"Heaven on Earth"

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"It's been called 'Heaven on Earth'", said the Swiss woman who had set up Leijay and who had run it for almost 20 years. I had spent some time there while I was writing my second book. I loved living in my quaint room and sitting in the large colonial-style verandas, with my laptop. I listened to the wide array of colorful birds all day long. Occasionally one of the purple-faced Langur monkies would come down from the surrounding trees and run across the garden. On many evenings someone would go up one of the trees in the garden and pull down a bunch of coconuts. They would chop the top off one and put a straw in it for me to drink from. That's a tropical delight, as fresh as you can get it. Every now and then I would take a 15-minute ride on a three-wheeler to spend an afternoon in the vibrant Galle Fort or lie on the clear sands of the tourist-filled Unawatuna Beach. Returning to Leijay, I would take a quiet dip in the pool and, completely relaxed, would continue with my writing. I told the owner it was a perfect place for writers. She laughed and said, "Many have called it a 'Writer's Retreat' as well".

Sometime later, I heard that she wanted to return to Switzerland and was selling Leijay. I already had a dream of retiring in Sri Lanka. The rest is history. My love for Galle and Leijay has continued to grow over the years. Even though I shuttle now between Canada and Sri Lanka, the place remains open year-round for others who want to relax in a sanctuary that is close, and yet not too close, to all the wonderfully lively delights of Galle,

With 20 rooms, over several villas, we have groups and individuals enjoying the place, sometimes for just one night, and sometimes for long writing retreats. The next time you are in Galle, stay at Leijay. I hope you fall in love with it, like I did. But if you do, here's my answer: "No. I am not selling it".

Dr. Kamran Ahmad