Ranweli Holiday Village

This hotel is only 30-40 minutes from the airport but as you cross the river on a pontoon(only way into hotel) you are transformed into another world. The rooms are basic, but for the length of time you spend in them they are more than adequate, very clean and the room boys do a very special job every day. The food was fabulous, different every night even a barbi on saturday nights and the waiters cant do enough for you. You are not bothered by any sellars on the beach, but I found you do not get much of this in Sri Lanka anyway. To travel around the country is very inexpensive and you see some spectacular sights and around every corner is another smile, the people never stop smiling. The small troulbles that affect Sri Lanka are nowhere to be seen and in the 4 years we have been going we have never seen anything, in fact we perhaps see more of this problem in the UK. More people should think about going to this lovely country and supprt these lovely people

This was our second visit to Ranweli. The only way into the resort is by raft and on seeing it being punted across the lagoon to meet us with its lanterns alight on each corner we realised that Ranweli had not lost any of its magic. Since the tsunami the hotel is now on a small island with the Indian Ocean on one side and a lagoon on the other. The surrounding area is jungle that is teeming with wildlife of all sorts. We stayed in a bungalow that opened onto the broad sandy beach that is bordered with palms and yet was no more than 2 minutes from the restaurant and the bars. There was so much to do exploring the canals, the mangroves and the surrounding area that we hardly noticed that there was no TV. One of the highlights of our stay was going into the local town Negombo and watching the annual Buddhist procession. We were the only tourists amongst 50,000 locals and that's exactly how we like it. Another highlight was a two day visit to Kandy and the Hill Country. This was set up and organised by Anthoney who owns a local bar near the jetty for the raft and he did us proud with expert guide and driver. Don't be put off by Anthoney's sales technique he is very genuine. During our stay we also used local buses, trains and tuk-tuks wherever possible, the cost of these was just a few rupees. The Ranweli gets you close to nature, its definitely not for the person who wants loads of lively night life. However the bars are very reasonably priced if you want to spend hot evenings socialising by the pool. Ranweli is the only hotel we have been back to twice and I think we are highly likely to go again and again and again.

A great place to start to wind down after flying into Colombo as it's so near to the airport. Not a deluxe hotel but has a nice feel to it. The individual cottages are on the beach front and you go to sleep listening to the waves crashing. Do go on one of their cycling tours - they offer ones from 2 - 8 hours - a bit hairy but a great way to see things. A highlight for me was handfeeding a giant squirrel bananas! Food was okay - not fantastic but certainly not bad. The Sri Lankan breakfasts were good. There's not too much around to do so I'd stay here for a 2-3 nights only before moving on.

If you are after an all-inclusive beach holiday this is not the place to go. Having to sign for every single drink and snack was a bit annoying seeing as you have to wear a band as well. Was especially annoying at mealtimes when you have your food in front of you and then have to sign the clipboard. Food was okay, there was not much choice for vegetarians unless you like Sri Lankan food some of which is lovely but was mainly too spicy for me. The room at first glance was lovely and the beds were made up with flowers every day. But we had a lizard and various creepy crawlies in the room and one morning awoke to find lizard poo in our bed!! Didn't sleep too well after that. Also the solar power shower leaked and the clean towels always smelt strongly of damp. However we did have a good holiday here. The ayurvedic centre was excellent, enjoyed a body and face massage. The pool area is lovely and the chipmunks are really cute. We also did one of the boat trips on the river which was well worth it. The staff are all really friendly and always smiling. There is not much to do at night and we often found ourselves the last people up at 11pm. The entertainment was quite good but not many people seemed interested in it. The lobby bar was a nice area to go and chill in the afternoon when it got too hot by the pool. Another highlight was having a king coconut watching the sunset each evening. Overall the location and surroundings were fantastic, had it not been for the creatures in the room and a few more choices at mealtimes we'd have given a higher rating.

