Viveka Inn Guest and Yala Safari

We had such a beautiful stay at Viveka’s place. The garden, with its wonderful view over the rice fields, is absolutely stunning. It is such a peaceful and beautiful place, perfect for slowing down and enjoying the surroundings. Viveka took the time to show us the different plants and tell us about the animals around the garden, which made the experience even more special. We truly loved our stay and would happily come back. Thank you, Viveka, for sharing such a peaceful and beautiful little corner of Sri Lanka with us! 🌿❤️

We really liked the property's location just outside the town, about a 30-minute walk from the bus station. It was lovely to relax in the well-kept garden, surrounded by rice paddies. The owner's daughter, the incredibly kind Viveka, was a great source of information about the area and Sri Lankan culture.

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La ubicación es perfecta. El hotel es una pasada con un montón de bichos que ver. Los dueños son un amor, la comida esta buenísima. Es el mejor hotel que he estado de Sri Lanka.

Todo perfecto.

Verry beautiful location, they have a nice garden where you can see a lot of wildlife, and watch the sunset. The staff is really friendly and willing to help you out with all your needs. They also have great food here. 10/10 would recommend.

We had a wonderful stay at Viveka! The hospitality was exceptional, and the host took the time to show us different animals visiting their amazing garden. She also taught us a lot about daily life in Sri Lanka, which made us feel like home. The food is good, and they also offer safari and good taxi service. The entire family is super nice. Highly recommended!

Super freundliche Gastgeberin, die uns mit Tee und Tips versorgt hat

Viveka und ihre Familie hat mich sehr herzlich empfangen und ich habe mich sofort wohl gefühlt. Sie hat mir den schönen Garten gezeigt und vieles über die Umgebung erzählt. Alles Ausgangspunkt für einen Besuch im Nationalpark ist dieser Unterkunft optimal. Das Zimmer war einfach und sauber - sehr zu empfehlen.

Très bon séjour global près du parc national de Yala. La famille qui gère la guest house est adorable, très accueillante et toujours prête à aider. La chambre était confortable et le rapport qualité-prix est très correct.

En revanche, j’ai été déçue par les packages proposés. Après comparaison avec d’autres voyageurs et en vérifiant par moi-même, j’ai constaté que les prix étaient significativement plus élevés que si l’on organise les activités séparément. Sur l’ensemble du package (safari, repas et transport), la différence m’a semblé importante, notamment sur le transfert dont le prix était nettement au-dessus des tarifs locaux.

Очень понравилось!

Breakfast, snack, and tea are so delicious All of staffs are so kind. We would like to visit again in the future.

Die Unterkunft ist direkt am Reisfeld mit einem schönen Garten. Man kann Vögel und Glühwürmchen beobachten. Die Gastgeberin ist super nett. Es gab oft Tee und Wasser.

Die Safari-Tour hat leider nicht meiner Vorstellung entsprochen und auf meine Beschwerde ist nicht wirklich eingegangen worden. Wir sind fast die ganze Zeit die gleiche Straße auf und ab gefahren und waren, so glaube ich zumindest, nicht im besprochenen Sektor. Das wurde aber abgeblockt. Ich habe für die Safari (frühs / halber Tag 4:30-12:00) 23000 bezahlt, die Dame im Auto neben mir nur 18000. Teurer als bei anderen Anbietern ist es somit auf jeden Fall...

Viveka ist unglaublich herzlich und nimmt sich viel Zeit zum Quatschen und Erklären. Ich war ein zweites Mal hier, weil sie mich eingeladen hat mit ihrer Familie New Year zu feiern. Das spannendste Erlebnis, das ist in Sri Lanka bisher hatte. Ich durfte mit zum Tempel, mit ihrer Familie essen und feiern. Das Zimmer ist super sauber, ausgestattet mit Klimaanlage und das Essen super lecker. Danke für die tolle Zeit!

Alles super!

