Udawalawa hotels

Pros: Look no further- Mansala Safari House is beautiful & where you should definitely base yourself while visiting Udawalawa. Tiron & his family are amazing hosts, so warm, helpful & welcoming...& as others have already mentioned, the food delicious. We also had Tiron arrange our safari, something that you must do while here. The rooms are spacious, modern & clean with a magnificent view from your balcony. The bathroom was huge in comparison to the traditional Sri Lankan guest houses we've stayed in so far & the water pressure, oh my goodness. Unfortunately we only stayed 1 night but wished we could have stayed longer- don't waste any time searching further, you have found the perfect place.

Pros: Big clean lovely room. Friendly hosts. Good wifi.

Cons: A little further from the park than anticipated but still only 10 min drive.

Pros: Great location with close proximity to elephant orphanage and national park entrance. Staff were extremely helpful-organised safari. The dinner and breakfast was delicious! Great value for money

Pros: Close to the city yet quiet enough to enjoy the evening, the place may have been the finest room we stayed in on our holiday. The room and bathroom were excellent and the balcony provided a perfect place to unwind at the end of the day.

Pros: Really friendly hosts and the food was delicious! We had a fantastic safari organised through the accommodation. We were made to feel so welcome and the room was lovely, with a fantastic balcony space.

Pros: The food was very tasty and plentiful and they even catered easily for our vegan. The room was big and bed comfy. Love the big shower too. Tiron andchis family are warm, friendly people and we learnt lots about the local area through them, as he acted as a guide.Tiron was also very helpful in helping us plan the trip.

Pros: Wonderful meals and super friendly family run hotel.

Pros: Everything about this place is fantastic. It was the best place we stayed in Sri Lanka by far. Extra clean and comfortable room with a/c and the food was again the best I had tried. I can’t tell you enough how you need to come here. This is the place we will stay when we return

Cons: There was nothing I didn’t like

Pros: Tiron was warm and welcoming from the start, he clearly has a very kind family. The room was clean and beds comfortable, with an outdoor shower which we thought was very retro! Good dinner and breakfast. Tiron helped us organise a minibus to Unawatuna the next day for a good price, and was willing to help in any way he could.

Cons: Nothing. Tiron and his house were fantastic. The only suggestion I would make is to install some mosquito nets - there are a lot of mosquitoes in this area. Tiron was kind enough to put one up for the night that we were here.

Pros: Lovely family run home stay. Incredible dinner and they offer a Safari. It was truly unforgettable. The guide and driver were so professional! Absolutely brilliant! Please stay here!

Pros: Location was fantastic, close to Udawalawe National park and the baby elephant sanctuary. Sri Lankan breakfast was amazing.

Pros: The staff was excellent. Darghana the guest relations officer was the absolute best. He arranged our safaris as well as transportation to our next stop. Food was great, the pool was lovely, everything was perfect.

Cons: Nothing!

Pros: Very good eco friendly small hottel bond with quit neture. Staff is very helpful and clean grdening.... value for the money...

Pros: Beautiful grounds, lovely swimming pool, exceptional staff. The room was clean with a lovely view. The food was delicious, it was the best breakfast we had in Sri Lanka. We organised our safari drive with the hotel, they provided a driver. When we got into the game reserve we also hired a guide. It was the best 2000 rupees we spent in Sri Lanka. He had binoculars, was excellent at spotting animals and giving us information. Made the whole experience 100 times better.

Pros: Where to start, it was all perfect from our arrival till we left! Darshana took perfect care for us, he arranged everything, safari, massage, elephant shelter and our transport to our next place! Nothing was to much to ask!! The food was good and the people in the restaurant and chefs applied to all our wishes! Really been to many hotels but the service level here transcend all expectations!! Many thanks for the good care!!!

Cons: We only stayed 1 night... :( Can't give higher than a 10

Pros: Warm welcome ceremony, lovely grounds to walk around, big bedroom and a good breakfast

Pros: Beautiful grounds, lovely staff, very helpful and great with our little kids, delicious food

Pros: The location, the staff's attentiveness.

Cons: Our stay was too short!

Pros: A beautiful location where it would be easy to relax for a day or two before or after going on a safari in nearby Udawalawe national park

Cons: If we’d known that they could organise an elephant safari for us before we got there we wouldn’t had to spend time researching and booking one ourselves.

Pros: A calm quiet place and the staff was spectacular in their service and they always had a smile. Highly recommended.

Cons: There is nothing to say.

