Sri Lanka eco lodge accommodation
| country: | Sri Lanka |
| location: | Yala National Park (northwestern boundary) |
| price: | From US $75 per person per night including full board, meals and refreshments, excluding activities. 2-4 hr guided treks with 4 trackers US $25 per person, 3 night package US $240 per person (inc meals, arrangements & walks) |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Sri Lanka eco lodge accommodation
We are refurbishing and will re-open with a lodge that is nicer and better than ever. We intend to open mid 2010
A real jungle experience - accommodation in mud and tree-huts and simple living in harmony with wild nature. Micro lodge for the few, yet fully geared with staff eager to create great experiences – be it tasty meals, jungle treks, or wild elephant spotting. Safe sleeping is secured by vigilant watchmen who know the ways of the jungle.
The lodge offers a break from comfortable standard life - there is no electricity, nights are black and bathing is primitive at a freshwater well. Mainly vegetarian meals are cooked native style on wood fire. The minimal infrastructure is balanced by individual service and well trained local staff who will make sure the whole arrangement works in a spotless way.
Built on belief in minimal comforts for this particular setting, the lodge is carefully fitted into the wilderness surroundings. The landscape is impressive; bush-jungle, virgin forest, rocky hills and is habitat for a range of wildlife. Via the gravel road to the lodge you’re leaving human civilization, moving to elephant country. Elephants are frequently heard or seen near the lodge at night, and seen as dark shadows gliding over the landscape when the moon is full. The dry period from June to October is peak season for elephant activity in the area but elephants might be around throughout the year.
All excursions are on foot, escorted by a 4-man team local trackers as well as English speaking (local) naturalist of the lodge. The jungle around the lodge is connected to Sri Lanka’s largest protected area, the 1300 km2 Yala National Park that is covering the Southeast ‘corner’ of the island. Yala and bordering wilderness is accommodating more than 500 elephants. Observing animals isn't easy. Still, something might be there… Just being in the midst of nature is the element of adventure at the lodge. Even without actually seeing animals the atmosphere is special; you’ll feel the soul of the jungle.
Birdwatchers are in their element with 165 species observed in the area including: Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Green Bee-eater, Baya Weawer, Roseringed Parakeet, and endemics such as Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot, Sri Lankan Jungle Fowl as well as Grey and Malabar Pied Hornbill.
Note: 3 Nights Package: US $240 per person including meals, refreshments & all guided treks
A real jungle experience - accommodation in mud and tree-huts and simple living in harmony with wild nature. Micro lodge for the few, yet fully geared with staff eager to create great experiences – be it tasty meals, jungle treks, or wild elephant spotting. Safe sleeping is secured by vigilant watchmen who know the ways of the jungle.
The lodge offers a break from comfortable standard life - there is no electricity, nights are black and bathing is primitive at a freshwater well. Mainly vegetarian meals are cooked native style on wood fire. The minimal infrastructure is balanced by individual service and well trained local staff who will make sure the whole arrangement works in a spotless way.
Built on belief in minimal comforts for this particular setting, the lodge is carefully fitted into the wilderness surroundings. The landscape is impressive; bush-jungle, virgin forest, rocky hills and is habitat for a range of wildlife. Via the gravel road to the lodge you’re leaving human civilization, moving to elephant country. Elephants are frequently heard or seen near the lodge at night, and seen as dark shadows gliding over the landscape when the moon is full. The dry period from June to October is peak season for elephant activity in the area but elephants might be around throughout the year.
All excursions are on foot, escorted by a 4-man team local trackers as well as English speaking (local) naturalist of the lodge. The jungle around the lodge is connected to Sri Lanka’s largest protected area, the 1300 km2 Yala National Park that is covering the Southeast ‘corner’ of the island. Yala and bordering wilderness is accommodating more than 500 elephants. Observing animals isn't easy. Still, something might be there… Just being in the midst of nature is the element of adventure at the lodge. Even without actually seeing animals the atmosphere is special; you’ll feel the soul of the jungle. Birdwatchers are in their element with 165 species observed in the area including: Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Green Bee-eater, Baya Weawer, Roseringed Parakeet, and endemics such as Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot, Sri Lankan Jungle Fowl as well as Grey and Malabar Pied Hornbill.
