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| Ahangama
Easy Beach, Ahangama |
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 Youthful
surfers and independently-minded travellers love
the genial, laid-back atmosphere encouraged by Norwegian
owners. An airy café-style eating area opens
onto palm-fringed gardens and a coral-protected
beach. Simple pleasures; great value.
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| Ambiente,
Ella |
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 If
location is everything, then Ambiente is one of
the most blessed guest houses in the world. It sits
on a ridge high above the village of Ella in the
Southern Highlands, a stirring land of lush tea
plantations, majestic peaks and rushing waterfalls.
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| Castle
Hill Guest House, Kandy |
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 Castle
Hill Guest House has barely changed in 30 years
-- a lick of paint here, a small repair or update
there – and the result is a much-loved family
home where time drips backwards to a simpler, less
demanding era.
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| Cinnamon
Gardens, Hikkaduwa |
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 Enthusiastic
English owners have brought a bright and sociable
feel to an old colonial beachfront property. This
small independent hotel has a great location and
offers an unfussy and relaxed base in one of Sri
Lanka’s livelier coastal villages.
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| Colombo
House, Colombo |
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 A
brooding 1930s mansion, offering basic, budget accommodation
in a good area of Colombo, close to the city centre
and the best bars and restuarants. Not to be confused
with the more upmarket Apa Colombo, which is no
longer available. |
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| Daladawatte,
Matara |
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 Situated
close to Dondra Head near Matara on the south coast,
Daladawatta is an elegant and comfortable guesthouse
nestled away on a secluded stretch of beach that
is protected by the coral reef. ** This property
sits elegantly amongst a scattering of coconut trees
and green lawns that have been tastefully landscaped,
and provide wonderful views out to sea. |
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| Ganga
Garden, Bentota |
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 Ganga
Garden is a tiny, informal and surprisingly elegant
hotel set on the northern bank of the Bentota River.
(Ganga means 'river' in Singhalese, just in case
you were wondering). Refurbished rooms and a well-tended
small garden add to its value.
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| Grand
Tourist Holiday Resort, Anuradhapura |
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/pic1_small.jpg) Simplicity
best describes the nature of the Grand Tourist Holiday
Resort: simple clean rooms, simple good food and
a simple friendly atmosphere. Four reasonably-sized
rooms, split over two buildings, are all decorated
in warm colours and furnished in a comfortable,
uncomplicated fashion. |
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| Hill
Cottage – Nuwara Eliya |
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 Hill
Cottage, only yards from Nuwara Eliya golf club,
is a colonial bungalow, with seven spacious bedrooms
and extensive lawns, that once belonged to the Sri
Lanka's legendary golfing personalities, the late
Pin Fernando. It remains in the family and has recently
been refurbished, while retaining many traditional
features including antique fireplaces for cool hill-country
nights. It can be bought by the room or exclusively.
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| Hotel Moonbeam,
Hikkaduwa |
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 Hotel
Moonbeam has a prime aspect on the surfing beach
of Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka’s liveliest west-coach
beach settlement. Hikkaduwa is young and affordable
with a mildly bohemian edge and Moonbeam, with its
20 rooms and cabana-style beachside restaurant and
bar, is one of its best budget options. |
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| The
Lion Rock, Sigiriya |
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 The
Lion Rock Hotel ticks all the boxes when it comes
to good budget accommodation: clean and comfortable
rooms, tasty food in hygienic surroundings and a
welcoming atmosphere. There are also great views
of Sigiriya Rock over a small fruit garden. Red
Dot highly recommendfs this property to travellers
wishing to keep spending in check. |
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| Mount
Lavinia House, Mount Lavinia |
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 Mount
Lavinia House is a characterful, modern guesthouse
with a boutique feel. Set in a high-walled private
garden along one of Mt. Lavinia’s narrow residential
streets, it has high levels of exclusivity as well
as breathtaking views of the sea and beach from
the "top deck." An indoor-outdoor swimming
pool stretches from the dining room into the garden.
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| Ice
Bear, Negombo |
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 The
Ice Bear is the most endearing guesthouse in this
buzzy north-west coast resort: welcoming, artistic,
and ever so eccentric. The imaginative budget traveler
will love its sense of difference and little antique
flourishes. |
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| Il
Camino, Tangalle |
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 Set
back a short distance from Seenimodera coastline
and nestled under the shade of a cluster of coconut
trees, there is a small scattering of palm-thatched
cabanas, huts and hammocks, the sum total of which
exudes a wonderful village-feel. Il Camino was founded
by a lovely Italian woman, Manuela, who always greets
her guests with open arms and a good cup of coffee.
