Sir John's Bungalow

This place was recommended to me by a friend and I have to say the place was just beyond magical. The old colonial building and its vibe was mesmerizing. The view was breathtaking and on top of it the hospitality of Chef Shirantha and his team filled our tummies and hearts. The food was unbelievably good and so were the staff. It is a place for pure relaxation, away from the city’s commotion. I would definitely recommend the place to anyone looking for some peace, quiet and time with nature. 6/5 from me.

One of the best experiences I’ve ever experienced. Surrounding were marvelous🥺🖤
Food was delicious. Staff was super friendly and kind. U can ask chef, if u need any changes to ur meal cz what they provide is a set menu.
Rooms were clean and comfortable bathrooms were ventilated and clean.

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Rooms are good and reflects the age of the bungalow. Amenities are basic yet as expected. We had a fantastic time with very supportive staff. Food was yummy and delicious.

It was the best hotel i ever seen. I hv no words to explain it.actually it was amazing and the view it just woww. And there was a great climate condition .highly recommended guys

I had the pleasure of experiencing the most fabulous sunrise of my life during my stay at this place. It was truly a worthwhile experience. The staff here is incredibly friendly and helpful, which made my stay even more enjoyable. It was the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

One point to improve would be the maintenance of the garden. While it had potential, it could have been better maintained to make it more attractive. Overall, this place offers a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend it.

True name of the place is gonamadawala walawwa. Located inside the forest reserve thus they must comply strict regulations such as no new constructions and minimum maintaining of the outlook. From booking to the departure they provided an excellent service. The charges are above average but the location deserves it.

Unforgettable experience , old colonial bungalow built by british and later used by sir john kothalawala.
Chef shiwantha will provide food rich in taste and quality , the staff also very helpful , view is incredible , rooms are comfortable , hot water available.
Bring a dialog sim it has lot of coverage , no mobitel signal

We came from Australia for a short vacation and stayed here. Nadeera and his crew was amazing. We have never experienced such a clear, beautiful and breathtaking view from any other location. Superb food and service. Very friendly staff. After staying here we weren't able to make up our minds to stay in any other location as everything here is unbeatable. Thank you Dilkie for being very helpful and accommodating our last minute request. Very highly recommend this place

Without doubt one of the fantastic hotel we stayed , Rooms very clean, Wonderful Lunch,Dinner & breakfast .Gorgeous views & Great location..thank you

Sir John's Bungalow was recommended to me by my sister who had been there a few months ago. As she recounted her experience, it was clear that this was a must visit destination for a truly relaxing holiday. From the moment we parked our car, we were well looked after. Ranga- the gentleman who attended to our needs, greeted us at the parking lot and brought our bags to our simple yet extremely clean and exceedingly comfortable rooms. Chef Shirantha went to great lengths to ensure that every dietary restriction and request was met and the food was truly delicious and fresh. The presentation exceeded our expectations and we could certainly taste the love he puts into his cooking in every bite! Breakfast was a Sri Lankan feast with traditional rice and curry for lunch and intercontinental courses for dinner. We were certainly spoilt for choice.
Ranga has a vast knowledge of the area and gave us great advice on where to go and what to see so that our vacation was full of adventure. We witnessed the magnificent sights of the Knuckles mountain range, almost got blown off the cliffs at mini world's end (totally worth it for the unforgettable sunset we witnessed) and swam in the crystal clear waters of Sera Ella, a nearby waterfall that offers a secluded and picturesque spot - perfect for those instragram worthy poses!
Cosy evenings with a glass of wine and card games gave our family some much needed togetherness and we jumped at the opportunity to switch off our phones (as there is little to no cell service) and enjoy the company. A fun game of football and the treks in the area were thrilling and the fresh air was a real blessing and greatly missed as we returned to Colombo.
Overall, it was a wonderful holiday - perfect for a group of friends or a family and highly recommended by us!

Our suggestions:
- toss out the laptops and phone and cuddle up with a good book on the terrace to enjoy the views - especially at sunrise!
- enjoy the fresh local fruits and vegetables for meals that celebrate Sri Lankan cuisine
- get up early to watch the sunrise
- visit mini worlds end for sunset
- pack a light lunch and drinks for a dip in the sera ella waterfall
- bring board games

We spend 2 nights at this beautiful location. Staff service is excellent & chief can prepare food that can really meet beyond your expectations. Food is lovely.
Definitionally we will visit again.
If your planing to visit riveston, pitawalapathana area, this is the best location.