Note: 3 Nights Package: US $240 per person including meals, refreshments & all guided treks
special things to do and see here
- Guided walks, 2-4 hrs: US $25 per person escorted by 4-man team. Please book walks in advance to allow sufficient time for necessary organisation
- 4WD Safari Tours to Yala National Park with trackers, 9 hrs: US $100 per person, all inclusive (fees, transfer, taxes, tips for jeepdriver and park ranger and breakfast picnic)
traveller reviews for Sri Lanka eco lodge accommodation
I don´t think that I've ever felt so relaxed. Staying in a simple (but clean and neat) hut in the jungle and listening to the sounds of birds and sometimes even elephants made me feel very, very, very happy and close to nature. (more)
rooms, food and facilities
Huts are basic with shared clean toilets & clean hammocks put up on day of arrival. Mudhut has separate private toilet. - Bedsheets, towels, ayurvedic soap and toothpaste.
- Well trained, experienced team of 5 local staff members organise all details of your jungle experience and are looking out for you 24 hours. Provisions are purchased in advance and the staff team are cooks as well as trackers and nightwatchmen.
- Local boy Kamal learned good English in record time and is host, naturalist, cook, and assistant manager.
- The library includes books on elephants, nature, and Theravada Buddhism.
- Anytime tea/coffee etc. including organic coffee from the highlands of Sri Lanka prepared French press style
- Lovely freshwater well for a 'cool down' bath native style. Stay in the sun watching tropical bird life with steep golden rocks covered by pristine forest in the background.
how to find us
By air: Light aircraft Colombo - Buttala 45 min. By road: Buttala is 250km from Colombo/airport. We are 10km from Buttala town, further details provided with booking (no signboards).
By train: An amazing train journey to Ella (1,100m), and one hours drive to Buttala.
how this holiday makes a difference
 The lodge is located in uninhabited nature and it's our aim to be in norms with our wild surroundings. Therefore, we stick to a philosophy of minimalism: the more discrete, the better. The result is an extremely low impact lodge made from natural materials: clay dug from our land and fallen wood found in the forest. All staff members are from the local area. The huts are made as a combination of the villager's traditional skills and the managements' ideas about design and functional aspects. The lodge dates back to 1997 as a private jungle hide out and base for environmental activism aiming at protecting forest and elephants. It's situated among main elephant tracks and right on paths earlier used by hunters and loggers on their way into the forest. Now, only the elephants are allowed access through our land. From 2002 the lodge opened for tourists. Ecotourism is the way forward as this creates new nature based jobs; using the nature in a constructive – not destructive way. Saving the forest is one (among others) step towards solving the 'human-elephant conflict', the main treat to the endangered Asian elephant caused by deforestation and habitat fragmentation with the resulting problems of elephants raiding paddy fields etc.  Sustainable tourism is part of the solution to the problems of the area as small scale responsible tourism will generate an income among the local community and thereby reduce their need of hunting and logging. At the same time the management depend on the villager's local knowledge of the jungle. Our presence in the jungle has also an element of experiment; we coexist with wild elephants using their intelligence, trying to let them understand our 'friendly intentions'. Aggressive behaviour towards elephants is banned. "The silence of the elephant bespeaks the silence of the watcher. For to stand in silence and observe even a single elephant is to render time motionless. It is to be transfixed by one of nature’s most miraculous creations. In the presence of the elephant, we feel our own humility". To engage in the eyes of these elephants is to feel both pleasure and pain; pleasure because they remind us of qualities we admire – loyalty, strength, dignity and intelligence; pain because we know that these creatures which walked the earth long before humans, may well disappear within our lifetime. The plight of these elephants is of our own making. If we allow them to disappear, we are allowing part of us to vanish as well. It is that part of us that believes the earth is for all creatures to share..." Teresa Cannon & Peter Davis, Aliya. Stories of the Elephants of Sri Lanka. Airavata Press 1995. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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