We (me, wife and 8 year old daughter) spent two nights as guests of Emil and Arlene in late December 2012. They are charming and attentive hosts, sharing with us not only good home-prepared Sri Lankan food, but also a multitude of anecdotes and insights relating to life in Sri Lanka. Our time with Emil and Arlene was certainly one... More

It wasn't the comfortable accommodation, the attentive staff, the mouthwatering food. It wasn't the beautiful location perched on a hill amidst the varied and ineteresting fauna and flora. It wasn't the peace and tranquility nor the ability to visit Kandy and must see other tourist attractions that made our Sri Lankan trip. No. My wife and three adult children were... More

Two friends and I spent three fabulous days at Halgolla with Emil and Arlene. This is no ordinary guest house, but a family home where guests are treated as part of the resident family, and this includes the staff. The food and facilities are of a quality rarely seen in a commercial establishment; the bulk of it coming from the... More

Our stay at HPH was one for the books, to say the least. Me, my husband and our 2 little boys stayed with Emil and Arlene for 3 nights and thoroughly enjoyed it!. As others have already mentioned the food is AMAZING (the best we had in Sri Lanka - Egg hoppers are a new family favorite now), so make... More

Our stay at Halgolla was one of the highlights of our 25 day trip around Sri Lanka as it enabled us to imagine life there as a resident rather than be limited to the tourist hotel experience. Arlene and Emil are very welcoming and interesting hosts. The accommodation is very comfortable, and it is both interesting and relaxing to spend... More

Reviews from the few others who have actually had the benefit of staying in this Plantation Home reflect accurately our experience. Both Emil and Arlene obviously enjoy sharing their home and their knowledge of Sri Lanka with visitors. And provide a culinary feast with the assistance of their friendly staff. Undoubtedly initial access should be gained before dark and preferably... More

I stayed for five nights. The standard of hospitality was that of Sri Lanka at its best. Emil and Arlene made every effort to make my stay as enjoyable as possible. They are excellent hosts and very good company. The dining is certainly correctly described as superb. There was a wide variety of delicious Sri Lankan food and plenty of... More

Emil & Arlene are excellent hosts- no more of your wonderful food please Arlene!. The house is pretty and still has part of the old working plantation as part of its grounds. We had a most interesting walk looking at spices and fruits growing in their natural environments, and looked around where the rubber used to be made in earlier... More

like all homestays we went expecting warm hosts, good homely food, a bit of their lives... but we walked away with lovely memories - almost having stayed with people we have known for a long time... lovely conversations that could have gone on all night and a wish that we could have stayed one more night. the house has an... More