The bungalow was beyond expectations and we really enjoyed our stay. Food was excellent and the hosting staff was very corporative. Great service by the Chef, Ranga and the other. The view was spectacular. Everything was excellent there.

Our two-night stay at Sir John's Bungalow, Riverston was a truly enjoyable and relaxing experience. The breathtaking views, delicious food, and excellent service made it a memorable visit (Special thanks to Chef uncle Shirantha, and all service staff 🥰🥰🥰). If you're looking for a hotel that offers a beautiful view with relaxing environment, delicious food, and exceptional hospitality, I highly recommend Sir John's Bungalow, Riverston. I left feeling incredibly satisfied and would happily return for another stay in the future.

Great location with a beautiful misty mountain view, and this colonial villa is located 31 km from Matale town. The staff was wonderful. The hotel is well maintained. The beds were very firm, and wash rooms are very cleaned. The food was good. I, especially, enjoyed the view of the sunrise.

Super stay at Sir John's.. it was great ro be back with at the awesome location with friends.

The meal are super well dished and tasty..considering that the location runs renewable energy and does not have enough refrigeration time for cold meat etc the meal planning was excellent.

The location provided us with with some unique Bird sightings (Sri Lanka Hanging Parot, leyards Parakeet, Sri Lankan white eye, crested Halk Eagle, Black bul bul, muniyas, Hill miyna, Common miyna, lotan sunbird and many more) which are rare ro find in the city. We saw Dasky Squirrel many butterflies and dragon flies. So all in all a perfect place pitch up ... enjoy a nice cup or tea or hot coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Nadeera the manager and Naturilist and his team gave us personalised service while the entire location was full up. Its a testament to management.

A lovely and enjoyable 2 nights stay with 3 of my classmates. Excellent service by the staff including Dilkie who made our booking arrangements. Bungalow staff member Ranga was exceptional and so was Shiranthas( in charge of F&B) food preparations and presentation. Very friendly and helpful too. Also was lucky to experience beautiful sunny weather during our stay.

Located at the heart of Riverston this place serves as a perfect getaway from your busy life. It is situated perfectly between the riverston Tower entrance and pitiwala pathana. This antique bungalow used to serve Sir John Kotalawala who was the third prime minister of Sri Lanka.

You can arrive here from Rattota side and from Illukkumbura side. Road is relative ok from Illukkumbura side but if you are coming from Colombo you have to take the Rattota route. En route through Rattota you can visit Bambarakiri Ella water fall. From either side route is very scenic and it is a completely different world.

You can choose rooms from the main bungalow and from the upper deck. Room 1,2,3 in Main bungalow gives direct view to scenic Mountain pains. Basic amenities are provided but don't expect 5 star level amenities from this place. You hardly get any reception here but staff had taken measures to put together a WiFi facility with great effort but speed is pretty low. However I don't consider it as a negative point considering I anyway wanted to be isolated in misty mountains.

For breakfast and lunch you get a Sri Lankan set menu and for dinner gets a western diet. Chef Shirantha made sure we get a tasty meal and quality of food was top notch. On request you can arrange a BBQ for the dinner. Other staff members was also very helpful and took every bit of their effort to make our stay pleasent and memorable.

Overall a very positive experience I had in Sir John's Bungalow and can recommend to anyone whole heartedly for a getaway they expect in mountains.

Gorgeous bungalow with so much history and culture. And the views!! Amazing views of mist laden mountains that are just the cherry on top of our experience at SJB.
The staff especially were so accommodating. Enjoyed the exceptional food and service overall.

Do note very spotty WiFi and no cell service accustom to the area, but that just adds to the experience of a true “mind-resetting” holiday.

Bungalow within the forest with an amazing view. The room and bathroom were clean. They provided towels and toiletries. Staffs are friendly and supportive. The food was tasty. Valuable for price. no name board in Road but after passing the river stone, on left side rock painted in green and white colour border. The room has a plug point for only phone cable charging because electricity depends on Solar Power.

Had a great experience. Really nice place to hideout at nature. Friendly staff and delicious food. Reasonable rates.

For travellers, Please download the offline google map of that area before going there. Otherwise it will be bit difficult to find the bungalow. No one to ask.