Ambalangoda, South, Sri Lanka

With just the right balance of natural charm and luxury, this idyllic beachfront property is a patch of paradise located near the fishing village of Ambalangoda, just 90 minutes from Colombo airport and 30 minutes from Galle.

The twin-winged exclusive estate is set amidst a luscious tropical garden with a breath-taking infinity pool.

Currently operating as an award-winning boutique hotel, the property can serve as a private holiday villa or be converted to an ayurvedic centre or other commercial purposes.

The main building has three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and ocean views. A spacious dining-bar-lounge opens onto a wide veranda leading to the garden.

The separate wing has two suites, each occupying an entire floor overlooking the garden and ocean with exhilarating sunset views.

A service area including a full kitchen, laundry-utility room and storage space inks the villa and the suites.

The 2-bedroom manager's apartment has its own garden and entrance, sitting and dining area, kitchen and pantry.

The broad soft-sand beach, a working coast for local fishermen, is shared with only a handful of other small guesthouses, and foreign tourists are rarely seen. The beaches of Sri Lanka's southwest are renowned for their warm, placid waters, making them ideal for swimming, surfing and sunbathing.

In season, it is a nesting beach for olive ridley and giant green turtles. A small conservation project on the property, run by the hotel staff, has produced more than 15,000 hatchlings in the last 10 years.