41 Lighthouse Street is a beautifully renovated 300-year-old Dutch house in the centre of Galle Fort. Designed by a leading Sri Lanka architect and interior designer, behind a tasteful, yet anonymous, entrance is one of the Fort’s largest houses and a true private sanctuary. Stepping into the villa, a proud entrance greets you still with the original black and white chequered tiles of the early 17th century Portuguese owners. Once through the front section of the house, you enter the large, bright courtyard, a space for sunbathing, alfresco dining and refreshing swims in the exquisite pool. The sheltered gazebo in the corner of the high-walled courtyard is a meditative idyll, complete with twin turtles in two small ponds. The whole of 41 Lighthouse has been finished to the highest standards with many personal touches giving the house a homely feel. The leading private villa in the Fort.

Accommodation
The house has three suites, two upstairs, one downstairs with private balconies over looking the pool and gardens. The master bedroom contains a magnificent four-poster bed as well as an additional refined living area with beautiful teak parquet flooring and cozy, deep-cushioned sofas. The three double bedrooms come complete with soft, white linen sheets, fitted mosquito nets, air-conditioning and lavish en-suite bathrooms. The master bedroom boasts a magnificent giant-sized copper-plated bath and an iPod compatible music system.

Facilities
Facilities: The front section of the villa contains four huge open-plan rooms with exposed beams and high archways that lead your gaze from one end of the house to the other. The four rooms are split into a library/study, a pool-table room, living area and dining room with bar, all of course are decorated and furnished sumptuously. The living and library areas are perfect for those quiet, contemplative moments whilst the pool-table room and 16-seat dining room are ideal for holding a buzzing party.  There are two dining areas, on the terrace for breakfasts and alfresco lunches and under cover for dinner on a splendid teak table. The living area’s huge white couches provide a perfect place to read a book or sip an early evening drink whist being accompanied by some music courtesy of the iPod compatible stereo. There is also a 28inch LCD TV and DVD player incase you fancy a quiet afternoon in, or need to entertain the kids. The whole property is furnished with furniture and artwork hand-picked from Indonesia, Bali, Kerala and Sri Lanka.  The kitchen is well equipped.  Those who are less culinary-inclined can sit back and let the house staff serve-up wonderful breakfasts and Sri Lankan specialties.  The houseboy will look after you during your stay, serving drinks, helping in the kitchen and doing all your shopping. Wanita, the cleaner, will be on hand every day to do laundry and clean the rooms. A cook is available at an extra charge. A nanny can also be hired.

Excursions
Galle Fort is incomparable to anywhere else in Sri Lanka. Entering through the new English gate or the old Dutch gate is akin to stepping into a different realm. Within, 600 houses, each with various degrees of renovation to their original Dutch architecture, crowd narrow, winding streets with individual, old world charm.  The thick, high ramparts that protect and distinguish the Fort are today used for romantic evening strolls, early morning power-walks and convenient viewpoints to catch the sweaty action of local village cricket games and the international games held in the adjacent Galle cricket stadium. 41 Lighthouse Street is centrally located in the Fort, close to a number of café’s, boutique shops and restaurants. A number of small beaches that is suitable for morning swims are a walk away just outside the fort, whilst some of Sri Lanka’s best sunbathing beaches are only a short tri-shaw ride away.