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McLeod Inn g UESTHOUSE $
(map p 146 ; %222 2832; [email protected]; 65A
Rajapihilla mawatha; r Rs 3000-4000; W) The
stupendous lake views make up for the very
basic rooms and there’s a relaxed family
atmosphere and a balcony for the essential
end-of-the-day combination: a good book
and a cold drink.Burmese Rest g UESTHOUSE $
(map p 146 ; %223 3261; 274 DS Senanayake vidiya;
s/d Rs 400/700) Considering the price (it’s by
far the cheapest place in Kandy) you might
expect this former pilgrims’ guesthouse to be
awful, but in fact it’s all very clean and well
looked after and the building itself is an ab-
solute gem. All the rooms share bathrooms.
The monks are friendly and the courtyard is a
slowly crumbling haven filled with tortoises.oFreedom Lodge HOmESTAY $$
(map p 146 ; %222 3506; freedomomega@yahoo.
com; 30 Saranankara Rd; r incl breakfast Rs 4500-
5500; W) We really like this place! It’s owned
by a friendly family, surrounded by towering
palm trees and has eight spotless rooms, ex-
cellent food and an authentic family atmos-
phere. The bathrooms are what you’d expect
from somewhere much flasher. When you
take everything into account you can see why
this has been considered one of Kandy’s best
guesthouses for many years.
If you want to eat dinner here then book
by 2pm at the latest – space is limited.Kandy Cottage g UESTHOUSE $$
(map p 146 ; %220 4742; http://www.kandycottage.com;
160 lady gordon Dr, Sri Dalada Thapowana mawatha;
r incl breakfast Rs 5060-6820; aW) Tucked away
in a forested valley, the cool and beautiful,
whitewashed Kandy Cottage has three rooms
(including a family room suitable for fourpeople) with chunky wooden furniture, pol-
ished concrete floors and a bohemian, artists’
vibe. It’s all total peace and tranquility but
central Kandy is just a 10-minute stroll away.Anna Shanthi Villa g UESTHOUSE $$
(map p 146 ; %222 3315; 203 Rajapihilla Terrace; s /d
incl breakfast US$49/55; aW) An awful lot of
thought has gone into this guesthouse. Its
seven rooms have good quality furnishings
and a lot more style than many similarly
priced places. The standard of service is also
worthy of talking about with staff going out
of their way to help. A very good deal.Sharon Inn HOTEl $$
(map p 146 ; %220 1400; http://www.hotelsharoninn.com;
59 Saranankara Rd; r incl breakfast Rs 6500-8500;
aiW) One of Kandy’s longest established
guesthouses and still one of the best. Excel-
lent views and scrupulously clean rooms dec-
orated with Sri Lankan arts and crafts add
up to a relaxing place to stay. Not surprising-
ly it’s one of the town’s busiest hotels and the
owners are fully on the ball with travel infor-
mation and tours.
It’s a good bet for those travelling with
young children as they have baby cots as well
as a family room sleeping up to five people
(Rs 12,000). The nightly buffet dinner, served
at 7.30pm under the starlit rooftop restau-
rant (Rs 1100), is a tasty shortcut to falling
in love with Sri Lankan cuisine. Dinner is
open to outside guests, so phone to make a
booking.Nature Walk Resort g UESTHOUSE $$
(map p 146 ; %077 771 7482; http://www.naturewalkhr.net;
9 Sanghamitta mawatha; r incl breakfast US$35-50;
aW) Terracotta tiles and French doors lead
to balconies with, from some rooms, excel-
lent forest views. The rooms are spaciousHELGA’S FOLLY
Helga’s Folly (map p 146 ; %223 4571; http://www.helgasfolly.com; 32 Frederick E de Silva mawatha;
r US$200, nonguest admission US$3; aWs) could easily have been dreamt up as a joint
project between Gaudí and Dalí. This 35-room hotel/art gallery/surrealist dream has to
be the most over-the-top and truly extraordinary hotel in Sri Lanka. It’s run and designed
by the outlandish Helga da Silva, who grew up in a world of 1950s Hollywood celebrities,
artists, writers, politicians and general intrigue, and she has to be one of the only hotel
owners we’ve ever met who prefers her property not to be full. The rock band Stereo-
phonics famously wrote a song about her and her creation has surely led to a thousand
twisted nightmares for her guests. As extraordinary as it all is, once you’ve peeled
through all the decorations you’ll see that the place is actually looking pretty tatty. Rath-
er than stay here we’d recommend just popping past for a poke about and a drink – for
many people it’s actually one of the most interesting sights in Kandy.