Walking into the villa, we felt relaxed and at ease when we looked at the luscious greenery that surrounded the garden at the villa.
We were greeted warmly by Charika, who helped us light the lamps and offered us a delicious serving of fresh Kola Kanda to get us ready for the next hour of Yoga.
Kola Kanda is a traditional herbal congee or gruel made from raw rice, coconut milk and the fresh juice of medicinally valued leafy greens.
- The Ambience
We really appreciated the carefully selected ornaments and lounge areas around the villa. The lounge area had a small library of books in german as a lot of the villa’s guests are fluent in German. The villa also has a swimming pool.
We were then escorted to our room where we left our bags to head over to our yoga session. The rooms were spacious and clean and the windows opened up to the view of the swimming pool and the garden.
- Yoga
As the Yogi, Mr Priyantha started guiding us through the yoga session, he also gave us an overview of what to expect in today’s session and told us about the different ‘asanas’ (positions) that we will be doing and how important it is to pay attention to our breathing and to focus on our body. He assured us that we didn’t have to do positions that we were uncomfortable with. At times during the yoga session, whilst guiding us, Mr Priyantha would walk around and check on the participants to make sure that they are positioning their bodies correctly and would gently correct them when needed.
As individuals who have not tried yoga before, we enjoyed doing yoga and meditating with the sound of birds at 8 AM in the morning.
Yoga is one of the activities Villa Velmarie offers to all the guests at the retreat and Mr Priyantha starts his sessions at 8 AM every morning and carries out the session for an hour.
- Breakfast at the Villa
Mr Charith, the owner, explained to us that simplicity and wellness is the theme that runs throughout the villa and even its meals. For breakfast, we were served Coconut Flatbread (Pol Roti), Onion Sambal paste (Lunu Miris), Dhal curry (Parippu) and servings of fresh fruit such as bananas, oranges and pineapple. The villa serves many vegatables and fruits in order to stay true to the entire ayurvedic experience. The food was freshly prepared and tasted delicious.
- Health Consultation by a licensed doctor
After breakfast, Dr Janaka Samaraweera carried out a consultation with us. First, we filled out a form with our contact information, weight, height, any past illnesses or sicknesses and any genetic conditions passed on by family. Once Dr Janaka went through the form carefully, he analysed our blood pressure using a pressure gauge, the rate of our heartbeat and carried out an oral inspection. He also questioned us on anybody aches or joint aches we have to decide the best kind of massage to make us feel better.
Usually, the doctor arranges the massage according to the feedback from the consultation. He also selects specific oils carefully for the massage. The massages at the villa are a very personalized experience.
- The Massage
Since we didn’t have any serious physical conditions, we went ahead with a full body massage. Miss Chathurani, the massage therapist was really kind and helpful. The villa has both female and male massage therapists to make the guests feel comfortable and at ease with their massage experience. Chathurani started off by asking me to take a seat and massaging my hair and temples with oil, this was my favourite part throughout the massage. Afterwards, she asked me to get onto the massage bed to continue massaging the rest of my body. She started with my feet and as I have feet with dry skin, she took extra care with them. Then she went on to my calves, my thighs and my torso. At times throughout the massage, it was a bit painful but I trusted the process and I came out of the massage room feeling much better than I did walking into it.
- Lunch at the Villa
After a few hours of yoga and an hour of massages we were ready for a delicious lunch and we weren’t disappointed. The lunch menu consisted of white rice, cooked Ash Plantains and Eggplant (Alu Kesal and Brinjals), Spicy Coconut Sambal (Pol Sambol), Cooked Cucumber curry and Cooked Stir-fried Wing Beans (Dambala) and a special serving of chicken just for us. The villa usually serves vegetarian meals and on occassion, serves chicken and fish.
After lunch, Mr Charith and Dr Ishara who is from Katukurunda (a 30-minute drive from the villa) spoke to us about the villa’s ayurvedic school that is located a few minutes away from the villa.
The ayurvedic school gives individuals who are interested in understanding the depths of wellness and ayurvedic practices an opportunity to learn and receive a certificate from a certified wellness clinic. Dr Ishara is an experienced teacher who guides students throughout the syllabus. The course runs for 10 days and in order to receive a certificate, you have to be present for the entire course and do a theory and practical exam.
Interested individuals can sign up for the school here.
Back to Villa Velmarie, they offer different types of ayurvedic and wellness retreats. It ranges from de-stress programs, anxiety and depression programs and even weight loss programs that could be carried out in 7,14, 21 or 28 days.
Conclusion
We had a truly relaxing and wonderful time at Villa Velmarie. From the really friendly staff to the guests and to the overall experiences, it felt as if we were in a little paradise away from home. The staff were friendly and would often make jokes and make conversation with us. Even the guests were kind and often greeted us with a ‘bon appetite’ or asked us if we enjoyed our massage. Everyone at the villa was focused on being present and enjoying each others’ company and wasn’t engrossed in checking their phone.
We also enjoyed playing with one of our favourite beings at the villa, Bella, a 4-month old Golden Labrador who is definitely going to make your stay a lot more enjoyable.
If you are looking to relax, unwind and be more connected with nature, I highly recommend staying at Villa Velmarie for at least a week.
Address: 39 Kudaawa Rd, Maggona
Contact details: (+94) 772 383 690 or email info@villavelmarie.com
Price range: USD100 upwards a night
For more information check their website, their Facebook page @Villa Velmarie & Ayurvedic Spa or Instagram page @villavelmarie
