Guest Comments
Here are a few kind words from guests who have previously enjoyed their stay at The Tropical Beach House and Tropical Beach Cabana...
We had a great time in the house. It was perfect for us and Mahinda and Chandana are the nicest people. Chandana made a fantastic barbeque and in general everything was absolutely great. The cleaning was good, the rooms good, the showers and washing machine and everything, all good. I left a french press coffee maker in the house so maybe future guest will make good coffee (if they can find it in the stores).
It won't be the last time for us visiting Sri Lanka, so who knows when we will be back in Hikkaduwa. I spread the word among my friends also.
Rasmus Heisterberg from Denmark staying at the Tropical Beach House Jan 12
After 3 days in a somewhat scruffy hotel in Negombo, it was a real pleasure to arrive and find the house impeccably clean and immaculately maintained - we saw in the short time we were there just how much work is required to maintain a property in a tropical climate. Mahinda is just a lovely chap, and I would trust him completely. He looked after us well, and the prices he asks for day trips/ transport are very reasonable. Chandana looked after us well too, and kept the place very clean, and was extremely prompt with taking care of problems.
Robert Campbell from New Zealand staying at the Tropical Beach House Jan 12
I wanted to say to you that we really enjoyed the place and the beach being so close. Great sunsets etc. I even managed to have a game of football on the beach with the local boys as the sun was setting which was quite magical. Hope to be back there soon for sure.
Ed Jephson from UK staying at the Tropical Beach Cabana Jan 12
Thanks Gavin. We loved the house and dare say we'll be back again one day! Everything at the house was great, Mahinda and Chintaka were very helpful and Chintaka's bbq was one of the best meals we had in Lanka!
Heidi Gleeson from Hong Kong staying at the Tropical Beach House Dec 11
The place was immaculate, very clean and the staff couldn't do enough. I also think its the perfect location, just outside the built up area, but close enough to walk anywhere. I will be posting this on trip advisor as I was so pleased with the price and the standard of accommodation. I will definitely be returning.
Phillip Pook from UK staying at the Tropical Beach Cabana Dec 11
Thoroughly enjoyed the house and Hikkaduwa, it's a great place - we were out of season so it was nice and quiet - and the guys were great, Mahinda, Chandana and Lal. Chandana's wife made dinner and brought it to the house, and Lal invited us over for dinner.. they're very warm and sincere.
David & Philomena Archer from UK staying at the Tropical Beach House Oct 11
We had a really enjoyable, relaxing 2 week holiday at the Beach House in August 2011. The location is great with the beach at the end of the garden and we loved the fact that theres a shower in the garden so you can wash the sand off before going back into the house! Particularly useful for hosing down a sandy child! The house is exactly as described on the website and we found Mahinda and Chandana (the manager and housekeeper) extremely helpful and friendly. Mahinda organised some day trips for us (boat trip on the lagoon and a trip to the Ella waterfall) and an overnight trip to Yala National Park which was the highlight of our holiday! It was a real bonus to have Chandana coming in regularly to clean the house and do any odd jobs needed and he did this without being at all intrusive. The house is really well situated for all the amenities in Hikkaduwa - a short tuk tuk ride to all the restaurants etc in the town. We had some memorable meals at some of the restaurants in Hikkaduwa - JLH, Roti No. 1 (very good value) and Moonlight for an excellent and very good value rice and curry. We also used the food market in Hikkaduwa regularly for fruit and vegetables and the bakery (Bake House) within walking distance of the house for surprisingly good, freshly baked bread. Although the house is on the main Galle Road, the traffic is not intrusive as most of the time you're out in the garden so all you can hear are the crashing waves! All in all a very good holiday and would recommend the Beach House.
Amanda Grubb & family from Bristol, UK staying at the Tropical Beach House Aug 11
Back in Kuwait, all went well and Mahinda looked after us well, though we were particularly taken by Chandana and his family: they are completely lovely, hard working and unassuming.
The beach was fantastically empty and we were delighted to be as far out of Hikkaduwa as we were. Many thanks, it's a lovely spot and we will be recommending it to friends.
Charlie Eastwood & family from Kuwait staying at the Tropical Beach House Aug 11
We had a wonderful time!
