Golden Rainbow Guesthouse — Hotel in Sri Lanka

My best stay in Sri Lanka! And the area around is a very wonderful area! I loved this place so much that I extended two times and stayed a whole week.

It is a quiet guesthouse in the green at the bottom of a beautiful rock and it is perfect located to discover this beautiful area - maybe the most beautiful area in Sri Lanka.

I loved the singhalese breakfast at the Golden Rainbow that is very value (and included in the very reasonable roomrates).

And I recommend to ask for dinner at this place because the family cooks real good autentic singhalese food.

If you love to do meditation or yoga you will find here the very best place in the shade between wonderful trees - just go directly a few footsteps up the hill.

My suggestions what to do there:

In walking distance of the guesthouse you will find... the famous cave temple (and its rock to climb up) a beautiful green area friendly people and many possibilities to get in contact with them a Cricket field with locals you can join (or just to watch) the guesthouse is located down at an beautiful rock - a small mountain that you can climb up to the top (please don´t do it from the guesthouse, just walk the dusty way next to the guesthouse and you will find a natural, more easy and beautiful way up with great views!)

Kumara (the host) has 2 bicycles that he gives you for free to explore the beautiful area and to get in contact with the friendly people who lives around.

In a nice tuk-tuk-distance you can find... Sigiriya Rock (but I recommend to go up Pidurangala Rock) Pidurangala Rock (next to Sigiriya Rock, but much more nice) Polonnaruwa Pink Quarz Mountains (= mountains of pure Rose Quartz!) 2 lakes for a good swimming (or just to splash with kids) aryurvedic treatment (not at Golden Rainbow but in the area) and really much more.

Do your tuk-tuk trips with Anura, the best tuk-tuk driver ever and he will show you around on very nice streets (not the stinky roads) and brings you in contact to the lifestyle of Sri Lanka! Kumara tells you how to get Anura, but tell him soon because Anura is busy and I recommend him very much :-)

Please note: This place is the best for friendly people who are kind and heartful. It is not a 4 stars hotel: The shower in the woodhouse has not a good waterpressure and something else also can not be perfect.

Again: I stayed there 1 week - and it was not enough to explore the richness of this place. I was 1 month in Sri Lanka and this was the best place I stayed in this time. I loved the nature, watched the monkeys, made bicycle tours (on the easy dusty roads and pathways) and explored the area with Anura the tuk-tuk driver.

If you are looking for something heartwarming and you want to get in contact with this beautiful country...don´t miss Dambulla!

Also: The climate is very nice here - it´s warm but not too hot. And at this place there were just a few mosquitos - so I slept one night outside under the stars without a mosquito net and I didn´t get one mosquito bite.

PS: The city center of Dambulla is nothing worth at all except you can also meet interesting local people and there are all facilities that you may need (banks, post, shops, busses... whatever). To get into the city you can take a cheap tuk-tuk or a bicycle or a walk (I recommend a tuk tuk, because the way into the center is just a big road and...

We had a great stay at this beautiful place! Where to start...

Host: The host family is incredibly friendly, caring and accommodating. The host, Kumara, gave us valuable tips when we arrived and quickly organized a scooter for our tour to Sigiriya and a safari in the Eco Park (which was great to spot Elephants!). Spacial requests and questions were answered immediately and we just felt incredibly welcome at this place.

Location: The location is also great for sightseeing and as a starting point for tours and onward travel to Kandy. In the middle of nature with a beautifully maintained garden and very clean and tidy rooms. A bit away from the "centre" of Dambulla (which this is not worth seeing anyway). From the guesthouse you can easily walk to the Rock Cave Temple. The bus to Kandy stops right on the main road nearby (Kumara helps you to catch it :)). If you do need to go to Dambulla center, Kumara quickly organizes a tuk tuk or you can find one on the main street.

Meals: It seems there are no (good) restaurants within walking distance, but Dambulla generally has a rather limited selection (we checked it out when we had the scooter). However, on the last evening after returning from the safari, the hostess cooked us a super delicious Rice & Curry for a reasonable price - so you don't need to go out for dinner and can just have it at their place! We were also given free fruit all the time! Breakfast was exceptionally good: a huge assortment of different specialties, fruit, juice, & tea - and all freshly made at the time we wanted.

All in all a great experience! Thank you...

I had a truly lovely experience staying here! The host was incredibly kind and attentive, making me feel welcome from the very first moment. Both breakfast and dinner were delicious, prepared with fresh and tasty local ingredients — a real treat!

The wooden accommodation is very charming and cozy, with a warm and rustic atmosphere. Although there is no air conditioning, the space remained comfortable, just slightly warm at times.

Overall, I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an authentic and relaxing experience. A perfect blend of hospitality, good food, and...