How the food is actually made
Coconut scraped by hand, curry powder roasted rather than bought, and a proper pol sambol. Indu teaches it at the table to your honest spice tolerance.
The reason to stay here first
A first week in Sri Lanka goes better when somebody teaches you the country
Most visitors lose their first two days to the same small problems: the wrong exchange rate, a tuk-tuk fare three times what it should be, a temple entered in the wrong clothes, or a train seat that needed booking a fortnight ago. None of it is dangerous. All of it is avoidable knowledge that a family holds and a hotel front desk does not.
Come here on your first two nights and the remaining twelve go better.
Where to go, and in what order
Mervin plans routes for a living now: which coast is dry this month, what is worth two days, and what you can safely skip.
What things cost, and how to move
Real tuk-tuk fares, the ride app locals use, why you book the hill country train weeks ahead, and where to change money.
How to behave, and why
Shoulders and knees, shoes off, never turn your back on the Buddha, and what a Poya day closes.
Enough Sinhala and Tamil to matter
Ayubowan, istuti, vanakkam, nandri. Four words, learned properly, that open the island up.
The birds outside the gate
Kingfishers, waterbirds, and migratory waders at the Kotte wetlands minutes from the gate.
Simple, transparent pricing
US$25–30 per room, per night
One guest · Breakfast included
- Air-conditioned private room
- Attached bathroom and hot water
- Indu’s home-cooked breakfast
- Mervin’s local advice and route planning
A comfortable first base, with people who help you understand the island.
Rates vary slightly by room choice and season. The room price covers accommodation and breakfast for one guest.
Quoted separately
Day tours, private drivers, airport transfers, additional meals, and custom itineraries.
Payment Cash on arrival in USD, EUR, GBP, or LKR. No hidden booking fees.
For one complete personalised quote—stay, food, transport, transfers, tours, and route—tell Mervin what you love.
Your personalised quote
What do you love doing when you travel?
Tell Mervin what draws you in—wildlife, history, food, forests, beaches, mountains, or something entirely your own. He will plan your accommodation, meals, transport, airport transfers, tours, and route around your interests, dates, and pace.
Featured itineraries
Let Mervin build your journey, starting and ending right here
Colombo & the South
Ideal for short breaks or quick island getaways.
- Arrive, settle in with Indu’s cooking, and walk Galle Face Green.
- Explore Galle Fort and watch sunset on the coast.
- Mirissa or Unawatuna; optional whale watching.
- Return toward Colombo with custom stops.
- Breakfast, local market, and airport transfer.
Triangle, Hills & Coast
The definitive first-time Sri Lanka experience.
- Sigiriya at dawn and Dambulla cave temples.
- Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth.
- Highland train to Ella and Little Adam’s Peak.
- Yala safari, then the south coast.
- Galle and a scenic return to Colombo.
Full Island Loop
For travellers who want every side of the island.
- Anuradhapura and the Jaffna peninsula.
- Trincomalee and Nilaveli.
- Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya.
- Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Ella by train.
- Yala or Udawalawe, then a final night home.
Your hosts
Mervin books the driver. Indu feeds you first.
Host & trip planner
Mervin
Thirty years as an executive in global food processing. He can tell you a fair tuk-tuk fare, which road to take on a Poya day, and why the airport queue moves the way it does. He books trusted drivers, calls ahead so nobody overcharges you, and keeps the house to the standards of his old industry.
Host & kitchen
Indu
A trained baker with a serious command of Sri Lankan home cooking. Breakfast comes continental, vegetarian, or Asian: hoppers and sambol if you want the real thing. Lunch and dinner are arranged the same way, cooked to your spice tolerance, and she will teach you any of it if you ask a day ahead.
The house & rooms
Built as a home, not a hotel
High ceilings, sturdy wooden furniture, and light from every side. The garden wraps the house, full of fruit trees, birds, and squirrels.
Double Room
Attached bathroom, air conditioning.
Deluxe Double
The larger room with a garden aspect.
Budget Double
The simplest room in the house.
Deluxe with Extra Bed
Staff9.8
Facilities9.7
Cleanliness9.7
Comfort9.6
Value9.6
Location9.2
Check-in 12:00–20:00
Check-out 08:00–10:00
Amenities Free WiFi, covered parking, air conditioning, hot water.
Rules Cash only. No smoking, parties, or children. Adults 18+.