Talalla Retreat

The buffet was always good - the food was delicious and the staff were all very friendly. The beach was beautiful and it was lovely to do yoga looking out over the sea. It was nice to have a pool to jump into also and the grounds were beautifully kept.

Unfortunately there was building work being done which meant it was a bit noisy which was a shame especially during the yoga classes but the atmosphere was so lovely that you could overlook that. Found it a little bit expensive as although everything is lovely - it is quite basic but we did enjoy our stay!

I spent two nights at the retreat and I really enjoyed my stay. The setting is beautiful! I booked because they offer reformer pilates classes, which were excellent (air conditioned studio). I also had the best massage in their spa. The open living arrangement is a unique experience but two nights was enough for me. The breakfast was also very good and the beach (not private) was quiet, ideal for long walks and watching the sunrise.

Buffe breakfast with a lot of options...but hard to eat healthy

The bed linnen was dirty and worn out, didn't make it feel nice to go to bed in the evening. The spa treatments was the worst I had in entire Sri Lanka (travelling for a month). Pilates classes was great!!! So would come back for them!

Right next to the beach, we arrived and saw turtles hatching and then released into the ocean. Staff were lovely, beautiful hotel and surroundings. The shower was amazing.

To be expected, the rooms are open to the elements. This meant it was very hot at night and the sounds of nature were loud but also amazing in their own way. We appreciated the bug spray in rooms still.

It’s the first place we stayed in Sri Lanka 11 years ago and we fell in love with it that time. It’s so simple but clean, nice staff, healthy food, beautiful beach. Love to return to Talalla and see that the place is untouched and beautiful.

Fireflies!

Perfect location, quiet, near to beach, all perfect and delicious food, too.

Nothing to mention!

We stayed 3 nights at Talalla Retreat in a first floor room with sea views. The room was a really unique experience as it has open sides and looked directly towards the beautiful beach and you can hear the waves breaking and see birds fly past and squirrels and monkeys in the surrounding palm trees. The grounds all around the site are beautiful and so well kept with lovely trees, flowering shrubs and a really gorgeous swimming pool in the centre which we sunbathed next to and swam in both days of our stay. If yoga is your thing then this is the place to come as there are lessons twice a day and excellent instructors. The beach is really beautiful but not one for surfing and although you can swim you need to be careful as the waves are quite big and close to the shore. There are surf instructors on site who will take you out to nearby surfing locations. Fisherman use the beach for hauling in their nets in the early morning and it is well worth getting up to see them bring their catch in to shore. Talalla Retreat is a very special place and we had a fantastically relaxing stay just sunbathing and swimming in the pool and enjoying the excellent food at the restaurant at this beautiful private spot.

The beach, the quietness, the spa

The staff were so rude, the food was awful

Charming place, beautiful pool, amazing spa treatment. Rooms could do with a little updating and then it would be incredible.

We loved this beautiful peaceful hotel. Set on huge well looked after grounds on a quiet beach, we could not have found a more relaxing place to spend a few days. The open room was gorgeous and we loved the birding even from the shower! The hotel food was great but do yourself a favour and also try Funny Banana just a few steps away on the beach.

Only unfortunate thing was that we were offered an upgrade (at a price) before we arrived, to a sea view room, which we accepted, unaware that a new building was going up on the grounds next to our room. This meant we had building noise when we would have loved to be having an afternoon nap in the beautiful open room.

Great location, excellent staff. Comfortable rooms.

The food was not as good as we had experienced in other parts of Sri Lanka. Also the beach has dangerous rips that could be more clearly warned about.

Beautiful location and comfortable, lovely, open to nature to rooms. I also loved the yoga classes and would consider coming back for a one-week yoga experience, which it seemed a lot of guests were doing. There were also always vegan options at the meals.

The location by the Talalla Beach is just perfect. It's one of the nicest beaches in the area for relaxing and swimming. The staff are super helpful if you need anything.

