When I first came to Sri Lanka in October 2019 for a job, I was not thinking much about houses. The company arranged accommodation for me, where I stayed with a few colleagues.
At that time, the plan was simple. My wife and our twin kids would join me a few months later in mid-2020. Once they arrived, I would rent a family house, and we would start our life together in Sri Lanka.
But life took an unexpected turn.
Two Years of Waiting
On 19 March 2020, COVID-19 began spreading rapidly across the world. Countries began announcing lockdowns one after another, and Sri Lanka also imposed a strict shutdown from 20 March.
Flights stopped, and borders closed. What was supposed to be a short separation from my family slowly turned into two long years.
During that time, I continued living in the company-provided house with my colleagues while my wife and kids stayed in Bangladesh. The only way we could see each other was through video calls.
Those two years felt very long.
Finally, Bringing My Family to Sri Lanka
In September 2021, travel restrictions finally started easing.
My wife and kids arrived in Sri Lanka on 27 September 2021. According to the health regulations, they had to stay one night at a Level-1-certified hotel and take an on-arrival COVID-19 test.
The next day, they received a negative result and were free to leave.
Before their arrival, I had already rented a house in Gampaha so we could live together as a family.
That house became our first real home in Sri Lanka.
A Very Emotional Reunion
Meeting my family after two years was one of the most emotional moments of my life.
My twin kids had grown up a lot during that time. For most of those two years, they only knew their father through a phone screen.
When they finally saw me in person, their excitement filled the entire day. From Negombo, we drove about 30 kilometers to reach our new house near Kotadeniyawa.
First Look at Our House in Sri Lanka
The first time my family saw the house, they were amazed.
It was a beautiful duplex house built in a European style on around fifty perches of land. Coconut trees surrounded the property, giving the place a peaceful countryside feeling.
Coming from Dhaka, where buildings stand very close together, this open space felt completely different.
The house itself was around 4500 square feet.
Both the ground floor and the upper floor had two bedrooms and long balconies. Each floor also had its own bathroom. There were separate living areas, a dining space, and a spacious kitchen.
The house was semi-furnished, but the kitchen was especially practical with wall-mounted cabinets for storing cooking items safely away from the kids.
Living Close to Nature
One of the things we loved most about this rented house in Sri Lanka was the garden.
Inside the fenced yard, there were several sitting areas. Two mango trees shaded stone benches and a tea table where we often spent our evenings.
The main road was about thirty feet away from our gate, yet the house still felt quiet and peaceful.
From the upstairs balcony, we could see the road, a coconut garden, and a playground on the other side. During certain seasons, a golden shower tree (Cassia fistula) covered the area with bright yellow flowers.
The front garden also had pomegranate and other local fruit trees.
A Backyard Full of Surprises
The backyard was just as beautiful.
There were papaya trees and Sri Lankan orange trees. Behind the kitchen stood a large night-flowering jasmine tree.
For my wife, this tree became something very special. In Bangladesh, she often wished to collect jasmine flowers early in the morning but rarely had the chance. In Sri Lanka, she could finally enjoy that simple pleasure.
After the first rainy season, we could even see rows of Sri Lankan cherry blossoms from the upstairs balcony.
Making the House Our Home
Since my wife worked remotely for weDevs, she turned one of the ground-floor rooms into her office. Another room became the kids’ playroom, although they usually preferred to play outside.
The property also had enough open space for small BBQ gatherings. On weekends, we often invite a few families and spend time together there.
Outside the kitchen, there was a concrete area where we sometimes cooked using firewood in traditional clay pots. Lighting the fire was not easy at first, but we slowly learned.
Simple Life in Sri Lanka
The bathrooms had English commodes and other necessary arrangements. Although Sri Lanka has mostly rainy and dry seasons rather than a winter, a geyser was installed in one bathroom.
Another beautiful aspect of Sri Lankan culture is Poya Day, the full-moon holiday. On those nights, we often sat on our balcony and enjoyed the bright moonlight.
The whole area looked magical under the full moon.
Surprisingly Affordable Rent
Many people are surprised by the rent for a house in Sri Lanka.
Our rented house costs around 115 USD per month. The usual system here is to pay three months’ advance rent upon signing the agreement.
Our house owner was a very kind person. In fact, he allowed us to collect fruits from the nearby garden whenever we wanted. There were jackfruit trees, banana trees, mango trees, coconuts, wood apple, and many more.
A House Full of Memories
We lived in this house for one year, but it became one of the most memorable chapters of our lives in Sri Lanka.
It was the place where our family reunited after two long years. It was where our kids played freely in open space, where we hosted small BBQ gatherings, and where we enjoyed peaceful evenings under coconut trees.
This rented house in Sri Lanka was not just a house. It was where our family life on this island truly began.