Pros: Excellent staff. Good service. It is close to Udawalava national Park. Price is very good. Modern building

Cons: Wifi connectivity is only available in certain areas. That wifi is also very slow. Plenty of flies around. There are some safety hazard in first floor. Balustrade is missing in some parts.

Pros: The staff were fantastic, always answering any questions. Great location right next to the national park. Loved the pool.

Pros: Very nice hotel, we enjoyed the pool. Good place if you are planning to go visit the national park. We had a nice dinner there as well. Good value for money

Cons: N/a

Pros: The foods are very good and tasty..it was more than expected. And receptionist provided very good service. Nice swimming pool.

Cons: The place is smaller than i expected. There is nothing to do outside the room except swimming pool. They only provide public parking outside of the hotel. Stewards are not well educated except one. And they didnt provide creamer as room amnesties.

Pros: Very helpful at organising our safari

Pros: Very friendly and welcoming staff. Evening food was tasty, we had a good few rice and curries. Good location for the national park. We booked safari through the hotel which was good although we would have preferred the guide to have more knowledge about the park and the animals so maybe look around, better English and more enthusiasm on the day. Room was clean when we arrived. We used some bikes for free which was good as we cycled to get lunch from the Department of Agriculture in Udawala one day.

Cons: Room wasn't cleaned daily although they did come in on one day to clean the bathroom. Safari breakfast and one other day was disappointing because we are vegan and we got a crustless white bread vegetable sandwich and fruit. Bland food. However, we pushed to have sri lankan food and then on our last morning the chef cooked a fantastic breakfast of curries, roti, string hoppers, sweet pancakes, fresh juice and fruit. If this was served every time and without asking we would have been more satisfied. The hotel said it didn't have driver accommodation due to renovations. Yet it was generally very quiet and on one of the evenings we were the only guests so we didn't see why our drivers couldn't stay when there was so much room.

Pros: The staff were very helpful in organising our safari and transport. They were very accommodating in changing the dates of our safari when my partner fell ill. They brought breakfast and dinner to our room as he was bedridden which was a huge help. The food at the restaurant was amazing too!

Pros: Really spacious room with equally spacious bathroom. Lovely balcony. Really enjoyed the pool which had a gradual depth. Room was very clean. Staff organized our trip around Udawalawe Park (which cost 30$ for two people), they also arranged a private car to bring us to Unawatuna (the next destination on our trip). Great A/C in the room.

Cons: No WiFi in the room which we’d expect in 2019. The WiFi in the restaurant was also quite slow and we found our mobile network was faster. Dinner was lovely but breakfast wasn’t the best. A lot of flies in the restaurant which was open to the outside and swatting became quite tiring after a point.

Cons: The hotel has to be mindful of whom to be treated as a guide/driver... Especially when the guest has specifically called it out saying that the person is a friend... Not allowing them to the room for dinner is not done... Apart from this... the experience was excellent overall

Pros: Very good breakfest and helpful staff. Very good position for visit natural park. We liked here very much. All was OK.

Pros: Very nice atmosphere in candlelight dinner.

Cons: Apparently same food every evening in all Big Game resorts? Not much activities in the evening. Too dark in tent to read, wifi not working in the morning.

Pros: What an experience . Awesome fun ...

Pros: It was a fun experience glamping in Sri Lanka. The tents are nice, but could do with some brighter lighting. Comfy beds, working showers etc. Would have been nice to have mosquito nets as we got one or two bites. The BBQ dinner was pleasant - 3 courses, but variable quality (some got quite nice meat, others mostly bones!), and there was very little variety of drinks available - it would have been nice to have a glass of wine. We booked a morning safari and were sent off with a packed breakfast. There was much focus on getting our money off us as we arrived and less on the welcome than we found anywhere else on our travels.

Cons: Suggestions to improve - signpost the place, or ensure phone is answered when people ring for directions. Have some info sheets available about the birds and wildlife you might see - perhaps offer guided walks of the area. Serve cocktails before dinner - a great way to get the guests chatting and relaxing - instead we found we had to walk a longish distance to ask for beers - no other choice was offered. Overall quite pricey for the experience.

Pros: Pretty setting - lots of shade. Lovely birds

Cons: Tent very hot. No mosquito nets. Common sitting area a bit short of chairs/ a bit small. No information on wildlife. Hard to get a drink.

Pros: The Big Game Camp is as described you will not be disappointed the tents are nicely spaced out and have everything you need. The staff are very welcoming and the food is good.

Cons: As it is a camp there was only one area where WiFi was available. The WiFi wasn’t great but it’s too be expected as it is a camping experience.

