Hikkaduwa & Around
The five rooms in this colonial-style villa are spacious and well tended, making it excellent value. Major pluses are the friendly owner and staff and the…
Must-see hotels in The West
North of Colombo
The Belgium artist-owners of this place were inspired by the safari lodges of Africa and they've done a sterling job of replicating the rustic-chic luxury…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
We would love to tell you just how incredible this place is, but the simple truth is that there are no words to describe the sheer opulence of this hotel…
Hikkaduwa & Around
This sublime place is crammed with Buddhist statues, tropical flowers and masses of high-quality antiques. The huge rooms have carved wooden headboards…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
The peaceful, rural setting of this intimate and beautiful British–Sri Lankan guesthouse, a kilometre inland from the main road and beach, means at night…
Hikkaduwa & Around
A serene Buddha greets new arrivals at this beautiful lakeside Dutch-run hideaway; the sense of calm continues throughout the property. Standard rooms…
Negombo
With its imposing entrance and high ceilings, this place feels like a temple – a temple to minimalist luxury, that is. The rooms are luxurious, with sea…
North of Colombo
Down a maze of confusing tracks from Kalpitiya town, this place is aimed squarely at kitesurfers. Rooms vary from basic tents and dorms (US$40 per person)…
Negombo
The three air-con rooms above this family house are modern and spotless, even if prices are at the top end of good value. It's a five-minute walk from the…
Negombo
The spacious private villas here are excellent value, with minimalist yet luxurious furnishings. The bathrooms are the real highlight and soaking in one…
Wilpattu National Park
This is safari the old-fashioned, decadent way. Mahoora offers a luxury tented camp on the edge of Wilpattu Park. Whatever safari tent type you opt for…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
This beautifully maintained hotel is split into a beachside building and a land-side villa. The smaller inland building is our favourite, with a gorgeous…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
For the ultimate in gracious and exotic Sri Lankan living come to this outstanding boutique villa, 3km inland from the beach, where egrets wander the…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
This chic and designery boutique hotel feels lifted from the pages of Architectural Digest magazine – in fact the company owns several interior design…
Hikkaduwa & Around
This welcoming and well-run choice has something for everybody. Even the cheapest rooms are spotlessly clean and come with pleasing decor, while the more…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
Picture a minimalist loft apartment transported to a tropical beach and you get the Temple Tree Resort. The polished-concrete and stone rooms with…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
Shady gardens, traveller-savvy staff, easy access to the northern part of Bentota Beach and an array of colourful rooms make this a very popular place to…
Wilpattu National Park
This reliable family-run hotel is an appealing base for visiting Wilpattu, especially as it has its own safari jeeps. Choose from the quiet and immaculate…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
Head inland a couple of kilometres and you'll find this hidden villa in a lush, green lakeside setting of utter tranquillity. The five good-value rooms…
North of Colombo
This friendly, family-run and good-value place looks out onto a fine section of beach. The rooms are a little ramshackle (wooden budget cabanas are the…
Negombo
This is one of the best-run cheap guesthouses in Negombo. Rooms might not have sea views, but the beach is only 20m away and in every other way it’s…
Hikkaduwa & Around
About 1.5km inland from Narigama Beach, set in lush gardens and with a fine pool and spacious rooms, this is a quiet and romantic option if you don't mind…
North of Colombo
Probably the best bet around Alankuda Beach, this stylish and friendly place has nine whitewashed, thatched cottages huddled under the palms, 100m from…
Negombo
This stand-out choice has a variety of modern rooms – most featuring exposed red-brick walls and dark wooden furniture – but the uniting factor is that…
Negombo
A gorgeous traditional villa with lots of colour and flair (or ‘Swissness’, as the sign says – to which you could also add ‘and a little eccentricity’)…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
A cosy Danish-owned guesthouse that has 10 clean rooms in an ageing river-front building. There’s prime river-viewing opportunities from the villa-style…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
Ever wondered what happened to the hippies who bummed across Asia in the 1960s and '70s? Well, while some dropped out of life completely, others went home…
Hikkaduwa & Around
This small boutique hotel close to Hikkaduwa lake has lush, glitzy rooms, a beautiful pool and excellent food, though it's not actually on the lake. What…
Hikkaduwa & Around
The small but well-kept pool at this beachside property alone makes it worth the money, but add in large and nicely presented rooms and a decent patch of…
North of Colombo
On the coast near Waikkal, the Ranweli Holiday Village has a fine beachside location if you don't mind the tour-group vibe, with 90 rooms and buffet-style…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
The five fan-cooled rooms here might be basic, but if you want paradise on the cheap, this family-run place is your best choice. There is a shady coconut…
Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
You only have to visit a few Ayurveda hotels to realise that the quality of the accommodation often plays second fiddle to the treatments. Not here. At…
Negombo
This small German-run beachfront pad might be discreet, but it packs all mod cons, along with plenty of sun loungers and a good restaurant. The six…
North of Colombo
This French-run kitesurfing camp has a good range of accommodation aimed at surfers, from simple tents to comfortable en suite villas. There's a sociable…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
One of the best-regarded Ayurveda resorts in Sri Lanka, with the full compliment of treatments and excellent doctors. Most people stay for a minimum of a…
Dewasiri Beach Restaurant & Hotel
Hikkaduwa & Around
Ideal for surfers on a budget, this slightly ramshackle place overlooks Main Reef and has a variety of simple but clean (cold-water) rooms, the priciest…
Hikkaduwa & Around
A smart midrange option with 28 spick-and-span rooms that are enlivened by pictures and wooden decorations. Piping-hot water gushes forth from the showers…
Hikkaduwa & Around
Keeping passing travellers content for years, lovely Ritas has simple but tidy ground-floor budget rooms, while midrange cruisers will like the fancier…
Negombo
This modern and fresh hotel has spacious split-level rooms that are all about sleek minimalism. The hotel doesn't have much natural light, but there's…
Negombo
With latticework window frames, comfortably worn-in furniture and breezy balconies, this is a well-priced and friendly option with just four rooms set…
