COCOYA

OUR HISTORY

We discovered the land during a trip to Sri Lanka shortly after the civil war. Its story began when the grandfather of the previous owner bought the land from the colonial authorities in 1910. At the time it was nothing more than wild jungle. The first owners dug the irrigation pools and planted the land’s virgin coconut trees.
Over the years since, we dreamt of the vision of COCOYA. An inspiring idyllic garden of Eden. A place of rest and respite where we could reconnect with nature, each other and ourselves.
We love our beautiful land and all its natural wonders. Our two bedroom hut is designed to be spacious and open. Our water is filtered from two wells on the land and we use solar panels for hot water. All rooms are open aired with louvres that allow you to enjoy the wonderful breeze without compromising privacy. There are no air conditioners or televisions. We want our skin and mind to breathe.
The land itself is an active plantation. Our two main crops are coconuts and cinnamon. There are numerous other indigenous fruit trees and accompanying wildlife.
We open up our vacation home to guests who are looking for a unique experience of living in someone’s home on a plantation.

THE PROPERTY

COCOYA’s plantation house sits atop a small hill overlooking the land’s main coconut groves. We designed it to be an extension of the plantation.
Think: a thatched roof, mud walls, tall coconut pillars. Two bedrooms flank the living space and open concept kitchen. Each bedroom is fitted with a king sized bed and a private bathroom. The open air rain-shower is an experience in itself, especially at dusk with the brilliant sunset, swaying coconut trees and cool running water after a hot day.

Before we welcome you into our home, we wish to bring your attention to a few points:

• The property is fully open aired. The beds are lined with good quality mosquito nets to keep the insects at bay. However please bear in the mind that the property is nestled in the wilderness that insects and critters call home. We wish to co-exist peacefully with them so the property is not fogged or treated with insecticides.
• There are no air conditioners. Due to its proximity to the sea, the land enjoys a very gentle sea breeze. Ceiling fans provide additional circulation for comfort. And if all else fails the rain-shower is always available for a cool wash down.
• The kitchen is equipped with a fridge, an electric stove and an oven.
• While there is a wireless network, there is no television. Please bring along a few good books.
• The property is our home. There are several CCTVs in the living area and around the property for security reasons. Rest assured that there are no CCTVs in the bedrooms and bathrooms so your privacy is fully ensured.
• We employ a team of local staff to look after the plantation. Please expect to see them around the land and the staff quarters.
• If you prefer not to self-cater and require daily cleaning service and a chef we will gladly offer it at an agreed extra cost.
• We pump our water from two wells on the land. It is filtered before entering the clean water tank. It can safely be used for washing but we provide bottles water for drinking and cooking.
• When you book a stay at COCOYA it is understood that you take care of your own travel or other insurances as we decline liability of any sort. By staying at our home you accept this as a pre-condition.

DANGERS

• We advise not to drink the tap water. It is safe for washing but we provide sufficient bottled drinking water which can be used for drinking.
• We harvest our coconuts on a regular basis but nonetheless there can be some loose nuts and branches which fall without warning so do not walk or linger under trees.
• Snakes, although rare, have been sighted but do not typically attack humans if unprovoked or if they don’t feel threatened. For additional safety we recommend not to walk through tall grass and bushes. We also recommend to remain in the house after dusk and if you move around outside the house only with a torch.
• COCOYA is a functioning plantation and although we put in a lot of effort into keeping the land clean and accessible it remains wild land with pits and bumps and accessible to wild animals so caution must be applied in a commiserate fashion when enjoying the moment.