THE SPACE Villa Sapphire is a private tropical luxury home and pool, located in a tranquil residential area, in the popular beach holiday destination of Hikkaduwa on the South West coast of Sri Lanka. The villa is not overlooked by neighbouring properties, and is offered on an entirely exclusive basis. It accommodates up to 6 people in your own private group, with as much or as little support as you want from our very helpful Staff. The nightly price is for the whole place, not per person, and includes a full cleaning service every 2 days when bed linen and towels are changed. Free WiFi with high speed internet access throughout the villa and garden. The option of your own professionally trained Private Chef to cook what ever you wish, whenever you choose, and only if you want. He can cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences, so not just traditional Sri Lankan food. Dietary requirements also catered to. Stylishly interior decoration throughout, combining antique and modern furniture, with every comfort the international traveler might wish for. 2 Super King and 1 King size bedrooms, each with individually temperature control Air Conditioning and high ceiling fans; and 3 en-suite bathrooms with power showers. Each bedroom has a comfortable huge four-poster bed draped with nets, and finest quality cotton bed linen and towels. Ensuite bathrooms, bidet showers, wardrobes, dressing tables and stools. The Master bedroom and villa, opens onto a large shaded verandah with ceiling fans, just 2 steps away from your own private pool. The ensuites off the Master bedroom, and middle bedroom have rain showers, with hand and foot showers. Spacious open plan indoor living area, with beautiful interior design and ceiling fans. Furnished Hallway opens onto the living room with sofa, coffee table, flat screen and full Cable TV, DVD, and speakers to hook up your own iPods. Fully equipped open plan kitchen, with a gourmet range of facilities and appliances. Large fridge freezer and water cooler. Laundry room with clothes washing machine, iron, ironing board, and drying facilities. Free to use as you please. A comfortable outdoor living area with shaded verandah overlooking the pool, with sofas, coffee table, dining table and chairs. Here you can relax on the outdoor sofas, and if you have children they can play in the pool and large sunny tropical garden, under your watchful eye (the pool is just 2 steps away and the garden has a surrounding high secure wall). Table tennis table, bar area, patio and barbeque. Our Chef can shop for you and prepare any meals, snacks and drinks you wish for alfresco dining - an inexpensive way to holiday in style (theres no corkage charge). We can also help you celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries. The garden has palm trees, tropical flowering plants, banana and mango trees, and pineapples. Many different species of birds and butterflies visit the garden daily including the occasional Peacock, along with palm squirrels and sometimes monkeys can be seen swinging through the trees with their babies. Enjoy all-day sunshine in complete privacy round the pool, terrace and garden. Relax on the carved wooden daybed and cushions, in calm tranquility. Comfortable Padded sun loungers, sun umbrella, pool towels and inflatable pool lilos and toys provided. Beach towels also freely available to borrow. Games, books, jigsaws, toys, yoga mat, and snorkel/mask/ fins available for Guests to use during your stay. Generator back up for electricity, in case of power outages. Digital safe, and digital weighing scales for your luggage. We are very popular with families and a fully range of baby equipment is available for our little Guests. This equipment is tested to U.K. Safety Standards, including a travel cot with net, mattress and bedding; baby intercom monitor, high chair, baby bath and towels, changing mat, baby dinner and table wear, electric socket safety covers and safety latches for kitchen cupboards. Gym equipment also available. Villa Sapphire is a one level home, that can be Accessible for Guests who have a mobility conditions. Please message me to discuss how we might best meet your particular Accessibility requirements. GUEST ACCESS The villa, private pool and garden are offered to you on an exclusive basis - you will have the entire place to yourselves. Ideal for families with children, a group of friends, or a romantic get away. Fully accessible, one level, ground floor accommodation; with driveway for parking. Wheelchair accessible, with just one small step into the hallway, and 2 steps from the verandah to the pool (also accessible on flat lawn/path either side of the villa). GUEST INTERACTION You will have the whole place to yourselves, with as much or as little support as you desire from our very helpful staff who live off the premises but are available for you when ever you wish. You will be greeted by our Chef Chaminda, who will welcome you, show you around. He will give you a set of keys and a mobile phone with a local SIM card and numbers that you will find useful during your stay. Chaminda is on call for Guests throughout your stay, to ensure it is an enjoyable and fully supported experience. There is also a Cleaning Maid Service every 2 days, and the pool and garden are maintained daily. A Licensed Tuk Tuk Driver is on call for guests, just a phone call away, and he will happily run you anywhere you wish and back in the local area, both day and night. He can also arrange sightseeing trips to local places of interest. We are happy to help with anything you may need, and