Yathra Houseboat
Location: 449/1, Dedduwa, Hapurugala, Bentota, lk
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Property Type: Houseboat
About this Property
Unique Houseboat Experience
Yathra Houseboat offers a one-of-a-kind stay on the water, located near popular attractions like Lunuganga and Bentota Lake. Each unit features a balcony with stunning river views, perfect for relaxation.
Cruise Adventure
Guests can elevate their stay by opting for a 5-hour cruise trip when booking at Yathra Houseboat. Explore the picturesque surroundings and enjoy a memorable experience on the water.
Convenient Location
Situated just 86 km from Bandaranaike International Airport, Yathra Houseboat provides easy access for travelers. Start your day with a delicious continental breakfast served on-site. Book now to secure your unique houseboat experience!
Important Information
Guests are requested to present the same credit card used to guarantee your booking when checking in / making payment at the resort
Please note that the resort operate on Bring Your Own Booze (BYOB) basis. Therefore guests are welcome to bring in their choice of alcohol.
Child Policy: Children below 5 years stay free of charge on existing bedding. Children between 6-11 years (up to maximum 02 children) sharing parents' room will be charged 50% on meal rates only on existing bedding. This is not included in your current price and needs to be paid directly to the property upon arrival. Children of age 12 or more are considered adults.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Payment before arrival by bank transfer is required. The property will contact you after you book to provide instructions.
Managed by a private host
Policies
Check-in: 03:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Check-out: 01:00 PM
Amenities & Facilities
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Parking
- Non-smoking rooms
- Air conditioning
- Room service
- Ironing service
- Staff adhere to local safety protocols
- Guest rooms disinfected between stays
- Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
- Physical distancing rules followed
- Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
- Cashless payment available
- First aid kit available
- Sanitized tableware & silverware
- Contactless check-in/check-out
- Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
- Shared stationery like menus, pens are removed
- Guest room sealed after cleaning
- Physical distancing in dining areas
- Food delivered to guest room
- Process in place to check health of guests
- Access to health care professionals
- Face masks for guests available
- Delivered food - securely covered
- Thermometers for guests provided by property
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Housekeeping on request
- Japanese garden
- Secured parking
- Fishing nearby
- Bicycle-friendly property
- Vegetarian menu options available
Rooms Available
-
Cabin with Cruise
This double room has a balcony, air conditioning and tumble dryer.
Additional benefits:
-Check in at 2.00PM
- Dinner on the boat
- Checkout at 12:00 noon
- Traditional Sri Lankan meals will be served
-Cruise time is approximately two hours.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobe
- Seating Area
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Slippers
- Sofa
- Hardwood or parquet floors
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Clothes rack
- Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation
-
Cabin Without Cruise
The double room features air conditioning, a seating area, a balcony with river views as well as a private bathroom boasting a shower. The unit has 1 bed.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobe
- Seating Area
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Sofa
- Hardwood or parquet floors
- Wardrobe or closet
- Linen
- Clothes rack
- Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation
Guest Reviews
- Deb (7/5): Disappointed to stay at the dock - Accommodation and food was good. Staff friendly. An engine issue meant we did not see the lagoon and stayed at the dock. The lagoon tour was paid for and was not refunded.
- Ferdinands (10/5): Magical and an awesome experience with lovely group of people to serve us..!!! - Our stay on the Yathra Houseboat will always stay in our minds and hearts. This is our second time within 3 years. We had a vacation of our life with all the comfort and pampering by the staff on the boat. The cruise on the river provided rare glimpse of few exotic birds and a large group of monkeys. The narrations by the Manager of the Dedduwa Boat House about those birds were very informative. The Skipper was kind enough to stop along the river bank to watch the birds closely and take photographs. The candle-lit dinner and the night spend on the upper deck was simply magical. The next day my husband even managed catch some fish while cruising. The staff arranged them to be prepared for our lunch and that dish was out of this world. The staff went an extra mile to make us happy. The bedrooms and the facilities on board were above standard. This is the best destination we spend while in Sri Lanka. Keep it up Yathra and we will back again next year.
- Perera (9/5): A big thank you to the crew of Yathra house boat for giving us a memorable vacation on Bentara river - Everything was as expected, pleasent. Boat trip was breathtaking and the sightseeing was fully worth the stay. Friendly service and care by the staff. Food was most tasty and comfort of the rooms were out of this world. Nothing to complain about.
