23/02/2026
This review belongs entirely to Ranjan and his amazing Max Wadiya team!
Our 7 night stay at Max Wadiya last week exceeded my expectations in every single way. As my father said, "The beauty of this place will never leave my mind."
I can still hear the sound of the waves from my favorite spot, the sunset platform. And I can still hear the wind swish through the coconut palms as I gently rocked in one of the hammocks, the fascination I had for the teams of local fishermen, lining up to pull in the nets laden with fish. I never tired of watching the men work cooperatively, as they went about their business.
From the very first step of the efficient booking process with Ruth via email, I knew I was in good hands. At Max Wadiya, you are truly made to feel "at home" by Ranjan the house manager extraordinaire and his staff. We loved being in the Tangerine Suite (in the annex) with it's fabulous views of the ocean both from the bed and the verandah. Having the ocean just steps away -- what a blissful luxury that felt like! The suite was comfortable and well appointed with gorgeous antiques from the area. (I wish I could've taken some home with me!)
On arrival, I marveled at the attention to detail: the cleanliness, maintenance and comfort of the property, the food, to the outstanding service of the staff members -- there isn't a single thing I felt could be improved upon.
The garden and pool area are well manicured and maintained with an abundance of flowering trees and plants and was sublime. There are many seating areas one can choose from - whether it's by the pool, outside the suite, under the gazebo, benches facing the beach or the elevated sunset platform.
We had chosen the full board option and every meal was delicious and made from scratch! It was cooking from the heart with fresh ingredients being the key -- whether it was the fish or the abundant fresh fruit and fruit juices or the vegetables we had. The Sri Lanka cuisine was top notch and we loved tasting food made expertly by people who knew what they were doing. Daily Ranjan would ask what we would like to eat and prepare the menu accordingly. And even though I ran out of time to do an actual Sri Lankan cooking lesson, I feel like I learned so much about Sri Lankan cuisine by speaking with Ranjan who would verbally talk me through recipes and food.
As beautiful as the location is, one of the best things about Max Wadiya is the people. Traveling with an octogenarian is never easy. However, the staff -- Monty, Saratha, Chandima, Indika, Thanindu, and Mendis -- helped in so many small and big ways with my dad that I felt I, too, had a chance to rest, recharge, and relax. Their kindness and gentleness in dealing with him really helped me to relax more than I expected to.
An unexpected surprise during our visit was the hatching of baby turtles from Max Wadiya's turtle hatchery. Helping release these little creatures on the beach was an experience that made me indescribably happy. Talk about being at the right place at the right time!
At the end of our week, I was already plotting and planning a way of returning to Max Wadiya, next time with our larger family. It is an ideal location to unplug, be pampered, completely relax, have an unforgettable time, while being lulled by the sounds of the ocean and pounding waves.
