meet nyuri
Ayubowan!
I’m Nyuri, the creator of Eraeliya Villas & Gardens.
Many years ago, I was very lucky to find this extraordinary place. Here, I am trying to combine my passion for interior design, art, gardening, holistic lifestyle, travel, and the immersion in different cultures. And I would like to share my love for Eraeliya Villas & Gardens with you. Relax in chic elegance, learn how to surf, practice yoga, meditate under the stars, and enjoy every minute of your stay.
As a person who loves traveling, adventure and discovering I have always been drawn to South Asia, particularly to Sri Lanka. On one such visit I discovered a piece of property that made my heart stop for a second, making me fall in love with it at first sight. Not being a person to ignore things which were destined for me, I found myself claiming this beautiful property, even with its untouched and wild nature, turning it into the mesmerizing place it is today. I named it Eraeliya, which gives the Sinhala meaning of “Sunlight” that transcends the entire property to the smiles of the locals you’ll meet during your stay and to the shiny blue surface of the Ocean.
Eraeliya began as a single house with a hundred years of history - Villa Walauwa. The reconstruction was very carefully completed in order to preserve the spirit of the building, its tranquility, coolness, and silence. Almost everything here remains as it was, including the elements of colonial architecture, the arrangement of rooms, and the enormous old trees around it. It is also the only villa with its own, fully equipped Sri Lankan traditional kitchen. You will find two bedrooms, an attached bathroom for each, a common living area and a dining area with a spectacular sea view. This would be a perfect villa for a family/party of five (Above the age twelve).
There were only two bedrooms in the original layout of Villa Walauwa, but I wanted to share my home with my friends. Therefore, I decided to build Beach Hut Muhudu Bella, which translates to “seashell." My inspiration was the traditional Sinhalese earthen huts built by the native people of Sri Lanka and the Mongolian yurts. The villa is round and is shaped like a seashell, bringing life to its name. It has a very warm and unique ambiance with a set of spiral steps leading down to the bathroom from the bedroom. This is also our most popular villa.
Villa Bawana is my vision of the perfect home on the beachfront. Every element was thought out with love and attention to the local climate: from the incredibly beautiful infinity pool to the nine-meter vaulted ceilings. Vintage Portuguese roof tiles, antique furniture, and massive doors give the villa a genuine colonial feeling. You will find four suites in the Villa Bawana, two on the first floor and two on the second with a common dining area for eight people. If you prefer to dine in the comforts of your own spaces, you have access to terrace dining, facing a spectacular view of the ocean and the infinity pool. You also have a space to maintain your health while you relax and enjoy your stay as we have arranged an area for Yoga classes where up to a maximum of four people can participate for a session.
Next to Villa Bawana stands the Garden House Nelum, translated from the Sinhalese word “lotus.” The path to Nelum leads through the garden full of tropical flowers. Follow the massive stone steps leading from the porch entrance and walk up the pond with its vibrant goldfish and arrive in our beautiful Garden House Nelum. You will first approach a ‘Sandakada Pahana’ also known as ‘Moonstone’, one of Sri Lankan’s unique ancient architecture techniques. Garden House Nelum was heavily inspired by Geffery Bawa’s ‘Lunu Ganga’ and the interior is as unique as the exterior of the garden house. A perfect place for a fairy tale vacation, just for you.
Further on the property, there is another magical space – the Ambalama Pavilion. To adorn Ambalama, I found grand old doors and columns in local antique shops. I built the pavilion walls using massive glass panels and upcycled wood. My favorite detail is the huge Hemingway-style writing desk.
I love to give a second life to things as one of my biggest values in life is reuse, reduce, recycle. So, whatever I do, I try to use this principle. In Sri Lanka, there are many auction houses and amazing samples of mid-century furniture still underestimated. So, I used to go to my favorite auction house “Shockman & Samerawickreme” in Colombo in search of them and bought them in a very bad condition. After careful restoration by local craftsmen, I made my dream come true. I combined colonial architecture with mid-century furniture and industrial aesthetics and called it The Loft House. Here you have the ‘Ocean Loft’ and ‘Garden Loft’ which are both very private spaces, covered by floral and fruit trees. Faced by a statue of God Ganesh, this is a space which I designed for myself in the beginning which is ideal for a family. You also have a terrace and sitting area which we could sit and enjoy your meals. If you are a private person and would like to enjoy your time with us in your own personal bubble, then the loft house would be a dream come true.
Now the entire space with six unique villas, in which I have enclosed so much love and care, exists as a boutique hotel. We received positive reviews in the Telegraph, National Geographic, and Lonely Planet called Eraeliya Villas & Gardens the best place in Weligama. However, for us, the number of loyal guests who continue to return is the best reward for putting all our love and care into the hotel. I am happy to welcome you at Eraeliya Villas & Gardens – our jewel of the bay.
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Very stylish but small room for improvement - Eraeliya Villas was our last stop of a 12 night trip to Sri Lanka. It was a wonderful place to spend a couple of days to unwind and relax after... Read More 
twentyeightdays
September 23, 2023