Sri Lanka and it's people really climbed into our hearts and we would love to go back some day, to Hikkaduwa to visit our new friends there, but also to some other areas to see more of the beautiful country.
If you are bored you can have a look at our album that really tells the story of our week! We were so lucky with the weather, sunny days most of the time with only a few rain showers. As it was off-season most restaurants were closed, but we loved going to JLH especially for the prawns and delicious curries!
It was such a special holiday and we really wish to visit Hikkaduwa again, maybe next time in season to experience that vibe too! Thank you for the 10% discount, we'll definitely take you up on that offer in a year or so!
Monique Neethling & husband from Dubai staying at the Tropical Beach House June 11
My friends and I had an amazing vacation at the Tropical Beach House in Hikkaduwa! We rented both the house and the cabana and it was an extremely comfortable stay for us all. Having the Tropical Beach House as our base made our holiday so much more enjoyable then staying in a hotel or resort. We were greeted at the house by Mahinda, a kind man who cares for the property, he showed us around gave us great advice and asked us how often we wanted to property cleaned. He and his wife were very polite and friendly and always made sure we had everything we needed. We also inquired into having a bbq, the next day he and his wife organized the whole thing - what a feast it was! The fish and prawns were honestly the best I’ve ever had! We highly recommend having a bbq! The nice thing about the beach house was that we felt very safe, security came like clockwork every night to check on the place. The Tropical Beach House is a very short tuk tuk ride away from restaurants and shops and we really enjoyed that short distance as it made it quiet and peaceful. The air-conditioned rooms made it a comfortable stay and the showers were great! My friends and I had a holiday we’ll never forget and it had a lot to do with having such a comfortable space to call our own for the week. If you are coming to Hikkaduwa for a beachy, relaxing, comfortable and fun holiday you MUST stay here! Have a Lion (or two) for me!
Meagan Bernier & friends from Kuwait staying at the Tropical Beach House Apr 11
We had a great 10 days in the Tropical Beach House from 16th - 25th February 2011. Gavin, Mahinda and Chandana were incredibly helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The house is located just yards from the Beach and ideally placed a short Tuk-Tuk ride from the Centre of Hikkaduwa. We ate regularly as recommended at JLH, Refresh, Roti No.1, Spaghetti & Co. and the Cinnamon Garden Hotel next to the Tropical Beach House. Food was great in all and we always felt very welcome. We dived for 3 days with Blue Deep Dive School - Jay and his team were excellent - real pleasure. Mahinda organised and escorted us on a couple of Day trips to Galle & Marissa - beautiful Tropical Beach with great sea and beach bars - the Turtle Conservation centres and a couple of Boat trips to the lagoons. Great value and well worth the excursion. The Beach House is a great choice - couple of tips - keep the windows shut during the day and use extra plug in repellants for the Mosquitoss theyre pretty crafty but only got us once - Citronella oil from the pharmacy was easily the best repellant for the evening and once on we didnt have any issues. As Gavin advises the Sea outside the house is strong so caution needed especially with Children - In the centre of Hikkaduwa the swimming and snorkelling in the Coral Garden section of the Coast is great for all with plenty of facilities close at hand. Night walk with torches along the Beach was good fun and felt really safe. All in all a great Holiday and we feel we really made freinds with some wonderful people. We hope to visit again some day soon. David, Cathrin & Cameron.
David Ironside & family from UK staying at the Tropical Beach House Feb 11
Just what we expected and perfect for our time on the beach. We rented both the Beach House and the Cabana as there were 6 of us (including 1 child). The caretaker was very attentive and the property was well maintained and the bed linen changed at least every other day. The location is outside the main hub of Hikkaduwa which we preferred as there was much less noise and the beach was quieter, too. Although restaurants and shops were in walking distance, we preferred to use the tuk tuks (about £1-£2), specially at night, as the main road can be very busy with fast moving traffic and dim lighting. The Cinnamon Gardens Hotel is next door and we used it for drinks and lunches while we were on the beach as we only really self-catered for breakfast. We are thinking about going back again soon, and as with anywhere in Hikkaduwa, the Expressway will be very welcome and make the journey to/from the airport and Colombo much easier. A beautiful spot on the beach and definitely recommended for beach lovers!
