Reviews of Rock Pool Residence

The host really made our stay so special. Immediately we were greeted with a smile and offered a coconut each, which were absolutely delicious! The room was spacious and very clean with everything we needed! The room was quite hot but the ceiling fan did the job! The accommodation is only a few minutes walk to the beach, which was very quiet and absolutely beautiful. We had a delicious breakfast prepared by the host. A proper Sri Lankan feast, with tea/coffee, hoppers, dahl, sambol and fruit from his own garden! The host stayed to chat to us about his life which was lovely and very interesting. His welcoming nature was what really made our stay. He then offered to drive us all the way to our next stop in Hiriketiya and even stopped off at the blow hole on the way. This was extremely generous of him as it was close to an hour long journey. A beautiful stay and one we will remember for a long time!!

No WiFi in the bedroom but this wasn’t too much of an issue. The WiFi in the reception area worked great!

The host was kind and helpful. The room and bathroom were huge. Breakfast was copious and quite tasty. If you are there in the low season, don't hesitate to ask the lovely owner for dinner as very few places are open for food service. The location is far from town and far from the bus station, but it is ideal if you just want to walk on the beach and to see turtles at night (during the season). It is less than a 5 min walk to the beach.

Super friendly host, right next to the beach and lagoon. Had everything I needed (mosquito net, fan, hot water) and was a very comfortable stay :)

The host was amazing, dropped me to a bus station with his tuktuk

Everything was perfect, very clean and nice place, close to the beach, yummy breakfast, great staff, no airco, but the fan was doing well.

Samith and his cousin gave us the warmest welcome. The guesthouse has a beautiful garden and the rooms are all you need: clean, a good bed and a balcony. It is just a short walk to a long stretch of white sand & palm trees beach, swimming not everywhere possible though. We were even lucky to go on a night walk on the beach and see turtles! Around are some restaurants and other places, but it is quite "remote". Thus a perfect place to wind down. Samith is a good cook as well!

The only mistake was that we stayed only one night. We would have loved to explore the surroundings a bit more and relaxed in the guesthouse.

The owner of the place is a really nice guy, really helpful and easy going. Also the food is excellent, the chef samith made sure all of our wishes were met and even more! He prepared extra vegan meals for us and they were amazing! The rooms (we extended and stayed in two different ones) were really clean and had nice beds. We really enjoyed the calm and quiet atmosphere. Also it’s really close (2min walk) to the beach which is really nice and not too touristic. It was hard to swim there due to heavy waves, but not sure if it was because of weather conditions at that time.

One of my favorite places that I stayed at during my time in Sri Lanka. The family who owns the place is super friendly, the garden very beautiful & the rooms spacious and clean. I had a super tasty breakfast & the beach is just 2 min walking distance. I can only recommend staying there! :)

Great place in a great location. The room was big and clean on the top floor. Had plenty of space to put clothes. The gardens were beautiful. Was only a 1 minute walk if that to the gorgeous clean quiet beach. Was so quiet on a night and slept really well. The owner was lovely and friendly and so helpful. He Had a tuk tuk and can take you to places for a very good price. Originally booked for 2 nights but ended up staying 5. Didn’t want to leave in the end. There’s some great local restaurants around and a supermarket not far away. Would definitely come back and I’m sad to leave 😢 felt at home here.

Nothing

I really enjoyed my stay here! The owners were very friendly and helpful and made sure I had everything that I needed while respecting my privacy. Their food is also very tasty with great portions! The cabana was really cute and I loved sitting on the terrace admiring the garden and listening to the wildlife! I saw monkeys, monitor lizards and lots of birds! The property is a really short walk (5 mins) to the beach where you can swim safely.

It is rustic, so there were a few insects etc, but I didn’t mind - it’s a tropical location so I expected it! Bring mozzie spray and burn a coil and you’ll be fine.

We stayed for 3 nights and were sad to leave. The owner and his staff were very friendly, from the first moment we could tell he has a good heart! The room was unbelievably cheap but had everything we needed. Two comfortable beds with mosquito nets, a ceiling fan, a terrace with chairs, even hot water. The guesthouse is located a short walk from the beach, you only walk 2 minutes and you're there... The owner helped us with different things (like organizing a big Tuk Tuk that took us all the way to Ella). We were traveling with our 3 year old daughter and the owner and his staff were very friendly with her and gave her little extras for breakfast like a banana or some cake ;) Breakfast was not included, but very affordable and tasty. We hope we'll be back one day!

Objectively, there is little to complain about: the room was clean and big. The food was good. The beach is only 1 minute walk away (swimmable but barely). Laundry was done. (If I have to complain - we ordered breakfast for 8 am and it didn't arrive until 8:45).

Yet, we weren't impressed. The staff spoke little English so it was difficult to communicate, but eventually we did get everything done. In general, the staff was very slow with everything

Great owner with amazing family story... Good accomodation with nice breakfast. It's just 5 minute walk to the beautiful beach and beach bars. Right behind the corner there is also a very good spa and massage place. I would come back to Rock Pool definitely!

