Your Host
Om Ceylon Founder & Meda Gedara Villa Owner
I am thrilled to be welcoming you to Om Ceylon at my tropical home Meda Gedara Villa and it’s with great pleasure that I get to share this itinerary of adventure that will allow you to explore the most wonderful places, experience unusual adventures and immerse yourself deeply within Sri Lankan culture.
How it all started…… my family and I travelled to Sri Lanka in 2012 for the first time and fell in love with the island straight away. During our visit, our great friend Sebastian took us along the coast road to see some land he was selling near Dikwella. We bumped along the track and pulled up at a derelict bungalow; as we looked down through the jungle to the turquoise sea, we were in awe. Before our holiday was over we had already set the plans in motion to make this patch of paradise our own.
Within a week of being back in the UK, I had my children's Lego out and used the pieces to create a plan of our dream Sri Lankan home. This was one Lego model that the children were not going to get their hands on!
I was soon having ludicrous notions of building the most fabulous family villa in all of Sri Lanka; a place that was as practical as it was luxurious.
When I was designing Meda Gedara, from the little idea that started out as a lego model and that blossomed into this wondrous villa and garden, I wanted to create something special, something awe inspiring. I wanted to build the property that I couldn’t find on the internet. First and foremost, I wanted it to be useful; then, I wanted to make it really beautiful, oozing old school glamour, with colonial practicalities for good measure, it was going to be solid and grand. And in those early days the icing on the cake was that I wanted to fill it with antique furniture and vintage things from my family’s old trunks and collections, things that made it completely unique and with an air of homely heritage.
After the build and as the dust settled, people showed an interest in renting it, I was so aware that the greatest joy of a really fabulous holiday is if you have a great team of staff to quietly set about all of the chores, leaving you free to be be, to reenergise, to properly relax and to chat to friends and family. Our team of staff are key to the experience that guests have, many of the staff have been with s since day one and they are like an extended family to us.
I was also insistent that Meda Gedara should be accessible to all, not just those who can afford big family holidays. I wanted to create the right environment for individuals to come here and feel at home, get looked after, grown in themselves, relax in the powerful atmosphere and enjoy every bit of Meda Gedara.
So, Om Ceylon was born to serve, to bring individuals and couples to this special ‘Middle House’ to be with other likeminded souls who want to come and share in the peace, tranquility and energy of this extremely special place.
Little did I realise back then in those very early days that a few years later we would be considered by The Times to be in the top 10 luxury villas in the whole world.
During your time at Om Ceylon, I will be making sure that your every need is met and leading the planned adventures. Although a qualified yoga teacher, I leave that side of the programme to these great respected professionals, so I can focus on showing you the best of the local area. I have spent years exploring the local nooks and crannies so I can show you the most interesting and culturally diverse little gems. My aim is that you go home feeling like you’ve really got a feel for the local culture, atmosphere and flavour.
Every one of these little adventures is entirely optional. As such they will all be paid for in local currency by the individuals at the time. From cycling on the smooth back lanes to exploring the magnificent rock temple, to boarding rafts and punting around a lagoon in a wildlife sanctuary or visiting Hiriketiya Bay a horseshoe shaped bay which has become the surf Mecca of Sri Lanka’s golden southern beaches.
Or stay at the villa and walk our glorious beach, learn the techniques in one of Jay’s cooking lessons, have a heavenly massage or alternatively lie in a hammock and listen to the crashing waves.
Make this retreat your own.
Sunday Activity
Wewurukannala Buduraja Maha Viharaya Temple Visit.
Jump into Tuk Tuks and trundle a few kilometres down the road to the local temple in Dikwella, an incredible 18th-century temple or ‘sacred city’. They are proud to have the largest seated Buddha in Sri Lanka. There are incredible ornate statues, carvings and murals of the Buddha's life; but there are also a few surprises in store for you as you explore - expect the unexpected this afternoon!
Monday Activity
Hirikeyiya Bay.
Tucked away down a narrow track on the other side of Dikwella is an enchanting little bay called Hiriketiya. It’s a local surfing Mecca and a honey pot for people watching! ‘Hiri’ is a heavenly horseshoe of calm waters and sunbathing at one end, with huge waves and surfing at the other.
It’s a great place to visit whether you want to go swimming in the sea, have a spontaneous surfing lesson, visit some of the cafes or home spun shops… or just sit back and watch the world go by.
Tuesday Activity
Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary.
Today's adventure comes in the morning. We’ll rise before dawn and travel to Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary, where we will take rafts and punt across the tranquil waters. We’ll then disembark and climb to the top of the huge rock with its spectacular views across the bird sanctuary and the ocean beyond. Grace will guide us through a meditation session at the top, enabling us to feel the power of the sunrise. When we’re ready we’ll continue our journey around the sanctuary before returning to the villa in time for brunch.
Wednesday Activity
Bike Ride.
We’ll pedal from the local town of Tangalle, winding through the back roads past paddy fields and tea plantations, through villages where kids play cricket in the street and aromatic smells waft out from the colourful houses.
Our eventual destination is the incredible Mulkirigala Rock Temple - a huge temple built into the rock that rises 200m out of the ground, decorated with incredible paintings, sleeping Buddhas and religious offerings. The phenomenal view from the top is worth the hike.
At the summit, when you feel on top of the world, Grace will lead a short meditation practice. We will then return by minibus to the villa.
Thursday
After all the adventures of the past few days, Thursday will feature cooking workshops from Jay and the afternoon is purely for relaxation at the villa.
Friday Activity
Tallala Bay & Natural Pools
For those who want to explore more, we can jump in Tuk Tuks and head to the untouched beauty of Tallala Bay, only 10 minutes away. We can walk the beach, watch locals playing cricket or climb up the steps clinging to the hillside to reach the Treehouse Restaurant for a cooling drink.
On our return, we have the option to stop off and swim in the natural salt water tidal pools. These are carved into the rocks, filling with salt water as the waves bring in the tide.