Salt House
Chic
Beginner to intermediate
Best for 4+
Snorkelling, diving, yoga and fishing
Price range: ££
Boutique rooms and apartments, Hiriketiya, Dickwella
Make yourself at home in a little oasis surrounded by coconut palms, just footsteps from the beach. Chic and minimalist rooms with beautiful outdoor spaces and alfresco bathrooms. Yoga, surfboard hire and snorkelling available.
Book from £150 per night for a family apartment sleeping 4.
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Overview
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Rooms
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Onsite
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Surf & Beaches
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Food
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Things to do
Overview
- Stylish rooms footsteps from a paradise, horseshoe bay.
- Year-round surf protected from the prevailing winds.
- Safe for swimming and snorkelling – you’ll probably be joined by turtles.
- Everything you need is in the bay – from waves and golden sands to beach restaurants and board hire.
- Daily yoga classes.
Transfer: 200km (3-3.5 hours drive) from Colombo international airport Climate: Nov–Apr (offshore winds/ dry season); av. air temp 30C; av. water temp 27C. (April-Oct is monsoon season, with onshore winds and more unpredictable waves in the Southern Province.) Surf level: Beginner to intermediate.
Rooms
- Seven stylish, minimalist bedrooms (sleeping 2-4 guests), in a jungle retreat just 2 minutes’ walk from the beach.
- Best for families is the two-bedroom rooftop apartment (sleeping up to 4 guests) – with its own spacious lounge, a private balcony with ocean views, and a modern layout including a kitchenette and a large open-plan bathroom.
- There is also a family garden room (sleeps 3), with a lounge and private patio – perfect for parents with a young child.
- Air-conditioning, mosquito nets, private patios and open-air bathrooms.
- A little further up the hill, Salt House can offer more accommodation in its luxury family apartments at Serene Villa.
Onsite
- Kickback by the pool or in a hammock with a cocktail.
- Find your Zen in the yoga shala.
- Climb the headland to either side of the horseshoe bay and watch the sun go down.
- Swimming pool.
- Rooftop lounge area and poolside relaxation area.
- Secluded terraces and landscaped gardens shaded by palms.
- Yoga shala and twice daily yoga classes.
- Restaurant and bar.
- No plastic bottles; free water refills.
- Shared lounge/ TV area.
- Wifi
- Daily housekeeping and laundry service.
Surf & Beaches
- Hiriketiya boasts waves for 10 months of the year, and its horseshoe shape means it’s protected from the prevailing winds.
- It’s the perfect destination for beginner and intermediate surfers.
- ‘Hiri’ is home to a long, mellow left-hand point break. There’s only a small take off area and it gets shallow on the inside, but you can hangout on the shoulder and spot turtles while you’re waiting your turn.
- Smaller swells from the west (Dec-Feb) create a perfect beginners’ beach break wave – we’ve even surfed it with toddlers on the nose of a longboard. It’s also perfect for kids who are getting their independence in the surf, as you can watch them from the shore.
- On bigger swells there’s a less crowded right-hand peak.
- You can hire longboards on the beach from 250Rp (less than £2).
- Surf instruction can be organised at Salt House.
- When you’re not on a surfboard, don a mask and snorkel and spot fish and sea turtles as you explore the reef hemming the bay.
- Buy a fresh coconut, find a spot under a palm tree on the sand and watch the world go by.
- Head to the beach at night and gaze up to the incredible star constellations twinkling over the bay.
Food
- Open-air restaurant and bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- From Sri Lankan classics to European, Australian and other international dishes.
- The menu includes superfood smoothies, salads and seafood, as well as the sort of food you might miss from home, such as brownies and burgers.
- All meals are made using the freshest local ingredients available.
- Try the legendary ‘Marty’s Middle Mahi Mahi’ – made with freshly caught fish landed by a local fisherman.
- Kids’ meals available.
- In the bay there’s a line up of beach bars and restaurants where you can dine with your toes in the sand. Choose from coconuts and cocktails to seafood, wood-fired pizzas and Sri Lankan dishes.Take a pack of cards, as nothing happens too quickly around here.
- Listen out for the whistle of the bread man in who visits the bay in his tuk-tuk filled with delicious treats in the early hours, and also about 4pm.
Things to do
- Twice daily yoga classes – Vinyasa Flow in the morning, then Slow Flow, Restorative or Yin Yoga in the afternoon (75 minutes, 1,500LKR/ 4 classes 4,000LKR).
- Tailored yoga workshops available by arrangement.
- Snorkelling, surfing and fishing.
- Hike along the coastline to a deserted paradise bay.
- Explore a series of secluded bays to the east of Hiriketiya.
- Visit the vibrant markets of Matara.
- Head to Mirissa for a whale-watching trip (go with The Whale Watching Club – run by experts who keep a safe distance from incredible species you will encounter).