Tho feeling isolated on the edge of Kataragama and reached by a bumpy track we really liked the peaceful jungle vibe, nicely landscaped gardens, comfortable room with terrace and attractive open air dining areas. Service was pretty good, we had a tasty dinner and breakfast there plus a packed breakfast on the day of our safari. Would happily stay there on another visit. We booked our Yala safari through them, choosing - after some deliberations - the full day safari and were very pleased we did with more time to see the wildlife and it including a tasty picnic lunch in the beach recreation area .

Given the isolated location it would have been good to have had tea/coffee making facilities in the room that most of the other places we stayed in on our Sri Lanka tour did have.

This is a nice small hotel very close to Yala National Park. The rooms and the facility were nice. They arranged a good Safari for us on arrival.

The road in (the last 500m) was terrible, and there is no sign indicating that we were on the right road. Called number.provided and got no answer. Eventually, proceeded down the muddy, very bumpy road and found it. No lunch available. Not close to town, so we had to pay our taxi driver to take us back in to town to get lunch. Dinner was marginal. Next time would try to find a place not so far out in the boonies, so we have more options for meals.

Beautiful, clean safari lodge at a very reasonable price. Air conditioning was good and beds were comfortable. The setting itself is beautiful with the lodges set in lovely gardens. Staff will help you to arrange safari at a reasonable price. We got a full jeep to ourselves both days. It’s worth noting that if you do a full day safari it works out cheaper as if you do an evening then morning you have to pay the park entrance fee both days, but a full day in a bumpy jeep might not be for everyone!

Food was only average. Bottled water in the room was not complementary and this was unclear.

The main purpose of our stay here was to do a safari in Yala which was so easy to organise through the hotel staff. We got picked up from straight outside and then got dropped off outside too. The room was really clean and spacious and comfortable. And the staff were all so lovely and helpful - even helped us book a taxi to our next destination!

The food offered is pretty bad and so we ended up walking 40 mins into the local town and got some delicious cheap food there instead on our second night. The wifi didn’t work at all in the room which was quite a shame. And there is just generally a lot of noise outside so I would recommend only staying one night to do your safari and then leaving as it’s quite cut off and noisy so sleeping in isn’t really an option.

Breakfast was served as requested and was a full English which set the tone for the day. The staff also provided a varied dinner menu at quite flexible times matching my return times from activities and this was always discussed with me after breakfast. I would like to add that the outdoor dining atmosphere was complemented by small animal visitors such as squirrels and little frogs which certainly added to the safari ambience! Highly entertaining and exactly what a tourist wants to experience at a lodge like this. There were also peacocks strolling around outside.

There was no food in between breakfast and dinner which meant that if your activity was cancelled there was nothing to eat unless you went down to town, which was quite small.

The location is excellent and very convenient. If you are planning to visit Kataragama and its surrounding places, the location of this hotel is ideal. People can save a lot of their time. The staff is very friendly and supportive. The food is delicious and affordable.Environment of the place is very nice and it gives the jungle vibe for nature enthusiasts. Overall a very nice place.

The water pressure of the shower was a little slow. So it takes a little more time to get a shower. But the washrooms were well cleaned.

Very good value for Money. I would stay again in this hotel if I'm going back to Kataragama again. Staff was friendly and service was good. The restaurant menu was very basic and also prices were low. The food was good and provided generous portions which were more than enough for my family. Didn't stay for long but had a very good stay for the short period. I would recommend this to anyone who is going to Kataragama.

Booked 2 rooms for my family and in one room the hot water supply was very poor. When I went through the room description given in booking.com confirmation while I was staying there realized some claims on rooms were inaccurate. Rooms didn't have a wardrobe/closet neither a drying rack for clothing. It claimed to be wheelchair accessible but rooms were only accessible via staircases. None of these didn't impact my own stay and this is only as info for anyone who is checking this review.

Coming down the B35 from Ella in our own tuktuk, we booked Safari Lodge Yala in Katharagama as our seventh accommodation on 25-27 March during our 15-day road trip, because of its proximity to the northern entrance to Yala NP. We were greeted with much enthusiasm by Savinda, who assigned us to the "Woodpecker" room. Nice and spacious with and en-suite bathroom. Both breakfast and dinner were delicious, just like the pineapple juice with a scoop of ice cream. A private safari was arranged for us by the accommodation with service partner Onadi Yala Safari. Driver and guide Prasad made this an unforgettable experience. Love from Belgium, Raf and Nadine

You get what you pay for here - for the price it is clean and comfortable. We only stayed 1 night after a safari, not planned by the Lodge, so can’t comment there. Food was okay, very buttery. We stayed as a family of 5 with a 2 and 7 year old. No mosquito nets, but we had the plugs and didn’t get any bites. Grounds are nice with all the flora, lizards, squirrels and birds. Location says next to the national park but it depends which gate you use for your safari. Road leading to the Lodge is small and rough. Overall, good place to rest your head if you just need to stay next to the national park without spending a lot.

the room

safari is not worth the money and time