Super nette Hosts, die sich sehr viel Zeit für einen nehmen und in ihrem tollen Garten herumführen können. Dabei haben wir einerseits einige Tiere und Pflanzen entdecken können und zudem auch Hintergrund Informationen der Hosts zu der Natur auf Sri Lanka bekommen. Leider hatten wir extern schon eine Safari gebucht, hier hätten die Hosts sicherlich mit ihrem Wissen, ihrer echten Liebe zur heimischen Natur und mit ihrem sehr guten Englisch punkten können. Das Essen und die klimatisierten Räume waren top! Zu guter letzt wurden wir zu unserem nächsten stop von dem Vater gefahren, ein sehr guter Mann, der uns die beste Taxifahrt auf der Insel beschert hat. Wir kommen immer gerne wieder und würden das auch allen empfehlen die noch auf der Suche nach einer Unterkunft in tissa sind!

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Hosts were very friendly. Served us delicious tea on arrival and in the morning. Got shown around the garden, all the wildlife was amazing. It felt like it was a real local experience.

Helpful and friendly hosts, beautiful gardens, and excellent value.

The WiFi did not work for most of our stay.

La famille est exceptionnelle, très gentille et attentionnée! Ils nous ont organisé le safari et c'était super, nous avons passé une journée incroyable 😍 Le jardin est magnifique, le coucher du soleil, les divers animaux ( tortues, lucioles, chauves souris...) nous avons été conquis !!! Et proche du centre ville à pied

Nous avons pris le papa ( taxi) pour notre prochaine destination, si vous pouvez faire autrement, faite le ! ( Il faut lui payer son dej, certes ce n'est pas pour le prix mais quand même... Et une cigarette !! ) Et en plus c'est très long!!! Bref si vous avez un Uber on vous le conseille !!!

The garden is absolutely stunning. We loved staying there and watching wild birds/animals. We booked the Yala safari there, it was very convenient and well organized.

This was our favourite stay in all of our travels! It was absolutely amazing! Viveka is extremely kind and friendly! Upon arrival we got a tour of their garden where she showed us various fruit that they grow which she also picked for us to try! Her brother organised our Yala tour which was incredible! We walked through the paddy field that evening and watched the beautiful sunset. We then watched huge fruit bats flying from her garden. That night we seen so many fire flies and Viveka even provided a jar for us to collect them in! It was like a fairytale! I had dinner cooked by Vivekas mother which was so fresh and delicious. Her father was also very friendly. We really enjoyed our time here and would highly recommend

Nada más llegar nos recibieron con un té y nos dieron toda la información para hacer el Safari en el parque de Yala. Nos dieron muy buen precio y tuvimos la gran suerte de ver todo tipo de animales (Leopardos, elefantes, búfalos ciervos, etc..) Es un negocio familiar, limpio, con aíre acondicionado, con buena ubicación y con una atención exquisita. Totalmente recomendable.

Rozległy dom na granicy miasta, z ogrodem i kanałem (bywają tam żółwie, krokodyle), przy polach ryżowych - wieczorem ptaki i piękne widoki. Do centrum i restauracji kawałek, ale spacer wzdłuż jeziora nam się podobał. Śniadanie serwowane na tarasie. Bardzo sympatyczni i pomocni właściciele, podzielili się z nami wieloma informacjami. Możliwość poproszenia o dodatkowo płatny transport - właściciel ma busa.

Pokój ciasny, klimatyzacja płatna dodatkowo 1000 LKR.

Beautiful peaceful guest house. The garden is just wonderful…. So beautifully maintained. Lots of places to sit and watch the fireflies and other creatures in the paddy fields beyond. The room was clean and the bed very comfortable. It’s located close enough to Tissa to walk into town easily, but is away from the noise and bustle. It’s als a short walk to Tissa lake which is wonderful at dusk.Viveka is very friendly, warm and informative, and her mum is an excellent cook. Her brother arranged for me to go on a jeep safari which was reasonably priced.

Nothing

Una guest house pazzesca, completamente immersa nella natura. La ragazza ci ha accompagnato per tutto l'alloggio con consigli e tip utili su cosa fare e come muoversi. Offrono anche un servizio taxi che abbiamo sfruttato per andare a Ella. La madre prepara anche delle cene a ottimo prezzo che, immersi nella natura così, rendono il tutto bellissimo

Nulla

The hosts were so welcoming, kind and helpful. We booked the safari in block 5 and had a great time. The bathroom and bed were clean. We ordered rice and curry for every meal, and it was so tasty and with a new veriety of curry each time. The vegetables came directly from their beautiful garden. Even the rice was from the field right by the property. It was absolutely amazing. They gave us complimentary tea, biscuits and bananas multiple times a day. And we even got to pick fruits from the trees in the garden. We had such a good time!

