A Complete Break From Reality

My friend Erika cried when the bus came to pick us up to take us to the airport. I’m not joking, she actually cried. Admittedly she’d had about 4 hours sleep due to a teething baby, but we all felt a bit emotional about saying goodbye to Galle.

It was a spectacular holiday.

For G and I it was our very first holiday of doing nothing. We both feel completely re-energized after a week of swimming with the children, reading newspapers and over indulging. We’ve had a week of massages, afternoon naps and midday glasses (okay bottles) of wine.

Many of you have asked where it was that we stayed so I thought I’d leave you with a few more shots and contact details. This is not a sponsored post. No-one has asked me for a favour. But if you’re looking for a complete break from the reality of day to day life – this is the place to go.

There are too many good things to list about this holiday so I thought I’d stick to my top 5.

We had two separate villas

This meant that we could go along with another family (half the price and twice the fun). The children all played really well together and apart from the occasional fractious moment between siblings they were perfect. Our friends have a 7 month old baby and were worried he was going to keep people awake, it was quite the opposite. With two separate villas we both had areas to retreat to when necessary. It was perfect.

The Chef

It sounds so decadent, but having a chef in a private villa is a gazillion times cheaper than hitting the hotel restaurant each day. It also meant we had fresh food that was plucked from the markets that morning and great local knowledge on what to try and what was in season.  Each morning the chef would ask for suggestions and would include a few ideas of his own. The food was spectacular: fresh lobster, fish salads, jumbo prawns and Sri Lankan curries (you have to try the beetroot curry).

The Masseuse and the babysitter

The masseuse set himself up on a daybed in the front corner of the property which was about 20 steps from the beach. It was far enough away from the action of the house to not hear the children, and close enough to the beach to focus in on the waves. All four of us indulged with head, face, foot and back massages. A beachside massage at sunset is now my very favourite thing in the world. Although G and I didn’t need to use the babysitter, my friends made great use of the extra hands at meal times. Being able to hand over your baby to someone while you sit down to eat can make all the difference to a relaxing holiday. Not to mention discovering your baby is asleep and in bed by the time you finish your pancakes.

Plenty of Places to Laze

We all agreed that one of the best things was the amount of places to sit and read. Whether it was the lounge chairs on the veranda, the couches on the beach, the day beds, or poolside – there was enough room for us to feel like we weren’t in each other’s space. The front yard was huge, big enough for a makeshift cricket pitch.

The Talpe Beach Restaurant

Two doors down from the beach house was the Talpe Beach Restaurant. With a plunge pool, a full menu, and the perfect frozen margarita. It was the perfect escape for a sundowner. G and I snuck down one afternoon leaving Ms 13 with the power of being in charge (and Sanje the housekeeper watching over her watching over them). We met the lovely Connie who is one of the owners, she and her husband lived in Qatar before moving to Dubai. They were both working in the hospitality industry as expats when they then took the plunge to move to Sri Lanka and open the restaurant. It’s a great little place and I highly recommend it.

Website for Accommodation (we were villa 41 just out of Galle)

Or you can check out Paragon Holidays

Website for Talpe Beach Restaurant: www.talpebeach.com

G and I have looked at the cost of resort accommodation in the past, and as much as a kids club with a spa has appealed, with a family of 6 we just can’t afford to eat/drink and play for a week without G going into cardiac arrest each time a child utters the words “can we get something to eat”. Ordering wine from a hotel menu can be very sobering. Although the initial outlay for accommodation seemed expensive the money we saved on buying local produce (and getting booze from the bottle shop)  made a huge difference.

I can’t fault the place we stayed in. It was beautifully furnished, exquisite in its features, and breathtaking with its views. The staff were fantastic (even our washing and ironing was done!) and I feel like G and I have memories with friends and family to last a lifetime. I’m going as far as calling our best holiday yet. How about you?

Where was your best holiday?