Samantha & family from Linlithgow, Scotland staying at the Tropical Beach House Feb 11
We had a wonderful time, the weather was not the best, but still warm and it was nice to be away from the British cold. The house met all our needs, and was comfortable.
All in all we had a great time, this was only one of three houses that we rented in Hikkaduwa as there were 20 in the party, to celebrate my 60th Birthday.
I would certainly consider renting this property again.
Shanti Moore from UK staying at the Tropical Beach House Jan 11
Hi Gavin, we had a really lovely time at the beach house thank you. and mahinda is fantastic!! organised everything for us and everything went very smoothly!! the weather was perfect, a couple of early evening storms with the loudest thunder i have ever heard!!! but living in the dubai sandpit, it was nice to have a few downpours! We will definately be back to hikkaduwa, really loved it and only 4 hours from dubai!!
Thanks again
laura.
Laura Clay from Dubai staying at the Tropical Beach House Dec 10
We had a lovely week – it’s always so relaxing!! Mahinda and Chandana were great and made sure the house was clean and we had everything we needed. Everything like the fans and air conditioning units were all working well and the house had plenty of lights, including a big torch and candles. There were also plenty of books and games for us to use. The garden outside the cabana is lovely and lush, and the front garden was kept tidy for the entire time we were there.
Charlene Stubbs from UAE staying at the Tropical Beach House Nov 10
This villa was as it said is right on the beach - a gorgeous expanse of golden sands and deserted other than for a few fishermen. We were there in September so it was really quiet, the sea was too rough for swimming but it is a beautiful beach for walking along with amazing sunsets.
The house is well set up and there are really good restaurants just a few minutes away by tuktuk, so we ended up eating out each night.
Mahinda was great and organised our transport to and from the villa.
Whilst there we took a boat trip on the lake (not sure about the name, but about a 15 minute walk from the villa). We took a tuktuk to Galle but spent the majority of time just lazing in the garden which was great.
Alison Beckett from UK staying at the Tropical Beach House Sept 10
The Tropical Beach house was absolutely gorgeous. Nice and simple and excellent for our 4 year old daughter as the property was 'contained'. The sea view was amazing and the sound of the waves crashing was lovely.
Sitting outside in the evening was so relaxing but watch the mossies!! We used the coils and the citronella (we bought locally!) and that seemed to do the trick!
It was an absolutely perfect holiday and really enjoyed by all!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to sample this gorgeous country and lovely lovely people.
We had a brilliant time & will definitely be back for longer next time!
Siobhan Whitney & family from Qatar staying at the Tropical Beach House Nov 09
We had a great time at your house which is brilliant, very well maintained and you couldnt ask for a better setting on the beach - far enough from Hikkaduwa to feel secluded & relaxed but near enough for eating out each night & trips to town. The airport pickup & return arranged by Mohinda was very efficient & Chintaka looked after us brilliantly by popping in each day to check we were OK & shopping for essentials. Another plus was our personal Tuk Tuk driver Harold who took us into town & out to the restaurants each night. Our only regret was that we needed to stay much longer but unfortunately the Eid break in the UAE was only 5 days. This was our 4th visit to Sri Lanka so we didnt feel the need to travel but it seemed much longer & we left chilled & relaxed. A particular highlight was our request for a traditional Sri Lankan meal on our last night & Chintaka duly obliged. He & his wife cooked a fabulous meal while we played catch the crabs with his daughter in the garden.
We had a brilliant time & will definitely be back for longer next time!
Margaret Wilkinson & family from UAE staying at the Tropical Beach House Sept 09)
Hi Gavin - we had the best time in your house and enjoyed every bit of our trip to Sri Lanka. All the boxes got ticked for all of us. The boys made friends with everyone at Reef End and at Mambo's. The fact that they were able to walk down the beach in the morning to get their board, surf all day and come back in the evening by themselves was great for them... and us.
We did go by train and the bus for day trips and we went for a few days to the Hill Country. The driver we arranged drove us over 900km passing all the places and things we wanted to photograph, so we came back with 3500 pictures of a very beautiful and clean country and the friendly and smiley people there.
