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Apa Villa is a beachfront retreat at Talpe, east of Galle, with just seven suites in three colonial-style villas around a long infinity pool and a palm-shaded lawn. Six of the suites face the sea, and there is no restaurant hall: a permanent household staff cooks to order and serves meals on your own terrace or overlooking the garden.
Each villa is named after a spice, and the suite names below are the ones you will see when you choose a room. All suites are open-plan, with a sleeping area, a lounge and a large en-suite bathroom, and come with air conditioning and ceiling fans, free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen television, a minibar, a safe, tea and coffee, bathrobes and slippers. Beds sit under mosquito-net canopies on polished cement floors.
If you want a particular suite, such as Cinnamon 3 or Saffron 6, or two suites that connect, say so when you book so we can ask the villa to hold it. The whole of a villa, or the whole property, can also be booked for a family or a group.
Breakfast is a long, slow affair overlooking the garden, with fresh tropical juices, a full Western breakfast or Sri Lankan dishes such as pan hoppers with coconut milk curry and sambol. Light meals, salads, sandwiches and snacks, Asian and Western, are served through the day, and there is a children's menu. In the evening the kitchen offers set two- or three-course dinners, seafood nights, a Singapore chilli crab night, a Rijsttafel and Western-style dinners built around the day's catch. Vegetarian and vegan cooking is handled easily, and red rice, fruit, vegetables and herbs come from the property's own organic garden.
Life at Apa centres on the infinity pool at the edge of the beach, the palm garden and the suites' verandahs, with personal service from the household staff and books in the rooms; the villa deliberately keeps modern gadgetry to a minimum. Mihiripenna Beach is on the doorstep, Dalawella Beach is close by, and the staff can arrange surfing, snorkelling and swimming with turtles along this stretch of coast, as well as whale watching trips from the south coast in season.
The walled old town of Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of cafés, shops and colonial streets, is a short drive west, past the beach and bay of Unawatuna and the white Japanese Peace Pagoda on Rumassala hill. Heading east, the stilt fishermen of Koggala are best seen at around five in the afternoon, when the light softens towards sunset, and the boat trips on Koggala Lagoon and the Koggala sea turtle conservation project are nearby. Several reef breaks for surfers are close to Talpe, with the main south-coast surf spots within about half an hour.
Apa Villa is on the main Matara Road just south-east of Galle, reached from Bandaranaike International Airport by the Southern Expressway, and is marked by signboards at the gate. The simplest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Apa Villa, which takes you all the way to the door. By train, the coastal line runs to Galle and on to the small Thalpe station; arrange a pick-up in advance.
It suits couples who want a quiet, personal beach stay with good food and no crowds, and families or friends who want to take a whole villa, or all seven suites, and have the place to themselves. It is not the place for nightlife or a big hotel's facilities, but Galle and Unawatuna are close enough for an evening out. For more choice in the area see our places to stay in Talpe.
The location of APA villas is on the beachfront. We were in the saffron suite which you couldn’t fault. The grounds were immaculate with palm trees and lawn surrounding a beautiful pool. The place was very clean. The breakfasts we…
Really good atmosphere with great service and delicious food... Highly recommended... ❤️
Although the facility is beautiful and well maintained, there are some things wrong with the value for money Our Saffron Suite, the most expensive around 280 € per night is very large, but also very dark and unfortunately no mosqu…
Ratings and reviews provided by TripAdvisor for APA Villa Thalpe.
Bookable activities, tours, and tickets within a 25 km radius.
Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
