Kandy City Hostel

The rates are really cheap and feel worth it. I slept well for an overnight stop, with clean, comfortable beds, power sockets, clean restrooms, and a tidy shared area. The staff were friendly and served a perfect breakfast. There's also a cool rooftop hangout, some weights in the basement for anyone into fitness, and individual fans to keep guests cool. Chiara, the cute dog, kept me company when I was alone. If you're staying near the balcony, make sure the windows are locked because monkeys can show up unexpectedly and are hard to keep out. The hostel is a bit far from the bus and train stations, but if you don't have a backpack, I'd recommend walking up and down for a city tour. The lake scenery is really enjoyable. Like at Dambulla City Hostel, I had a good stay while backpacking around SL.

The rooftop hangout spot was such a fun bonus, and I loved having a balcony and a fan by each comfortable bed. The hostel is right in central Kandy, with its own affordable tuk-tuk and Bandara, the hilarious driver. Maria, the manager, was so kind when I arrived feeling awful after getting food poisoning during the previous days of travel. She checked on me, made homemade soup, and put my friend and me in a separate dorm for the night since it was a quiet season. I really appreciated being able to rest without being disturbed. And Shakara the dog is so cute!

The dorms were quite nice, and since I was sick, it was a good place to spend time in bed. There were lots of people around. It's a long way from the city center, though, so you need to take a tuk-tuk whenever you want to go somewhere. There aren't any shops nearby, and breakfast was basic.

The staff were nice, and the kitchen was lovely to cook in. It's clean and close to the city centre, with great facilities. The Wi-Fi was about what you'd expect. There's also a pub in the hotel next door where you can get a beer.