Ishara De Silva

Our story begins with Ishara De Silva and the personal journey that transformed her understanding of health, happiness, and success. What started as a search for her own healing eventually became Plantation Villa: a place where guests can experience the restorative traditions of Ayurveda and mindful living that helped her find her way back to wellbeing.

Before founding Plantation Villa, Ishara built a fast-paced career in global finance. Motivated by ambition, she pursued professional success in the belief that it would lead to happiness. She became one of the youngest Vice Presidents at Citibank and later a Director at Barclays. Then, at the age of 29, a cancer diagnosis brought her life to an abrupt stop. That moment marked the beginning of a profound transformation, prompting her to question the stress and lifestyle she had once accepted as normal.

In search of a different path to recovery, Ishara returned to Sri Lanka and immersed herself in Ayurveda and mindfulness. Guided by traditional doctors, yogis, and Buddhist monks, her treatment went beyond the illness itself, working to restore balance in both body and mind. She deepened her meditation practice and reconnected with the Buddhist teachings of her youth. Through quiet reflection, she came to understand that happiness is not something found outside ourselves, but something we cultivate within.

Months later, medical tests showed no trace of cancer, but the most meaningful change had already taken place in her heart. Ishara realised that her corporate life no longer aligned with the direction her life had taken. Returning to her father’s childhood village, she founded Plantation Villa as a social enterprise and a place for genuine healing. Her intention was to offer everything that had supported her recovery, along with everything she wished she had received during that time.

Plantation Villa was created to provide practical tools for caring for body and mind through Ayurvedic medicine, nourishing food, and the stillness of nature. In 2022, this vision extended to the UK with the opening of a retreat in the peaceful countryside of Herefordshire.

Today, both locations are guided by the same core values:

• Holistic Wellbeing: balancing body and mind through Ayurveda, mindfulness, yoga, and nourishment.
• Practical Learning: sharing habits and tools you can take home and use in daily life.
• Love and Care: offering a home away from home where guests feel safe, loved, and cared for.
• Community Support: creating a space rooted in giving back and supporting wider communities.
• Living with Nature: maintaining a respectful and protective relationship with the land.

Ishara’s journey showed her that wellbeing is not only about the body, but also the mind, our relationships, and the way we choose to live each day. When life feels demanding, it is easy to believe there is no time to focus on ourselves. She understands this deeply, because she once felt the same way. Yet through her own experience, she discovered that investing in oneself is one of the most meaningful choices we can make.

Plantation Villa was created to support those who may be suffering, searching, or simply in need of care. It is a place to come as you are, to receive the tools and practices that helped Ishara, and to experience the love and support she once longed for herself. Through this work, no one has to walk through difficult times alone.