From the moment I arrived and was invited to pick my bedroom , staying at the Folly was like having all the excitement of being a seven year old diva again. After being shown five or six rooms, all harlequin-coloured but quite different in feel, I chose an elegant room with a garden terrace and with yellow walls covered in... more

I enjoyed my second stay at the Folly all the more for being warmly welcomed back by Helga, her husband Desmond and the staff as part of the family. I was invited along with other guests to join in for Helga’s glamorous candlelit birthday dinner where we sampled a memorable baked crab dish and the yummiest Christmas pudding I think... more

We stayed 4 days at Helgas Folly in August, having read about the hotel in several guide books. From what we had read and their web site, we were fascinated and decided to book this hotel in Kandy rather than a standard guest house or soulful hotel. True : even though the war has ended, tourism is dead in Sri... more

Helga's Folly is not for imature or griping tourists. It is for sophisticated travellers who don't shirek when they see a monkey or an ant on the drive. There are tedious reviewers who seems to show astonishment at being in a rural idyll in Kandy and wonder why everything isn't the same as 'back home'. If you love the real... more

We were two families travelling around Sri Lanka last xmas and having read about Helgas Folly over the years decided to treat ourselves to 3 nights here. We have all travelled extensively and stayed in Back packers and 5 star palaces. Nothing prepared us for how we had been taken in by the hype surronding this place. Being the only... more

Helga's Folly has a fascinating history, bewitching decor, quirky and unusually obliging staff, a private cinema and the best views of anywhere I stayed during my trip. I had a fantastic stay there, and felt comfortable and very well looked after - but then again I did not go expecting Caesar salads on room service and state of the art... more

The hotel was recommended to us by friends. We called to get the rooms rates and it was incredible 120$ per night. It is hard to find another hotel in Kandy charging this in these times (Sri Lankas tourism suffers and everywhere you get much better rates than usual). So we decided to stay in a first class heritage hotel... more

We just went for lunch, not having too much time, we asked for 2 simple dishes but had to wait 1 hour for them to serve us (although they said "30 mins ready madam"), despite us being the only customers. The prices are crazily exaggerated and the food not that great (pasta overcooked), and the 3 USD lime soda comes... more

Sad and dusty - made me think of Miss Havisham. Certainly could do with a good clean all round.. Helga also decorated this herself in incredibly vivid colours... okay if you can sleep through a riot of pink. A unique experience! more