If Alice in Wonderland had a Sri Lankan chapter, it would be set at Helga’s Folly—a place where art spills from the walls, history dances in the candlelight, and conventional hotels are simply boring in comparison. Nestled above Kandy’s lush, misty hills, this place is less of a hotel and more of a living, breathing, psychedelic dreamscape.

I walked in expecting a boutique stay; I left feeling like I had stepped through time, art, and the pages of an eccentric novel. The walls? Covered in hand-painted murals that whisper stories from decades past. The furniture? A glorious, mismatched collection of antique wonders. The atmosphere? Haunting, magical, and deliciously rebellious.

And then, of course, there was Helga herself. I sat down for tea and ginger biscuits with the grande dame of this extraordinary abode, and let me tell you—she is as much a masterpiece as the house she calls home. Dressed like a character from an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, she speaks in stories, memories, and the kind of poetic musings that make you want to stay and listen forever.

Helga’s Folly is a place where luxury is measured in experiences, not thread counts. Forget WiFi and room service—here, you get bohemian elegance, candlelit dinners with echoes of old Hollywood, and a sensory overload of colour and creativity. It’s a little bit Hotel California, a touch of Moulin Rouge, and a whole lot of Sri Lankan soul.

If you crave the quirky, the extraordinary, and the beautifully bizarre, then this is your invitation to step inside Helga’s Wonderland. Just be warned—you may never want to leave.