Waterland

We started and ended our Sri Lanka tour at Waterland, booked for us by the brilliant Darshana Tours. It is convenient for the airport, and a quiet oasis after or before many hours flying. The rooms are lovely and quirky, and the small plunge pool a delight. We found the food in the restaurant quite limited and absolutely everything was delivered on the cold side. However, that is what microwaves were invented for, so not a big issue.

We, one adult and two teenagers, stayed three nights at Monsoon Villa and we absolutely loved it! An essential part of the experience is the extremely attentive and helpful hotel staff! We spent a lot of time enjoying the private plunge pool. Two of the bedrooms have attached bathrooms, AC and are luxurious. The third one is also beautiful and cozy but can’t be cooled down as well as the two others. Breakfast was delicious and there are differen options to choose from. Some things that are good to note: 1) There are no restaurants or bars nearby but there’s no need for them since the hotel restaurant serves excellent food. They often ask you to book lunch and dinner in advance. If you wish to try some other restaurants in Negombo, Pick Me app works well and also the hotel staff helps to book tuktuks, taxis, and any other trips. 2) The nearby beach is not suitable for swimming. However, we walked there and watched birds and saw some local fishermen drying fish. We also found the walk through the local neighborhood interesting. 3) There is a church on the other side of the river and some religious music can be heard in the villa but we liked it. The atmosphere of Waterland is fascinating in many ways and we already miss that. We will definitely be back if we ever have the chance to visit Sri Lanka again!