Mate: Sri Lanka: Beach Life & Local Flavors 🇱🇰

Hi Kathy,

We're sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your two weeks with us, although we have to say we see this experience quite differently.

This was genuinely one of the best groups we've ever had. People connected, had fun, built real friendships, and many are already planning reunions around the world. Seeing these connections continue beyond the workation is exactly why we started Mate.

Of course, we understand that not every group is the right fit for everyone. But we also feel it's important to point out that you chose not to participate in many of the moments where those connections happened: shared breakfasts, dinners, coffee chats, and group activities. There were plenty of meaningful conversations, friendships, and quieter moments alongside the fun. Unfortunately, you missed many of them.

Regarding the atmosphere, yes, we're a social community! We love cooking together, sharing a glass of wine, laughing, going out, and enjoying our time together. But describing the entire experience as a drinking-centered spring break doesn't reflect what actually happened or the experience of the rest of the group.

As for communication and organization, we did our best to accommodate everyone's needs throughout the two weeks. Sometimes plans had to change because of the weather, people's energy levels, or simply because the group preferred a different activity. That's part of a workation: we're bringing people together to work, explore, and share experiences, not running a rigidly scheduled guided tour.

We understand that some of these changes frustrated you, and we tried to explain the reasons behind them. At the same time, repeatedly challenging decisions in front of the group made certain situations unnecessarily difficult to manage, especially when we were trying to find solutions that worked for everyone and maintain a positive atmosphere.

What also surprised us was reading this review after seeing you share several posts during your stay saying you were "having a great time here." Of course, you can enjoy certain parts of an experience and still have concerns, but we genuinely wish you had shared the full extent of your dissatisfaction with us while you were here.

We spent two weeks together, and there were plenty of opportunities to have an open conversation about what wasn't working for you. We would have been happy to listen, discuss things, and find solutions where possible. Reading such a different account of the experience only after you've left is disappointing, especially when there's no longer anything we can do to improve your stay.

We're always open to constructive feedback, and we know there's always room to improve. But we also believe that being part of a community means bringing some flexibility, openness, and willingness to participate. Communication goes both ways.

At the end of the day, we're incredibly proud of the community we created during these two weeks. The friendships, shared experiences, and plans people are already making to see each other again mean a lot to us.

We're sorry this wasn't the right fit for you, but we don't think it's fair to reduce the experience of an entire group to a drinking-centered holiday simply because you didn't connect with it in the way you had hoped.

We wish you all the best,
Mate Team