Went here for lunch. It was so tasty and fresh. We had taco’s with spicy chicken and pineapple chutney, perfect spice for us (hotsauce enthusiasts). It just had so much flavor!! Also they have really good coffee (fresh ground espresso or cappuccino)
While this place may have been a well functioning gym when it started 5 years ago, the place is now completely run down and has (as per the manager on ground, Umesh) not received any clients in more than 5 months. My friend and I wanted to go to Sri Lanka to train at BNKR for a week in early December but sadly it was a complete let down. Starting from misleading information shared via their website and by the owner, prior to our stay, who sold us a rather pricey retreat package, there was nothing in place that could have even remotely be compared to what was promised. So instead of sharing details of our frustrations, see for yourself as pictures taken 3 days ago will speak for themselves. Stay away and don’t be fooled like we were, it is a joke!
I believe this used to be the great gym but please read the review from Sandra, that is the truth and the current stage of this gym at the moment. The equipments are so worn out and dirty, all the kettlebells are rusty were not well maintained. I came with an open mind that this is a beach front location, sea breeze, sand, all of this is acceptable but the owner should put some care into maintaining the equipments given that this place also offers retreat package. What’s bothering me is also the rate, it’s 25$ per week. This price, I would be willing to pay given the location and if all equipments are in good condition. Unfortunately that’s not the case. The assault bike got so much rust you can’t even adjust the seat. The rowing machine does not work. The box itself is dirty. If you only need some barbell and plates, this will do the work. If the owner is reading this comment, please put some care into meeting your customer’s expectations and the advertisement you portray of the place online.
Kudos to the staff there though, super friendly and welcoming.
This place is a dream!!!
Fantastic team working in this natural paradise.
The place is beautiful, the food is AMAZING (already missing that) and the people there is extra friendly, chill and helpfull with anything.
They helped us renting a scooter, arranging some car trips, giving us tips, making us feel like home and with all the other things that we asked for.
Beautiful and happy souls in the kitchen team making everything so easy and cooking like heaven.
Easy to get there.
Thank you for everythink.
Hope to see you all again.
Bests wishes for all of you.
Lovely beach cafe and gym/training facility. Delicious western-cafe style food of everything from breakfast, to smoothie bowls, to dinner. The homemade breads and tortillas are fantastic; I can recommend the pizzas, tacos and smashed avocado toast. The pancakes are also a wonderful treat. Good selection of vegan/vegetarian foods. Wonderful staff and a nice selection of food.
My husband and I really wish we were back there right now. We’ve never done a holiday like this, but we’re hooked! We loved that we had to think about nothing - we exercised 3 times a day and someone fed us 3 amazing meals!
The highlight of the trip for us was the food. Vicky and her team are incredible. Every single meal was heaven on earth and Vicky’s attention to detail with our individual calorie counts, dietary restrictions etc was impressive. We learned a lot from her too as we embark on trying to change our eating habits.
Dimitri, the trainer, was obsessed with proper form which was really helpful. He was great at pushing our limits. The heaviest I’ve ever lifted was 60lbs, and 4 days in I was lifting 132lbs just by learning proper form and confidence.
We also lucked out, the group we had were the best. We loved everyone and can’t wait to meet up with them across the globe.
The disappointing parts were, the beach is full of plastic trash. We’ve never seen anything like it. If you’re just exercising and kite surfing then I guess who cares, but if you’re looking to sit on the beach, maybe save that for the south of the country. I hope that at some point all the hotels band together and do a huge (and continuing) beach clean up. Bring some kind of footwear for running on the beach for the morning workouts because there are some sharp bits... We also wished that the volleyball net was still up, we saw it on the website and we love playing. We would have had the perfect group to play! Next time :)
Our accommodation was an 11 minute walk down the beach at Club Mango, which we did actually love and it was one of the nicest places on that stretch of beach, but we wished we had been staying closer to the gym, purely for convenience, and hanging with the rest of the group in the evenings (you have to walk across a tidal inlet to get to the gym, so wear flip flops!). But a positive way of thinking about it is we got a lot of steps in!
We would definitely return, we learned a lot, lost weight and gained muscle. Loved it!
Food was sooooo good. Ordered the green bean salad with spicy prawns. Perfectly balanced olive oil dressing and super fresh ingredients. Could easily eat this every day
We stayed in Kalpitiya for a week and this was our favorite spot to eat. Vickie has done a super job with the menu. She’s got bulletproof coffee, vegan options, vegetarian options, gluten free, omelets, and the chicken pizza is great. Her and her staff are warm and welcoming. A+
Great experience. Loved the setting, food and workout. Perfect for single travellers as you spend a lot of your time in a group. Make sure to go for an an conditioned room to ensure sufficient recovery as you will be working out a lot!
I went to this place with a friend of mine with high expectations after looking at their website and the reviews this place received in the last 5 years but it turns out the place is a total disappointment! we were promised welcome pack which we never received when we arrived! the gym condition is really bad and the equipment is old and dirty!
The website information is misleading! They charge premium rates but the service is not up to the mark!
I will give them 2 stars for the accommodation!!
