I don't know where to start. The bungalow we had was meticulously clean, comfortable and tastefully designed. It is set in a wonderfully cared garden with all kind of trees, where you can see a lot of birds and other animals, incl. giant squirrel, gray hornbills. Breakfast and dinner were delicious with local specialties. We also joined the cooking class and learned a lot of dishes from the owner of the accommodation. The owner is a very charismatic and open hearted lady, who had many tips and information and was organising all our tours and answering to all our requests in a very friendly manner and immediate action. She is very hands on, kind and helpful. We had a wonderful time staying there and will for sure come back again. We recommend this accommodation from the bottom of our hearts. It was the best experience in Sri Lanka so far. බෝහම ස්තුති

Stayed in April 2025

The host is a very good cook, she makes you very nice food and is a nice personality. She supports local people and knows good guides en taxidrivers.

Stayed in March 2025

Of all the hotels we stayed at during our trip to Sri Lanka, this one stood out as the place where we were welcomed most warmly. The room was not only spacious and impeccably clean, but the true highlight of our stay was the exceptional hospitality of the lady owner. She went above and beyond to ensure our stay was perfect: from preparing delicious local dishes to give us a genuine taste of Sri Lankan cuisine, to arranging reliable drivers for city tours and onward travel. Her kindness, attention to detail, and dedication to her guests made our experience truly memorable. In short, she was simply wonderful, and we couldn't have asked for a better host.

Stayed in February 2025

Nothing.

shanthi the host is the most lovely person, so helpful, kind does the most fantastic home cooking. Nothing is too much for her. We stayed for two nights but would like to move in! It is so relaxed there, lovely gentle vibe. Perfect and faultless room. We met other lovely people there. She will arrange bikes, tuk tuk trip to Mihintale monastery (spectacular and what good value for the tuk tuk and driver for the afternoon ), or safari. We would definitely stay there again and strongly recommend to friends. It is a lovely shady 25 mins flat cycle ride down quiet lanes and paths to the archaeological park.

Stayed in February 2025

Nothing.

Chaya was an amazing host who went out of her way to make our stay the best. She arranged a day safari and a half day tour through the city and both experiences were amazing. The dinners she made were also one of the best we’ve had. It was really relaxing and we did not have to worry about anything. The location was also nice, surrounded by nature, birds and squirrels.

Stayed in February 2025

Lovely and helpful lady. Arranged very good drivers and food was delicious. Room is nice and with tuktuk you are quickly in the center. It feels like your in the middle of nature, but you are close to the city.

Stayed in February 2025

Nothing!

Chaya manages the house perfectly and takes care of her guests with lots of love. We had a very good stay, an interesting cooking class and she made us very tasteful food on both nights. We were sorry to leave but will think of our stay with love.

Stayed in February 2025

The lady of the house is very friendly and helpful. She makes a very welcoming atmosphere. She cooks excellent meals herself, so we recommend her cooking classes although we didn't try them, our visit was too short to cook. The room was clean and spacy, with wifi and airconditioning. The vicinity was pleasantly quiet. We loved her garden and the garden kitchen where meals were made and served.

Stayed in February 2025

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This is such a great place to stay. The homestay is in a huge garden, with lots of birds and animals around. It’s a bit outside of the center, but the owner arranges a tuktuk for you at any time. She also helped me with a tour to the stupa’s and safari. And everything for a really good price, since she’s not taking any commission on that. Besides that she’s a great cook, I tasted some really nice new Sri Lankan dishes. Really enjoyed my time here!

Stayed in January 2025

Having to leave ..

We had 2 lovely nights at Chaya's homestay. We had a lovely room with a super comfy bed and pillows with high quality linen and a mossie net. The towels were fluffy and extra large. We had a sitting room area and a balcony so lots of space.. we did the cooking class and made delicious food with Chaya and another couple who we got to know really well..highly recommend the experience and the food was delicious too. Breakfast and dinner the next night were fabulous . Chaya organised our tuk tuk tours which were really good too. It was a real bonus having the outdoor kitchen and area where we ate as Chaya has a natural garden with birds and squirrels as regular visitors. If you want a charming homestsy with a great host and fabous food this is the one to chose.

Stayed in January 2025

Chaya is a wonderful hostess, who welcomed us to her home with extraordinary warmth. She made sure we are well-fed, our excursions are well-organised with very professional drivers for very reasonable prices. The house itself sits in a lovely tropical garden full of various wildlife, which was very interesting to watch. It is on the outskirts of the city, far from the noise, yet close and accessible to all the attractions. There is an outside kitchen, where all the meals are made and the cooking classes are done with an open fire and freshly grated coconuts. Definitely recommend for those who would like to get immersed in the authentic, local life, eat delicious home-made food and discover all the centuries old secrets that the city of Anaradhapura and its surroundings hold.

Stayed in January 2025

Nothing - it was all excellent.

Our host, Chaya, went out of her way to ensure that we were comfortable and happy for the duration of our stay. She introduced us to local drivers/guides; kept us well supplied with bottled water and tea; and leant us umbrellas. She also fed us large amounts of extremely delicious and varied home-cooked food - so good! We participated in her cooking class and learned a lot about Sri Lankan cuisine. Chaya’s recipes are easy to follow and achievable at home, bearing in mind the fact that we might have to substitute some ingredients. We are really looking forward to giving them a try. The room we stayed in was very large (more of an apartment really, with a lounge area as well as a bedroom), spotlessly clean, and well-equipped. In short, we felt like we were at home! Chaya has a warm, caring personality and a great sense of humour. She and her staff made our stay perfect.

