Tamara Belinger
Coming from the hospitality industry the claim "home away from home" already feels a bit overused. But then there is Homebase. A place that truly, and to be honest for me also unexpectedly, feels like home. It actually gave the word "home" a new meaning for me. What makes this place so special are, without a doubt, the lovely people. There are Lisi & Lucky, who opened Homebase. Lisi really has an eye for detail and it is such a pleasure to discover all the thoughtfull touches inside and outside the house. Whereas Lucky shares lots of insights into Buddhism and the Sri Lankan culture. I truly enjoyed the talks about life and everything in between. And then there are Nilani, Tharu and Lumal. They are not only taking care of the property, making sure everything is clean and running smoothly. Even more so they create this instant feeling of being welcome and well looked after. All five of them put a lot of effort in creating the community at Homebase. Never thought that living with strangers could turn out to be such a wonderful experience. We had spontaneous breakfasts, lunches or dinners together, went to yoga or meditation classes, the beach and other activities. My favourites were the curry nights combined with cooking lessons from the team and some local events Nilani invited us to. On top of the great atmosphere Homebase provides fully equipped kitchens (we were allowed to use spices, oils, etc.), filtered water! (no need to carry water bottles home) and even the laundry detergent for the washing machine. I am so happy that I got to stay there for almost 7 weeks and can only recommend it to anyone, who is looking for accommodation in Hiriketiya. What's still left to say: I miss home!