Best Sri Lanka Guesthouses

Amba Estate is a small organic farm and holiday retreat with a remote, escapist setting in the Southern highlands with views across Ella Rock and Lipton’s Seat. The estate is perched above the Ravana Ella waterfall, a windy 40-minute drive from Ella. Accommodation is in either a four-bedroom estate bungalow or a two-bedroom cottage nearby.

Quirky and stylish, Antic is a charming guesthouse that offers good value accommodation within the walls of Galle Fort.

Blue Magpie Lodge is a simple guesthouse set by a river with sweeping views of the misty mountains close to the entrance of Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka's last surviving rain forest.

Committed walkers seeking simple – one could say primitive - accommodation in an unspoiled mountain terrain will be taken by Corbet’s View. This simple accommodation in the heart of the Knuckles range offers no frills, just overnight shelter. This is Sri Lanka’s hill country at its most escapist. Walkers’ territory, unadorned.

Eka Beach has a glorious location on the edge of a picture-perfect beach in Thalpe where sea turtles can be seen swimming at sunset. Charming rooms, friendly staff and being within walking distance to popular restaurant Wijaya Beach combine to make this a great choice for those seeking good value accommodation in this area.

Forest Edge is a four-bedroom holiday retreat with a picturesque hilltop setting 30 minutes from Kitulgala, Sri Lanka’s foremost destination for white-water rafting. It is set on a working tea plantation edged by a pine forest and surrounded by mountains

Galle Henna Beach House is a three-bedroom villa with a monochrome colour scheme that overlooks the renowned shores of Unawatuna, a lively bay south of Galle which offers plenty of watersports opportunities.

Hanthana House is a four-bedroom homestay set high in the hills of Hanthana, 30 minutes from Kandy town. A winding uphill roadway leads you to this welcoming private home set amidst a peaceful and scenic setting.

Koragaha Lodge is a cosy and well-managed lodge in an attractive rural setting and offering a hospitable stay in a mid-market property well placed for Yala