Thank you Yathra !
- Nicola (1/5): AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE A COMPLETE RIP OFF - NOTHING except the dinner was lovely but only found out when paying that it was not included and it cost $25 dollars per person which we would not have had if we had known that we had to pay. From the advert on Bookings.com nothing matched the description on the property, i.e. dinner on board, soft drinks included, cruise in the evening and in the morning totalling a four hour cruise. EVERYTHING. We were greeting by the housekeeper of the boat who spoke limited English. The owner/skipper/captain did not introduce himself to us. There were no welcome drinks. We boarded the boat at 3.30 approx and the skipper did not want to take us out due to the rain and stated we would not see any wildlife but did offer to take us out in the morning instead. We opted against this and went out at approx 4pm for 1.5 hours where we did see some wildlife. On returning to the jetty the housekeeper said he would serve dinner at 7.30 but he served it at 6.50 and everything was heated in the microwave aboard the boat. The food did taste good but the main course did not match what was on the menu. From looking at pictures on the advertising shots of evening dining, we did not experience any of this, our table was set whilst we sat at it and the front area of the boat did not have any tables/chairs set up. The pictures advertised show a table with a table cloth, wine glasses and flowers. We were not offered any drinks only water. After dinner approx 7.45 the housekeeper said goodnight and told us the security guard would be around as there was nobody else staying on the boat. It did feel a bit strange staying on a boat moored on a jetty in the middle of nowhere, therefore we did sleep well. The generator ran all night and the air con was also loud so if you wanted to waste money staying here would highly recommend ear plugs and bring your own wine/ beer/entertainment/music. A complete waste of money, we could have done a 1.5 hour cruise and stayed in a lovely hotel for what we were charged, a total rip off.
- Udo (2/5): an absolute disaster - The tour the next morning The accommodation is absolutely overpriced.
Dinner from the microwave for €50 per person is a disgrace.
The boat is not in good condition.
After arrival there is no tour or anything like that.
The refrigerator barely worked and is very dirty.
There is no beer or wine for sale.
The photos with tablecloths and decorations do not correspond to reality.
Of all the destinations, the worst!
- Debra (10/5): Exceptional service and wonderful accommodation - Staff went to great lengths to be friendly and helpful. Food was excellent. Would definitely recommend staying 2 nights. Exceptional service and lovely environment. Staying on the river was a lovely way to end our tour.
- Nazar (9/5): Superb -
- Titov (2/5): From start to finish it was the worst experience I’ve had travelling. - The Pumpkin soup on the first night. We ordered it on the second evening, it was made for us on the third morning, and it was completely distasteful. We’re do I start. We left a day early. The member of staff looking after us had blood pouring out of his mouth, constantly. The blood could be from a number of reasons, one of them, the use of narcotics. Despite us having a privacy notice on our door, he regularly knocked on our door. I order a New Years dinner a week before our arrival, I ordered champagne with this. On New Year’s Day, I was asked 4 times what we would like for dinner and I had to pay extra for the bottle despite ordering in advance. If you expect to cruise along the river all day, this won’t happen, maximum what you will receive is an hour and a half trip in the evening which doesn’t consist of anything special and constant promises that tomorrow morning you will go on a three hour cruise, these promises do not come to fruition of course. I urge anyone who is thinking of staying here not to and especially not to pay the ludicrous amounts of money for this genuinely awful experience.
- Renate (10/5): Ein unvergessliches Erlebnis! - Dieser Aufenthalt war perfekt, das Boot ist sehr luxuriös, die Mitarbeiter empfangen und betreuen Ihre Gäste mit herzlicher Freundlichkeit. Jeder Wünsch wird sofort erfüllt. Die 2 stündige Bootstour ist so wunderschön, ein ganz besonderes Erlebnis, dass uns immer in Erinnerung bleiben wird.
- Riyadh (10/5): - عبارة عن قارب جميل ونظيف على النهر.. أقمت فيه ليلة واحدة فقط شامل الافطار.. كانت ليلة لا تنسى.. القارب يتحرك في الصباح الباكر ليقوم بجولة على النهر.. قدموا لي تورتة صغيرة خاصة بشهر العسل.. حقيقة مكان لا يفوت..
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