Indika's Residence — Hotel in Galle

Indika's residence is a fantastic place to stay. I would definitely go back and recommend it to anyone. The location is 10-15 minutes away from Galle fort (the touristy area) I liked this because you feel like you are away from the hutsle and bustle. There are two rooms - be sure to ask for the one with outdoor shower if you prefer that; the other room has a bathroom that is across the hall, though it is still a private bathroom.||||Indika is a wonderful host and I would recommend talking to him about his personal life and experiences. He is a hard worker and will give you insights into Sri Lankan culture and overall is a good conversationalist. His wife and kids are also very friendly and welcoming. If you are planning a trip to Sri Lanka just book this hotel and leave everything else for booking while you are there. While we were there we set up a safari tour through Indika's friend and it was a stress free process.||||Indika and his staff are very helpful and he will set up tuk tuk rides around the city - this will all be billed to you at the end of your stay, but it was a decent price ($5 round trip IIRC). The breakfast is made fresh everyday and consisted of egg sandwiches, tea/coffee, fruit, and toast. It is definitely more food than you can finish in one sitting.||||Indika is very knowledgable about the area and will give you honest advice about what to see and how much it should cost, just ask him and tell him what you are interested in.||||Indika's resort is an absolute must do! It was a little pricey to stay there, so we opted to stay at his home and get tuk tuk rides to the resort (about 5 minutes by tuk tuk) there is an infinity pool surrounded by nature. Monkeys run around along with peacocks and other wildlife. It is a very nice resort they will make fresh drinks while you lounge either in a beach chair under the umbrella, in the pool, or in a hammock. I would plan on setting aside at least a half day to spend at the resort.||||I'm not sure how often Indika offers special dinners at the resort, but we did have christmas eve dinner here and it was beyond imagination. Indika is so involved in all the details it is unbelievable. The dinner was $50 per plate, which is pretty steep by Sri Lankan standards, but well worth the price. The dinner only had 4 tables and he brought traditional Sri lankan dancers and fire breathers. They come right up to the table and involve you it was totally unexpected. The food was also excellent; I would recommend pacing yourself the first few courses because it is more food than I would consume in a week's worth of dinner - no exaggeration. This meal was 15 courses and included steak, lobster, crab, chicken, shrimp, dessert and more.||||Overall I would give Indika a 10/10. If pressed to give some negative feedback the only things I could say is the bed could be a little more comfortable, and the price of transportation and other amenities could be a little bit more transparent (I couldn't keep tabs and didn't find out the total price until the end of the stay). ||||That being said, these things did not detract from the trip and I constantly find myself talking to people in my everyday life about visiting Sri Lanka and specifically...

We stayed with Indika and his family as paying 'houseguests' over four nights. It was a truly unique and special experience. Indika and his wife are friendly, hospitable and extremely helpful. They did everything possible to make our holiday happy and memorable.||||First, some information about the accommodation. There are two rooms one of which has a large double bed and a fun 'open air' ensuite (walled but open to the sky). The other room has two small double beds and a more conventional bathroom across the landing. The two beds had been pushed together to form a triple bed for my husband, my grown-up daughter and me. This unorthodox and potentially uncomfortable arrangement was not what we were expecting but it worked well enough. Both rooms had ceiling fans and air conditioning. We slept with the air conditioning and could have done with blankets or bedspreads for warmth.||||Breakfast is simple and begins with generous plates of tropical fruit. You can ask for omelettes or scrambled eggs, or you can try a Sri Lankan breakfast of curried fish and string hoppers. The tea is excellent (Indika also runs several tea shops); the coffee could be better.||||Indika has recently opened a small boutique hotel called Ginganga Lodge. It is about 5 mins away via tuk tuk and is gorgeous, set amongst coconut palms and lush tropical vegetation. We were offered the use of the pool and restaurant and had a glorious day relaxing, swimming and enjoying a delicious curried lunch. On another occasion, we had a BBQ feast of fish, calamari, prawns, langoustines and crab, one of the best meals of my life!||||Indika and a friend took us into and out of Galle in their tuk tuks. Indika also offers tours and took us to a tea processing centre, then to see the stilt-fishing along the coast, and finally to the mangrove swamp for a boat-ride to visit two islands, one with a Buddhist temple and another with cinnamon production.||||Indika also arranged our transfers from Colombo Airport to Galle and from Galle to Tangalle. ||||I highly recommend a stay with him, either as his houseguest at Indika's House or at Ginganga Lodge. He is a natural host and displays a proper duty of care...

Absolute gem- wonderful hosts; incredibly beautiful guest house & hotel

I stayed at Indika’s Residence for 2 nights- it was supposed to be only one but the house is so beautiful I extended my stay! Indika and his wife Dineshi have incredible attention to detail. Every ornament and antique in their place is beautiful. There are two bedrooms upstairs- I stayed in the one with the outdoor bathroom which was heavenly. The monkeys outside add to the atmosphere and are so cute!

Breakfast, which was included, was at Indika’s other villa-like hotel; and it was jaw dropping just how beautiful this place also is; open dining and kitchen area next to the pool, cabanas each hidden down different paths, next to a lagoon, and a private place for massages. The place is full of beautiful statues from all over Sri Lanka.

I can’t think of a single thing they could do to improve on their two places - I’ve been visiting Sri Lanka for 22 years and this was one of the nicest places I’ve stayed.

Indika was really attentive (as mentioned by another guest too) and was quick to arrange transport whenever I needed. He also helped me track down good quality but cheap cricket shirts at a local shop!

Really recommend staying at either place, and definitely ask for Sri Lankan breakfast; hoppers, dhal, fresh fruits, mango juice and milk tea.

I will be...