Etalai hotels from HK$155

"A truely amazing experience made perfect by the wonderful team. We stayed for 4 nights and could not find fault. The food was excellent and the staff could not have done more for us. We had a dolphin watching trip and a reef fishing trip where we caught baracuda which was expertly prepared for us that evening for supper. The beach cabana was clean and comfortable."

"Lovely quiet setting, a cluster of very stylish bungalows set amongst palm trees a couple of minutes walk from the beach. Each bungalow had an outside seating area with built-in benches with foam cushions for relaxation/reading etc. Planting around this space added to the overall look. There was a large open air restaurant: tables and chairs under a traditional-style roof. Staff were attentive, the food was really good - big portions and the Sri Lankan breakfast was fabulous. The room and bathroom were really clean Comfy bed. Air con - which could be set to fan only too. Shower was good. WiFi good at the room but especially good in the restaurant area Clean and well kept infinity pool with a handful of sun loungers. Staff happy to help organise transit to the station A lovely spot to spend some lazy days. Negative A minor thing... The restaurant (which was a bit too basic in decoration) would benefit from some background chill-out music, and a few decorative outdoor garland lights plus some Sri Lankan traditional craft accessories on the kitchen wall."

"My experience at De Silva was excellent from start to finish, largely because of the people who run it so thoughtfully. Before arriving, Andrea was consistently quick to respond to emails, answering questions clearly and thoroughly. Once at the resort, the same professionalism and warmth carried through across every area. I didn’t get everyone’s names and all the staff deserve credit for being welcoming and attentive; from the accommodation (Nalika and Nirosha) to dining - Naveen took extra care at all mealtimes, always checking everything was right and happily accommodating requests. Viraj and others also contributed to this consistently high standard of service — the whole team worked seamlessly and with genuine care. The bar, wellness, and activity side of the resort is also a real highlight. Umesh is approachable and full of ideas, clearly passionate about wellness and generous with his time and advice. Priyantha at the bar adds to the experience. The massage treatments from Samantha were excellent — deeply relaxing and very professionally delivered. Finally, the wind sports team is outstanding. Led by Baba, along with Sachin and the wider crew have a genuine focus on helping guests progress, the instruction feels both personal and encouraging. Whether through structured lessons or quick, well-timed tips spotted from the beach or on the water, their advice made a noticeable difference to my kiting. The whole team are supportive and knowledgeable."