If you are looking for a nice, comfortable, cheap and relaxed place to stay while visiting the ancient city of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, I can highly recommend to go to the Nilketha Villa Eco Hotel.
The Location
The hotel is located in a quiet area just around 1 kilometer away from the ancient and sacred ruins of Anuradhapura. Many other hotels and resorts are situated more in the inner city wherein this one really is very close to the areas that you want to visit. You can actually have a nice panoramic view of the surrounding rice fields and also see the tips of the Stupas just behind the trees.
In so far the situation is just about perfect when you want to discover the city from there. We could rent bicycles from the hotel and drive around the ruins – a truly fascinating and beautiful way of enjoying the special vibe of the place!
There is not much located around the hotel but you can find some smaller shops and stores just down the road with the bicycle.
The Hotel
The greatest thing for us when we arrived was the friendliness of the people and the fact that they have a nice swimming pool in the garden. We were greeted very warmly and desperately needed a cold drink and a dip in the pool. After all we just had a longer trip behind us with our Tuk-Tuk, all the way from Negombo – check my 10-Day Tuk Tuk Challenge Sri Lanka post about that!
The rooms are kept very simple but offer enough comfort. They are very clean and some also offer a small balcony facing the rice fields behind. If it gets too hot you can also use some air-conditioning to cool down from the heat outside.
Price
Between 35 and 70 USD (around €30-65) per night for a double room.
Apenoni’s Rating
In summary I give 4 out of 5 for this accommodation
The Nilketha Villa Eco Hotel is definitely a very good place to stay when you want to visit the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura and tour the surroundings. The hotel as such is clean, offers decent rooms and has a nice pool in the garden to relax after a long day out. You can rent bicycles for a cheap price and discover the area. The offers usually include a nice breakfast. either European or Sri Lankan style, and you also have the choice of having dinner or lunch in the restaurant.
When we stayed there we were fortunate to be one of the only guests in the hotel, so special attention was given to us. I am not sure how the situation is during the main season but the hotel staff seemed very attentive and friendly at all times.
In total the hotel offers the basic comfort that you can expect but does not offer any further amenities. The rooms are very basic and simple, so don’t expect too much luxury.
In total I would for sure recommend it for any traveler looking for a place to stay in Anuradhapura!