Review Author: ChilliMog, USA

Review Date: 07 Mar 2019

Review Body: We stayed 8 nights at Cocodance starting 4th of March. It’s a 3 hour taxi ride from Colombo airport,we arranged the transfer directly through the hotel which costs about £70 each way,we later learned when we stayed in Negombo our last night that local taxis can do it for around £40 each way so do some research. Cocodance is a little piece of paradise among the coconut palm trees,many colourful birds insects and lizards to be seen. The residence has its own pool which is a godsend with the temperatures in the high 30’s,there’s only 4 sun loungers though which would be a problem in high season,we had coconuts and passion fruit smoothies brought to the pool every lunchtime free of charge which was a nice touch.The rooms are very basic but clean,the outdoor bathroom might be a strange concept for some,but the Luke warm shower was perfect after a hot day in the sun. Take plenty of mosquito repellent as they come out in force at dusk and they aren’t shy in biting you. Everybody headed to the beach at dusk to watch the sunsets which are like nothing you have seen before,the most amazing experience,especially with a lion beer in hand,the beach is a mere 50 meters away from your room. The hotel has a female cat with 2 beautiful kittens and an older girl cat we named slinky,if you're an animal lover please take some treats for them,the mummy kitty gets well fed but slinky doesn’t so much,you could see her ribs when we arrived but by the time we left she had doubled her weight,if you take her under your wing she will love you forever and be waiting for you on your veranda each morning for a tickle and tummy rub,so gentle and sweet I had a tear when we left. The main waiter at food times is Sajit,always smiling,very polite and happy to learn snippets of English from you if you give him the time,a great young guy. We took the full board package so we didn’t have to worry about meal times and let me tell you,the food is absolutely superb,worthy of high class restaurants. Now for a couple of cons for this hotel. I strongly advise you to take earplugs with you,once one dog barks in the night,it goes through the whole area,like a pack of wolves howling. Loud music from other nearby residences until the early hours was a problem also. If the dogs and music don’t wake you,the bird life definitely will at dawn,some of the noisiest birds you will ever come across,appreciated by some but a little tedious after a couple of days with very little sleep. I went to this resort specifically for kitesurfing,I appreciate we arrived at the back end of their winter season but the hotel told me via our email conversations they guaranteed we would get wind,that was a little bit of a lie as during our 8 nights there we never got out a single time,skunked every single day,please bear that in mind. Would we stay there again,more than likely..but at a different time of the season. The resort makes you switch off and totally relax,if that’s what you’re wanting,a better place you will not find. Until next time.... mart x ash

Review rating: 5

Review Author: JennGauss, UK

Review Date: 01 Dec 2017

Review Body: I think the shining star of this hotel is the manager (we didn't get his name!!), but he made our stay here exceptional. The resort itself has a nice eco feel about it, little cabanas around a sandy area, each with their own outside seating space. A lovely chill out area, hammock and dining area. We stayed here a week ago, for four nights in a garden cabana with half board. When we arrived we received a warm greeting by the manager. He pretty much catered to everything during our stay: sorted us out with nice little lunches, organised dolphin watching and the Wilpatthu safari, served us breakfast and dinner, allowed us to use his phone to call another resort who we'd booked kitesurfing through, and then even got me sorted with a free scooter ride to the ATM when I insisted on getting out more cash because I didn't have enough to pay him a tip on checking out!! He also allowed us to use our room beyond the checkout time as he didn't have any more guests arriving. It was also nice to have a good chat with him too, finding out about the local area, kitesurfing and his experiences in life!! Couldn't have asked for a more generous and friendly host. And all the while, in a beautiful location at great value. Oh, and the food was brilliant!! so like other reviewers we would recommend going half board. Only a couple of little things to bear in mind with staying here - 1) The wifi was a bit unreliable, but the manager did his best to keep moving the router around so it would work better. 2) The rooms are quite open to the outside, so bring mosquito repellant otherwise you'll regret it!! They do provide good mosquito nets though. 3) They only accept cash and the ATM is a 15min scooter ride away so make sure you bring enough with you to cover your stay. 4) The showers are only cold water and have no roof. This isn't a problem in gorgeous hot weather (which is what we had).

