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Average rating 3.0 / 5.0 (3 votes)
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Helga's Folly

See more Unusual Places to Stay. Near to Colombo (16.46 km) in Sri Lanka.


Where Alice in Wonderland meets the Marquis de Sade …

Quite outrageous, extraordinary, eclectic and flamboyant are just some of the words that have been used to describe Helga's Folly. There are, genuinely, few places in the world like this hotel, set in the leafy Kandy hills above the famous lake and Temple of the Tooth. Helga's Folly is run by Helga de Silva Blow Perera, the wonderfully anglicised Sri Lankan daughter of local diplomats. The hotel was her childhood home, when stars like Vivian Leigh and Lawrence Olivier would visit.

The 40 rooms are awash with colour. Silk flowers and Christmas tree baubles sit alongside enormous murals, Hindu icons and family portraits of Helga’s family. Helga swans around in flowing velvet with Jackie O glasses, while husband Desmond brings up the rear. Welcome to Helga’s imagination.

Perfect for couples, solo travellers and families with the unusual on their agenda, and a good base for exploring the Buddhist temples and ancient cities to the north and the Hill Country to the south.

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1 / 5 Review by expert member i-escape's photo i-escape


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Helga's Folly
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iExplore Sri Lanka Extension

iExplore Sri Lanka Extension

5 days (Tailor made trip) from £410

Explore the fascinating and mystic region of Sri Lanka, visiting an elephant sanctuary, the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Paradeniya Botanical Gardens, Buddhist temples, Old Churches, Hindu temples, and Mosques.