Ranweli is a quiet peaceful stunningly beautiful resort that has taken the time and trouble to only use natural materials that enhance the surroundings. Rooms are simple but spacious and easily meet all your needs, care is taken with all cleaning and beds are decorated nightly with flowers and folds, very beautiful. You may find a small lizard sharing your bathroom from time to time but we are living in their space afterall! Maxwell and his team prepare a wide range of good quality food, you would have to be very fussy not to find lots to eat. All the waiters go out of their way to make you feel at home. Staff are willing to spend time chatting but only if you are happy to do so. The spa is wonderful and the staff are very experienced, the full body massage was amazing. I also enjoyed the facial, both very good prices. We changed money at the airport in Colombo, good rates and quite easy and quick to do. However, we changed far too much; Sri Lanka was quite cheap for all trips and shopping with the exception of gems. Ask for small notes all the staff like tips but only if you have good service, the average salary is £69 a month. Cottons and linens are best and the laundry service was first class and very cheap. Book trips out with guides, don't listen to some of the scare stories just use common sense and take advice from the staff at Ranweli. The entertainment was pleasant, only the magician that was not to our personal taste; but you can retire to the pool bar. Highly recommend the elephant orphanage and Kandy tour, dress for ladies cover legs and shoulders. Men trousers to below the knee or be prepared to wear a sarong as my husband did to the amusement of the local men and woman, we had the most beautiful smiles all day. Yes, a very cultural holiday and it makes you value life back home but we had a wonderful time. If I go again I would take pencils for the children, they only get one from the Government and many parents can not afford to buy more. Enjoy the place and the people as we did. Sue and Phil

We stayed at the Ranweli as the first week of our honeymoon in September 2005. The location is great, near the big city if you want the buzz but far enough away to have peace, quiet and the tranquility of a seluded resort. The rooms are average and could do with some updating. We booked a beach view room through our agent but on arrival this was unavailable so two days in we had the opportunity to move room. as we had unpacked and had got settled we decided to stay where we were. The hotel has a nice little pool with plenty of recliners for people and a nice pool side bar. The beach is small and at the time of year we went the sea was too rough to swim in it but it may be calmer other times of the year. My one main criticism for this resort was the poor choice and quality of the vegetarian food. As this is an asian country I expected plenty of choice with asian food e.g veg curry etc but found the hotel mainly catered for the western pallette particularly the german customers. For vegetarians the choice was vegetarian lasagne for three nights!! Ranweli is a good place to explore places like Kandy. We hired a driver and visited Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth. If I re-visited the hotel I would make sure I hired the driver from just outside the hotel parking lot as I found you could get them at half the price the hotel reps charged. You also get dropped of at lots of minor attractions ont he way to your destination and asked to buy lots of souveniers. After a long day in Kandy and travelling it gets a little tiresome and you have to insist you want to head back tot he hotel. Like many asian countries, particularly where there is high poverty you get asked a lot for money. For the local children we bought soem sweets and pencils which semed to go down well and meant that you didn't run out of cash! I don't think I would return tot he hotel, the food was poor but Sri Lanka was a great destination.

Was here last August and wrote a positive review then and thankfully there is no need to change anything that I wrote at that time. Of course, tourism is suffering badly due to the political issues that continue to bedevil this island but you would not know anything of them as the Ranweli is really away from it all. We really enjoyed there being fewer tourists but of course the staff suffer as their commission and tips are badly affected. We requested the same bungalows as we had last time as one of us is disabled and our request was granted without quibble. It is clear the Ranweli treasures returnees and you get to plant a tree with your name on it after 5 visits. Perhaps our only caveat was the Chairman's relatives staying for the Vesak weekend and the staff suffered from the usual arrogance of people who consider themselves connected, monied VIPs. Not good to watch. The swimming pool area continues to have engaging wildlife: three stripe squirrels and myna birds which hope for nibbles but this year the pool bar sported a sign asking guests not to feed them...apparently someone complained and described them as 'pests', how sad is that? Of course the crows are a nuisance but then again they are very intelligent birds who fill a niche in the food disposal business. There is a family of giant squirrels who come to be fed at the wildlife office, they love bananas and they must be amongst the most engaging creatures I have ever seen. The Ranweli is monkey free so at least you don't have to guard your possesions against these. It makes a great base for travelling, much better placed for the "cultural triangle" Kandy, Newara Eliya and Colombo than many of the other resort areas south of Colombo. You might hear one plane a day at the very most and its only 40 mins to the airport. This is an oasis with great staff, good food in the buffet style and in tranquil surroundings. We will undoubtedly go again.

