Thisal Guest House

I had already paid in cash and trusted earlier reviews, so when I got back tired in the evening and realized how bad things were, I couldn’t manage finding and arranging another guesthouse. I ended up staying the night. I strongly advise avoiding this place, especially given the condition of the bathroom and the way the manager acted. He immediately pushed me to book a tuk-tuk tour for 4000 lkr. I said no several times, but he kept insisting and felt intimidating, so I had to walk out to get him to stop. The room was in a different house from the one shown in the online booking pictures. I eventually accepted it, but that was misleading. The bathroom was so dirty I didn’t want to use the toilet, and it had a large cockroach infestation. There were ant trails and colonies on the room walls, and the bed linen had holes and visible insect remains, though not ants. When I flushed, water poured out from the base of the toilet, which seemed like a health and slipping risk. Basic things like soap and toilet paper were there, and the house felt structurally safe. The location near the Clock Tower is convenient for the bus station, restaurants, and ancient city. For this price, there are better value and safer places to stay. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Since I was pregnant, getting around Polonnaruwa by tuk-tuk worked much better for me than cycling, especially under the strong daytime sun. I stayed for two nights in September 2025, and the owner was friendly and very talkative. After chatting with him, I arranged two trips: a roughly four-hour tuk-tuk tour around Polonnaruwa for 4,000 rupees, and a roughly four-hour elephant safari for 38,000 rupees. Having both tours start and finish at the guesthouse helped me save my energy while still seeing the sights.

The rooms are on the small side if you’re planning to spend much time indoors, but that wasn’t why I was travelling. I liked the outdoor seating area, and my room was clean with its own bathroom. The older gentleman who runs the place with his family was very helpful. You can arrange bike hire or safaris there, and in the morning they make a lovely cup of tea.

The hosts were friendly, the Wi-Fi was decent, and the elephant tour I booked was good, with a quality guide. It seemed reasonably priced compared with other places, and I’d recommend the tour. They also offer bike rental for visiting the temples. It’s a decent-value spot in the town centre, close to the bus stop. My room was a simple single, but it did the job. Booking in person, if you can, is cheaper than using the usual online sites. One small complaint: the main host kept nudging me to leave a good review. That wasn’t needed. I’m leaving one because I liked the place.