Jungle house

I’ve been here nearly a week, and the morning jungle sounds are lovely. There are birds everywhere, chipmunks, and I spotted monkeys in the yard a few times. They kept their distance and didn’t seem threatening. The hosts have been wonderfully friendly and quick to answer questions or help out, and they arranged laundry for me. Gayan also gave me rides several times and shared lots of interesting things. Their dog Pinky keeps watch by my apartment entrance, and we’ve become friends. The room is clean, the air conditioning works well, and the kitchen has the utensils, stove, and fridge I need. The bathroom is spacious, with hot water always available.

We spent two weeks here in February, tucked away in the jungle and well clear of the busy road. Turtle beach is about a 15-minute walk. Our second-floor apartment had a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom with a toilet, plus a comfortable bed, air conditioning and a fan. There was a gas stove, refrigerator, a full set-up for cooking, and hot water around the clock. The hosts were friendly and ready to answer our questions.

Wildlife was all around the villa, including monkeys and peacocks, and the beach was an easy 10-15 minute walk away. It’s set a little back from the main road. Gayan, the owner, took me to the market and store, showed me around, and charged a reasonable price. The place was very clean, with a cleaning and fresh linens every five days. The internet was good, though conversation was completely lost. I’m taking off a star because they washed everything together and ruined about 90% of the items. They came back with odd stains or discoloration, which is a shame given how expensive they are.