The Ranweli offers a peaceful retreat where you truly feel you are getting away from it all. The bungalows are basic but comfortably furnished - with fresh towels and flowers replenished daily. No TV (great - but some people may miss this), just piped in music of various genres, also it didn't bother us but fridges and safes must be hired and incur a separate charge. The bathroom is fairly large and the showers are hot and reasonably powerful. I had forgotten my hairdryer and although they are not provided in rooms, housekeeping sent one along immediately for the duration of our stay. By far the best aspect is opening your patio doors and being moments from the beach - lovely to just sit on an evening watching the sun go down. The beach itself is a little rough under foot - but covered in stunning shells. The sea is really too rough to swim in, but there's almost 1km of beach to stroll - or jog! - along. The pool is large with plenty of sunloungers and again, fresh towels daily. The bar is just adjacent and serves delicious fresh fruit juices, king coconuts & other drinks, including bottled water, plus snacks (toasties, fries etc) after 3pm. (Even on an all-inclusive package if you want something from the snack menu before 3pm you have to pay, but it's not much more than £1.50). Beware of eating beside the pool - the cute squirrel family can become annoying as they constantly beg for food in this area. The food is extremely varied and delicious with a good choice at every meal, including local and international dishes, with choices for meat eaters and veggies alike. They also use lots of fresh produce - from the Ranweli's own vegetable plots and should you not find anything you like - though this would be unlikely! - the chefs are happy to make something to your request. The only thing there's a slight shortage of is fresh seafood, but there's so much choice you are unlikely to miss it too much. We did spoil ourselves with a seafood meal which cost around £10 each and featured a 4 course set menu plus a glass of local wine and was served to us on a private table on the beach - v romantic, plus the biggest prawns you have ever seen!! There was a different theme each night for the buffet dinner - Italian, Chinese, etc. The room service menu looked OK, but again, is not included on the All-Inc package - it's very reasonably priced though. The all inclusive package does not include ANY wine - local or imported, so if you are a wine drinker you may want to bear this in mind. However, it's relatively cheap - we paid around £12 for a decent South African Chenin Blanc. Water is freely available, and the all-inc package covers juices, bottled water, local beer and local spirits plus mixer - arrack, vodka, rum, gin & brandy only. The bar closes up at 12 prompt but they are happy for you to take a couple of extra drinks before 12. The entertainment is OK - live bands, magic show, limbo, etc over fairly quickly and if it's not your cup of tea you can just sit by the pool bar and chill out until it ends. Daytime activities include canoeing or taking a pedalo or motor boat along the river to see the water monitors, birds, etc. There's also a tennis court, squash court, (equipment provided, free on the AI packages)& volleyball. We were disappointed that the yoga & meditation program advertised on the website seemed to be apparently unheard of by the guest relations staff and it took several days before a session could be arranged - this cost an extra £8 or so per person and wasn't really worth it if you are into yoga - wait until you get home!! The eco-tour around the grounds was good - the guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and it's a good opportunity to learn more about the grounds and the animals - birds, monitors, bats, huge squirrels & the deer - who make it their home. There's also an Ayurvedic Centre which was not too expensive compared to the UK, but a complete rip-off compared to a place we went to in Kandy prior to our Ranweli visit!! The staff were absolutely wonderful - always friendly, smiling and very attentive - everybody says "hello" to you as you walk around the complex. We had the pleasure of meeting the CEO who was genuinely inspiring and happy to share his knowledge with guests. In contrast the reception and guest relations staff were less friendly and helpful, but this didn't spoil our visit in any way, as we had no problems. There's a small gift shop and souvenir shop on site, plus two jewellery shops. If you go across the river using the hotel raft (takes 2minutes, max) there's another small souvenir shop owned by a real character 'Anthony', where you can haggle for your carvings, sarongs, etc. We also arranged our taxi through him back to the airport which was half the price of the hotel taxi (about £7). We stayed in Kandy first and did most of the major tours from there - if you are doing them from Ranweli bear in mind that you will spend ALOT of time in your taxi/tourbus!! If you plan any tours try and do them over the weekend as the locals visit Ranweli for the day Sat/Sundays and totally take over the restaurants and pool. All other days of the week it is quiet and peaceful all day, every day. Finally, best place to change your money into rupees from Sterling is in the airport - and we found that was the best value. Other people we met had had lots of hassle changing money at the hotel (bad rate too) and US dollars are not widely used. Best bet is to change enough at the airport for your whole stay, although if you are AI at Ranweli and don't plan to go much further afield you will need very little in cash anyway. Just remember to ask for smaller denominations as even a small tip is really appreciated by the staff out there. All in all, a wonderful place - I would recommend and would definitely return.