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| Lagoon
Paradise, Tangalle |
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 Lagoon
Paradise is spread over a 3-acre plot of fairly
rocky terrain under a canopy of coconut trees which
lead down to an open stretch of grassland and a
lagoon. There is a range of accommodation available,
basic but functional, making this a good option
either for travellers who are looking to keep costs
down to a minimum or those wishing to support one
of the smaller tsunami-affected areas in the region.
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| Land's End, Unawatuna |
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 Located
on Sri Lanka's beautiful south coast, above the
hip Unawatuna beach, Land's End is blessed with
an idyllic setting. Standing at the top of a granite
cliff, this guest house offers exceptional views
out to sea -- its west-facing frontage affords incredible
sunsets. Unawatuna beach, an easy 5-minute walk
below, provides buzzing nightlife whilst historic
Galle Fort, only a 10-minute tuk-tuk to the north-west,
is a must see.
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| Martin's
Lodge, Sinharajah |
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 A
timeless six-bedroom guesthouse with the most basic
amenities. Martin, a charming and eccentric host,
is so far behind the rest of the world that reservation
requests are still collected during his weekly visit
to the post office. |
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| Pastissade,
Tangalle |
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 Down
the ragged roads of Rekawa rests the peaceful paradise
of Pastissade, an understated beach house with two
good bedrooms, an upstairs living area and immediate
access to the sea. This is an excellent-value property
which is purpose-built for unpretentious day-to-day
living in a bright, breezy and beautiful spot. |
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| Rock-side
Cabanas, Galle |
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 Rock-side
Cabanas is situated on a beautiful stretch of coastline
not far from Thalpe, a small town which is a few
kilometres to the east of Galle. The set up here
is simple: good-sized wooden cabins are nicely spaced
apart and perched on the sand, equipped with beds,
balconies and bathrooms. |
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| Silver
Spring Lodge, Hill-country |
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 Silver
Springs Lodge is situated high above a steep-sided
valley, blessed with panoramic views of the Namunukula
mountain range, paddy fields, tea estates and vegetable
gardens. |
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| Sun
n Sea Guest House, Unawatana |
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 Mrs
Perera’s irrepressible nature has helped to
ensure the enduring popularity of this thriving
beachside property. In the aftermath of the tsunami,
the simple bottom-floor rooms have had a boutique
makeover. Upstairs rooms remain basic, so keeping
faith with a loyal budget clientele. There is good
food at excellent prices and a stunning view across
the beautiful, sandy bay of Unawatuna. |
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| Thaproban,
Unawatana |
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 Thaproban
is one of the favourite eating spots for a largely
youthful crowd that is attracted to Unawatuna by
its beautiful horseshoe bay. But this compact, colonial-style
building also offers reliable, good-value accommodation
only yards from the beach. |
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| The
Palace, Mirissa |
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 The
Palace’s charm is its idyllic location, high
up on a headland with sweeping views of Mirissa’s
golden beach. It provides no frills accommodation
in spacious wooden cabanas, all of which have lovely
verandas overlooking the Indian Ocean and a lush
garden. |
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| The
Villa, Unawatana |
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 Unawatana
Beach has long been heralded as one of the most
picturesque stretches of coastline in Asia. The
Villa, with its white walls and wooden shutters,
offers arguably the best and most individualistic
accommodation on the beach strip. A high-class guest
house with a loyal clientele. |
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| Villa Secret Garden,
Unawatuna |
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 The
Secret Garden is a hidden oasis only a short stroll
from the beautiful bay of Unawatuna and its lively
beachfront bars and restaurants. Set in lush tropical
gardens, just behind the main beachfront road, this
charming guesthouse is also popular with yoga lovers
and Ayurveda enthusiasts. |
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| Wunderbar
Beach House, Bentota |
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 When
Bentota ever rocks, it is most likely to rock in
Wunderbar, where a happy and laid-back atmosphere
pervades. A simple restaurant-cum-bar alongside
the beach offers decent food often to the accompaniment
of live bongo music. Eight bedrooms in an adjacent
building are clean and perfectly adequate. |
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| Slightly
Chilled Guest House, Adam's Peak |
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 Slightly
Chilled Yellow House is an excellent base from which
to explore the sacred mountain of Adam's Peak. This
happy family-run guest house is situated in the
central highlands in Dalhousie, overlooking the
Kelani river. It is a nature lover's dream, possessing
spectacular views of the mountain and the surrounding
forest reserve, this is a nature lover’s dream
and an excellent spot from which to access this
sacred pilgrimage site. Dalhousie is the starting
point of the Adam’s Peak climb and can be
accessed via Hatton or through Avissawella. Relocated
in 2005, the new `Slightly Chilled' is light and
airy with a profusion of interior colours. |
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