Lunuganga. How odd Sri Lankan names are. We couldn't remember a single one of the pointers which Lilly, from Royal Travel, had given us before we left: they all seemed so odd, veering between straight up British, to a mish-mash with French to Tamil. The thing is: you have to remember this one: Lunuganga - commit it to memory.

Lunuganga is in Bentota, hidden away within the cinnamon plantations. It is Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's most celebrated architect's house and it is simply enchanting. So enchanting that I wanted to buy the actual house and never leave. What joy. What utter silence. What magnificence views. What sheer brilliant architecture. What fabulous food. What a bloody good combination.

Which is why I was most upset at our driver, who was almost going to 'incidentally' drive past the area straight to wherever he wanted to take us. The reason? Unlike many other places in Sri Lanka, Lunuganga do not 'take care' of drivers by providing them with free food and, according to a friend of ours, 'free arak [coconut alcohol] and a space where they can booze with the other drivers].

Anyway, once seated at that magnificent table, the lake shimmering in front of us, the dogs playing on the grass and the lime juice, so fresh they had to ask me how much sugar I wanted added  The silence is sometimes interruped by a couple of dogs 'attacking' a water monitor in the pond. This is a huge amphibian, so nobody need worry, and the 'fight' happens every day: the amphibian wins every time. It is also interrupted by a loud and lesbian American couple 'doing the right thing' as all earnest Americans do, by eating with their driver.

The planning that went into what what to be Geoffrey Bawa's weekend retreat is phenomenal and all down to what must have been an extraordinarily organised character. Through the muralled tunnel, up to his house, Bawa opened a small window which shows the tiny road going through the shrubbery. Yet from the house itself, you do not see the tunnel: he literally had the hill razed by a few centimetres so that when you are sitting in the house, you cannot see the road but see only a never-ending expanse of green, then the lake. Sure enough, from every part of the wide black and white tiled corridor, whichever side you look, you see water.

Bawa's bedroom is closed, and only opened for the staff to clean. He is, of course, dead, but the bedroom is still forbidden to visitors. This lends a very 'real' feel to this fantastical property. On the other wise of the house is the dining area where the garden tour ends. It is enchanting and mesmerising, which a rubber tree throwing strategic shadows all over the chequerboard elephant grass lawn.

The food is a selection of delicious, traditional yet perfectly-made and presented Sri Lankan 'rice and curry'. The Americans ordered 'European'. More fool them.

 

It is possible to stay in one of the stunning rooms at Lununganga and they also hold writers' residences. Contact Royal Travel for details and fly Emirates.

Lunganga offers what it calls 'simple' but which is actually stunning and luxurious accommodation in six self contained rooms and suites with a view of the pavilions, scattered around the garden. E-mail or call for details.