Like every other coastal town in Sri Lanka that's known for something, Mirissa too has a whole heap of hotels, restaurants and budget hostels. Meaning, your travel budget got a lot more affordable than you imagined.
Isindu Sky Lodge is yet another one of those that we happened to come across when we were looking for a place to stay. And we're kinda happy we did.
The Hunt
Finding the hostel in real life was a lot easier than imagined. While the Google Maps location has the vaguest address imaginable, given how the actual building was a giant one, and we had no problem finding the place. And if you still can't find it, look up – it's one of the taller buildings in Mirissa town, you'll be fine.
Nonetheless, there's a vibrant blue ATM at the foot of the building, straight off the main road. Now you definitely can't miss it.
Isindu Sky Lodge is pretty ideal. Right on the main road, it's brilliantly close to the Mirissa Cargills and given how it's situated smack dab in the middle of the Mirissa town, there's a heap of restaurants to choose from. And even though it doesn't have a sea view, it's only around 5 minutes off the Mirissa beach which made it all the better.
The Hostel
Budget hostels are great for meeting people. Unless you're the only ones there, that is. And unfortunately for us, we happened to be the only ones in the whole hostel, so our chances of socialising were nil.
On the other hand, Isindu is great for folk who don't come to budget hostels to socialise. Because, whilst it is technically a "budget hostel" there wasn't any sort of living space for people to sit and hang around at. Even the lobby area was more of a reception than a lounge. So, if you're one of those people who want privacy in terms of just a room and nothing else, this is perfectly ideal for you.
A small-ish sized room with a giant bed taking 70% of the space, the room we stayed in Isindu Sky Lodge was basic, yet lovely and we were very happy about it. Accompanied by a cupboard, clothes rack and a mirror, the interior, it was comfortable.
With a giant fluffy mattress, working air conditioner and fan and a pretty clean,..everything, there's very little we can complain about. Honestly, the only thing we can complain about is the fact that the room was small. But, given how big the bed was, our complaint more or less gets cancelled.
I may have forgotten to get a shot of the bathroom, but I can assure you, as a bathroom, it was a lot better than anticipated. With rough brown tiles, a geezer and a small bar of Swadeshi soap, the bathroom, like the room fit the essentials and left no room for complaint.
Service
The host family at Isindu Sky Lodge comprised of some of the nicest people I encountered in Mirissa. They're not always there at the lobby. But, they've got their hotline on a couple of boards around the lodge, and they managed to answer every time we called.
Furthermore, a shout out for them for letting us keep our stuff in the room even after check out time.
Conclusion
If you're one of those people who like privacy, and not too much socialising, this is probably your safest bet for a good stay in Mirissa. The room was comfortable and clean and the host family was lovely.
