This Is The Kookiest, Spookiest Hotel In Sri Lanka: And You've Gotta Go Here

The information in this post might be outdated

Shortcut

Kooky, mysterious, spooky — that’s pretty much what quirky hotel Helga’s Folly is all about. Make sure you stop over in Kandy, Sri Lanka just for this.

Dali Meets Gaudi

If Salvadore Dali, Antonio Gaudi, The Addams Family, David Bowie and Lady Gaga built a house together then this would be it. Except, Madam Helga {with real aristocratic links} did it all on her own.

Set atop a hill in the little lakeside town of Kandy, this massive ancestral home, is done up as per madam’s wishes — in a tropical and whimsical theme. And while their website—cluttered yet intriguing with opera music to boot—sets the tone, nothing prepares you for the real life drama.

Quirk Quotient

Inside, each room, wall and corridor is completely different and super eccentric. In fact, my bed/room mates were the two in-love goats from The Sound of Music’s High On A Hill.

The dining room has a gorgeous candle stand with wax that has accumulated for years; a busty lady welcomes you to the top floor, while four very gentlemanly frogs give you company on the bottom one.

I particularly liked one red room with tables and chairs dotting the space, for its wild décor comprising owls, ghouls, skeletons, giant ferns and a large mirror which I ran past for fear of finding a second reflection!

One stairway will bring you up to speed on Helga’s history, and my my, what a story!

Being Bizarre

Rooms, though very kooky and theatrical, what with silk saree-esque drapes, satin sheets and yellow mosquito nets, are homely in the furniture, bathroom and general set up.

A balcony accompanies every room but these are rather useless as monkeys make it their business to wander into rooms and steal peoples bags, passports and sunglasses {I write from experience}. So best keep that door firmly shut, eh?

Oh! And there’s a swimming pool, but the monkeys make themselves at home there too, so maybe avoid jumping in.

Dining In

In all the glamour of the house, dinner can’t be far behind naturally. So for a steep $20 {in Sri Lanka at least} we indulged in a five-course meal which was worth it after all.

From a lovely almond-coconut soup, and mulled wine {albeit chilled} to a creamy chicken roulade and chocolate mousse, it was quite a delicious affair. Make sure to lounge about post dinner for a drink with Frank Sinatra crooning in the background. Some days, you’ll be honoured by Madam Helga’s appearance too.

#LBBTip

If all this drama is too much for you, you can just have a look around the house for $3 {INR 200 approximately}, and it’ll be worth it.