Mahinda and Chintaka were very helpful. We arranged with Chintaka to pop by every 3 or 4 days and he kept the house nice and clean. On the first night, Chintaka was there to greet us although it was late.
Travelling around a bit we realized just how brilliant your house is. You forget that hot water and pressure in the taps is such a luxury there and we were pleased to be back after having travelled around. In the morning one of us would wonder down the road to get fresh bread and I shopped for fruit in the market to make smooties. Our favourite restaurant was probably Roti No 1 as it was great value for money.
All in all we had a fantastic time in The Tropical Beach House and were sad to leave. Especially the boys who had made such good friends with the locals down the beach were sad to leave. We follow the troubles there and just hope it all settles soon so the rest of the country can get a chance to get on their feet again.
Britt Rohde & family from Spain staying at the Tropical Beach House (Jan 09)
A fantastic place to stay for families, right on the wonderful beach with a secure garden. Far enough away from downtown Hikkaduwa so you dont feel you are in the middle of the strip but still only a short tuk tuk ride, or 20 min walk from great restaurants and bars. The staff are absolutely brilliant. Friendly and very helpful. The air conditioned bedrooms are a welcome relief from the humidity. The beach BBQ arranged by the housekeeper was supurb. If you want hassle free quality accomodation from which to explore this wonderful country, this is it.
Greg Jenkins & family from UK staying at the Tropical Beach House (Mar 08)
I had a great time staying at the tropical beach house! The 3 guys were great and made us feel welcomed. Thanks again!
Arvin Panganiban from UK staying at the Tropical Beach House (Oct 07)
Awesome holiday, great villa, I certainly will be back. The guys are great, great help great holiday. Once again thanks. Its an oasis.
Paul Welling from UAE staying at the Tropical Beach House (Jul 07)
We are having a great time thanks, and have a big trip sorted for next week. Today we will go with Mahinda to see there little boy in schools sports day. We have given them a case full of clothes, they have kept some and given to local poor familys. We also are buying a child some shoes for school. Very little really but its just so good to just give.
I have sent you for now a photo of us with Mahinda at the waterfalls. I must go now as i have so much to do here in Sri Lanka, he he. I will not want to come home. The people here are so nice, when you go past there is a wave of smiles. I think out of season is a great time to be here. Also we went to a circus down the road and saw a small perahera. The barby was great, we had mehinda and chintaka and there familys here. the children all played together. Bye for now gavin. Thanks again, Chris and family
The Davies from Wales staying at the Tropical Beach House (Jul 07)
Well, we’re just back from our brilliant holiday at the Beach House. It was an excellent time – we just loved every minute of it. We had great fish barbecues; a massive final night bonfire on the beach; a morning handline fishing off one of the fishing boats; train trips out to Marissa and Unawatuna; fun early morning surfs; mountains of great sea food; and lots of lazing about.
The Beach House was as wonderful as ever, and my mother loved the Cabana. She also loved Sri Lanka and we had a lot of fun getting clothes made and shopping. Thank you too for organizing the trip to Kandy – it was lovely to see a bit more of the country and the kids loved the elephant orphanage.
Of course Mahinda and Chintaka were as friendly and kind as ever. They made sure we had everything we needed and were very helpful and attentive. Thank you so much for another memorable holiday.
Sally Emery & family from UAE returning to the Tropical Beach House (Jan 07)
Our stay at the tropical beach house was excellent! - we had an amazing time! - It was the perfect property - particularly for our 3 1/2 year old son who was able to play in the secure garden in the shade whilst we sunbathed in the sun - the plunge pool was invaluable to all of us!
We had too many great experiences to list, however our time relaxing on the beach watching the sun go down whilst our son played with the local children is one of our favourite memeories. Particular thanks to Chintaka & Mahinda - Chintaka made our stay comfortable and nothing was too much trouble (even taking our washing to Mahindas house, as the washing machine at the beach house had broken, which was the only inconvenience we had throughout our stay) we were honoured to be invited to both of there houses for dinner and to meet there families, we consider ourselves very lucky to have met such incredible people. We would recommend it to anybody and we can not wait to return!!"