Stayed in January 2025

Nothing really

Chaya is a great host, who serves lovely authentic food, she was a good organizer and helped us with planning our days there. Very quiet, clean and spacious place/rooms Chaya is also very funny.

Stayed in January 2025

It felt like Chayla was pushing the tours but she is actually just trying to help with planning and logistics - she us genuinely looking after her guests and wants them to have a good time.

The room was quiet, spacious, clean with a mosquito net, AC and a nice outside area. Chayla the owner is warm and generous - the breakfast was wonderful- great quality and taste. I would have liked to stay longer but she was fully booked. Recommend to book dinner and the cooking classes in advance and stay 2 or 3 nights to get the full benefit. Tuk tuk yo the centre was less than 400 rupees but the tuk tuk drivers Chayla books are great so recommend the tours too. You get a lot for the price compared with other places in the centre.

Stayed in January 2025

This lady is a BOSS! Best host ever, she fully understood what we needed and arranged the best driver for us to have an amazing tour trough the old city! We were the second lucky guests in her completely new room. Spacious, clean and very comfortable. Unfortunately we could only stay for one night, otherwise we would have stayed longer and booked a cooking class.l, because her food was the best we had in Sri Lanka!

Stayed in January 2025

The host Chaya was really lovely and tried to help us for everything we could want - she was even a bit overbearing in her way of trying to support us.

We had a great time during our stay at Chaya‘s place! She organised a great city Tuktuk-tour with a really nice guide for us. We learned so much about the culture and people in Anuradhapura. Also we did a cooking class with Chaya what was lovely! We know what‘s inside a classic Sri Lankean Curry now and can even cook it back in Switzerland too!

Stayed in January 2025

Delightful place surrounded by nature, family-run, managed by a very kind lady 🌸The host is always available to recommend activities nearby and to provide transportation services at honest prices 🛺Very clean rooms. The best cuisine we have tried in Sri Lanka, the lady is the queen of the stove! 🥘Recommended for both breakfast and dinner! If we ever return to Sri Lanka we will definitely make another stop at the Yaluwa Tourist Rest & Cooking!💐

Stayed in December 2024

1. The wi-fi was poor. 2. Only the main bedroom has air-conditioning and was comfortable to live in. The living room and small bedroom are not air-conditioned and hence not comfortable to use due to the hot weather, even with a fan.

We stayed in the family suite on the second (top) level. There suite consisted of a living room, main bedroom, a small bedroom and the toilet/bathroom. The hostess was very pleasant and eager to please. The place felt like home. The Sri Lankan breakfast was varied, substantial and cooked fresh by the hostess herself. There is a lot of wildlife around, which was interesting to us. We saw a lot of different types of birds, squirrels, mongoose, and even giant squirrels. The place was a quick tuk-tuk ride to downtown Anuradhapura.

Stayed in December 2024

Chaya was exceptional. Very kind, genuine and attentive. We enjoyed our stay. We only wish we could've stayed longer.

Stayed in December 2024

wonderful host that always tried to make our stay the best it could be. great location. easy to get to the city by bike or tuk tuk delicious food

Stayed in October 2024

Nothing!

We really enjoyed our stay here! Chaya is very friendly and helpful with arranging tours/anything else you might need during your stay. She is also a very good cook ;) The room was very clean, with good A/C, and the Wifi worked really well from the kitchen area (didn't work as well from the room we were staying in, but this wasn't a problem). Would highly recommend anyone to stay here!

Stayed in October 2024

All was excellent!

Chaya was the best host we had so fare. We did arrive early morning and room was not ready, but we got a warm welcome, a place to leave our luagage, use the bathroom, got some fresh herbal tea, a lot of tips for tours and to do dos. Adith, the Tuk Tuk driver Chaya organized was a very good guide he told us a lot about history and buddism. Highlight was the cooking class with Chaya and the excellent food she prepared! Our room had a lot of space. Aircon was very quiet, everything was very clean!

Stayed in September 2024

First and foremost the host should be rated more than a 10. The host was very kind, helped us with everything, arranged trips for us and was very lovely to talk to. She knows all the important things if you travel around Anuradhapura and Sri Lanka. We extended our stay for one night because we felt really comfortable with her. The breakfast varied every day and was excellent. And the dinner she cooked was incredible and a also varied every night. She also has recommendations for places to go if you want to eat in the city. Room was very clean, spacious, has an AC, warm water and a drawer with a locker.

Stayed in September 2024

Owner of the property - Chaya , was very hospitable and helpful. She helped us to organize a tuk tuk tour around Anuradhapura with a private guide - Adid (super nice guy with a big knowledge). The apartment was huge, clean and with air conditioning. Nothing was missing. The food , that Chaya made for us , was delicious. The best we had tried in Sri Lanka (really). We regret that our stay was so short and we missed the cooking classes…maybe next time. I highly recommend this apartments. Greetings from Poland

Stayed in September 2024