By Dimithri Wijesinghe
Situated in Walliwala, Weligama, Eraeliya Villas and Gardens occupies a special little corner in the now-famous tourist spot in the southern coast.
Our stay at the property was certainly a unique one, with its location being unlike anywhere else we’ve visited before; situated at a slightly elevated landing, the property stands almost looming above the seabed while allowing easy access to it, complete with a perfect view of the ocean.
Eraeliya Villas and Gardens is also particularly special in what it offers to its guests as a concept; while most boutique hotels often offer increasingly elaborate amenities, which, frankly, one hardly uses during their one or two-night stay, as one would often use the hotel to simply rest, spend the night, and enjoy a meal, at Eraeliya, your holiday is exclusively “your stay” as the property itself is an experience.
Eraeliya Villas and Gardens Owner Anna Egorkina, a Russian interior designer, expressed her love story with Eraeliya Villas and Gardens, sharing that she came across this most picturesque little bay all the way back in 2008 in Weligama, and after the war ended, she decided to make something of it. Having discovered the location, she said that she wished to do something that justified the beauty of the place.
She shared that back then Weligama was not so popular among tourists. However, unsurprisingly, things have definitely changed since then. “I think the Weligama Beach is the most beautiful beach in Sri Lanka as it is swimmable all year round. We have a beautiful sunset settled around palm trees, and it is the best place for beginner-level surfers to get their start,” she said.
Having run an interior textile company for over two decades with her sister, Anna’s background is in interior design and she shared that back when she studied colonial architecture, she was always most impressed by the different types of it that were scattered around the island, and was thus inspired by those designs. She further added that contemporary tropical architecture courtesy of Geoffrey Bawa also played a huge role in her inspiration for the design of the Eraeliya property.
She said that going into it, what she set out to do was create something that looked like it was always there; to make something equally beautiful to honour and suit the beauty of the place. She said she believes she succeeded as many of her clients ask if the house had always been there and whether they added only the pool.
Eraeliya Villas and Gardens has a total of nine luxurious en suite bedrooms spread over five unique buildings, each inspired by various elements representative of our island, and there are two more to be completed in two months’ time, shared Anna, adding that they hope to conduct a giveaway on their Instagram where they would decide who gets to stay at the new rooms for the first time.
They also offer daily yoga and fitness classes, and they also have their own in-house massage therapist who combines health science and traditional practices from around the world. Anna shared that they favour clean and sustainable living and encourage healthy eating as well, and while they can cater to any palate, they do offer a wide variety of vegan dishes as well.
Speaking about the difficulties they faced during the curfew period, Anna shared that while things were undoubtedly tough, it allowed them to focus on the local market experience and learn from the experiences of the Sri Lankan people who stayed with them. She said that they introduced multiple promotions to encourage visitors, including loyalty programmes where they send special membership cards to their guests and special offers to locals.
Anna also shared that she is constantly looking to collaborate with Sri Lankan artists, stating that they even have an artists’ residency programme, where they invite the artist to stay at the property, at the moment between Monday to Friday, where they provide meals and even materials for the artist, who is encouraged to get inspired and create art. In exchange, Eraeliya Villas and Gardens will keep one piece of their art and the rest is theirs to have. Anna encouraged any local artists to please reach out, as she wishes for her property to be ever changing and would like to include a wide variety of styles of art.
