More about Shangri-Lanka Villa Boutique Guest House
Paradise Found
by TripAdvisor Member kingsmuir
Shangri Lanka villa lived up to and exceeded all our expectations. Karen and Rohan are wonderful hosts and nothing was too much trouble for them. The villa is beautifully appointed with a gorgeous pool and garden from which you can see monkeys and lots of birds. The lovely spacious and individually decorated rooms are cleaned daily with a change of linen and towels. A lovely touch was the beds being decorated every day with fresh flowers from the garden. The breakfasts were freshly prepared and cooked and were a wonderful ( and filling ) start to the day. Rohans sister even prepared us a Sri Lankan breakfast to order! The short 20 minute walk to the beach is well worth the effort as its a chance to see wildlife up close - water monitors crossing the road, buffalo being chased by the local dogs and a variety of colourful birds. Alternatively the free tuk-tuk ride courtesy of Rohan or Chaminda gets you to the beautiful beach in 5 minutes. Our 8 day tour of the island was efficiently organised by Rohan who was our ( very safe ) driver, friend and drinking companion! A truly memorable holiday and we will be back!
Delightfully welcoming, Clean, well apointed & peaceful - a holiday treat.
by TripAdvisor Member HFGilly
Karen is a welcoming and practised hostess, and has put a lot of thought and planning into the accommodation and services she provides. We didn't meet Rohan, who was away touring with other visitors, but Karen with Danushka and Chaminda provided all the smiling service and help that we required. From beautifully serviced air conditioned rooms, superb bathrooms, with a well appointed and managed swimming pool and loungers; delicious meals and plentiful drinks, and tuk-tuk rides to the beach, shops, and bank, down to the happily recommended restaurants and hotels to try in town. We had a very comfortable and pampered 5 days to relax and sunbathe by the pool, being surrounded by flora,fauna, little lizards and monkeys. A truly fitting end to a magical visit to this lovely land of my youth - I can't wait to return.
Perfect
by TripAdvisor Member BobbysGirlStockport
My friend & I have just returned from our 3rd visit to Bentota & have stayed at Karen & Rohans each time. We have just booked again for our 4th visit which I think speaks for itself.
During our stay Rohan arranged a Safari for us to Yala National park which was a awesome experience & we were lucky enough to see a leopard eating its 'lunch' & then having a doze afterwards. Rohan even arranged sights for us to see on our way to the park to break up the journey....how nice it is to leave all the planning to someone else.
The new swimming pool is a great addition to the villa & the surroundings are so peaceful & relaxing we rarely visited the beach.
The wonderful location, delicious food & perfect hosts are everything that you could wish for in a holiday destination!
The best place I've ever stayed!
by TripAdvisor Member billbCheshire
The accommodation, 3 superb en-suite rooms, is of a standard I've never encountered anywhere. It really is terrific. Our hosts Karen and Rohan treated us as though we were familly and nothing was too much trouble. Whenever we wanted to "eat in" they provided us with superb fresh local food beautifully cooked and presented. The location is excellent, a slow 10 minute stroll to a lovely beach (or Rohan will take you in his Tuk Tuk) or if you prefer walk the other way through junle scenery to a small village and views of a lake. This place really is shangri la in Sri lanka!
Five stars
by TripAdvisor Member Eclipsecat
We arrived at Shangrilanka at 4 am, worn out after five weeks of travelling and needing a nice rest before coming back to England and work! Karen arranged the pick up from the airport and was there to greet us, even at that time in the morning.
Even though we were tired we were instantly amazed at the accommodation, spacious and clean with a lovely corner bath.
We stayed for six days and wish it could have been longer. Breakfast in the morning on our balcony was fantastic (served whenever we wanted) and leisurely followed by a trip to the beach or just sitting by the pool.
We had dinner every day at the villa by choice as the food Rohan prepared was so good. The prawns and lobster (fresh daily) were among the best we have had.
Thanks to Rohan and Karen, we will be back.
