David and Daniele Francis have given birth to one of the most unique experiences one could witness. Nestled away in Yatagala, rural Galle, just an hour’s drive from Colombo, The Paddy Island is situated in an acreage of paddy fields accompanied by a bungalow named The Paddy House that sleeps 4 adults and which can be booked. Making your way past the Paddy House along the path or niyara, leads you to a concealed area of land with fresh water streams running by. The Paddy Island and Paddy House are situated just 2kms from the main road leaving the guests minutes away from heading to some of the stunning beaches in the island.

The Paddy Island welcomes its visitors first to a large lawn set to a Sri Lankan theme with various kinds of trees mainly King Coconut. This large lawn caters to a yoga and fitness session carried at certain times and also to accommodate any guests during a function of any sorts. The Paddy Island can be hired for corporate events, weddings and for private parties. Going past the lawn brings the guest to the main attraction on the Paddy Island, which is the ambalama. The term ‘ambalama’ refers to a Sri Lankan rest house, which gave shelter to pilgrims and travellers in the early days. This picturesque structure consists of a dining table, which seats 12 – 20 persons overlooking a panorama of paddy fields. Extra seating for larger groups can be arranged if prior notice is given. Serving a traditional Sri Lankan menu, the Paddy Island offers an unrivaled rice and curry, which shouldn’t be missed! One could enjoy the English Afternoon Tea, which also can be booked on prior notice. At the Paddy Island, tea will be served alongside with home made cakes and finger sandwiches that will tantalize your taste buds and keep you coming back for more. A complimentary bullock cart ride is also offered around Yatagala, which will give the guests an experience on how transportation was carried out in the early days. Just as the sun sets on this setting, the whole property becomes breathtakingly beautiful leaving the guests in awe. Just in case if you’re worried about bugs and mosquitos, they are very hard to come across since all the ponds are filled with fresh water and has fish who doesn’t allow the mosquitos to breed.

The Sri Lankan themed and fully equipped kitchen is located in the far end of the island, where all the food is prepared before it is munched down. The cooking staff at the Paddy Island are locals from the village and have been working here for the last decade and prepare some of the best traditional meals one can offer using traditional clay pot cooking methods. Following an all green concept, most of the ingredients, fruits and vegetables are homegrown. Sinhala cooking classes are also conducted at the Paddy Island where guests are allowed to help in the preparation of the traditional Sri Lankan meal where they can help in scraping coconuts to extract coconut milk and use the traditional miris gala (chillie stone) to grind sambols.

Making your way back to the ambalama at twilight, the whole path is made up with oil lamps and flambeaus, which lights up the path and making the Paddy Islands ambiance simply amazing. The Paddy Island offers a true Sri Lankan experience not forgetting that agriculture played a vital role in the Sri Lankan economy then and now, the Paddy Island conserves the natural habitat and its surroundings. At the Paddy Island, guests of all ages will enjoy having a joyous evening with their family and friends in a tranquil environment.