Island Hostel is a travellers hub located in Mount Lavinia, which is about 15 minutes south of Colombo and a 2 minute walk from the beach. When I first arrived I found many other travelers chatting in the lobby and swimming in the rooftop swimming pool. Island Hostel offers many different sized dorm options to fit any budget. Here you can find 24 hour front desk service, WiFi, free breakfast, and many breathtaking views overlooking the ocean and the city of Colombo.
As soon as I was shown to my room upon arriving I immediately fell asleep in my comfortable bed. I spent day 3 and 4 of my journey at Island Hostel. I was still struggling with jet lag. The dorms were quiet and offered each person sheets and towels, this is something your not guaranteed to find in Sri Lankan hostels. I woke up later in the evening and staying in my dorm was another solo female backpacker. This was her last stop before returning home. We immediately clicked and she invited me to dinner. Unfortunately, I was not the least bit hungry so I went to the roof to drink tea and relax. On the roof, I met another girl that was solo backpacker. She just finished a yoga teacher training in India. I will be doing a teacher training in India next month. It was so refreshing to make friends so quickly. Island Hostel is a very social hostel you will definitely be able to make a friend or travel companion.
There were so many different highlights of my stay at Island Hostel. I woke up early one morning and went to the roof terrace to practice yoga. There was no one else awake and it was so nice to have a quiet place with a phenomenal view to take some time to reconnect with my body. After my yoga practice, it was time for breakfast. The breakfast was one of my favorite parts. They offered a traditional vegetarian Sri Lankan breakfast with an ocean view to enjoy while eating. Each morning had a different delicious breakfast. I was really impressed. On the roof, they have a private pool as well. It was a great place to relax after a tiring day of sightseeing and wandering.
When it was time to move on to a new city to explore, I felt really supported by the staff in finding the best routes and transportation. The staff took the time to print me out a sheet of the different bus options I could take to get the next city. They emailed it to me as well just in case I lost it. This was such a relief because I have found it challenging to research transportation here on my own.
I loved my stay at Island Hostel. They offered me new friendships, breathing views, and a clean and safe environment. Their hostel can be found at 48 Station Road, Mount Lavinia. It can be book through HostelWorld or Booking.com