Review rating: 5

Review Author: BeauJeanne, Netherlands

Review Date: 09 Oct 2018

Review Body: We arrived here at the end of august for the central location regarding kitesurfing. In contrary to other accomodations, this one is on the same side of the lagoon for kitesurf. Very nice, because you dont lose time with the boats to arrive on the spot every day or to go back and forth for lunch (there is no food on the spot). We had a 5min drive in a truck every day and fresh lunch delivered, enjoying the kitesurfing to the max! About the food..the masterchef in the kitchen is amazing 👌! Local fresh & delicious meals every day! As a vegeterian, this was heaven. The whole staff is great! The manager organized everything for us: transport, trips to other kitespots (like dreamspot), etc. The friendliness of the staff is outstanding. While we were there, a puppy arrived from nowhere. All guests loved his cuteness so much, that he stayed around. When you go there, please give him all the love! He will give you even more ❤️. Also, the swimming pool is great. Nice relaxation after kiteday. The rooms are eco: feels the best option in this natural environment! No airco, but we didnt need it with the constant wind through the roof. Just hide your food very well against the squirrels. It's a natural place where we enjoyed a lot, with the friendly staff and other guests. It's all easy and good energy here. The eco rooms fit the environment. Highly recommended! We stayed quite long (came back a 2nd time after an island tour) and it was like we were leaving family when we left.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: luliana M, Greece

Review Date: 12 Feb 2018

Review Body: We stayed at this hotel for 6 nights and everything was above out expectations. We had a bungalow with an open air bathroom :)) the hotel is 20meters away from the ocean and quite easy to reach the kite spot. You can either walk by the beach to kite spot or the hotel can give you a ride there by car. Your choice. The breakfast was very good, a lot and tasty. We only had B&B but after the first dinner we served here, we decided to have all dinners served at Cocodance. The manager - Bandar - is a very nice person who is very helpful and tries to make your stay as enjoyable as possible and he manages it super well! He asked us every time what we want for dinner and he prepared that for us. He is an excellent cook . Also the young boy who helps him there is very nice and did his best to serve us well. The atmosphere there is very friendly, we met nice people and had a wonderful and memorable stay. I highly recommend the place.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Bezeluka

Review Date: 02 Jul 2016

Review Body: Was visiting Sri Lanka for kitesurfing and had great pleasure staying in this hotel. All staff here is very polite and really friendly. Anything you ever need here can be arranged in short period of time. They have a truck to transfer to and from kitespot. This hotel has a good lodge that makes a great place to meet other people staying in the hotel. I've made great friends here and hope to see them again sometime. It's like you entering a big family. A strong positive thing here are great dinners in SriLankan style. We even had a beach barbecue party with live music! Really hope to return here sometime with some company.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Dominik A

Review Date: 30 Dec 2015

Review Body: We stayed for six says at Cocodance for Kitesurfing. This was a great start for our three weeks vacation at Sri Lanka. Prasana and his team did an excellent job in serving their guest. They really took care and made an excellent job. We stayed at Cocodance every night for dinner as they offered a big variety of food. The cabanas are great and cleaned every day. Great is also the big hang around and dining area which is the central meeting point. We also liked the mixture of guests as there were not only kitesurfers and therefore topics during dinner were not only about kiting.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Adrian1993

Review Date: 15 Oct 2016

Review Body: The cocodance kitesurfing resort with its clean and neat nature-style cabanas is a great place to stay! They offer transportation to the lagoon and offer different trips to other spots or sights. The staff is absolutely awesome and friendly, some guests bought a fish at the market and the staff prepared it for us and even helped us to light a fire with coconuts on the beach and grill the fish! They helped out with everything and the dinner and breakfast are very tasty and a lot to eat!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jeanne Pstr, France

Review Date: 15 Apr 2019

Review Body: I stayed in this place for 7 days and I was alone but I never felt this way. These guys are truly kind and warm, They’re always trying to do their bests for all your needs. I’m so glad I found this place, I spent a week in paradise !! The rooms, the swimming pool, the food, the ocean... Everything is perfect ! Do not hesitate : if you need calm, if you want to chill, read, sleep, and enjoy your holidays it’s the place to stay !

Review rating: 5

Review Author: TomHilsLucy

Review Date: 06 Jul 2018

Review Body: We stayed for just three nights, but the accommodation, staff and service was perfect. Everyone went out of their way to help. The food is delicious. Swimming is rough at this time of year (so pool is perfect) but the nearby lagoon offers great opportunities to kitesurf for beginners and pros alike. And you'll be sure to meet likeminded souls! 100% recommend.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jessica O, UK

Review Date: 11 Sep 2017

Review Body: We stayed here and learnt to kitesurf. If you are a kitesurfer it is a great location. However, other than kitesurfing there is very little to do in the area and there are basically no restaurants so I highly recommend paying for full-board. The food is very good quality, mostly seafood. There is also free filtered water provided. The outside bathroom is nice, it keeps it feeling fresh. The bed was comfortable and the mosquito net was useful. The staff are very friendly and work hard to keep the guests happy. It was my birthday while we were there and they helped to make the day really special. Also the beach, a very short walk away, has amazing sunsets. We had a small issue with ants in our bathroom but when daily housekeeping cleaned they sorted it out. It is expensive but price matches similar properties in the area. This property must invest in a payment option other than cash. The quantities of money are large and carrying that much cash around feels unsafe and it makes extending your stay challenging as you have to go to Kalpitiya to get out more cash.

