Sri Lanka Yoga Retreats

What an amazing hotel for kids and families. The grounds are well maintained and beautiful with a pristine golf course. Nature is all around

Excellent staff and room. Food was too blend, no space to hang out except the room, and very hard chairs in the restaurant. Also expect possibility for buying alcohol on an expensive hotel like this. Response was first that this was due to not having license, and this might be in place for our next visit. Later it turned out it was due to the Ayurveda concept. Frustrating that management kept changing the reasoning. There is indication on hotels.com this was a non-alcoholic hotel.

Talalla Retreat is marketed as a serene oceanfront wellness escape. Unfortunately, my experience did not align with that image. I prepaid for a Sea View Category Room. Upon arrival, I was shown to a room in a separate “new” building far from the sea, facing jungle greenery with a shared balcony. It did not reflect what most guests would reasonably expect from a sea view booking. When I raised this immediately, I was told there were no alternatives available. The options were to accept the room, move after two days to a non-AC open-air room, or cancel with a 20% late cancellation fee. After lengthy discussions, I chose not to stay. The main payment was refunded, but the cancellation fee was retained. The overall atmosphere felt commercial rather than retreat-like. Meals were buffet-only and did not appear particularly appetising. Some areas lacked the level of cleanliness and maintenance one would expect from a wellness-focused property. Staff were polite but inflexible, and the resolution process felt policy-driven rather than guest-centred. If you are attending a structured retreat and prioritise location over accommodation standards, it may suit you. However, if booking independently based on the marketing imagery, clarify the exact room location and view in advance. The natural setting is beautiful — the operational experience needs refinement.

We enjoyed our stay at Kahanda Kanda. It is a small resort and on arrival were shown to our room, the Garden room which was nice on first impression. However we woke to find ants all over our bed which was not acceptable. Housekeeping promptly changed the bedding but within half an hour they were back so we were moved for our second night to the Mango room. There was no comparison between the two rooms as the first had been dark with no view and the second was lighter with a veranda overlooking the tea plantation. We felt happier with the change and it was thankfully ant free! Breakfast was lovely sitting overlooking the jungle and watching wild monkeys swinging through the trees. Food was ok with a set menu or à la carte. We were transferred to the sister hotel KK Beach by tuk tuk for a few nights to finish our holiday and guests have the option of going to the beach resort for the day. It is nice you can alternate between the two.