Ananthaya Beach

Our stay at Ananthaya Beach on March 29th, 2025, was a fantastic last-minute decision after we changed our travel plans from Sigiriya. We were immediately greeted with a lovely refreshing juice, and the caretakers set a wonderfully relaxed tone. Understanding how tired we were after waking up at 4 am for Yala Safari, they let us get to our room right away without asking for passports immediately – so accommodating! The room itself was spacious with calming sea views and was conveniently close to the pool. Swimming with my partner and seeing a firefly for the first time was a truly magical and romantic moment. The food was another highlight! Our dinner on the first night was so good that we didn't hesitate to have lunch there the next day as well. Huge compliments to the chef – the meals were great, and it was nice to even see the fresh seafood they had sourced. What really stood out was the incredibly welcoming and trusting nature of the caretakers. They kindly allowed us a very late checkout around 1:30 pm, which made us feel completely at ease and valued. Our only regret was that we couldn't stay longer due to a non-cancellable booking in Tangalle. The single minor hiccup was a tuk-tuk driver, arranged via the hotel, who tried to charge us extra. Despite that small point, I wholeheartedly recommend Ananthaya Beach! It was a genuinely comfortable and welcoming stay.

What a fantastic hotel, amazing setting overlooking the Indian Ocean. Quiet location ideal for chilling out while visiting Sri Lanka. Accommodation was clean and provided for all our needs. Food in stunning open restaurant was authentic Sri Lankan. Would love to return in the future.

We stayed here for three nights and absolutely loved it. The view from your balcony and the pool area is to die for, it’s really something. The staff and owner are really friendly and can’t do enough for you, they just want you to have a nice time. They are great! Our room was perfectly fine, nothing fancy, just a big high ceilinged room, that was very clean and all we needed, it slept two adults and two young kids - admittedly the youngest had to sleep in with us. As they only provide a king size bed and one single. Not sure if you can request an extra bed but for three nights we more than comfortable. The pool and loungers are really nice. The kids loved the pool and seeing the wildlife too. The sunrise here is spectacular but the way. The food was ok - breakfast was included and there’s a varied choice and dinner is from a menu and it’s ok, very cheap, but quite small portions. A family of four can eat for £25/£30 We choose to eat out a couple of times and that’s nothing more than a short Tuk Tuk ride away. I also highly recommend the local bird sanctuary - what a day out that was. We didn’t venture out too far on the beaches as the dogs (lots) scared our kids, they seemed perfectly harmless but the barking frightened our little ones. They seemed quite territorial. The owner of hotel assured us they don’t bite, but sadly our kids and us to be honest felt a bit intimidated by them. We would 100% stay here again and I think 3 nights is about right if you are foodies like us. Thanks for their wonderful hospitality and we hope to return one day.