Ella Sisila View

The caretaker was very friendly, welcoming and engaging. We were welcomed with tea on the patio overlooking the mountains and nine arch bridge which was spectacular. From a location perspective it was fantastic albeit very challenging to get to especially with luggage. Getting there was not easy so much so our driver had to park at the top of the hill and we had to take a tuk tuk down with our luggage because it was raining and the hill was too slick for him to navigate in the van. Then there was another climb up to the guest house so if you have a lot of luggage or heavy items know it’s a fairly long windy hill from the upper road down and a short steep climb up to the guest house. While the views are amazing the accommodations could use quite a bit of improvement. The rooms were dirty. The one I had was at the end of a small communal hallway with a plywood door to enter and a key lock which didn’t feel that secure. Same with the bathroom door. Termites had eaten through part of the bathroom door trim, there were gaps around all the windows and doors, dead bugs in all the window sills/crevices and holes in the mosquito nets. If you are staying on the main level the caretaker, and what I assumed were family and/or friends, were staying in the other rooms and they congregate in the communal areas in the evenings watching videos on their phones. They also wake up early and with the walls being thin you will hear conversations and videos bright and early. My friend was staying in the large room above the gathering area and the stairs were slippery and looked partially rotted in some areas and there was no lighting so her son fell a handful of times coming down the steps. Their bathroom did not have walls going all the way up to the ceiling so there was not a lot of privacy. While the room was spacious and has a couch and two chairs they were very worn and torn and the curtains were very filthy and stained. Same issue with gaps all around their windows and doors and holes in mosquito nets. If you are backpacking in the area and are planning to be out and about most of the time and just need a place to store your luggage and crash without breaking the bank then some might not mind the accommodations but the photos of the actual rooms don’t really reflect the current condition of the property. The caretaker was very hospitable so this review isn’t meant to reflect poorly on him but rather the owner who would greatly benefit from improving the accommodations. Just know going in that you pay for what you get at this place.