Sally & Lee Saunders staying at the Tropical Beach House (Jan 07)
We loved our stay in your home and enjoyed Hikkaduwa immensely. In fact it was all too nice and we didn't feel the need to do any exploring which is unusual for us because we normally have very active holidays. I guess we knew within a few days that we would be returning to Sri Lanka so we've got all that to come.
Mahinda, Chintaka and Lal looked after us royally and although Mahinda kept on encouraging us to see more of the area, we never felt hassled. Even the "fishermen" who hang out on the beach road were OK!
Simon Edmunds from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Dec 06)
What a fantastic place!
We had a great time. The villa was fab and the view was amazing!!!!!!!!!!! We sat there outside one day watching storm after storm come in over the sea. The people were incredibly friendly.
We would love to go back in a couple of years and take our daughter who we left with our parents. She wants to see elephants like we did.
Cath & Craig from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Nov 06)
Thanks for all the extra help. We had a fabulous week, perfect having my sister just next door (in the beach house). Your staff are excellent and it's truely a great place to just relax for a week.
Vicki Shepherd from India staying at Tropical Beach Cabana (Nov 06)
We are back in Holland and have had a wonderful time in Sri Lanka!
Albert & Gerard from Holland staying at Tropical Beach House (Nov 06)
We had a great time and would like to pass on our thanks to Mahina & Chintuka (we left in the middle of the night, and didn't see them before we left) they did a great job making us feel welcome and pointing us in the right direction! Thanks again,
Penny and Stuart from UK staying at Tropical Beach Cabana (Aug 06)
We had an excellent 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, staying at the Tropical Beach House. A great base from which to arrange tours to other parts of the island. My abiding memory is of sitting under the veranda, fresh fruit cocktail in hand, watching the sun set over the coconut palm at the bottom of the garden, listening to the waves crashing onto the beach. Life doesn't get much better than that! The beach house is very comfortable, and the aircon in the bedrooms is a very welcome relief from the heat outside. Plenty of great restaurants and bars nearby. Mahinda, Chintaka, and especially Lal, are always on hand to help with all your needs. Looking forward to going back there one day...
Rhiannon Hughes from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Apr 06)
We arrived back in UK yesterday after a great trip to Sri Lanka. We really enjoyed our stay in your cottage which entirely lived up to expectations - what an amazing location: near enough to the "bright lights" to walk along the beach to everything we needed yet far enough away not to be disturbed. We thought that the cottage was very well arranged and couldnt have coped without the excellent air con and well equipped kitchen. Mahinda, Chintaka, (whose families we met over the New Year) and Lal were very helpful and looked after us perfectly. We also found the services of Harold the Tuk Tuk driver invaluable and used him on quite a few occasions including a short but enjoyable trip to Galle.
Lawrence Alpren from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Apr 06)
Just a quick message to let you know how much we enjoyed our stay in your house. It was fantastic, thanks.
Mahinda, Chintika & their families made us so welcome, thank them from us please.
Robert Long from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Mar 06)
Life back to normal after my all to quick visit to paradise. I had a great time doing nothing all because the Tropical Beach House is just too good!
Tim Cooper from Dubai staying at Tropical Beach House (Jan 06)
I miss you all so much, it was the very best holiday I have ever had.
Suzanne Sundin from Australia staying at Tropical Beach House (Jan 06)
We all had a great time at your home - I'd say it was the best part of our holiday. We would love to come back.
Roger Raymond & family from Australia staying at Tropical Beach House (Dec 05)
Just wanted to thank you and tell you we had a beautiful time in your home. Your staff were very welcoming and hospitable and the house is great. Mahinda went out of his way to help us in any way we wanted. We had a fantastic time in Hikkaduwa and went up to Kandy on our last day. Unfortunately, the trip was not long enough... maybe next time.
Dareen & family staying at Tropical Beach House (Oct 05)
We were glad for the house, garden and the beach. But most glad for the staff connected to the house - they were all extremely kind and did everything they could to make our stay as pleasant as possible.
Martin & family from Denmark staying at Tropical Beach House (Sept 05)
We would like to say a big thankyou to everyone for their help and friendship that we experienced during our recent stay at the house. Mahinda, Chintaka and Lal and their families were so good and became friends to us all.