Review rating: 4

Review Author: cassiezorro, Germany

Review Date: 10 Jun 2018

Review Body: The accomodations are simple which is what we were looking for. We were there to Kitesurf and Bandar (the manager) arranged a Tutktuk ride to take us to the beach the first day where we were introduced to the kite instructors and shown the shelter on the beach where we could hang out. He also arranged for a rental scooter for us that became our transportation means for the following days. Occasionally another resort could come by and pick up our equipment to take to the beach but this had to be arranged in advance and was not immediately offered. The food was excellent. Again Bandar took our wishes into consideration and we were offered lots of seafood and vegetarian meals. The access to the beach is slowly being improved and we spent several evenings on the beach watching the sunset. The only alcohol offered is beer but again Bandar was able to give us directions to the liquor store in Kalpitya where we were able to find some other options. It also gave us a chance to explore beyond the beach.

Review rating: 4

Review Author: Cbinmore, Thailand

Review Date: 02 Sep 2016

Review Body: Nice retreat, the staff could not do enough to make your stay a very pleasant one. From the manager (Bandar) who was always ensuring we were happy to the Chef's / Lachiysar & Preeyanta, Ramesh the waiter who was always smiling, the housekeeper Sreeanee who did a really nice job, especially with our bed decoration, the truck driver Teerob who drove us to lagoons or kite lessons. We asked Ramesh for some ice to cool our drinks and bought us a mini fridge! Outstanding service. For kiting we used the house instructor "Tommy" who was a really good kite instructor who knew all the best spots for wind and to kite. When we returned from a hard days kiting we took the great services of Marcella who ran the Spa. The Massage and pedicure were very comforting. All in, a great week in Sri Lanka. Colin & Jackie

Review rating: 4

Review Author: Kay., Dubai

Review Date: 02 Sep 2018

Review Body: A picture-perfect resort on the quiet, secluded Kalpitiya Bay. We stayed for 5 nights in the beach huts, which were rustic but comfortable. Get prepared to be-at-one with nature - our toilet and shower were both outside! Freezing, but invigorating, I'm sure we can all agree!? We visited in the low-season, meaning that the resort was more peaceful than usual and the weather was warm but wet, not that we minded after 4 months in the arid Middle East. The staff were incredible and treated us like pharaohs: they were constantly on hand to serve us local beers, to catch us the fish of the day, or even to RUN up trees to fetch coconuts for cocktails. Absolutely wonderful people! They also arranged to take us dolphin-watching in one of their boats. I've never seen so many!

Review rating: 4

Review Author: Scott R, Australia

Review Date: 17 Jan 2018

Review Body: We had booked elsewhere but after looking at the accomodation options we walked out and found this gem. Beach access which is great if u kite surf even if you dont. Bungalows are spaious and cool with a fan no A/C also has mozzie net, i have to make mention of the matress after 3 days on a hard mattress in our last place it was so good. large bathroom outdoor but private and only cold water shower but good for storing kite gear in. The dinner varied from being amazing on the first night to uninspiring by the time we left. The breakfasts were filing. The manager is a lovely guy and was very helpful and even arranged a scooter for us.

Review rating: 4

Review Author: eschindler, Arizona

Review Date: 01 Feb 2016

Review Body: Kalpitiya is a quirky spot, primarily for kitesurfing, and most of the small compounds of a few bungalow/cabins that call themselves "resorts" are pretty basic. After a week bike trip staying in many delightful hotels throughout the country, this last night was quite different. The plus: two block walk to beach, friendly property manager, comfortable bed and good mosquito netting. The downsides: not one of the lights was bright enough to be of any use, ants abound, and unfortunate location next to a rude home that played music so loud until 4 am because it was a festival day

Review rating: 3

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Over the three days, you will be having a 3-hour Kite Surfing Lesson each day.

Itinerary Description: 9am: Kite-Surfing Lesson 12pm: Head back to Resort