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Accommodation

Notarys House

Makandura, Sri Lanka

Destinations

Sri Lanka

Accommodation

Notarys House

Notary’s House is a peaceful lakeside retreat in the village of Pannala, just 40 minutes from Sri Lanka’s international airport, making it a fantastically accessible place to start or end your trip.

While its design is contemporary, the interiors reflect a classic Sri Lankan villa, rich in character and tradition. Once home to the local notary, the property retains a sense of history, with antique furnishings and thoughtful details, including a reception styled as an old post office counter.

Set within six acres of gardens and a developing organic farm, it offers a serene base with wonderful lakeside views. Meticulously run and effortlessly welcoming, Notary’s House suits both families and those seeking a relaxing stay at the start of their adventures or before a flight home.

What we love

With only six rooms, this is a friendly and small property that feels exclusive and intimate
Lots of outdoor space incorporating fabulous, verdant gardens dotted with coconut palms
Delicious, homecooked Sri Lankan food
We love the stunning views across the neighbouring lake
The swimming pool surrounded by palm trees is a fantastic place to cool off after a long journey

It doesn’t have the character of some of the other historic properties in Sri Lanka, but it still has charm and is very comfortable This is more of an airport hotel than a destination in itself

A great choice for families wanting an easy and peaceful retreat. The large gardens provide plenty of space for children to play, and while there are no specific kids' activities, children are warmly welcomed here.

The Notary’s House is about 40 minutes from the airport and is a great first or last stop for travellers, especially those heading to or from the cultural triangle. Surrounded by quiet village life in Makandura, your journey from Colombo would take about one-and-a-half hours while Sigiriya is about three hours.

What our travellers say

We went to Sri Lanka as a three-generation family of three. The superb trip was organised by Samanthie and the team and it's difficult to see how it could have been bettered.

Roy Wood (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

Red Dot organised the most wonderful 3-week holiday for us. Samanthie built a trip around the amazing sights we had requested visiting, together with her own suggestions and a wide mix of hotels, which gave us the flavours of both traditional Sri Lanka and the sleek, stylish contemporary version of the country. Our Driver made the whole experience incredibly special for us.

Alie C (February 2026) Read the whole review here Trip Advisor

I can’t thank Cherylle and the Red Dot team enough for their meticulous planning of our family holiday to India travelling through Rajasthan over Christmas. As a family of all adults, every suggestion from daily activities to hotel choices was simply perfect. We travelled through Delhi, Ranthambore (an unforgettable tiger safari!), Jaipur and Agra and I truly feel we experienced the very best of each destination while moving at a relaxed, well thought out pace

Daisy Stanton (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

My partner arranged a holiday trip at fairly short notice to Sri Lanka with Red Dot on a recommendation, Samanthie was so patient & helpful with her suggested itinerary which we followed with some minor amendments. On arrival at Colombo we met Manjula our chauffeur/guide who was absolutely brilliant!

Andrew S (February 2026) Read the whole review here Trip Advisor

Dulmini and the Red Dot Team arranged a fantastic trip for us around Assam and North East India. Faultless service. I cannot recommend them more highly.

Martin Thomas (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

Wonderful company. Our holiday in Sri Lanka was perfect. Local knowledge made all the difference

Sandra Nicholson (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

We looked up, and communicated with umpteen tour operators. Though Red Dot seemed to have offices in Sri Lanka and the UK, they seemed to have the best reviews. We were fortunate enough to correspond with Cherylle, who not only assured us of the safety of our friend, but created a personalised, and flexible, itinerary which we could not have done ourselves.

Jayant Banerji (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

A 14-day tour with Red Dot Tours was the perfect antidote to the bleak UK winter. After a glowing recommendation from a friend, we contacted Red Dot Tours and were not disappointed. Our consultant, Lahiru, curated a seamless itinerary. Throughout the planning phase, Lahiru was incredibly responsive; the final itinerary—delivered via a user-friendly 'Guest Portal'—was impressively detailed, covering every hotel stay and excursion.

Phil Blair ( February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

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