Lodges in Wilpattu

The lodge is located a bit off the road. But when arriving it is very nice and well maintained. The hostess was very kind and made sure everything was fine. The room was primitive but we knew that beforehand. The only thing was that there was no warm water for showering. The reason why we booked here was for the great safari reviews. We did a half day safari in the morning with a driver and naturalist. I think it is a major advantage to have both a driver and naturalist so they can both keep an eye open to spot animals. Also, the naturalist was a former guard in the national park knowing a lot of the park and the animals. Therefore the safari was not only good for the eye but also leaned a lot. We were very lucky to see a sloth bear as well as a leopard, besides a lot of herds, iguanas and birds. No elephants unfortunately, but that was not our main goal since they can be spotted a lot here in Sri Lanka...

It was fairly basic but was one of the few places available with a swimming pool. It is close to the entrance of Willpatu park which drew us to it Food was basic but good enough. There really is only the park in the vicinity so no other real options for meals etc. staff English is limited bet enough to get by

It’s nice and remote in the middle of the jungle. Very quiet and comfortable. The owner was super polite and friendly and made us dinner and breakfast to go.

Hashan and his wife were exceptionally accommodating and truly made our stay memorable! We recommend treating the stay as a "whole package" experience: Accommodation (booked through booking.com): Located near the edge of Wilpattu National Park, the setting was scenic and convenient, making the early mornings for safari so much easier! While basic by Western standards, it’s clean, well-kept, and equipped with essentials like mosquito nets and warm water (not always common in the area and so nice after a day on safari). The delicious, spicy dinners (you have to ask for spice; if you get not spicy it is truly no spice) and cold beer added an authentic touch. We loved the short walk to a nearby tank, where we spotted more animals in the evenings. Safari Experience (we messaged and booked): We did two full-day safaris with Hashan, and his vehicle was perfect—an older model with a drop-down front window, ideal for photography. Sitting close to Hashan made it easy to communicate, and he was attentive to our needs, turning off the engine for steady shots and offering valuable wildlife insights (on other Safari's in Sri Lanka we sat separate to the driver which we found much less enjoyable). We saw an incredible range, from leopards (4 in two days!) to vibrant Bee-Eaters. The whole experience felt intimate and personalized, a true wildlife enthusiast’s dream! Current Costs (as of August 2024): Accommodation (with Dinner): 20000lkr/night National Park Entrance: 21500LKR/day (this covers a vehicle, driver and 2 people) Safari (with Food): 37000LKR/day (including tax for 2 people - in a private safari truck) Note; the above are approximate (we lost our receipt) and to the best of our memory - Hashan; if we're off feel free to correct us in the reply as this sort of info is very useful for people trip planning :D Overall, we can't recommend this experience highly enough for anyone seeking an authentic and well-rounded safari adventure!