Yup, you read that title correctly – I’m stoked to have finally launched my latest venture…Secret Spot Villa – a surf villa I’ve just built in Sri Lanka!

And after plenty of questions flooding my Instagram about it, I thought I’d put together a post with all the details and of course how you can book your stay there!

I Built A Surf Villa In Sri Lanka – Introducing Secret Spot Villa!

Where Is It?

Secret Spot Villa is in Ahangama, which is on the South Coast of Sri Lanka, between Galle and Weligama.

Or if you’re heading down from the international airport, it’s about 2.5 hours drive.

 

 

Can You Come Stay?!

For sure! Secret Spot Villa is now available for rent throughout the year (although admittedly I have a few weeks blocked out for myself, of course!) with a minimum stay of 2 nights, and discounts for longer stays of 7 nights or a month.

If you’re looking to learn to surf in Sri Lanka, or want some private coaching or guiding, I’ve also teamed up with Ticket To Ride Surf House to offer their renowned surf packages at a discounted price to guests.

Click here for the latest availability and pricing

 

 

So How Did This All Happen?

Well the whole project has been in the works properly since 2020, but over my last 15 years of travel I’ve constantly been dreaming of finding my own little slice of paradise, and having something walking distance to some tropical waves.

And the honest truth is that I’ve had quite a few opportunities over the years that I’ve not been able to take simply because I didn’t have the money!

I’ve also seen the evolution of a lot of surf destinations such as Bali, Lombok, Montanita and Siargao and how much of a good investment they can be if you find the right opportunity and a few of the signs on how they’ll develop and what kickstarts things.

When I landed in Sri Lanka for my third visit in 2020 I could quickly see the potential of Ahangama, and after a few months of being there and chatting to mates who had also bought there I started to make some enquiries and check some stuff out.

Then in late March I found a chunk of land that ticked all the boxes in terms of size, location and of course price, although it was at the top end of what I was comfortable with.

Now, whilst this last part of the negotiation was going on, COVID started really kicking off, but despite a few cautious words from friends, family and my girlfriend I decided that if I didn’t take to plunge then, I’d kick myself later! 

So, 24 hours before I had to bounce out of Sri Lanka due to the pandemic (I ended up in Australia 12 hours before the borders shut!), I signed on the dotted line and bought a decent sized plot of land, 5 minute stroll to the beach, complete with palm trees and walking distance to 4 different surf spots.

It was a bit of a whirlwind and I didn’t really get the chance to celebrate this milestone, but never the less the dream was in the pipeline!

Fast forward to 2023 and with borders reopening in Australia and having saved a chunk of coin I decided to start planning what would become Secret Spot Villa.

Taking inspiration from all the awesome places I’ve stayed over the years the design was a fusion of surf vibes and a very Byron and Bali aesthetic – keeping things clean, simple and practical – with plenty of awesome little features to make the perfect based for travelling surfers.

I flew out to Sri Lanka in March 2023 to start the building work and sort some legal stuff (I’m going to do a seperate blog about all the logistics to buying and building in Sri Lanka) and then by late October 2023 the villa was finished and ready to go!

 

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Villa Features & Awesome Inclusions

I’ve designed Secret Spot Villa from the ground up and made sure I included a whole array of little added extras and inclusions to cater for surfers, international travellers and digital nomad.

I’m not going to lie, a lot of these idea have been pinched from places I’ve stayed, but some are also things I’ve also wanted to have in my own place!

These include:

• Private pool (7.5m x 2.5m)
• A/C throughout
• Comfy corner sofa
• Spacious en suite bathrooms
• Hooks in the showers to easily dry your boardies or bikini
• International plug sockets throughout, including USB sockets
• Double height ceilings – so you can easily store a 9’6 longboard anywhere in the villa!
• Surfboard racks in all the bedrooms
• Outdoor shower so you can rinse off post surf
• High speed, fibre optic broadband – up to 200mbps!
• Big kitchen island, with plug sockets underneath. The perfect office with pool views!
• Smart TV with Netflix
• Solar powered hot water

And I have a few extra things in the pipeline that I’m working on too – and I’m hoping to take the whole place off the grid with solar panels as soon as my bank balance has recovered!

Check out some more pics and info over on the Secret Spot Villa website here.

 

 

 

What Did It Cost?

I’m still tallying up the full final cost of the build (the last few weeks of final preparation saw my bank balance take a pretty chunky hit!) but put it this way – the entire cost of the build has set me back less than a house deposit in Australia would be!

…and that’s including the pool which was about 20% of the build price!

 

So How Did I Manage The Build?!

As mental as it sounds, I pretty much managed the entire project via WhatApp!

Yes there were some stressful moments (well, quite a few) and when I flew out to do all the finishing touches I did have the fix quite a few unforeseen issues, but overall things went pretty damn well and I’m massively stoked that the final villa is what I envisioned when I got started.

 

 

When’s The Best Time To Visit?

In terms of waves and weather the best time to visit is late Oct to May, which is surf season and dry season on this coast. Peak time for weather is usually December through to April.

I’ve just spent two weeks out there in late Oct/early Nov and although there were a few rainy days it was hot, plenty of sunshine and most importantly super fun waves!

 

 

What Are The Waves Like?

And of course one of the main reasons I decided to build where I built was the access to the waves – with 4 awesome surf spots all within an easy walk of the front door, and a whole heap of other amazing spots along the coastline just a short tuk tuk ride away.

Kabalana Beach

About a 5 minute stroll from my front door is Kabalana Beach – which offers a fun few peaks for more experienced surfers, or a long rolling white water inside section for those learning to surf. It’s also one of the nicest stretches of sand in the area too so make sure you enjoy a cold coconut post surf.

The Rock

Situated at Kabalana Beach, The Rock is one of the bigger, punchier spots on the South Coast. Can handle some solid size but due to the small take off spot, it can also get pretty busy. Does break both ways, but the left is certainly a longer ride.

Sticks

Fun, peaky, semi reef that sits in front of Sticks Cafe and is great fun for those looking for something a bit punchier, but not too hectic. Great for progressing your surfing if you in the intermediate range and super fun if you’re a bit more experienced too.

Can handle a range of size so make sure you watch it before paddling out and make sure it fits where you are skill level wise!

Marshmellows

Usually soft, fat and squishy, this fun, deep reef A-Frame is ideal for those looking to progress, or surfing a mid legnth, log or fish. However, it can handle some chonky size and when it gets big there’s a lot of water moving around!

I actually manage to clean snap one of my boards here on a bigger swell!

Insights

A personal favourite of mine on my latest trip, this reef break sits in front of Insight Resort and is just to the left of Marshmellows. It can be a bit peaky, but when the left works, it’s insanely fun. The right is shorter and ends up ona. shallow reef section, so be careful where you kick out.
 

Bring On The Sri Lanka Trips!

So yeah, it looks like Sri Lanka is going to be one of my main haunts for the foreseeable future and I’m looking forward to plenty of epic surf trips to this part of the world with friends and family.

And of course if you’re planning on heading to Sri Lanka too I’d love to have you come stay at my place and enjoy this little slice of paradise!

 

 

Are you planning a Sri Lanka surf trip soon and want to come stay?

Click here for the latest availability and pricing