Affordable Accommodation In Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, tropical holiday destination provides access to international standard luxury hotels and very basic, cheap accommodation facilities such as homestay accommodations and guesthouses. There is a wide range of accommodation facilities in the island. Especially, in the popular resort areas, there is a possibility to choose the accommodation from a wide range of facilities to match your budget.
The hotels and other accommodation facilities are categorized by the tourist board of Sri Lanka and but the prices of those properties are decided by the owners of the properties other than Colombo.
The minimum price of Colombo city hotels is governed by the tourist board of Sri Lanka. But this regulation is applied only to the Colombo hotels. The prices of accommodation facilities in Sri Lanka are in the upward trend since the end of civil war in 2009, due to the high demand geared by the increased tourist arrival.
Some hotels have increased their room rates by 125%. This article shows you the most popular accommodation facilities available in Sri Lanka. And can be useful to get an idea about, how to find cheap accommodation facilities in the country.
Estate Bungalows
Estate Bungalows or plantation Bungalows is one of the oldest accommodation facilities in the country. It was first introduced in the early 10’s by British and continues until today. There is no better way to get a good idea of Sri Lanka estates (Tea, rubber and coconut) than staying in an estate bungalow. This is one of the least popular accommodation facilities in the country.
Usually, these bungalows can accommodate a limited number of tourists at a time. Usually, tourists are needed to pay for the whole house rather than separate rooms and people have access to the kitchens to prepare meals their own.
Holiday Homes
Another unpopular accommodation facility in the country and they are mainly to be found in the areas, where hotels are difficult to find. This type of accommodation is very similar to the estate bungalow. But one distinct difference is the location, unlike estate bungalows; they are located near the city centres, allowing easy access.
Holiday homes and state bungalows are not categorized by the government and the rates are decided by the proprietors. One needs to be careful when choosing Holiday homes. One needs to find every possible detail about the place before coming to the holiday home. There are instances that the holiday home is totally different than what you have imagined, based on the explanation of the proprietor.
Guest Houses
Almost all guest houses are owned by individuals and controlled by the proprietor. Usually, the members of the owner’s family are looking after the customers. They usually do the cleaning, cooking and serving the meals sometimes partake the meals with the guests. There can be a huge difference with regards to the standard of the guest houses and it mainly depends on the proprietor.
National Holiday Resorts
These are stately owned holiday homes established in 1985. It can be a good alternative for the expensive accommodation facilities and is open to foreign as well as local tourists. It is one of the cheapest accommodation facilities with maximum value for the money. They were established to enable affordable holidays for the local people and can be found in several places in the country.
Hotels
Hotel is the most popular accommodation facility on the island and available throughout the country. But the most number of hotels are to be found in the beach resorts, due to the demand.
A large number of new hotels was built during the last several decades. Today Sri Lanka provides the hotels that similar to the best standard hotels in the world. Many luxurious hotels were built in the recent past for the up-market rich clientele.
Since the number of tourists in the country sharply increased over the last few years, an existing number of hotel rooms are not enough to accommodate all the guests. It is advisable to have a confirmed hotel reservation before coming to the hotel, especially during the winter season in the northern hemisphere, in order to avert any hardships.
Railway Retiring Rooms
Railway retiring rooms is a very basic and very cheap accommodation facility in Sri Lanka. They can be found in railway stations in Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Galle, Jaffna and Talaimannar. They can be obtained for the passengers but a limited number of rooms allows only several people at a time.
Rest Houses
Rest houses are originated in the British colonial period of Sri Lanka. It was first served for the British officers, who were on the move to different places of the island on official assignment. Until very recently, most of the rest houses were very slightly changed since they were built. But recently they were handed over to the private sector under the privatization program. Today some of them are under private management and recently upgraded to cater to luxury-seeking foreign and local tourists.
Home Stay Accommodation
If you stay for many days in one location and look for a very affordable accommodation facility, homestay is the most suitable option for you. This is an accommodation facility organized by the families to earn some money from their unused rooms. Usually, the users of the rooms are provided with separate access and WC. One can have peace of mind while enjoying comfort. Even though the meals are not provided in this type of accommodation, there are families who are willing to supply food at the request of the guests.
Wildlife Bungalows
Wildlife bungalows are under the purview of the department of wildlife conservation of Sri Lanka. They can be found in popular national parks and Horton Plains. Bungalows are located within the borders of the national park and one need to pay extra for a park ranger. The tourists are provided with a cook. Electricity is not available in the bungalows. A large number of tourists books these places, therefore one needs to wait several months sometimes to get the opportunity to stay in wildlife bungalows.
Youth Hostels
Young Buddhist organization (YMBA) and Young Catholic organization (YMCA), as well as national youth council, provide affordable accommodation in youth hostels. They are a different type of rest houses and provide dormitory as well as rooms to accommodate a large number of guests.
Camping
Several camping sites are set up by several companies and tourist can book them through travel agents. These camping sites are located in Kitulgala, Yala national park, Udawalawe national park, Wilpattu. The travellers are accommodated in luxury camps and they are offered as a complete package with all meals and activities.