you can contact us at any time. Optional Private Chef Service This really is an incredibly inexpensive way to Dine and drink in style, on delicious food of your own choosing, without paying corkage charge or the inflated prices of restaurants. Chaminda is also great at cooking child friendly food for our little Guests. Chef Chaminda is available to cook for you whenever you wish, and he can cater to all dietary requirements and preferences. His service is purely optional, and you can use his service whenever you want - all the time, some of the time or not at all - its entirely up to you. You can decide on a day to day basis when you arrive, and pay him in local currency (Sri Lankan Rupees LKR). If you would like a meal preparing for your arrival you only have to ask. His food is amazing and he can cook a wide range of local and international dishes. He can cook anything you want with fresh local produce. You decide what you would like to eat, or he can suggest menu ideas. You can agree a menu with him and he will shop for the ingredients, and beers and wine etc (theres no corkage charge), while you relax and enjoy your holiday. He will prepare, cook, serve, clear up, wash the dishes, put them away, and leave the kitchen clean. Guests pay him direct for the actual cost of ingredients (he will give you the receipts), and a small service fee. That is: 500 Rupees (£2.79 $3.40) to cover his petrol when he shops for ingredients. If you just want him to cook any 1 meal a day, his service charge is 3,000 Rupees. That is for all of you not per person. If you want him to cook more than 1 meal a day, his service charge is 5,000 Rupees a day. Again that is for all of you, not per person, and could include Breakfast, Lunch, Diner / a Barbecue, and Snacks. Chamindas food is delicious, and hes a fully qualified Chef with experience of working in hotels, private villas and even a Saudi Royal Palace! Chaminda does of course cook a wonderful traditional Sri Lankan Rice and Curry, including lots of different types of curries such as chicken, fish, vegetable, meat and mouthwatering lagoon prawns, with rice, nann bread, poppadoms and mango chutney. NEIGHBOURHOOD AND OVERVIEW Situated in a safe and tranquil residential area close to Narigama Beach, the most beautiful beach in Hikkaduwa, with its many bars, restaurants and shops. Villa Sapphire is a peaceful oasis, with easy access to the beach and town of Hikkaduwa, and everything it has to offer. Our location ensures you can be at the beach in 5 minutes, and join in the party nights at the many beach bars when ever you want. Equally you can escape from the noise of trains, traffic and all night music; and relax in calm tranquility at the villa with a late night swim in the pool, staring at the stars or listening to music of your own choosing whenever you wish. Near to shops, supermarkets, fresh vegetable and fish markets and all amenities. Local convenience food shopping and bakery less than 5 minutes walk away. An idyllic place to relax, swim or sunbathe privately, or join in the fun of Hikkaduwas beach scene and its vibrant party nightlife. There are a wealth of activities on hand if you wish, catering to enthusiasts of surfing, wake boarding and water sports, snorkeling and scuba diving, wildlife (including whale and dolphin watching, and turtle sanctuaries), history, culture and temples, yoga, Ayurveda treatments and massages, lagoon and river boat trips, tea plantations, shopping and party nightlife. If you want to see elephants, the best place (for the elephants) is to take an overnight trip to Yala National Park, to see them in their natural environment. The park is also home to monkeys, crocodiles, birds, buffalo, and the islands largest population of leopards - dont forget your camera. The UNESCO World Heritage site of the Galle Fort is a 25 minute drive away. If you need any help with sights to see and places to visit- please just ask. Please see our House Manual for many more ideas for things to see and do. Theres also a copy at the villa which will help you make those decisions. GETTING AROUND We can arrange airport and other transfers for you, or provide directions to Villa Sapphire. Once in Hikkaduwa, Tuk Tuks (three wheeler taxis) are everywhere and drivers will court your custom. A named Licensed Tuk Tuk Driver is on call for guests, just a phone call away. He will happily take you anywhere you wish locally, including sightseeing trips. We provide our Guests with a mobile phone to call him, with local SIM card for cheap calls within Sri Lanka. We can also put you in touch with a local Tour company, for sightseeing trips further away. Motorbikes, scooters and bicycles are available to hire locally. Driveway for parking, and sheltered parking for motor bike. Easy access to public transport by bus and train. OTHER THINGS TO NOTE There is a small additional charge for the cost of electricity used during your stay. Because guests electricity usage vairies so much, we have found it impossible to build it into our price. The electricity price is subject to actual use, and is to be paid separately by guests in local currency on departure. An electricity meter reading is taken on arrival and departure, and you will be shown the meter readings. Our Property Manager will show you our electricity company website, and its Bill Calculator to calculate the actual cost of the electricity used during your stay. We have changed to a cheaper electricity tariff, and as an indicator, the average cost of electricity used per night has ranged from 918.40 Rupees to 1,737.45 Rupees (£5.08 - £9.61).