50/50 Mbps fiber broadband. A proper desk. Three beaches within 15 minutes on foot — the nearest three minutes from the garden gate.
If you're working remotely or planning to stay longer than a week, that is what you need to know first. Everything else follows.
Aliya Watunu Hena is a private home in Unakuruwa that we rebuilt for ourselves in 2024. It became somewhere to stay only because guests kept asking.
The space
In January 2024, we came back to Sri Lanka and drove through Unakuruwa — a quiet village near Tangalle, between two beaches and a lane of palms. We stopped at a tired house: sandy soil, trees leaning inward, no grand gestures. We signed the deed before the trip was over, and spent the next eight months rebuilding it for ourselves — not for yield, but for the home we wanted to live in. We called it Aliya Watunu Hena (අලියා වටුණු හේන) which is what the local people have called this ground for generations — the place where the elephant once passed. We kept the name. In Sri Lanka, elephants do not belong to humans. Humans pass through their territory. That is precisely how we run this place. It became somewhere to stay only because guests kept asking.
The workspace
The Main House has a dedicated desk and chair — a proper work setup, not a bar stool at a kitchen counter. Fiber optic broadband runs throughout the property: 50 Mbps down, 50 Mbps up. USB-A and USB-C charging at the desk and in both bedrooms. If you prefer working outside, the veranda is covered and sheltered from rain — open to the garden, quiet enough to take calls.
The house
Two queen-size bedrooms. Sleeps up to four. Open-air, naturally ventilated throughout — the building was designed for cross-airflow rather than sealed air conditioning. Wide shaded verandas overlooking a lush tropical garden. Kitchenette with filtered drinking water. Partially open-air bathrooms connected to the garden. The whole house was rebuilt from scratch in 2024 by the people who own and live in this neighbourhood — not a developer product.
The location
Unakuruwa, near Tangalle. A quiet residential village on Sri Lanka's south coast with no resort strip, no traffic noise, and no tour buses. Life here runs on daylight rather than schedules.
Three beaches on foot:
– Unakuruwa Beach — 3 minutes
– Paradise Beach — 5 minutes
– Silent Beach — 15 minutes
No car needed for any of them. Walatha Seafood, Ceylon Chef, Break Point Restaurant, and Harmuni's are all within easy walking distance for food and coffee.
Long stays
28-day rates apply automatically via Airbnb's long-stay discount. If you're looking at a month or more, get in touch directly — we're set up for it and respond quickly.
A few things worth knowing before you book
No air conditioning. The house was designed for natural cross-ventilation — ceiling fans in every room, deep shade on the verandas, and a building orientation that catches the breeze. It works well. If you need AC to sleep, this is genuinely not the right place.
Cold-water showers. The bathrooms are partially open to the garden and the water runs at ambient temperature. In Tangalle that is comfortable year-round — and it was a deliberate choice, not a gap.
No pool. The ocean is three minutes away. That was the decision.
No resort services. No daily housekeeping unless arranged separately, no on-site restaurant, no tour desk. We are here as hosts, not as hotel staff. We respond to messages quickly and know this neighbourhood well.
Who stays here
Remote workers who need real WiFi and a real desk. Couples or small groups wanting to stay somewhere that was built to live in, not to photograph. Long-stay guests who want a quiet base on the south coast with walkable beach access. People who chose Tangalle because they are not interested in Mirissa.
Ladi and Mila
Guest access
The Main House is entirely private — both bedrooms, both bathrooms, the kitchen, and the verandas are yours for the duration of your stay. The Cabin (separate building on the same compound) may be occupied by other guests; you share the garden, nothing else.
Other things to note
Aliya Watunu Hena is a private home in Unakuruwa that we rebuilt for ourselves in 2024. It became somewhere to stay only because guests kept asking. That is how it runs — and it is why the WiFi is fast, the desk is real, and the beach is a three-minute walk.
We respond quickly. Long-stay enquiries welcome. And:
– Pets welcome
– Complimentary Ayurvedic herbal toiletries (locally sourced)
– Fiber optic broadband: 100 Mbps down / 50 Mbps up — verified by speedtest
– USB-A and USB-C charging in all rooms and at the workspace
– Nearest airport: Mattala Rajapaksa (HRI, ~30 min) or Bandaranaike International (CMB, ~3.5–4 hrs)
– Nearest town: Tangalle town centre, ~10 min by tuk-tuk
– We are just a tap away throughout your stay