Sometimes people say that they have stayed in paradise, I know that our 2 year old grandson actually found it in the garden building sandcastles and having a wonderful time with the local children on the beach.
The crowning glory for us all was helping over 30 young turtles to find their way into the ocean, this will be something we will remember for a long time.
The house is a wonderful base for trips to a very wide range of places and if you are lucky enough to find a Perahera as we were in Ambalangoda go as its wonderful.
We hope we can return as soon as possible.
Paul, Leita and family from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Sept 05)
Great place and excellent service from Mahinda and co. Will certainly recommend to others.
Richard Poulter from Dubai staying at Tropical Beach House (July 05)
Just to let you know that we had a wonderful time at your lovely house. Meeting Kara was fantastic but to take her to the beach house for the week was great especially after what she is used to for the past year in India. Everyone was fantastic and we want to say a big thank you to everyone, especially Lal who drove us to the airport. We will return and look forward to the tours that are available. Thanks again and hope to see you all soon.
Allison Doig from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (July 05)
Thanks for a fabulous post-tsunami holiday. Everything was fabulous. The guest house is delightful, a really tranquil spot and so well-catered for. Top delights included the canoeing on the lagoon, the veggie restaurant opposite and zooming (well almost) around on the scooter amongst all the local farmers.
Thanks for a top time, a genuine welcome, and an inspirational holiday / adventure, amongst a bunch of people that desperately need we tourist types to return. We'll be back!
Ian & Jane Baldwin from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Feb 05)
We had planned to visit Sri Lanka for some time, but the tsunami obviously made us think again. Reassurances from Gavin were enough and we definitely made the right choice. Gavin and team have done wonders in getting the Beach House cleaned up, and now it is as good as new. The beach in front of the house has been completely cleaned and the sea temperature is wonderfully warm. Most of the restaurants and tourist activities had just started up at the beginning of February, and we felt priviledged to be amongst some of the first post-tsunami customers for some of the tours.
Hire a scooty-pep whilst you're in and around Hikkaduwa, and make sure you see the rest of the island. We did a six day tour through the hill country, with Lal as our driver, stopping off in Ella, Kandy and Sigiriya. The country is stunning. We had a magical time and very much look forward to a return visit.
Simon & Peggy from UK staying at Tropical Beach House (Jan 05)
My time at 'The Beach House' has been totally relaxing and excellent fun. The house was a comfortable and welcoming place to stay and the Hikkaduwa area was beautiful and interesting, from the wide palm-lined beach to the stunning paddy fields and lush greenery just a short distance away. It's hard to pick a highlight of my stay because every moment of it was great!
Catherine Moore, UK
Our two week stay at your beautiful beach house was heavenly. We couldn't have wanted for anything more perfect. Chintika and Mahinda were both very kind - as was our driver Lal - and they all made sure we had all we needed. Thank you. We can't wait to come back - Sri Lanka is a great country.
Sally Emery, UAE
My parents and I had the most incredible time in the Tropical Beach House. With its perfect location we spent many hours listening and watching the waves at the bottom of the garden. We can't wait to return one day very soon. Gavin and Mahinda, thank you for an unforgettable time.
Stephanie Kite, UK
I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for the fabulous time spent at your pad in Hikkaduwa. It is paradise! Can't imagine a nicer way to spend a birthday.
Sam Meston, Dubai
I am (unfortunately) back in the cold and miserable U.K. again. I would like to say how much I enjoyed the week at the Tropical Beach House - it was perfect in every way and I hope to return again.
Peter Corbett, UK
Good time had by all in Sri Lanka, hope we can do it again sometime soon.
John Stanley, New Delhi
We had a wonderful time at your house.
Robin Sorflaten, Dubai
Many thanks again for sharing your lovely home with Jim and me. We both hope that we will be able to visit again in the near future.
Michael Wakelin, UK
We had a great time and really enjoyed our two weeks. The house itself is lovely (the photos don't do it justice!) and was kept very clean by the friendly staff who were always happy to help. Really recommend having a beachfront BBQ and if you're doing a tour - see World's End!
Joanna James and Edward Brown, UK
