6 Degrees North, Sri Lanka

The dream home my Mum has been building on the beach coast of Sri Lanka is finished. Mum began going to Sri Lanka just after the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004, and has formed some very strong relationships with the villagers in the ravaged areas around the hippie destination of Hikkaduwa. Being the generous lady she is, Mum has sponsored kids to uni, helped raise money to build wells & schools, all in the aid of seeing this beautiful part of the world regain some of it's mojo after such a devastating event.

When she mentioned that she would love to build a house in the area, her mate Udi kept his ear to the ground & found out about an old family block on the beach at Ambalangoda that was selling as freehold, a rarity in the village culture of Sri Lanka. 

Mum snapped up the land & then put Udi & his villagers in charge of building a traditional Sri Lankan home, with a touch of her own western chic. Six months later, with employment for more than 50 people, and all local & recycled building materials & techniques utilised, her dream home is finished. Mum plans on visiting as often as she can during the year & renting the home out to visitors at other times. Local interest has been intense, as the house is a real work of art, and she's already managed to get the International Cricket Council book it for the umpires in all of the international games in Sri Lanka's coastal cities. Billy Bowden & Rudi Coertzen won't have a poor sleep as an excuse for a crappy decision!

Built around the ruins of an older building that was rattled, but not flattened by the wave, it's a sprawling 4 bedroom beach house, with an en suite in each room, which would comfortably sleep 4 couples, or two big families. There is a full time caretaker who looks after the home, and a local chap who comes in the mornings & evenings to tidy up the guests mess & make the beds etc. The house is right on Madampe Beach, a calm coral reef-protected sandy beach from November to March, & a gentle surf beach in the wet season when the wind comes from the west. Paddlers staying for a week could carve out miles of coastline with headlands, surf & inland lagoons to fill your days. 

Or, you could stay the whole time in the house, cook your own meals with fresh local produce, & lounge around the pool….

I've just finished the website for the house if you're interested in reading more. There are a few bits to finish, but unfortunately I'm flat out selling kayaks & might not get to them until the break. The website is www.sixdegsnorth.com

Eventually I'm going to have a few sea kayaks & gear freighted in from the UK so I & guests can enjoy some proper kayaks in a place that is just a beautiful, unspoiled place to paddle….