This was my third time staying in Tangalle and this was best accommodation I stayed in in this area. Everything was absolutely perfect. The place is really close to the beach, you can hear the soft sound of the sea from your room which is so nice and relaxing. The accommodation itself is spacious and clean, bed is really comfortable . I stayed in upper room with beautiful terrace. In night you can enjoy beautiful sky full of stars and take night walk to the beach. I enjoyed really nice breakfast in rock pool, believe me that you won't find anything cheaper around, so save yourself time 😄 You can use owners kitchen if you like and store your groceries in the fridge. Owner its really nice person, always does the best for you and absolutely respects your privacy. Thank you so much! Totally recommend and if Im coming back to Tangalle, I will definitely choose this accommodation:)

We stayed in the wooden cabana for 4 nights in March and really enjoyed our stay. The beach is just 1 minute away (not for swimming but with breathtaking views), a small store and bike rental is 10 minutes away. The area is calm, full of beautiful birds, there are peacocks walking around. There’s lots of local restaurants in the area. This property offers amazing local breakfast for a good price. The owner is helpful and very friendly. For us the fan was enough for staying cool in the night.

Wonderful location, 2 minute walk to the beach. This place is also underrated for its view and feel. We stayed in the private wooden bungalow and had the most comfortable experience, ending up extending our stay. Kumar, our host, was super nice and helpful and is a great cook. His breakfast was exceptionally good and affordable. If you’re lucky he’ll get you a refreshing coconut from his garden ;)

Rangithk is a friendly and helpful host. Its a Very quiet place near the beach and lagoon, 100m. I sah turtles on the beach, cause the turtle project is close by with friendly guys. It was the cleanest room of all my 5 weeks travel... You can rent canoe in 50m distance for 1000 lkr and scooter at the supermarket for 2000 lkr per day. The host also offered me to rent his tuk tuk..he also drove me to my next home for little money... I can recommend it at all...

Was a super nice place, quiet, few minutes to walk to the amazing beach. Host was super kind, even helped me to get a taxi to tangalle town. Price is unbeatable. Also it is a family business, I would always prefer it to an Investment buiss/chain.

We loved our stay at Rock Pool Residence! We planned to stay three nights and ended up staying for 5, because we felt so relaxed and safe there! The host is an amazing man, who is really caring and helpful. He offered us to stay after one night in the upstairs room, which is bigger and a more luxury - though we also loved the cabana!! - and offered us everyday a different, super super tasty breakfast! We gonna miss it! The cabana and the two other rooms are located in a big, beautiful garden, which surrounds you with calmness and the sounds of nature. Everything is really tidy and made with a lot of love! With a 2 min. Walk you can go to the beach, where we swam everyday - it was our highlight, because the large beach was nearly without tourists, only had some bars and we could completely slow down. Thank you so much, we really hope to come back one day!!

We had the most wonderful stay at Rock Pool Residence! Meeting our host Kumar was unforgettable. He has such a warm personality, such a moving life story and he works so hard to give his guests everything they need. Rock Pool Residence is only a three minute walk to the beautiful beach. Turn left and the beaches are pristine and very quiet. Turn right and you’ll walk towards the more busy beaches of Tangalle, lined with restaurants. Best of both worlds! We had the privilege to stay in both the cabana and the upstairs balcony room. We originally booked the cabana and we found it to be pleasant, simple and so cute. From your private veranda you can watch all the beautiful birds, peacocks, squirrels and the occasional monkey in the luscious garden. Mind you, if you are tall, the bed might be on the shorter side for you. The balcony room has just been redone, is more luxurious, has a big bed and bathroom and is bright and airy with a large balcony with very comfortable chairs to spend some hours reading or talking. A beautiful room! Both the cabana and the balcony room are well worth your money and we can highly recommend having the very reasonably priced breakfast there. Kumar serves fresh fruit, dalh curry, amazing coconut sambal and string hoppers, roti or milk rice to go with it and coffee or tea. Even though Kumar is still practicing his English, which makes him a little shy, take your time to get to know him. He is a wonderful host and beautiful person. Also highly recommended: a visit to the nearby Buddhist rock temple. The tuk tuk ride there (ask Kumar for the number of his friend Manju the tuk tuk driver to take you there) is through the most beautiful landscapes and the temple complex is magnificent. Staying at Kumar’s place and meeting this man is one of the most memorable moments of our trip and Kumar really deserves to have a thriving homestay. We can highly recommend. Thank you, Kumar!

To us, there was nothing not to like.

Big room, very clean. The garden is amazing, only sounds of nature because it's quite secluded. The beautiful beach is in walking distance, just a bit too rough to swim.

Absolutely the best hostel I have experienced, the host Mr Ranjid (?) is totally friendly and helpful. Recommended for all travellers.

Beautiful, serene and quiet space by the lagoon right off the beach. Ranjit was a sweet, genuine host and his wife made delicious traditional breakfast. All standards were surpassed. I look forward to returning for a longer duration as the price was a steal for it's quality. He even dropped us off to the bus stop in his tuk-tuk at the end of our stay.