It's difficult to decide which was the best aspect of our stay but we think it's perhaps the excellent staff or then again the superb food, which is not all curry as read in other reviews elsewhere, there is a good choice. The whole nation in general are a happy lot and none more so than the hotel staff, the ladies of Sri Lanka look quite fierce at times but when they smile it's like the sun coming out. If you have good service as you will here please don't be stingy with the tips as what is only a few quid to us is more like a quarter of a weeks wages there. This May which is the monsoon season ,there were very few guests sometimes only four at a time but all except us were repeat customers, some had been here as many as ten times. This is the only hotel where the chef ( an excellent fellow and mine of information ) and the manager stop and have a long conversation with you every day, mind it was a very quite time. The guy who cleaned the room was about 25 and made a dammed good job of it too, nothing is too much trouble.

The squirrels in the garden remind me of Scrat in Ice Age, there are also lots of other critters in all shapes and sizes here, none I might add, nasty, apart from the mosquitoes , which when outside in the morning and evening we found nothing would stop them having a chew even 100 % deet, just put up with it and keep taking the tablets (anti histamine) available from the local pharmacy. One useful tip, don't think the hot water is off, it's a long run from the boiler and has to be run for some time, once there they are good showers.

Once you step out the hotel you will have people talking to you, most times they are after money, we found the best course of action is to stop and have a quick jaw to them then politely state that you wish to be on your own ,unlike North Africa the don't get aggressive . Since it's very hot walking there anyway step across the road ( carefully ) and slightly to the left is where the tuk tuks park, this lot are quite honest here, as of May 2009 the fare to the town, Aluthgama, and waiting while you shop at several stops then returning was about 300 Rupees that's under £2 sterling , with tip about £3.

The beach is through another hotel garden which you can go through, once there you will be again be set upon, especially if you smoke, and you will be tapped up for a fag and/or try to be sold river trips, which the one we had was very good BUT these guys are never satisfied there will always be another trip/brothers gem shop/spice garden etc to be sold. The sea in May is not good for swimming , the red flag is out most days although there is always one or two that ignore this, perhaps they like to be swept out to sea in as little as knee deep water . The hotel pool is great though.

Best by far is the trips sold through the hotel by Gulivers travels, a bit more expensive, a 14 hour trip to the elephant orphanage etc , elephant ride ( another must do although this is a separate £30 extra ) is about £90 a day inclusive of all entrance fees and worth every penny. I must add that there is no ulterior motive to this, just human friendship. I think you could search the world and not find a better bunch of people anywhere, this alone makes a holiday to Sri Lanka worth the long trip from the UK.

We went while the war was raging and arrived on their VE day, still lots of road blocks but the army and police are really friendly , and dish out a few smokes and you have a friend for life if you want one. Do make the effort and try to go to Sri Lanka, they really need the pennies, we shall be going nowhere else now, this hotel especially and the others in the chain for a few nights for the longer distances.