WHERE TO STAY IN HIRIKETIYA: JASPER HOUSE

Hiriketiya Beach is one of the best family beaches we’ve ever been to. It’s on Sri Lanka’s south coast and was the perfect stop for us after our adventures in the Cultural Triangle and our travels down through Sri Lanka’s centre, past lush green tea plantations, huge bellowing waterfalls and stunning mountain ranges.

We intended to stay at Mirissa or Tangalle but friends recommended Hiriketiya as the south coast season had ended, the monsoon was coming and the beaches were getting messy – but Hiriketiya in its little horseshoe bay was still perfectly friendly. So if you’re looking for a family friendly beach in Sri Lanka and a fabulous place to stay in Hiriketiya here are all the details.

 

Of course we needed to stay somewhere with a pool. We love and adore the beach but we need cooling off, somewhere to jump into when we wake up and before bed. Sometimes we don’t even use pools that much, it’s the idea of being able to cool off that is helpful. Without a pool we feel suffocated by the heat.

There is one guesthouse in Hiriketiya with a pool. So we booked and when we arrived we discovered we were the only people there since it as low season. Jasper House had gone from being fully booked one week to have just us the next. It felt like we had our own fancy house.

And oh my gosh – it was the best guesthouse EVER. I’ll tell you why:

Location

If you come to Hiriketiya you’re here for the beach. It’s a beautiful little horseshoe bay with big waves out the back for experienced surfers and small waves in front for the learners. It’s awesome for kids with little waves that are big enough to have fun jumping and diving but not big enough to be scary or threatening. Em was in there with me all the time and swam with her friends while the adults sat on the beach. She had at least on surfing lesson a day with Madhu – one of the local blokes who gives lessons for around $18 (2,000 SLR) an hour.

 

Jasper House is about five minute walk from the beach (at the most). it’s up on a headland and is surrounded on three sides by ocean and palms. The walk to the beach is down a small hill, a little jungle path and then along to each till you get to the northern end where a couple of cafes are right on the beach – we LOVE the Beach House (say hi to Marty from us) and they make yummy coffee and pizza. They even made me mochas. A few minutes away, just back from the beach is Salt which has burgers and other yummy meals, drinks and coffee.

Anyway, Jasper is in an awesome spot and it’s so quiet all you hear in the evening is waves.

The rooms

I have never seen rooms like this. Our room has a big mosquito-net-covered four poster bed and TWO OPEN WALLS! Yes that right – well okay one could close with sliders but the front of the room is wide open – a view straight out over the palm trees, across to the ocean and down to the pool. The bathroom is open too from shoulder height, looking out over palms. It’s just dreamy and beautiful and so simply decorated. It’s so perfect. We loved it so much. There isn’t air con obviously but the fan overhead is sufficient to cool the room and the breezes float softly through.

 

Of course being open the light comes in early but I am an early riser anyway and wake up at around 6.00am while Emmie would still sleep to her usual 7.30/8.00am each morning.

If your kids are younger or climbers there are ground floor rooms with closable sides all round.

 

The pool

The swimming pool is huge and cool and partly shaded. There are lounge chairs with umbrellas and a covered area for lazing in the shade. Again, palms are always in view and there are two small grassy areas for kids to run around – but they shouldn’t need to after running around all day at the beach.

 

And the views are beautiful from high and low.

 

The restaurant

 

Up stairs on the third floor is an open air restaurant and lounge area with dining tables and lounge chairs, all beautifully decorated and a perfectly relaxing spot for watching the sun set and just chilling, reading a book or updating social media on your adventures.

Breakfast is served every morning – we had delish fruit platters – very generously sized- and bacon and eggs, and we ate here most nights too – fabulous currie sand seafood, and Em had chicken, chips and salad every single time.

 

The people

The staff at Jasper House are so lovely and kind in that beautiful Sri Lankan way, and are so helpful and eager to please. Nothing was ever any trouble, they brought me tea to the room every morning for me to sit and sip on the lounge chair in our room looking out over the palms and listening to the waves while I waited for Emmie to wake up.

I think this place is heaven.

This was a splurge for us at around $100 a night but it was so worth it, it’s a really beautiful spot.

You can find out more at www.jasperhousesrilanka.com and check prices here: Jasper House prices