Pros: Very cool tents spread out across a vast area, Russell the manager speaks excellent English so phone him if you can’t find the turning to Big Game Camp (it’s not sign posted, but if you get to the school you’re nearly there) BBQ dinner was lovely in both setting & atmos. Fire pit is a good touch. Bottles of palatable red & white wine available at dinner. The safari tour guide was very knowledgable. Tents are luxurious & spacious for glamping

Cons: - hard to find, no signs, our driver stated to get annoyed - 30 mins away from the entrance to the park - breakfast needs some attention, the sandwich was dry, tasteless & just unacceptable at this price. - value for money slightly lacking - could do with an area with drinks available. One small water in room & no shops nearby

Pros: Extremely accommodating and friendly staff. A great safari experience - nothing seemed too much trouble.

Pros: Camping experience near a national park is very special. staff is very kind and has a lot of knowledge of the surrounding nature. BBQ diner is great!

Cons: The safari they offer is pretty expensive. We did one on our own which was great.

Pros: Fabulous setting with the campfire and all of the oil lamps to guide your way to the tent. The BBQ dinner was delicious and the tent itself was very comfortable.

Cons: Being in the jungle, expect to have some insect visitors near your tent but the staff are on call and ready to help anytime. Drinks with dinner are very expensive.

Pros: Staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. The safari was for longer than scheduled to make sure we enjoyed it. Food was good, beer was cold! The rooms were fitted with a very powerful fan.

Cons: The dinner experience was more formal than we had expected. Also it was incredibly humid when we were there, so camping was an interesting option.

Pros: The location is fantastic and the rooms were just apt for a proper forest set up! The safari was scheduled right on time and we were well taken care during the safari... The dinner and breakfast set up by the river was amazing and had a good BBQ spread - A feast for non veg eaters... Being a vegetarian I didn’t have much of variety.. but still managed to get some decent food!

Cons: Basic thing! They should provide water in the rooms and provide water during dinner and breakfast... making guests buy water bottles doesn’t sound great... Staffs look a bit lost at times... may be due to language barriers.. but that’s not a major complain...

Pros: • The food. We were lucky that there was a barbecue dinner, and we could eat the food just after being prepared in front of us by the chefs. Still remember how tasty the food was! • The facilites were nice, very clean and the pools so good too. • Our tent was in front of the river and that was very nice.

Cons: • Taking into account the price of the rest of the hotels in Sri Lanka, we found it expensive. + The concept we had about a safari before was too ideal compared to what we experienced. We had to queue up with a lot of jeeps, even if it was when the park opened the gates in the morning. And once in the park, we spent the 75% of the time accompanied by other jeeps, specially when an elephant turned up. Also we didn’t see many animals, I wouldn’t show myself up either with that many people around... We know that there is nothing the hotel can do, but we just want to let the future guests know about it in advance. *Apart from the jeep and the driver (included) you still need to pay for the entrance ticket to the national park (we paid 42€ for 2).

Pros: Great swimming pool, sleeping in tents setup in a huge building. Was perfect. At the river meet local people. Great buffet. Close to the wildlife park

Cons: Payment upfront. Buffet and drinks compared to other locations more expensive.

Pros: We had a really fun stay at the River Camp. The breakfast and evening buffets were delicious and there was more than enough choice. Most of all we loved the swimming pools and the kids loved staying in the “glamping” style safari tents.

Cons: Our first tent wasn’t great in the heavy rain - its front deck/ awning wasn’t very big. Fortunately, the staff and manager were very happy for us to choose a different tent for our second night.

Pros: Lovely place with very nice staff They arrange nice safaris ! 2 nice pools And they also took us for a ride with bicycles around the hotel. Very nice experience with kids The food could but upgraded...

Pros: The tents at Athgira gave a great sense of being right in the national park, the scenery is beautiful and even though we didn’t use the pool it looked clean and thoroughly inviting. The staff were mostly friendly and we booked a safari alongside our booking which we thoroughly enjoyed, the driver and guide were very informative and we were able to see a variety of wildlife up close.

Cons: Meals felt a bit rushed and some of the staff were a little short when asked questions.

Pros: Everything, great pool, good staff, great dinner and breakfast.

Cons: Tip for the staff, the waiters need to wait a little before taking away the finished plates as it felt like it was being whisked away before you had even finished. Very minor and think it was just trying to over please.

Pros: Gorgeous staff and superb location.

