Is housekeeping included?
Yes, we have housekeeping staff. Normally, we would clean the rooms every other day and change linens and towels every 3 days. This service is freely included in your rental price. If you don't want daily cleaning, that's fine. Just let us know what your requirements clear to our staff at the beginning of your stay so that we can cater for your group.
Can you prepare meals for us?
Although the beach house is offered on self-catering terms, we can also prepare lots of lovely meals for you and serve them to you at the beach house. We particularly recommend the seafood BBQ and you can read what our guests had to say about it. Please just discuss specifics with our staff once you arrive but we normally charge a small preparation fee plus the cost of the ingredients.
Can I check in early or late?
Normal check-out time is 11am and normal check-in time is not before 3pm. This is only to allow us time to clean and do maintenance work between bookings. If we have no other guests staying before or after then we are pretty relaxed about you staying on a little longer or arriving a little early. However, the only way to guarantee an early check-in or late check-out is to book the previous or following night. We are happy for you to leave your luggage with us on site for a few hours.
Is electricity included?
Unit tariffs increase with usage and so electricity bills can quickly become very expensive in Sri Lanka. Due to having some eye-wateringly large electricity bills in the past, and for environmental reasons, I want to encourage you to use energy conservatively. I therefore decided to include a free daily allocation of 50 units (kilowatt hours) but charge a heavy usage tariff of Rs100 for each additional daily unit used on top of this. This is a generous daily allocation so you would normally pay nothing extra.
Do you have wifi broadband internet?
Yes we do and it is generally freely available but you can't get unlimited access packages in Sri Lanka so your useage should remain within 3Gb per day. This is plenty for normal usage but not for streaming videos, etc. Any additional usage will be charged at Rs2,000 per additional 10Gb.
How long does it take to get to you from Colombo Airport?
The beach house is 110km south of the airport and recently-opened expressways now make the journey possible within 2 hours.
Can you arrange airport transfers?
Yes, but this is a local service arranged by Mahinda and not included in your booking fee. All vehicles are air-conditioned and have seat belts. Prices depend upon the type of vehicle you require for your group but a car for 2 or 3 people would cost US$95 (3 people with light luggage), US$110 for a van for 4 to 6 people. If there are more than 6+ in your group or you have lots of luggage, you might need to hire a large mini-bus for US$165.
How far is the nearest restaurant?
There are plenty of restaurants within a very short walk up and down the beach. The rooftop restaurant at the Riff Hotel, just 50 metres along the beach, is a particularly nice place for sushi and sunset cocktails.
Where is the nearest supermarket?
The nearest supermarket is 1.5km north of the beach house. The nearest shop for you to get basic provisions is just 300 metres away at Thiranagama Junction. There is an easy walk along the railway path to get to it.
How much do things cost locally?
Take a look at this really handy guide for a good approximation.
How far away is the nearest surf break?
The main surf break is about 1km north of the beach house, which is an easy stroll up the beach even with a surfboard under your arm!
Is the ocean safe to swim in?
No! The ocean directly in front of the house is too dangerous to swim in. Just enjoy the calming effect of watching the waves crash in front of you and use the swimming pool instead. For calmer ocean swimming, you'll need to go to the coral sanctuary in Hikkaduwa or along the coast a bit further. This can easily be arranged through Mahinda.