The villa is a spacious courtyard house with two living rooms: one is air-conditioned, a dining room, a library and four air-conditioned bedrooms with attached bathrooms. It also houses a collection of Sri Lankan contemporary art and sculpture mainly from artists from the area. All antiques too are from the area and reflect the pieces that were in the house, originally. When it came to redoing the garden, our approach was to make it attractive for butterflies and other pollinators. We also planted species that were already present in the estate and as a result, the majority of the plants are local. The garden also has several pieces of large sculptures. Guests have access to the 25-acre organic certified estate with coconuts, vegetables, fruit and a sustainable amount of livestock. In addition, we are working on increasing the biodiversity of the property. The property is incredibly rich in biodiversity for its size and hosts the following number of species: 218 plants, 58 bird species, 58 birds, 28 butterflies, 8 dragon and damselflies, 11 fish, 12 mammals and 10 reptiles. The property is also within easy driving distance to two wildlife parks.

The purpose of Mannankulam is to rejuvenate and preserve our heritage — history, culture, food, nature and art - the heart of the East Coast. With this in mind, we have opened the property — the estate and villa — to act as the anchor point for the itineraries that we have developed for you to truly experience this hidden magic corner of Sri Lanka. The estate has been in our hands for four generations and the team that hosts you will be led by the grandson of the person who originally managed the properties for the family. In addition, a naturalist will be on hand to explain and show you the nature abundant in the estate. The cook specialises in traditional recipes from the family.

The area around the property is a sizeable rice-growing area. The property is near: Sinnamuhathuvaram Beach where the lagoon meets the sea, Moddayakal Rock an archaeological site with a fantastic 360-degree view of the eastern landscape, Sagamam tank with extensive paddy fields where elephants are sited regularly, ancient Hindu temples at Thirukovil and Akkaraipattu temples, Sangamankandy Light House. Arugam Bay, a surfer’s paradise, Muhudumaha Vihara and Magul Maha Vihara, are slightly further - an hour's drive. Kumana and Gal Oya wildlife parks are accessible for a day’s outing.