The Sun HouseReviewed by Emma Boyle

Built in 1861 by a Scottish spice merchant, The Sun House is beautifully sited on a leafy hill in Galle’s best residential district overlooking Galle Harbour and the sea. Converted into a beautiful seven-bedroom boutique hotel at the turn of the century, The Sun House maintains the charm and elegance of a bygone era whilst providing guests with ample modern comforts such as spacious living areas, peaceful gardens, an inviting lap pool, cosy bedrooms and contemporary bathrooms as well as island-wide renowned delicious fusion cuisine. Great attention is paid to every detail in the form of the best bed linen, the softest bath towels and plenty of essential holiday reading material with over 1,000 books!

The heart of The Sun House is its large central living area where you can lounge in the squashy sofas whilst enjoying a cup of Ceylon’s finest up-country tea and listen to whatever music takes your fancy. A stronger concoction in the form of the hotel’s signature cocktail – the Sun House Sour – is a perfectly indulgent way to pass the sunset hour, ideally whilst munching on tapas from the hotel’s highly acclaimed colonial-styled Dick’s Bar. Cooling breezes filter through the property, whose bright white walls and polished floors are illuminated by beautiful period antiques and interesting works of art. Verandahs lead to two gardens – characterised by a scented frangipani and a shady mango tree – that offer idyllic locations for reading, relaxing, writing and sunbathing.

The privacy of The Sun House and sister property The Dutch House make ideal springboards to visit the beaches, temples, lowland tea estates and rainforests of the area whilst Galle Fort and its excellent eateries, bars and shops are only a short walk away.

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The Sun House has just seven bedrooms comprising three standard rooms, two deluxe rooms and two romantic suites. Each of the evocatively-named rooms are beautifully filled with colonial antique furniture featuring dreamy four-poster beds draped in soft mosquito netting and luxurious linen, wardrobes, writing desks and shelves full of books. The white walls and white polished floors of the rooms are highlighted by vibrantly coloured flower arrangements and soft furnishings.

Contemporary en-suite bathrooms come with twin vanities, fresh handmade soaps wrapped in banana leaves and the softest white towels. All rooms except the Cinnamon Suite have air conditioning.

Sun & Sky
This charming double room is characterised by tones of yellow and blue. It opens onto the Mango Garden from where Galle Harbour may be glimpsed in the distance.

Kingfisher
Decorated in shades of orange and blue this cosy double room is filled with antiques and opens onto the spacious Mango Tree garden with its views of Galle Harbour.

Parrot Fish
Featuring twin four-poster beds, this brightly coloured room is furnished with antiques and decorated in Sri Lankan hand loom fabrics in shades of blues, yellows and greens. It opens onto the airy verandah and central courtyard of the hotel.

Hibiscus
This beautifully decorated deluxe room is filled with antique furniture and highlighted by stunning fabrics in shades of pink and red. Opening onto the Mango Tree Garden and airy verandah, its en-suite bathroom features an outdoor shower surrounded by tropical plants.

Araliya
Beautifully sited overlooking the Frangipani Garden and swimming pool, Araylia is an elegant deluxe room decorated in shades of green.

The Dumas Suite
Named after the American designer who once lived in The Sun House, Dumas offers unrivalled views over Galle from its private location at the edge of the hill. Decorated in hues of pink, purple and red it is especially romantic and features a separate living area, a private balcony and a spacious bathroom with bathtub and shower.

The Cinnamon Suite
Occupying the entire first floor of the hotel, Cinnamon is a room with unforgettable views. Reached up an antique stairway, it lives up to its description as ‘the most beautiful room in the world’ by having a dreamy bed, its own library and a sitting room from where spectacular sunrises can be glimpsed over the distant hills. The room has an elegant indoor bathroom and a balcony with a glorious open-air bathtub. High ceilings allow fresh air to circulate while a fan keeps the temperature cool.

 - Take a dawn or sunset walk around the historic citadel of Galle Fort, built from 1640 by the Dutch on the site of an earlier Portuguese fort

- Ride inland on mountain bikes to discover a stunning emerald landscape of paddy fields, white-washed Buddhist temples, and rural villages

- Spend the day on one of the golden beaches along the coast: Unawatuna, Thalpe or Mirissa

- Go whale and dolphin watching from Mirissa

- Visit the virgin white tea plantation in Titagalla and learn how tea, cinnamon and rubber is produced

 Suitable for families with children over twelve.

The Sun House is renowned for some of the best food in Sri Lanka. Cuisine is predominantly seafood and inspired by a fusion of Asian flavours and cooking styles from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia and the Mediterranean. Fresh produce is organically grown and sought from both local and Hill Country specialists whilst seafood comes straight from the ocean. Each year, an international chef is invited to come and conduct cooking classes for guests.

Breakfasts are a choice of full English or Sri Lankan and come with fresh fruits, fruit shakes and Ceylon tea or coffee. Light lunches and snacks such as sandwiches, pasta and salads are served throughout the day to any place of your choosing. Daily changing dinner menus usually consist of a selection of starters and desserts with a set main course although guests can request an alternative in the morning if it is not to their taste. Sri Lankan dinner parties are often held when the management feels that the guests are well suited, although guests can more privately dine in the garden or on the verandah if they wish.

Typical starters may include seafood satay on lemongrass skewers with coconut wing bean salad while mains may feature red curry fish fillet wrapped in a banana leaf and served with sautéed bok choy and steamed basmati rice or a delicious selection of authentic Sri Lankan rice and curries. Desserts often come in choices of three and will delight those with a sweet tooth! Try the white chocolate and vanilla tart with chocolate pastry and home-made ice-cream. Delicious!

The Sun House provides guests with a varied selection of excellent wines from France, Australia, Chile and Spain while spirits, cocktails and coolers can be enjoyed from the colonially ambient Dick’s Bar whose delicious selection of bites and tapas are unavoidable!