Claughton House

It's been called Sri Lanka's best-kept secret, but we're happy to let the cat out of the bag, the turtle out of its shell. Another Geoffrey Bawa creation. Claughton House is at the pinnacle of exclusivity-it may be lonely up there, but no one's complaining, minimalist in style and with interiors that are a mix of colonial and contemporary, it offers great ocean views when you so much as sit up in bed. If has five acres of gardens landscaped the way Bawa liked them, and two crescent bays glittering in the sunlight villa, with a collection of nooks to disappear into, is only free to rent at certain times of year, which only makes it you're light-pocketed and heavy on luck, you can rent out just one room to stay in.

Tariff Range

Rs 20,000-30,000 for the house (aild till july)

Claughton House
Galahahena Watte, Kemagoda, Dikwella,
Sri Lanka
+ 94 71 272 5470
http://www.claughtonhouse.com