Ishq Talpe, Talpe

Utterly luxurious and totally private, this five-bedroom villa on Galle’s spectacular Talpe beachfront is an exceptional holiday home in tropical Sri Lanka. The villa was originally built in the 1990s by renowned Australian architect Bruce Fell-Smith and was one of Galle’s first luxury beachfront villas. Its Indian Ocean views are unparallelled. Whether you’re relaxing poolside, cosying up on a window seat in your indulgent bedroom suite, dining al fresco or swinging on a hammock in the garden, the sights and sounds of the ocean are a constant backdrop to a stay in this beautiful home.

Taking its name from the Arabic word for love, Ishq Talpe is a passion project. The villa is family owned, and a lot of care and attention has gone into not only the quality of the villa and its amenities but also what it genuinely feels like to stay here. While the high-end facilities – private swimming pool, vast garden, dedicated staff team – are very much akin to a boutique hotel, the personalised care and attention to detail reflect what it is like to experience the owners’ own hospitality. Being well fed, cared for and comfortable are all benchmarks of a stay in this chic and exclusive coastal villa, which blends classical styling with contemporary interior design. 

The villa makes a superb holiday destination for groups of friends and families of up to 14 (plus 2 babies in cots). All rooms have king-sized beds, and they include a Family Suite (sleeps up to five), a Garden Suite (with an extra single bed), an Ocean Suite (with Jacuzzi and sea-facing veranda) and an indulgent top floor Master Suite. After long, restful sleeps, wake up to beautiful breakfasts prepared by the in-house chefs and spend your days enjoying the villa, its garden, its coastal setting and local destination. The famous port town of Galle and its 17th century heritage fort are only a 15-minute drive away.