Sigiriya Green Garden Homestay

I was here today with my 13 friends. We found out the house had no water system, so we couldn't shower or even use the WC. They asked for our money as soon as we arrived, and we later understood why: there was no water. We asked for a refund so we could find somewhere else to stay. At first they agreed, then later said we'd have to wait until the following days and would only get 80% back. That's ridiculous. We had to involve the police to get our money back. We would have stayed without water if they'd warned us, but they said nothing and still wanted 20% of the total price even though we hadn't spent an hour in the house. The rooms were bad too, dirty and full of insects. Hope this helps people in the future.

The room was perfectly adequate for what it cost, and I’d happily stay again. Ours was large, on the ground floor, though the windows don’t open, so you’ll need to pay extra for air conditioning or use the fans. There’s quite a bit of water around the grounds, so bring mosquito repellent. The place is just up the road from the busy tourist center of Sigiriya. The staff were friendly and helpful, sorting out a moped and arranging breakfast for the time we requested.

We booked ahead through booking.com and arrived at 2 pm, even though check-in had been available since noon. There was only a handyman around, who handed us his phone to speak with the boss. He said the previous guests were still in our room and had gone out for the day, but promised to get it cleaned as soon as possible and said we’d wait no more than an hour. We were going for a long walk anyway, so told him not to rush. Four hours later, we came back to a man with a smug smile who said he was the boss. Suddenly our room was no longer available. He wanted us to cancel the booking and said he’d put us in one of his other properties. By then it was too late to find somewhere else, so we reluctantly agreed. The replacement room was in poor shape and nothing like the one we’d booked. When we complained, the smug man suddenly wasn’t the boss anymore. He offered a tiny discount of 2 USD and free breakfast, which had already been included in our original price. We had no other option and had to accept. The room had no AC, no WiFi, no towels, and a cockroach as a roommate. This was the worst experience we had in Sri Lanka. Almost everyone else we met in the country, including the other homestay staff, was incredibly kind and helpful. This smug boss figure was one of the few exceptions. For the smug boss man: we’ve read your replies to other bad reviews on google, so don’t claim this didn’t happen at your place. Just take the criticism for once. Maybe you’d get fewer bad reviews if you stopped denying it and worked on the issues.

The host surprised us with a lovely wedding anniversary message in our room when we arrived. That thoughtful gesture made us feel especially cared for. We also loved the quiet neighborhood, which felt a world away from the bustle, while still having plenty of cafes and restaurants nearby. Our room was comfortable and impeccably clean, and the modern, well-kept toilet added to that comfort. The host was wonderful and went out of their way to make everything feel right. We felt safe, welcomed, and cherished throughout our visit. It had the comforts of home with the feel of a high-end stay, and was a real delight. A charming location and a truly magical experience, we’d absolutely recommend it.