Clean and comfortable if a little dated base for visiting Gal Oya. We enjoyed watching the birds and utter lies that visit the garden. Our host was friendly and helpful and food provided was tasty. They’re building new rooms which look promising. Check the water levels at Gal Oya before visiting, it was too high for elephants but the bird life was fantastic.

Stayed in April 2025

Mr. Charitha was a wonderful host who went out of his way to ensure we had the best experience. He even arranged a fantastic boat ride for us, which we truly appreciated. However, the other gentleman (whom I believe is his elder brother) did not display the same level of hospitality. His manner of speaking came across as quite rude, which unfortunately affected our overall impression. That said, if not for that interaction, this place offers great value for money and has a lot of potential.

Stayed in April 2025

The ac worked well but could use Some maintenance.

Really Nice place in a quiet town. Perfect place to stay for visiting the gal oye national park. Charitha organised a boat tour And picknick at the national park And accompanied us. The rooms are clean and his mother is an amazing cook. At the moment he is building more rooms and they look promising. Great host, room, food and a lovely family who Will do anything to make you feel at home which we did.

Stayed in April 2025

This was a lovely place to stay for a visit to the Gal Oya National Park. It is set in a small village which is very picturesque and lively to stroll around in the evening watching monkeys and other wildlife. We ate at the property because the village doesn't have a cafe or restaurant, the food was delicious and good value.

Stayed in February 2025

+ : Nice host , beautiful house and Good room , good breakfast - : very slow wifi , good meals although no meat or fish were served for dinner Elecrric plug in the room not working properly (for changing phone)

Stayed in February 2025

Charita and his parents are great hosts and very helpful. The dinner that Charita's mother cooked was delicious and the boat safari also great!

Stayed in February 2025

Owner was very friendly and helpful. He organised boat safari at Gal Oya for us. Food was delicios and fresh. Rooms are small but clean. Good value for money.

Stayed in February 2025

I’ve rarely seen so many smiling people as in this village. Yup this is the real deal. The off the beaten track all the hipsters are talking about. And the good news. They’re not here! But you can be. Charitha runs the place. Together with his mom and dad and helped by others from the village. He has plans and damn I hope it pays off. Need anything? They’ll hook you up. Off course the boat safari. But also an afternoon hike with his friend ashanka ❤️ yes even a pedicure. The food from his mon is excellent. Like the hotel and the village: nothing fancy but damn tasty As always, everybody gets five stars

Stayed in January 2025

The bed took a little getting used to (hard surface, foam mattress) but that is personal taste. My partner didn't mind and slept like a baby. Our bathroom could use a little rework on the plastering but other than that we had a fantastic stay!

We loved the kindness and hospitality! Charitha and his parents are fantastic, informative and welcoming. Arranged a fantastic tour with a picnic and a guide who knew everything about the region and took great care into making sure we saw a lot of it. The village is small and everyone is incredibly nice, curious and inviting. All smiles wherever we went. Charitha's mother is probably the best cook on the entire island. There aren't many restaurant options around so this was such an unexpected pleasure. I'll dream about her lady fingers (okra) for a good long time to come. The house is spacious and has a nice surrounding garden. 100% recommend.

Stayed in January 2025

There are multiple areas available in the house for guests to hang out including an under covered patio from which we watched the native fauna visit the garden. Monitor lizards, multiple birds and butterflies. Very beautiful. The food was delicious home cooked Sri Lankan cuisine dinner and breakfast. The wifi was good. The owner and his son were fantastic. Organising our boat tour and promptly attending to any requests or questions we had. They spoke very good English.

Stayed in January 2025

Nothing.

