People | 10 |
Bedrooms | 5 |
Bathrooms | 5 |
Space | 8,611 sq. ft. |
Property type | villa |
Minimum Stay | 3 - 5 nights |
Large Villa for 10 people - 5 Bedrooms and 5 bathrooms: Beach is just 3 minutes walk; Barbecue Hut by the Lake; 15 metre Swimming Pool; Spectacular Wildlife; Diving just 10 minutes away; Day tours available; 12 Seater van and tuk-tuk with driver; Staff to cook and serve; Tours available to the Elephant Orphanage, Kandy, Dambula, Widlife Safari and more. Turn off the main Colombo Road one kilometre before Galle and just 400 metres from the beach is Gin Ganga House, standing on two acres of lush land surrounded by the Gin Ganga River and Mahamodera Lake on three sides. There are spectacular views from Mahamodera Watte. Gaze across the lake and watch the Kingfisher zoom past with his latest catch on the Sea Eagle soar to meet its prey. Stroll around the garden full of exotica fruits like Mango, Paw Paw, Banana, Avocado and more.
Born in Shropshire in 1948, I worked for a major bank for 25 years before starting my own business -Infomedia Services Limited. I am married to Tina who comes from Trinidad. We have three sons and five grandchildren who all love to visit Gin Ganga.
Graham Tomlins purchased this villa in 2003
In 2003 I decided to buy the property as we drove up the long drive. That speaks for itself and the photos do the rest. Ajith drove us to see the house and he and his family are still looking after it after so many years.
Two acres of lush garden surrounded by water to three sides and so much wildlife that you can have a nature tour in you own garden. Eleven years later and we still love it. Top moment is to have a gin and tonic in the 40 foot pool and watch the monkeys - in the trees. You need never leave the house - but do because Sri Lanka has so much beauty and culture to offer.
I think we caught an off week...this property had GLOWING reviews but we had a few hiccups.
Pros:
~ Great big pool that is WARM! Our kids loved this.
~ If you have Ajith (house manager) cook for you, you won't be disappointed. I was worried about this after trying to converse with him prior to arriving, but the food was delicious.
~ Location. Very close to Galle Fort and the property is quiet and private.
~Wildlife. We saw a ton of monkeys and many varieties of birds. We also saw several monitor lizards one of which got in the pool with us (I think this was the highlight for my kids).
~The house is spacious, but could use updating.
Cons
~Ajith's driving is not confidence inspiring. Buyer beware if you ask him to take you anywhere. We had some very close calls with some city buses and wildlife (and we live in Sri Lanka and are very acquainted with the chaotic driving style here...we were still very uncomfortable).
~We had 3 separate leak incidents in the bathrooms. Returned to the home and splashed into the restroom. The first time we couldn't get ahold of Ajith and or find him anywhere and reached out to the owner to help. The next two times we just cleaned it up ourselves and my husband shut off the water valve to that specific fixture (2 sinks and a toilet hose). Hopefully they fix these...we did inform Ajith when we next saw him.
~We also struggled to get any hot water. We asked the owner and he told us how to do it, not sure why the house manager/staff didn't let us know this when we arrived. Even after finding the switches and using them, hot water was hard to get.
~Barely any water pressure in the showers and sometimes it would completely stop. Considering we were showering in cold water...the problem wasn't that we were lingering too long!
~Ants and mosquitos rule the roost. Even for being a tropical home there were a lot of pests. We were killing ants at the table while we were eating.
And yet I'm still giving it 4 stars! The owner was very gracious and responded quickly in a manner that left us feeling heard and hopefully he will look into these things. The property was large and that fit our family of 5 well and it was STILL good family time even though it was much more rustic than we realized we were signing up for. We do wish we were still floating around in that warm pool...
Great property, especially if you have kids. Overall level of service is exceptional and the cooking was to die for.
The grounds are what made this villa so special. It's so hard to read a book though.. as there are eyes everywhere... every tree there's a monkey looking at you - across the lawn land monitors skittle around... water monitors by the river edge saunter to the water after basking in the trees the birds wow so colourful. There were snakes palm squirrels and geckos too. The villa was very nice .. the rooms all large and well looked after. Internet and English tv was challenging as the monkeys kept damaging the lines lol but we didn't need it. The staff were lovely very helpful. Arranged all local trips and safaris at a fraction of the price quoted on line!
Thanks for such a memorable holiday.
Anna Dave Jake & Zoe
A wonderful plac for all the family to get together. The gardens are delightful, full of birds and other wildlife. Very peaceful and we were very well looked after
We were a party of 10 (7 adults and 3 children between 6-12 years
old). The house was absolutely lovely and exceeded all of our expectations. The staff was nothing less than fantastic with their incredible service mindedness and friendly appearance. We let Ajith cook for us on most evenings and the meals were great. The BBQ was particularly great as well as having it outside in the garden. There wasn´t a thing we asked Ajith and the staff for or about that he failed to answer or deliver. I can totally recommend this house.
We were a party of 10 adults and 2 children ages 4 & 2. The warmth of the welcome the staff gave us could not have been more genuine and they were fantastic throughout. The house and pool were spotless and the catering simply superb. I would unreservedly recommend Gin Ganga for its facilities, location and outstanding service. The location particularly merits mention for its river front location and super wildlife: birds especially but also monitor lizards, Langur monkeys and charming little chipmunks.
Trips to Bentota Turtle sanctuary, Mirissa whale watching, Unawatuna beach and Galle fort/town were all great.
A wonderful holiday facilitated by a very efficient manager and wonderfully friendly staff.
The property is 1 km from Galle, a fishing town famous from its Dutch Fort. Colombo and the airport are four hours away. The nearest beach is 400 metres from the house AND diving can be found 10 minutes away at Unawatuna Bay. Day trips to Bentota, the Turtle Sanctuary and to Yala National Park for safari drives. Overnight trips to Pinawalla Elephant orphanage, Kandy, Sigiriya and the Tea Plantations.
Other Activities: Seven World Heritage sites, Wildlife Safari and swimming with turtles
Fees | No additional mandatory fees |
SPECIAL RATES FOR SMALLER PARTIES are available on application and start from £30 per person per night. Conditions apply. Rates include towels, linen, cooking, shopping, electricity, staff and security guard. The cost of food and drink is NOT included. Plan your meals in advance so that the shopping can be done! Staff can cook local or European dishes.
* Approximate monthly price. Actual pricing will depend on the days of the month you stay.