We had an amazing stay at this super friendly, family-run guesthouse! From the moment we booked, the hosts communicated promptly and clearly through WhatsApp, making everything easy and stress-free. They even offered a complimentary pickup from the train station, which was such a thoughtful gesture and really set the tone for the rest of our stay. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed with a refreshing drink—such a nice touch after a long journey! The room was spotless and well-maintained, providing a comfortable and relaxing space. We also had the option to add air conditioning for an extra 500 rupees per night, which was well worth it given the warm weather. The location is perfect—nestled right by the river in a peaceful and serene setting, making it ideal for unwinding and soaking in the natural beauty. Despite being in a tranquil area, it was still conveniently close to everything we needed. Overall, this guesthouse exceeded our expectations in every way. The hospitality of the family running it truly made us feel at home, and I would highly recommend staying here to anyone visiting the area. We would absolutely love to come back in the future!

A bit slow WiFi, but other than that, everything was very good!

Excellent stay, highly recommended. The host Ganga and her team were exceptionally hospitable and saw to our every need with coffee brought to our room as soon as they knew we were awake, delicious breakfast, very clean and spacious bedroom with a shared kitchen for us to use if needed. We really enjoyed being by the river on their pontoon with a cool breeze and plenty of wildlife to observe. Also, we arrived late on a Sunday hungry and tired and Ganga went out of her way to cook a much appreciated delicious omelette and a pot of coffee. Out of our 5 week travels through Sri Lanka this is one of our top 3 stays, very good value for money. 5* accommodation without the price tag!

Such a beautiful home right on the river. The family who runs this homestay are incredibly kind and went out of their way to make us comfortable. The daily breakfast was plentiful and delicious, consisting of omelettes, bread, fruit, fresh juice and tea or coffee. The balcony was a beautiful place to watch the sunset and the room included access to a little kitchen with a kettle so we could make our own pots of tea and coffee. It was the perfect place to rest and explore Bentota.

The shower pressure was quite low

Absolutely stunning views, especially at sunset time. A short bike ride from the beach. My room was very clean and comfortable. The family is so nice and will do everything to help you. Did the river safari and it was great! I’ll definitely come back if I’m in Bentota again.

The staff and the owner were really kind and helped us with all our needs. The location is quiet and beautiful. The Breakfast was really good and we had an amazing fish curry. We also booked a boat tour and saw a lot of animals.

Nothing

I had a very nice time at the Mahi villa, it is a clean comfortable place directly at the river. There is a floating platform on the river to have breakfast, read and work (if you want to).

This is a lovely Villa to stay at as an antidote to the beach situated right on the Bentota river with amazing views out over the water. Property only has a few rooms plus a room with bunk beds too and there is also a kitchen will stocked with pans, utensils,knives and forks etc plus large fridge freezer. Owner very friendly and also a canny business man and if you remember that you can decide on things accordingly. My room was huge and had one of the best beds slept in over the month. Shower good and room spotless. Lovely veranda outside room. Breakfast was good and served in front of the lake. I also ate one evening meal of huge shrimp there too that was also very nice. Whilst there the owner arranged a river safari for me which was great (4000 Rs 2 hrs) through the mangroves and up the river, highly recommend. Highly recommend visiting the Buddhist temple around 30 mins walk away which was deserted apart from myself and a couple of monks and the large Buddha is just a 5 min walk away (watch out for being scammed for taking a picture there by local completely unconnected to statue). Property is too far to far away to use as a base for visiting the beach except by tuk tuk; this is not a beach location more of an antidote to the beach.

nothing really, thoroughly enjoyed my stay.

Comfortable room, great location and friendly helpful staff.

We had a lovely stay at Mahi Villa. The host and family were very nice and we enjoyed our boat trip too. Highly recommend you’ll feel like family

The family received us after a late booking. They were really helpful and nice. The balcony and the view on the river are perfect to start the day. We would come back !