About this property
Comfortable Accommodations: First House Mihintale in Mihintale offers family rooms with private bathrooms. Each room includes air-conditioning, free toiletries, and a private entrance. Dining and Leisure: Guests can enjoy a restaurant serving Italian, seafood, and local cuisines. The property features a bar, terrace, and outdoor fireplace. A garden provides a relaxing space. Convenient Services: The guest house provides private check-in and check-out, a 24-hour front desk, and free on-site parking. Additional services include a tour desk, bike and car hire, and luggage storage. Nearby Attractions: Sigiriya Airport is 40 mi away. Points of interest include Anuradhapura Railway Station (9.3 mi) and Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (9.9 mi).
Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap
Most popular amenities
- Airport shuttle
- Non-smoking rooms
- Family rooms
- Room service
- Restaurant
- Facilities for disabled guests
- Free parking
- Bar
- Breakfast
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Hosted by Nuwan Gajanayaka
6.7
Host Review Score
Nuwan Gajanayaka
My 3 bed room villa "First House" is situated between the historical Mihintale Rock Temple and the Kanadarawa water tank and ancient Stone Bridge 6 A.D. It’s just over a mile from Mihintale’s ancient temple and only 15 minutes driving distance from the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, but in total tranquility, far away from the crowds and traffic noises. Set in a 0.75 acres garden, the villa is a mix of traditional charm and modern comforts. The villa was designed by my brother Rohan Gajanayaka, a special feature is a naturally ventilated veranda, allowing all rooms to benefit from fresh air breezes.
The "First House" is fully staffed, my villa managers caring for you are my brother Rohan and my mother. I am Nuwan, speaking perfectly well understandable English and Italian. Our ambition is to ensure you enjoy a wonderful time in a family atmosphere right in the historical heartland of Sri Lanka.
We are also proud to be exceptional good and experienced cooks for local and western cuisine, so we will prepare all your meals and shop for you, if you wish. All dietary requirements and preferences can be catered for.
I am Nuwan Gajanayaka and since 2003 I have been working as a tourist guide lecturer, approved by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board and running a home based travel agency on own Lanka Excursions Holidays.
I started to work as a local guide in Mihintale in 1999. From then on I was fascinated by my job more and more, day by day, because I could meet guests from different parts of the world and learn more about different cultures with different mentalities and much different ideas. This motivated me to continue this work and to be involved in the tourism sector.
When working as a guide in Mihintale, I also met travellers who decided to visit other destinations with me and asked me to arrange whole tour itineraries and accomodations. Apart from normal classic tours and beach relaxation, I always like to show unknown parts of the country and daily life in Sri Lanka, what most tourists are missing when travelling in our country. So this is how I started my work as a guide and tour operator step by step.
Still I was eager to expand my activities. Those days I started my dream project, which was to open my own guest house. So I worked hard years and years to reach that target
Mihintale is the place where Monk Mahinda and his delegates introduced Buddhism in Sri Lanka by preaching it to King Dewanam Piya Thissa in 236 B.C. This happened on a Full Moon Day which is called Poson Poya. Monk Mahinda explained or "blessed" the "Chulla Hatti Padopama Suthra" to King Dewanam Piya Thissa, afterwards King Thissa himself decided to convert to Buddhism.
But before blessing the Suthra, Monk Mahinda did not forget to test the king's intellectuality, because there had been a language understanding problem those days. So monk Mahinda pointed to a Mango tree and he asked the king some questions about it, a kind of ancient IQ test. It is the world's first test of this kind recorded in historical chronicles.
Afterwards King Thissa built the temple. So since that day Mihintale has been inhabited by Buddhist monks. At certain times more than 2000 Buddhist monks lived in this area. So it was really a well-organized temple.
Today, we can see plenty of ruins from the original temple. During the 8th and 9th century Sri Lanka was attacked several times by merceneries of South Indian dynasties called Pandyas and Cholas.
Languages spoken: English,Italian
Area info
Restaurants
1 Restaurant On Site
- Restaurant
- CuisineItalian • Seafood • Local
- Dietary optionsHalal • Vegetarian
Amenities of First House Mihintale
Most popular amenities
- Airport shuttle
- Non-smoking rooms
- Family rooms
- Room service
- Restaurant
- Facilities for disabled guests
- Free parking
- Bar
- Breakfast
Bathroom
Bathroom
- Toilet paper
- Towels
- Towels/Sheets (extra fee)
- Bathtub or shower
- Toilet
- Free toiletries
- Hairdryer
Bedroom
Bedroom
- Extra long beds (> 6.5 ft)
Outdoors
Outdoors
- Outdoor fireplace
- Picnic area
- Outdoor furniture
- BBQ facilitiesAdditional charge
- Terrace
- Garden
Kitchen
Kitchen
- Shared kitchen
- Cleaning products
- Dryer
Room Amenities
Room Amenities
- Socket near the bed
- Clothes rack
PetsPets are allowed. No extra charges.
Pets
Activities
Activities
- Bicycle rentalAdditional charge
- Cooking classAdditional charge
- Tour or class about local cultureAdditional charge
- HikingAdditional chargeOff-site
- FishingAdditional chargeOff-site
Food & Drink
Food & Drink
- FruitAdditional charge
- Kid-friendly buffet
- Kids' mealsAdditional charge
- Special diet meals (on request)
- Snack bar
- Breakfast in the room
- Bar
- Restaurant
InternetNo internet access available.
Internet
ParkingFree private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).
Parking
- Accessible parking
Transportation
Transportation
- Public transit ticketsAdditional charge
Front Desk Services
Front Desk Services
- Invoice provided
- Lockers
- Private check-in/out
- Baggage storage
- Tour desk
- Currency exchange
- Express check-in/out
- 24-hour front desk
Entertainment & Family Services
Entertainment & Family Services
- Baby safety gates
- Babysitting/Child servicesAdditional charge
Cleaning Services
Cleaning Services
- Ironing serviceAdditional charge
- LaundryAdditional charge
Safety & security
Safety & security
- Key access
- 24-hour security
General
General
- Shuttle serviceAdditional charge
- Grocery deliveriesAdditional charge
- Shared lounge/TV area
- Vending machine (snacks)
- Vending machine (drinks)
- Air conditioningAdditional charge
- Tile/Marble floor
- Heating
- Private entrance
- Car rental
- Packed lunches
- Carpeted
- Fan
- Family rooms
- Ironing facilities
- Facilities for disabled guests
- Airport shuttleAdditional charge
- Non-smoking rooms
- Iron
- Room service
Accessibility
Accessibility
- Raised toilet
- Wheelchair accessible
- Entire unit wheelchair accessible
- Entire unit located on ground floor
Languages Spoken
Languages Spoken
- English
- Italian
House rules
First House Mihintale takes special requests – add in the next step!
Check-in
From 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card at check-in.
You need to let the property know what time you'll be arriving in advance.
Check-out
From 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Cancellation/ prepayment
Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodation type. Enter your stay dates and check the conditions of your selected option.
Children & Beds
Child policies
Children of all ages are welcome.
To see correct prices and occupancy info, add the number and ages of children in your group to your search.
Crib and extra bed policies
Cribs and extra beds aren't available at this property.
No age restriction
There's no age requirement for check-in
Pets
Free!Pets are allowed. No extra charges.
Accepted payment methods
Smoking
Smoking is not allowed.
The fine print
Must-know information for guests at this property
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform First House Mihintale of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Payment before arrival by bank transfer is required. The property will contact you after you book to provide instructions.