Pros: The tent was set up well for our family of 5, with a decking area backing on to a stream. It was clean and the shower room was spacious. The staff were friendly and helpful. There were two good-sized pools, good for children of all ages. We spent some time with our children exploring the stream behind our tent – lots of fun. The dining area was large, the food included was good and plentiful. The hotel arranged a jeep safari which was excellent.

Cons: We opted for full board and we were happy to pay for alcoholic beverages, but there were no provisions of free water either in the tents or at mealtimes, which we found unacceptable. When my husband spoke to the manager, around 10 small bottles of water were delivered to our room which for 3 nights stay was not sufficient for 5 people, nor good for the environment. It was a great place to stay but we strongly urge management to look at the water facilities. Other hotels (not full board) provided water coolers for guests to re-fill their own bottles.

Pros: The property is surrounded by beautiful nature and the garden is very well cared for. We saw wildlife not only during our safari in the national park but also right on the grounds of the hotel - a big monitor lizard in the river. The staff organizes great safari packages for you and is very friendly. The food was very tasty and varied.

Cons: It would be nice if the bar/café and reception area had a little more life and hospitality in it. They close up very early, so there is no chance to sit and relax with a glass of whatever you like for long, cocktails were not served at all since there was no bartender - they do have them on the menu however. All in all this feature of the hotel could use a little more attention. Also it would be nice to have some poolmats to make the loungers more comfortable.

Pros: This hostel is run by a very lovely family of three who take care of everything. The food was very delicious and home made! There are three charming rooms-make sure you get one of those! The hostel has its own safari vehicle which is quite handy.

Cons: The next town (ATM, soft drinks, Beer)is 12km away.

Pros: The hotel owner was so kind and looked after us and our driver really well. We had a delicious Sri Lankan curry meal on the night we stayed - one of the best meals of our trip! He also organised a safari for us which we thoroughly enjoyed. It was brilliant value for money too

Cons: Could have been more attention to detail in cleaning the bathroom but generally a good standard

Pros: We stayed there only one night, because of a close distance to the Udawalawa Park and safari we did. Very nice welcoming fresh-made juice. Good wifi connection. Around 1 km from main road, where the buses from Thanamanwila direction stop We booked a jeep for 3 hours for a safari. The price was OK and it was very comfortable, as we were picked up directly from the place we stayed. This place is in the middle of nowhere, no restaurants or shops around. I strongly recommend to order a dinner, it was delicious! Excellent rice and curry.

Cons: Staff did not speak English well, it was possible to communicate with them to some extend. Fridge in the room was broken. There were ants in the bathroom. Dirty area in front of the house. USD rate to Sri Lankan rupee was calculated in a very weird way by the staff - while paying for the room. They accept only cash and do not have change. Breakfast was OK, but if it was a Sri Lankan style breakfast it would be much better

Pros: Great location if you are just staying in Udawalawe to go to the national park. The family organised our safari Jeep for us and the dinner they cooked us was some of the best curry we had in Sri Lanka ! Super helpful getting us on the bus the next day too

Cons: There was nothing I didn’t like !

Pros: Nothing

Cons: Everything. Why we were sent to a property like this with no card machine so we had to pay cash and have no idea if we will also have it taken off my card I cannot imagine.

Pros: Staff were kind and helpfull. Compared to the price, everything was very good

Cons: Internet

Pros: Clean, comfortable bed. Enough for 1 night. Not much street noise, but you hear all about from neighbours. Owner organized the safary that was nice. Also owner organized the transport from Mirissa and to the Sinharaja rain forest next day with confortable van.

Cons: Dinner was big enough but chicken was only bones in carry souce. I lost half of my teath. We asked not spicy but still was very spicy and we eat all rice. For Water during the dinner had to pay extra. No warm shower. AC was very noisy in one room. Lot of moskitos.

Pros: Close to safari entrance, clean and very nice people

Cons: All ok! Nothing bad!!

Pros: The couple made us feel very welcome when we got there and made us some sri Lankan food and accommodated our 6 year old daughter for western food.

Cons: Everything was excellent.

Pros: Quiet location near Udawalawe park entrance. We were warmly welcomed by the manager and his wife and tbey arranged a superb 4 hour safari in their own vehicle. The curry and rice served in the evening was the best meal I have eaten in Sri Lanka.

Pros: The staff organised and booked us onto a safari to Udawalawe National Park using the hotel jeep in advance, I would highly recommend doing this the driver was so friendly and was great. The hotel also arranged a taxi to our next destination. When we arrived we were greeting with a cold towel and fruit juice. The pool was nice to use to cool down after our journey.

