Chathuni Holiday Home

The house was clean and fully furnished, with comfortable space for 11 people, and the owner was flexible. It’s a calm, quiet place even though it’s close to the mihintale anuradhapura railway line.

After a six-hour scooter ride from Negombo, we arrived around 9:30 PM for the four-day stay my partner had booked through Booking.com, attracted by the good price and positive reviews. The house was closed and the owner didn’t answer. My partner tried from another number; when the owner realized who it was, he hung up. A local neighbor helped us get in touch, and the owner finally replied on WhatsApp, claiming there was a water issue and suggesting we find somewhere else. I insisted we needed a toilet and shower after the ride and asked for the keys. After about 20 minutes of communication, the neighbor gave us a key. There was water in the showers, kitchen, and toilet, so there was no water issue. The place was extremely dirty: dust, bugs in the kitchen, and human hair on the bedroom floor. There was also a video camera in the main room, which I don’t think is even legal in a rented apartment. It faced toward the bedroom and made my partner uncomfortable. There’s no AC, so it was hot and she felt she couldn’t wear much. We wanted to shower, but there was no soap or towels. I messaged the owner on WhatsApp to ask where to find them, but he didn’t even read it. My partner couldn’t stay because of the dirt, bugs, and camera, so we booked another hotel. We told the landlord we couldn’t stay due to the uncleanliness, said we would cancel, and asked where to leave the key since it was late and the neighbor had gone to sleep. We waited 15 minutes with no reply and left the keys by the door. Even 9 hours later, the owner still hadn’t replied. This was the worst property we’ve booked through Booking.com in the past three years, and our worst experience in Sri Lanka. I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t want bugs in the kitchen and bedroom, a video camera in the sitting room facing toward the bedroom, hair on the bedroom floor, and a lack of basic cleanliness and hygiene.

The only drawback is that it’s a bit outside the city, though that’s no concern if you have a vehicle. The place was renovated, and six of us stayed very comfortably. The beds, sheets, rooms, bathrooms, and kitchen were clean, with a television and internet available. There are two very clean bathrooms, one modern and one traditional, and you can use the kitchen for a small additional fee. Parking has enough room for more than 4 vehicles. We didn’t meet the owner, but a caretaker lady living nearby was always available to help and clearly takes good care of the place. The owner was friendly and politely answered all our questions. The price is really low for the facilities, and this place deserves more reviews. Definitely 5 star. I’d stay again on another visit to Anuradhapura.

It’s a pleasant, safe environment, with every facility and a very low price. There’s ample parking, and it can accommodate 11 adults at one time. The only snag for us was the lack of a grocery store nearby, so you need to go 500m-1km for groceries. It’s not very close to Anuradhapura town either, but that shouldn’t be a big issue. Recommend it to anyone.