a great stay!

We stayed at Villa Mandalay our last 2 nights of a 14 day Sri Lanka trip. The villa is locatef on Kogalla lake and provided beautiful scenery anongst nature. The resident dogs also added to the homely feel of this propery. Our kids loved searching for monkeys, looking for crabs, counting fish and playing with the dogs. The chef was magnificent and catered to all our needs. The openess of the pool and dining area was enjoyed by all. The location is quiet yet convenient to get to the beaches / shops with a short drive. We came with the objective to relax and it was mission accomplished.

Just a brief email, to let you know how thrilled we were with Mandalay.

From the moment we arrived we were made to feel entirely at home - if only my home was so glorious. Chintaka, Dalce and the staff there are truly special and nothing was too much trouble.
We were fed so well that we all left a few pounds heavier.

The house itself is spectacular and maintained so well. We had great fun in the huge pool, playing croquet, sitting on the pontoon with a glass of bubbly and also took a boat trip which Chintaka arranged for us.

This was a first trip to Sri Lanka for my niece and a rather long overdue get together for all of us So along with my sister, niece and sons we send huge thanks to Eden Villas for ensuring our holiday was so special.

Best of both worlds - on a large tranquil lake and next to Sri Lanka's stunning beaches.

Left on Aug 20, 2017 for a stay in Aug 2017
The villa is located on Koggala Lake and only 5 minutes from the beaches - 10 minutes from Weligama and 40 minutes to Galle Fort. The three-bedroom (one large master bedroom, one twin and one double room) villa is set on the lake with its own boating dock where a local fisherman can take you to visit the nearby Cinnamon Island and Spice Island which we highly recommend. The fisherman also took our children fishing to their absolute delight and the fish was then placed on the grill by the in-villa chef. The villa represents a simple and relaxing way of living. The villa has a large pool in the heart of the property so if you are travelling with children it is great to watch them from the outdoor dining area or even from the top floor master bedroom. The two younger children in cots upstairs under the large oversized mosquito nets, whilst our younger two slept in the twin rooms downstairs. It was an adventure for all the family and the convenient location meant that we could pop out to nearby restaurants or spend the day in Galle Fort.

I wanted to write to say how much we loved our time at Mandalay.
The Villa itself is beautiful, but the whole experience was enhanced by the staff. Everyone was charming and
Helpful. Chinthaka and Dulcie were brilliant but the ground staff were also so kind. As was our Tuktuk driver who was not only a good driver but also very helpful.
Everyone had a warm, friendly aura. Congratulations for assembling such a great team.
We also have to mention the dogs. We love dogs and the fact the Villa is so kind to dogs by encouraging them to stay, made our whole experience even richer. It showed compassion and kindness.
Thank you again for such a memorable time. You should be very proud of the service you offer. I can say it was one of the best holidays we have had.
Warmest wishes
Ben Fogle

This villa is absolutely amazing. Set in a beautiful part of Sri Lanka, just 20 minutes from Galle, it's stunning. The photographs do not do it justice. Chintaka and the team at the villa are some of the most caring people you will meet. They looked after us and children impeccably. Chintaka is a great chef too. Get him to cook as much Sri Lankan food as possible. Thank you to everyone associated with the villa. Amazing care and service.