Charitha organized two boat safari for me at very very short notice. Both were absolutely fantastic (apart from a fellow tourist who would not stop talking, unaware of needing to be quiet when viewing animals and the etiquette of how to behave on a Safari). The boat safari is breathtaking. I saw an elephant crossing from one island to another and a few small herds. Very magical! The guest house is in a very small village surrounded by jungle. Extremely peaceful and a fabulous place to stay the night. Charitha's family is adorable and so friendly and he will go out of his way to help you in any way he can. He organized a car to take me to Arugem Bay and even accompanied me. I did look at other options of where to stay but this was extremely close to the Boat Safari, only a 10 minute ride which he also organized and I'm thrilled that I picked this guest house. Incredible value for money and a highlight of my trip !

Stayed in January 2025

We had the house for ourselves and the owner is so helpful! We were stranded because of the heavy rain but the owner arranged a taxi so we could continue our trip! He also arranged our boat safari! We loved it!! And the food yummmmm!

Stayed in November 2024

Nothing.

Good location for Gal oya, friendly hosts, and welcoming rural community, yummy breakfast included and tasty dinners with good variety

Stayed in November 2024

Everything was great

Charita was very kind because in less than 24 hours of notification he organized a safari boat that was a spectacle Charita was very kind because in less than 24 hours of notification, not only welcomed us (and cooked lunch, dinner and breakfast), but he also managed to organise a safari boat for us which was a spectacular trip. The dinner was delicious (veggie). Thank Charita and good luck for your future!!

Stayed in September 2024

Nothing

The host helped us organise a boat safari, a sunset hike and a taxi onwards. He also provided breakfast, lunch and dinner which were exceptional value. We were kept supplied in cold bottled water too which was invaluable as the town is small and there weren’t many other places nearby to get supplies. The accommodation is clean and comfortable and I would definitely recommend it; especially the hike with Asanka which was amazing.

Stayed in July 2024

The room is middle size, very nice and comfortable. The bed has an efficient mosquito net with a fan maybe a bit old but working well. The house is in a quiet area with a nice garden. Nearby you can find a wine store and a small shop. The location is very close to the entrance of the tank of Gal Oya national park where you can do a beautiful boat safari. There’s also plenty of beautiful hikes to do in the surroundings. Charitha is a nice person, very helpful and the breakfast and dinner his family prepares are tasty.

Stayed in March 2024

Intermittent running water and poor wifi. We visited at the start of April which isn’t the best season to see elephants (we got lucky!), just something to consider.

Nice little homestay off the beaten track to explore galoya park. Good aircon in the room. Not far from the park entrance. Host helped us arrange a jeep and boat safari (skip the jeep and just do the boat!). Very worth the detour from our route to see elephants swimming in the lake- just amazing.

Stayed in April 2024

Nothing else really to do other than the national park.

The owners organised a boat safari into Gal Oya national park and also a sunset hike up to view the national park from above. Super clean and comfortable.

Stayed in March 2024

Clean and comfortable place with good food. Organization of all activities was handled by the owner. Great boat ride and hiking!

Stayed in February 2024

I was a pity that u couldn't leave the wooden windows open because of the mosquitos. Therefore the room was always dark. Maybe some Mosiqito-net on the window would be a god solution.

It's a perfect stay in the Gal Ota NP area. Charitha and his family are adorable. Nice terrace, lovely food and tips.

Stayed in February 2024

Super nice and friendly hosts Cozy and quiet village, not touristic Great place to stay

Stayed in February 2024

Too many dogs in the area which isnt their fault.

Location was very peaceful with a lovely garden. Charitha was very nice and took us out to see the sunset over the lake. Meals were good.

Stayed in February 2024

Very helpful with sorting hiking guides :).

Stayed in February 2024

There was no hot water for a shower and some of the walls we’re showing signs of damp but we arrived just after the rainy season so this could be the reason.

We liked the warm welcome and home cooking and really appreciated the organised trips. Charitha was very conscientious and considerate - he quickly organised an excellent boat safari and mountain trek. He also took us to the nearby dam to view the waterfall. We recommend this place if you are looking to experience an exclusive safari experience and quiet, rural location.

Stayed in January 2024