Talalla Retreat

I chose an open air room and loved waking up to all the sounds around me. Bring ear plugs, but enjoy the monkeys when you wake up. The food was fresh and plentiful, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The spa has indulgent treatments too. Yoga and Pilates were incredible. Polly #flow_with_polly is a fantastic Pilates teacher who understands different abilities and helps everyone get the most out of class. It’s a peaceful, secluded haven right on the beach, surrounded by the nature and quiet Sri Lanka has to offer. I can’t recommend it enough. Just go with it and you won’t regret it.

The week had a nice balance of training and time to enjoy the facilities or explore nearby. Each day had a morning and an afternoon class, plus two workshops over the week and a temple visit halfway through. The schedule might look light at first, but time flies at Talalla. I enjoyed the pool, bath house and massages. I joined the Pilates Reformer retreat with no previous reformer experience. Polly and Tatyana guided us through the basics in a supportive, encouraging way. I left with a solid foundation, confidence and the skills to keep going. My highest recommendations to both of them. I stayed in an open ocean-facing room. Expect animal visitors and ocean sounds at night, but the sunrise over the sea made it more than worth it. The buffet had a good mix of local and Western options, and the kitchen staff’s warmth made every meal feel like home. Everyone at Talalla was friendly, attentive and genuinely helpful. After travelling elsewhere, I came back for a few more days, more facilities and more classes in the STUNNING reformer studio. A retreat or a regular stay, I highly recommend Talalla and will definitely return.

We spent a week at Talalla Retreat and loved the mix of relaxing and doing things. The pool, ocean swims and incredible views were all great. The e-bike tour was fantastic, the massages were amazing, Reformer Pilates was great, and the bathhouse was one of the best parts. The food was consistently fresh, excellent and nourishing. There’s plenty of room for a family to hang out and enjoy time together in a peaceful setting. We took a day trip to Polhena and snorkeled with turtles, which was unforgettable, and had some awesome, easy lunch trips to Hiriketiya. It’s a beautiful, calming place that’s thoughtfully run and made it easy to switch off. We’d absolutely love to come back.

The atmosphere was so peaceful, and we had delicious food, a lovely beach and absolutely adorable animals on the property. The Pilates sessions were great and the views stunning. The people working here are what made the place unforgettable. I’d seen complaints that staff were rude, but that wasn’t our experience at all. I honestly don’t understand those comments, since our stay was the complete opposite. Thanks, Talalla Retreat, for such a special time.