Breakfast was good but the dinner options were quite limited. I found it easier to get more variety of meals at local restaurants in town and for half the price, compared to the buffet dinner.

lovely staff and amenities

the location

Great for 2 days disconnecting, surrounded by nature.The open air cabanas and rooms are amazing, especially the open shower, I saw 2 toucans chilling on my shower.Pool is great and there is plenty of space for sunbathing there when tired of the beach.Option to join a yoga class (morning and evening) or have a treatment at the spa as add-ons.Breakfast was good (mostly sri Lankan curry but some sweet options too)

Location is fairly REMOTE, dont expect to go anywhere by yourself without renting a tuktuk (but that's the point of a retreat)You can't really swim in the sea due to strong waves (definitely not for children).Obvious, but the open air rooms don't have AC, only fan. It can be very peaceful but when a big group arrives (organised tour or the surf/yoga retreat gang) it disturbs the peace.The restaurant is nice for breakfast but overpriced for lunch or dinner, there are a few options along the beach.

The location was excellent a few steps to get to a wonderful beach. Nice restaurant and swimming pool. The staff was lovely, always smiling and helpful. There was a lot of vegetation and all the rooms had tea/coffe facilities. The beds had mosquito nets and the hotel was providing the spirals that burn to keep the mosquitoes away. There was grass and stepping stones. There were 2 areas to practice yoga: one was roofed and the other in the open area under the palm trees.

The toilet did not have a door for privacy. There was a curtain instead that many times was blown by the wind while one was sat on the toilet. The lack of door also facilitated the access to monkeys/ birds into the bedroom as half of the bathroom was not roofed. Also there were no panels in the balcony, so when the straw blind was open everyone in the pool, courtyard could see us. We used our sarongs to get some privacy. The shower head needed replacing as some of the holes were blocked by the rust and the water was going everywhere!

we really enjoyed the room concept and the staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. The yoga teachers and massage staff really know what they’re doing and take their time explaining, if necessary. It was awesome to sleep in an open bedroom (even if we got woken up by monkeys stealing our snacks or generally wreaking havoc a couple of times) and their food was sooo good, especially the pancakes in the morning are a must!!

We loved staying here but if you’re looking for nightlife or evening activities there’s not much to do in the immediate area. You have to get a tuktuk and drive at least 15-20min to get to nice (western) restaurants and bars. If you’re looking for pure relaxation, however, then this is the place to come.

The swimming pool, yoga shalas and friendly staff

The insects biting, sprays didn’t stop them

Large pool at least 20m within large well kept grounds, leading directly onto beautiful Talalla beach. Although the ocean waters can be rough, we were able to go in waste deep and enjoy the waves, great way to start the early morning. We stayed 14 nights in a first floor room partially open to the elements, No A/C with mosquito net and ceiling fan above bed . We found the ceiling fan to be adequate in keeping us cool and as long you tucked your mosquito net in thoroughly around the bed we enjoyed a mosquito free night. It was like sleeping in a tree house and waking up to the bird and monkey noises added to the experience. We practiced yoga everyday at the beautiful yoga Shala . I had read all the teachers there are very good and our teacher Leonor was exceptional . We brought a massage package and we loved every one of our massages we had . The food is ok a little more variety would have been nice , however there are other restaurants outside. We left feeling totally relaxed , connected with nature and wanting more .

Gorgeous location, really quiet and perfect for some relaxing. Direct access to a gorgeous beach. Fantastic yoga classes and good food, even if a bit overpriced. Very sweet general staff, especially at the restaurant.

Reception needs some improvement. They downgraded me from a sea view room to a dark room in the back of the yard without saying anything. When I questioned them, they gave me a discount so small that the rate still added up to more than what the dark room would have originally cost. Said the room was under maintenance and would free up soon but then gave it to a big group that arrived the next day. When I woke up to a flooded room after a rainy night, they shrugged and laughed with no apologies (mopped it up but made no effort to find the source of the leakage). I‘m not usually one to complain about service but I’ve experienced much better customer service in much cheaper accommodation in Sri Lanka, so it felt worth mentioning.