Zephyr Talalla Villa

Quiet and peaceful right on the beach, with no crowds around, Zephyr Talalla was one of the nicest places I’ve stayed. The rooms are spacious and super clean, the food is delicious, especially the Sri Lankan breakfast, and the staff are really friendly. There’s also a pool with an ocean view. I’d highly recommend staying here for a relaxing break, and would come back if I get the chance.

Talalla beach was beautiful and almost deserted when I visited for two days in late September. It’s a 1km stretch of sand with few properties, still uncommercialised compared with south coast beaches like Mirissa. I changed my hotel booking at the last minute and was so glad I did. The villa is right on the beach, about 15m from the room to the sea, with a nice pool in between. The staff were friendly and helpful, gave good advice about local things to see and do, and arranged transfers. We saved a couple of thousand rupees by taking a tuk tuk to Mirissa instead of a taxi. I left my GoPro behind and they kindly delivered it to me in Mirissa, 25km away, by tuk tuk. I usually eat outside my hotel, but the food here was so good I ate every meal in. The menu is small but varied, with Western and Sri Lankan food. Breakfast choices included traditional and English options, pancakes and waffles, all served with amazing fruit platters. The daytime bar snacks, like battered prawns, fried chicken and squid, were excellent too. The rooms are large with high ceilings, lovely modern decor, comfortable beds and clean linen. The bathroom was big with a great shower. At $75 a night, I thought it was fantastic value for the quality of the room and property. There are only four rooms, so the pool area never gets very busy and often felt like we had it to ourselves. They were very accommodating when we wanted to stay late on departure day and let us check out at 3pm free of charge. Loved it here, wouldn’t hesitate to return. 5/5.

With only four rooms, you get to enjoy a lot of the facilities to yourself. This place is gorgeous, and while it costs more than many nearby hotels, it’s worth it if you can afford it and want amazing views, a super comfy bed, great food and service. We absolutely loved our stay. The rooms are big, new and face the sea. The staff are GREAT and made the stay even better. Try the cooking class, so you can enjoy some of that amazing food again!

We stopped for a cup of tea and ended up not wanting to leave this hidden gem in Talalla, Sri Lanka. The villa opens onto the beautiful Talalla beach, which is less crowded than some of Sri Lanka’s other beaches, and it almost feels like a private beach. The food was top quality and the service exceptional. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful, the rooms are very big and well laid out, and there are pool facilities too. A perfect chill spot for a short vacay.