Kataragama Hotels

The Ceylon Bank: Staying in Kataragama

Most of the accommodation in down-town Kataragama is not geared towards foreigners (lots of sleeping halls for groups of pilgrims) and lots of tourists stay down towards Tissa.

On this trip we headed north via Buttala to Haputale and stayed there (which I can thoroughly recommend) but I’ve stayed in Kataragama in the past for the morning purga and it’s been interesting.

There is no meat or alcohol in Kataragama proper by the way and you will need a mozzy net.

For a reasonable guest house try the Bank of Ceylon Hotel on Main St (which does good food) I read that you are supposed to book this place in advance, we didn’t and we got a decent room.

I have also stayed at the Kataragama Rest House, which was also fine so if you have a problem with the Bank of Ceylon Hotel, try here.

A little outside the town is the more upmarket Rosen Renaissance Hotel and Sri Lankan friends recommend the Jayasinghe Holiday Resort but I have never tried either.

Two years ago we booked by telephone into Sunil’s Rest (recommended in Lonely Planet) but when we arrived they had given our rooms away, which was a bit of a nuisance because it was already dark so I won’t recommend there.