Pahala Maragahawewa Trip

Location was perfect and staff were very good

Peaceful & relaxing with a beautiful beach & safe swimming. The Garden Villas were delightful & the staff genuinely friendly with good service standards. There is a lifeguard on duty who is both informative about sea conditions & the wildlife around. The birdlife is stunning. Only one small quibble in that the inner pool area could do with a bit of a clean.Other than that all good & would certainly recommend.

I had a really wonderful time at Tabula Rasa. Felt like the staff couldn’t do enough to ensure my stay was perfect. The location is stunning. It is worth being located up hill in the peace and quiet, and so easy to pop out in a tuk tuk. The food was really good, I expected to eat out more but, I’d often crave the chef’s dhal! I was able to eat really good plant based meals without getting bored of the menu. The chef would come out to chat, and was very keen to ensure I enjoyed the food. All of the staff make you feel part of the family and nothing was too much trouble. They organised a driver for my longer trips, and a tuk driver who was perfect for getting into local towns or the beach. I had a plunge pool room which was worth the extra. Relaxing out there, with an endless view of the jungle, the ocean in the distance, and monkeys leaping from the trees is pure heaven. The monkeys even enjoyed coconuts above my sun lounger one morning. I have no doubt I will return!

The Fortress is a simply magnificent Resort. This beach front Resort has all the facilities you can ever want for a relaxing and truly enjoyable experience. (pools, spa, gym, great restaurants and Bar, delicious and an array of foods just to name a few.) The staff are amazing, very hospitable and always welcoming and friendly. We travelled from Australia and stayed two nights in the Ocean room which was very spacious and clean with all the facilities you need. We had our Wedding Ceremony at the Fortress and there is simply no words to describe the wonderful experience we had. Every aspect of our wedding ceremony was professionally and meticulously arranged by the staff at the Fortress. From organising the necessary marriage documents to the floral arrangements, wedding bouquets and bower, decorations, cake, celebrant, music, photography, special celebratory dinner, and the list goes on., we couldn’t have been happier with all of these things and the very best service we received at the Fortress. A special mention to our wedding coordinator ‘GAYANI’ who went above and beyond to make sure that our wedding ceremony was successful and memorable. Her attention to detail and dedication to make sure we were happy with all the arrangements is something we will always remember and be grateful for. From the time we arrived until we checked out the service was exceptional. All the staff never fail to smile and greet us. The food was delicious & the atmosphere was refreshing.

We had a great 3-night stay at Coast 67. The most stunning setting, overlooking the sea and the fairly private beach (there are only a handful of hotels that have access to this beach, so there are no local sellers or other tourists). Being able to walk from the pool, to the sunbeds, to the sand and the sea in just a couple of minutes is bliss. The food was delicious, plus the dining staff were really friendly and warm. The breakfasts are healthy (albeit western focused, rather than sri Lankan), and the lunches tasty too. Reasonably well priced for a hotel. Also, would HIGHLY recommend walking to local cooperative Cafe Veda for dinner - 2000 rupees (£5) for an authentic dinner with friendly staff and calming atmosphere. We went twice in our 3 night stay. The hotel was always very clean, but there are a couple of teething issues: cleaning is every 2 days (which isn't a problem, but worth considering) and there were a couple of power outages (only a few minutes, so no problem either) and the showers stopped working one afternoon/evening. Plus, there are construction works on the road and at the next door beach club, so lots of noise during the day (November 2025). It wasn't a bother though, as the sounds of the ocean are beautiful - especially at night.