The staff were so warm and welcoming and location was nice and quiet. We did a cooking demonstration with the chef and the food was delicious!

We enjoyed a memorable stay at the Waterside Bentota - the staff were so friendly and went out of their way to help us. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and a special private table was set up overlooking the water. The food and service were both fabulous! We'd certainly stay again.

A delightful property on the bank of the Bentota river with just six rooms arranged in two tiers of three. The upper three have spacious balconies, and the lower three share a terrace next to the pool, which is set in a lovely, peaceful garden. There are plenty of staff and service was attentive without being intrusive. The menu was unusually varied for Sri Lanka (maybe because the owner is English and lives in Spain) so there was no problem in choosing something to eat. Everything worked - wifi, bathroom, fridge etc. We watched eagles circling over the river and a mongoose exploring the garden. We walked into the town centre in about 20 minutes and took a tuk-tuk back for just a few hundred rupees. The hotel also has its own boat and boatman, and he took us on a 2-hour river safari as well as ferrying us to the fabulous and huge Bentota beach. There's a historic Buddhist temple just round the corner, an easy walk, and that's well worth a visit. We were on our honeymoon and this was a perfect spot for us.

An idyllic spot on the river with gentle breezes. The staff are all charming. The Sri Lankan curry in the restaurant is fantastic.

Tres bonnes