Well what can I say, apart from it has got to be the most peaceful, retreat in the world. When you arrive at the airport in Sri Lanka, it is hot and noisy (the drivers live on their horns). On the drive to Ranweli our driver stopped and introduced us to the refreshing joys of King Coconut milk and the small, sweet Sri Lankan bananas. Delicious. Then as you are driven up this little dirt track and suddenly you are faced with a river, where you are punted across on a tiny ferry and suddenly the peace surrounds you and the beauty of the forest overwhelms you. Once across the river (about 30 seconds) you are greeted by a cold drink and the friendliest, smiliest people I have ever met. Everyone is dressed in sarongs of the brightest colours and then you are taken to your bungalow. Ours was the best by far, number 114, 20 yards from the waves of the Indian ocean. The rooms are beautifully decorated with wooden furniture and an open to the stars bathroom. When we drew back the curtains we were lost for words. There right in front of you is the Indian Ocean. At this time of the year, it is pretty angry and too rough to swim in (do your sea stuff during your second week in the Maldives like we did). The beach was deserted. The shells on the beach are amazing and the walk to the pool from the bungalow is a couple of sandy moments away. Food at Ranweli is fab. Especially if you like curries. There is a great selection, every mealtime, there are salads, main courses, a chef cooking fresh dishes and lots of deserts and fruit. The service is second to none, without being too intrusive and everyone smiles ALL the time. Whilst there Ranweli was only about half full ( I think there are about 70 rooms and there were only about 40 rooms in use except for the weekend when it gets a bit noisier cos all the Sri Lankans come for the buffet lunch). We did a fab 2 hour boat trip down the river. It cost us £8 for the two of us, and we saw kingfishers, water monitors and other river life. We also did a two-day trip thru our tour operator, which cost about £180. We visited the elephants (amazing), the gem factory (interesting, but beware of the hard-sell in the show room), the spice garden (lovely massage, but again be aware of the goods that are unpriced – we almost got stung for £180 for a few lotions and potions), the Tea Plantation (fascinating and in the most beautiful countryside), Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth (amazing),The Botanical Gardens (like a Sri Lankan version of Kew Gardens) and Naralyia (not spelt correctly) otherwise known as Little England which is up in the hills. Beware – this journey took 6 hours on an unmade road made up of hair-pin bends (not enjoyable) and very tiring. Other people we spoke to did a one day trip which sounded less arduous. We also took out a pedalo and travelled up and down the river, which made us feel like intrepid explorers in the jungle. Great fun, and good exercise for those thigh muscles. The evening entertainment in Ranweli was great fun, there were Sri Lankan dancers, a magician and a singing duet. Entertainment is in the main bar area at about 9.30 each night. There is a pool side bar which is lovely to sit in in the evenings. The weather was glorious with a lovely constant breeze. We spent lots of time in the pool cooling off. And both bath towels and beach towels are provided. There is internet access, money changing facilities and safety deposit boxes available. Ranweli feels like a real peaceful retreat. It makes you feel calm and tranquil and really “away from it all” and the countryside of the country is really breathtaking and well worth seeing. Every day there are plants and flowers on display for you to learn about. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff. There are fresh flowers in the room every day and flower arrangements on the bed. You have a room-boy who looks after you. There are also gardeners who will take you on a tour around the riverside mini-jungle, pointing out squirrels and wildlife. Change your money into Sri Lankan rupees at arrival at Columbo, tho you won’t need much. We used our rupees for tips and travellers cheques for our tour. We did take malaria tablets and will continue for the next few weeks or so. We didn’t get bitten at Ranweli but did a few times when we were travelling about. So better to be safe than sorry. Five days certainly wasn’t enough for us, and we hope to go back one day.

Great place to stay. but be prepared to not get booked accomodation for the first couple of nights. Always seems to be overbooked and you will probably have to spend 2 nights in a room you may feel not quite up to standard. But after 2 days we stayed in a beach bungalow not much more than 30 feet from indian ocean. Hassle management to get your room though its worth it. Staff friendly and hotel and rooms kept clean. food samy but nice and hot. Despite initial setback with room this was one of the best holidays we have had and will certainly go back.