Cons: The reception staff and waiters were unwelcoming and a little frosty, I don’t think I saw them smile once during our stay. Air conditioning was an additional charge per night. The food was really disappointing and poor, the menu wasn’t authentic Sri Lankan food and even though we arrived half hour after the restaurant opened we were told that the Sri Lankan curry wasn’t available. Breakfast was just as poor it was a buffet style with the food not being that warm and there was very little left when we arrived an hour after breakfast had started. Whilst I appreciate that we were staying in a tent and it would be expected to hear more noise, the noise from the busy road was really loud and went on late into the night and early morning. Glad we were only staying one night.

Pros: very relax environment..food and other things is very reasonable price..friendly and helpful staff..nice and clean room.i would like to recommend this place for anybody.

Pros: Nice pool.Nice and clean room.

Cons: Breakfast with limited variety and it is cold for hot dishes such as steamed tomatos, sausages (which is of poor quality). A hotel of this standing usually offers more better breakfast Maybe it is because it’s in the low season

Cons: Bath Tub was not a jacuzzi tub as mentoned. Hot water was only available for about 2 min. The hot water tank was too small.

Pros: Very nice and clean apartment with view to swimming pool. Very good food. Nice to walk throught apartments. Cool enviroment.

Cons: Water in elektric socket, so quite dangerous

Pros: Lovely room and pool. Not far from Ude Walawa national park.

Cons: Tent 22 is close to the busy road and so very noisy at night. food was a bit disappointing. Staff not the friendliest we came across in Sri Lanka.

Pros: The tents were really fun to sleep in, good shower and amazing pool. Beautiful, natural surroundings and close to the National Park.

Cons: We booked a taxi through the hotel and the car was poor quality and the driver did not seem experienced. I asked the driver to stop talking on his phone while driving (which he did)

Pros: Upon arrival we were upgraded from a basic double to a superior tent with pool view. The tent comfortable and had a nice outside balcony area. The outside bathroom was also a plus. The safari experience was 10/10 good value for money and our guide made it amazing. Would highly recommend staying here.

Cons: Only stayed one night - wish we stayed longer !!

Pros: The tents are OK, no a/c The pool is a hood amenity

Cons: They tried to pass me another food bill instead of mine. I only realised when I told out driver (local). He went back with me and they returned the money extra they had charged (around 2000 R). This is not professional nor welcoming for another visit.

Pros: The property was close to udawalawe national park and the safari was fantastic

Cons: The tent leaked water everywhere. The restaurant was dire and empty as off season.

Cons: It's such a shame but this just wasn't what I expected . The room was very poorly maintained and furniture and fittings were very basic .No curtains in room .Don't be fooled by the photos they put on the website. Also the small pond /lake area they have on site appeared to be contaminated .The water was cloudy and malodouros. It's a shame as I saw a huge lizard in there and glad something survived. To be fair to them this was 5 months after the Easter bombing in Columbo. There were hardly any tourists here and it felt like a ghost town. It just seemed so lacklustre that I left after the first night . Dear Kottawatta village .Please please clean up your lake if you do 1 thing . Make it that! Tourists will see that you care about the wildlife and environment when they come here for the safari and that counts for a great deal in these times.

Pros: Naturalist Gayan is the best of the best. Very professional and attentive guy. ) Good service from hotel stuff Good and clean tent

Cons: Food, some furniture is missing or broken

Pros: Mahoora camp is professionally run and of high quality -the decor / glamping is just fab. We loved staying here and felt like we were really with the best of the best when on our safari. The food and wine were great too - plenty of it within the all inclusive package which is great.

Cons: Sadly I do think it is overpriced.

Pros: This is a fantastic place to experience Udawalawe national park, situated right on the border we could here elephants breaking branches as we ate dinner. You are not inside the park so not at risk of coming face to face with elephant in the evening, but still surrounded with wildlife. We Had a fantastic three course meal served to us under the stars around a bonfire and was a lovely romantic experience for our honeymoon. The tent is sealed, comfy and very clean with all the expected turn down style service you would expect from an actual hotel, its not exactly roughing it! Every single member of staff we encountered were fantastic, we had some great chats with the camp manager Wayne who gave us a lot of interesting information on the company and their mission and also Sri Lanka as a whole. We had two safaris, a trip to the elephant transit hub and a morning nature walk, all packed full of animal, insects, flowers and plants. Our naturalist Gayan was another level, we learnt so much about the elephants, wildlife and culture and shared a lot of jokes too, a really top guy who made the experience magic.

Cons: Remember to keep the address and a contact phone number handy, our driver had trouble finding it and is best to get them to phone.