A beautiful guest house with outstanding rooms, excellent service and a unique personal touch
by TripAdvisor Member Steve-Martine
The Shangri-Lanka is a beautiful guest house with outstanding rooms, excellent service and a unique personal touch. We stayed for 6 nights in March and were fortunate to be the only guests staying so we were extremely well looked after. However, given that there are only three rooms - all of which are extremely spacious and beautifully furnished - you are guaranteed of a personal touch. Highlights for us were the huge pool, the largeterrace on which we were served breakfast overlooking the beautiful garden and the outstanding meals that Rohan cooked for us in the evening.
The guest house is a 15 minute walk to the beach and to the nearest restaurants so it was easier to eat in every night. This was a real pleasure as Rohan asked us each day what we wanted to eat and then cooked to order. The fresh fish and seafood were amongst the best we have eaten and the home made curry was equally delicious.
Karen is an excellent and attentive host who was friendly but not intrusive. She has an excellent eye for detail and ensured we were very well looked after. Rohan is from the local village Bentota and has lots of experience organising day trips or longer tours around the island. For us, this was extremely useful as we organised all our trips and tours through him and we did not have to waste time seeking out a travel agent in the village or one of the other hotels.
My one piece of advice for anyone travelling to Sri Lanka for the first time is do not underestimate how long it takes to travel around the island. There is a single road which runs down the west coast and I reckon we averaged about 20 mph because the road is so busy and it passes through every village. The roads running inland are just as slow. However, if you want to arrangea tour then contact Rohan and he will advise you of an itinerary.
Overall, we absolutely loved our stay at the Shangri-Lanka. We would definitely stay there again and would recommend it to our friends.
Best Guesthouse Experience Ever!
by TripAdvisor Member LankaFriend
We stayed two nights at the Shangri-Lanka Villa in May. It was a wonderful expereince from start to finish! Upon our arrival, the laid back atmosphere immediately set us at ease. That same atmosphere contnued through our stay as we enjoyed the garden, pool, balcony and sunken bathtub. The food was amazing and was more Western than any we've found on the island ... a great unexpected treat! We would definitely recommend this villa for anyone looking for a peaceful and personal holiday.
Absolutely perfect
by TripAdvisor Member DubaiBubble
The guest house was fantastic with everything you could need for a break away from it all. Because it was not a big hotel chain you had the personal touch from the owners and the staff at the villa. The prices were fantastic and with Karen having so much local knowledge it was easy to plan what to do each day.
Perfect hidden little gem!
by TripAdvisor Member exittobrooklyn
Really couldn't have chosen a better place for the kind of relaxation/rejuvenation that we both required. Private, intimate, easy .... attention to detail fantastic. For such a petite establishment, amazingly there seemed to be nothing we couldn't access if we wanted it.
Hats off to you Rohan and Karen! i think you have nailed it.!!
The best guest house in Sri Lanka!
by TripAdvisor Member Nangy151
We've been living in Sri Lanka for just over 8 months now so we've sampled a fair few of the islands guest houses, hotels and hotspots! But now we've discovered Shangri Lanka quite simply no where else compares!
Shangri Lanka is a beautiful, low key villa run by truly fantastic people- Rohan & Karen.
Nothing is ever a hassle and they'll do their upmost to ensure your stay is perfect. Rohan has great knowledge of the area and Karen is fab at knowing what western people seek and both give realistic & vauable advice (Which we believe is much needed in SL!)
Food at Shangri Lanka is great too! Served on your balcony or in the grounds- ensures a relaxed atmosphere with attentive (but not at all intrusive) service. The food is always varied and served hot (which again- is something rare in SL!)
Although the villa is about a 10 minute walk from the beach we love this! Its nice to get away from the beach and break up the stay a little, giving you time to also enjoy the stunning rice paddies and local farm land that surrounds the villa. The pool also gives an alternative to the beach- and with only ever 6 people staying at Shangri Lanka at any one time I'm sure it will never be too busy or noisy!
We've visited Shangri Lanka twice now & can't wait to return soon! We can honestly say our visits to the villa have been some of the best, most memorable times during our 8 months here. And will be greatly missed when we return back to the UK later this year!
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