KANDU Beach Villa near Hikkaduwa

We were spending 4 weeks over christmas in Villa Kandu. As a family with 2 small kids we had the time of our life. The place, country, people are just much more than what you normally expect. But the cherry on the cake was Upendra & Chandra, every little "problem" they solved, every advise you needed they provided and they treated us in the best way possible. Even after 4 months our two kids still talk about Sri Lanka :) I would suggest to go and discover this treasure

We were there 2-8 March 2016 and enjoyed our stay. Nice place. Pool and beach (safe swimming at nearby cove to the left) were a delight. Chandra and Upendra looked after us, both very pleasant and eager, but we checked their calculation for food and took over the shopping ourselves. Gave them clear orders for dinner and plenty of time off. Their English is somewhat limited and cleaning seems no high priority. We didn't take up any offers from people coming to the house to sell tours (overpriced). We were in House A, because we wanted 3 bedrooms. House B is better and classier. Kitchen and fridge in both houses for your own use. Busses to Galle and Hikkaduwa no problem.

We had the pleasure of staying at Villa Kandu for 12 nights in January 2016. We were two Families so we had the house with 4 bedrooms, house B I think. We were lucky enough to have the owners here at the same time which was lovely and we had some nice evenings on the Terrace having dinner, they had lots of great tips, Like who to go to for best massage , trips to go on and getting the Tuc Tuc do Beer trips (bring back the old bottles and get new ones) for a very small fee !!! . The location is Ideal, Its by a little fishing village ( Dodanduwa ) that has everything you need ( except Alcohol and ATM ) , but its only a short tuc tuc ( 2 or 3 K ) ride away from the busy Hikkaduwa with all the bars .The lads in the TucTucs around Villa Kandu were very reliable and friendly , one of them Bird is a good friend of the owners and staff . He let my two sons drive his tuctuc which was one of the holiday highlights. Its quiet and the locals are so friendly. We bought Fish straight from the fishermen in the village ( with Upendras help ) , and while we were there the kids watched the big water monitors under the bridge( another tip from the owners ). Chandra and Upendra the staff are brilliant, they made breakfast every morning and cooked some amazing meals we had a big BBQ one of the evenings too. They have worked for the owners for more than 20 yrs, so they are very very Reliable and trustworthy . The Views are just stunning(I will never forget the sunsets )and the sounds of the sea and crashing waves. The sea can be rough, so we were advised to swim just down a few meters away by the rocks, but we got in just in front of the house a few times when the waves weren't so big and it was fine. The villa Has a good WiFi . The garden is very private and has lovely shady areas . We really had a blast , can't recommend the villa enough. It really is a very special place.

Booked at the last minute and owner very helpful over the phone and via email. Looked exactly as pictures show except there is perhaps a little more of a mess( litter etc) outside the property than pictures show. Swimming not as good ( or possibly safe ) as in Hikaduwa. Right on the beach and only one property back from road - so suspect back rooms could be a little noisy at nights. Housekeepers were lovely and the food was superb - a little stroll down the beach takes you to a couple of good bars and a tuk tuk ride (250-300 rs) takes you into Hikaduwa. Some small shops selling basics (no beer) right by road out front. We rented the bigger of the two properties and there isn't really a proper third bedroom - it is the sofa made up into a bed down stairs ( no fan or ac). As it happened no one was next door for the first 3/4 nights so the owners kindly and happily let us use the other property as we were two families. The pool was good and clean - only two sun beds ( for two properties sleeping a total of ten!?!?). Not sure we would have liked to have shared with another family for longer. Not equal equipment in each kitchen - but this did not really matter as housekeepers moved between the two easily. Wifi very good.