Riverside Inn Fuji

Choosing Sri Lanka for our joint birthday holiday, my 21 year old daughter and I ended our first week of touring with a second week to relax in Bentota. As two female travellers, personal safety was important to us and this small, family-run Riverside Inn seemed to fit the bill. We arrived to a clean, cool and spacious room with two big beds, floor to ceiling windows, lots of lighting, storage space, a fridge, ceiling fans, air-con and a private balcony with an impressive view across the river and overlooking the immaculate garden, which the family are up early tending to every morning. The hosts are a very welcoming couple who invited us to dine with them and offer any advice or services, including Tuk-Tuks, airport transfers and even medical assistance, at preferential local rates. Fresh, generous breakfast served surrounded by wild, flowering trees, tropical birds, mongoose, squirrels and a friendly cat. The gate is locked at night so the property is very secure and the family live in the other half of the building and will greet you as you go out and when returning, great for female travellers, like a home from home. At night, we watched the fireflies from the balcony during dramatic thunder and lightening storms always followed by hot, sunny days. The inn is also child-friendly and after a few days on the daily walk to Bentota, families from neighbouring houses and shopkeepers waved at us as we passed in this friendly neighbourhood. When our flight was cancelled due to airport strikes, our hosts were very accommodating in letting us stay an extra five days for a great rate, saving us the time and trouble of moving elsewhere. If you want a tranquil place and space to chill out, a safe haven and to be looked out for in Bentota by a friendly and helpful family, whilst also staying a 10 minute walk from the waves at Bentota beach, you couldnt do better than to stay here. It's no surprise that many guests return here again and again :)

The property was well maintained, the territory is clean. Very! quite location near the river Bentota. 15 min walk from the beach. But you can ask to call for tuc-tuc or cath it near the house. Beach is very long with fine sand and not big waves (in February). Ou can take two sunbeds under umbrella for 1000 rp. per day. There are sunny spaces ans shadow spaces in the inner yard of the house. So you can stay on sunbeds there if you dont want to go on the beach. We stayed on the ground floor in a left side of the building with a glass door to the garden, it looks like a fairy tale) It was quite, we never heard the neighbors. We never experienced any mosquitoes in February. The room had a king bed and two twinbeds put together, and still there was enough space for three people to rest in the room. Fridge in the room. Big bottle of water every day and whenever you may need it. Several euro power sockets. A very powerful air conditioner and two fans on the ceiling. On the third night it was ok to sleep only with fans on as you get used to heat on the island. Room cleaned every day, very tactfully, new towels every day, which was wonderful, as they never get dry during the day due to humidity on the island. Well made bathroom with a window to the garden. The owner takes care of his plants himself, so the area is very green. His spouse is a very pleasant woman, as well as himself, they gave us some very useful advice regarding our further travel plans. Breakfast was very good, omelette, toasts with butter and jam, fruit smoothie and a fruit plate, coffee. Yes, it is the same every day, but you will not be hungry after it for sure and keep in mind that it isnt a big hotel with a lot of staff, but the owners family makes and serves breakfast (7$ per person) themselves, which is very cosy and personal. We are grateful for the attitude to us and definitely would stay again while visiting Bentota. My warm regards to Kumar and his kind family!)