Le jardin. L’accueil. Le personnel.

Pas de bouilloire disponible.

This place was one of our best experiences in Sri Lanka. The Guest House is surrounded by a beautiful garden with amazing wild life. Viveka was amazing both showing is the garden, her baby turtle and explained us about all the different birds and animals living near by. She also have us tea and bananas all day. She also helped us book an amazing safari. Her father also drove us to Ella, which in itself was a beautiful experience. Could not recommend this place enough. 10/10.

Virkelig søde ejere, super hjælpsomme og imødekommende. Virkelig smuk ejendom med en hyggelig have der har udsigt over rismarkerne. Værelset levede op til alle forventninger, fantastisk for hvad man giver for det

Hermoso homestay, tiene un patio/ jardín con vistas a los arrozales. Está apenas apartado de la ruta lo que le brinda una excelente accesibilidad pero completa tranquilidad. La familia que lo conduce súper hospitalarios y nos dieron todo tipo de consejos. Viveka una genia total!

这家的妹妹待人特别温柔，以及善良，会给你介绍房子周围的小动物，也会一起跟大家聊天

Chère Viveka, Nous avons passé un merveilleux moment chez toi. Merci pour ton accueil si chaleureux et ta gentillesse exceptionnelle. Tu nous as servi du thé régulièrement avec beaucoup d’attention, et nous avons adoré visiter ton jardin qui est tout simplement magnifique. Le repas était fabuleux, préparé avec soin et générosité. Ton logement est un endroit très agréable pour séjourner, parfait pour passer une nuit avant la veille d’un safari. Nous avons été très touchées que tu te lèves en pleine nuit pour notre départ au safari, c’était vraiment attentionné. Sa petite tortue, mignonne comme tout Merci encore pour tout, nous garderons un très beau souvenir de notre passage chez toi. 💛

R.A.S

We absolutely loved our stay here, organising our safari was easy and we had a great time! The room was clean and the family are incredibly friendly, viveka was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and shared many tips with us for our travel. the rice fields off the backyard area are a beautiful place for a cup of tea (we were offered many teas during our stay!) and we also had a fantastic dinner cooked for us at the property as well.

Estaba ubicado en un bonito entorno. La atención por parte de Viveka fue excelente y la comida deliciosa

Viveka and her family were so kind and helpful, we loved their garden and all of the animals (fireflies, peacocks, lizards, Speedy the Tortoise, & the cutest puppy!). The room was extremely good value with everything we needed.

We booked a room without AC which was our mistake, it was super hot with just a fan (in September). Be prepared for insects/spiders as you are in such a rural area (but the family are kind enough to help with removing them if needed, thank you again!!)

Es el sitio mas bonito y autentico en el que hemos estado de todo Sri Lanka, Viveka, es una chica encantadora, gracias a ella conocimos muchisimas cosas y anecdotas de sri lanka. Ella nos hizo sentir como en casa, y aparte, es el sitio MAS bonito sin duda en el que hemos estado

Our stay was absolutely amazing. The staff were friendly and made sure we had an amazing time.

Good location, nice garden.

The owners sell safaris at inflated prices and exchange currency at a predatory rate

Niesamowicie rodzinna atmosfera. Byliśmy tylko jedna noc. Viveka powitała nas bardzo serdecznie. Bardzo miłym poczęstunkiem. Na pewno można poczuć się tam jak w rodzinie. Serdecznie polecam.

Byliśmy za krótko aby doszukiwać się mankamentów.

Struttura dotata dell'essenziale per trascorrere una notte, con un giardino bellissimo! Ci siamo appoggiati qui per Safari allo Yala con pick up ore 4:30 Gli host stati molto gentili a lasciarci un appoggio per cambiarci e sistemarci anche dopo l'orario del check out!

Niente

Beautiful surroundings with a picturesque rice field and nice garden at the property. Lots of space to relax and enjoy the views. It's very quiet and clean. The family who run it are very nice and even took us out at night to catch fireflies. The room had AC which was appreciated. A very convenient place to enjoy a bumpy safari at Yala. Great value!

El trato por parte de Viveka que nos ha hecho sentir como en casa durante nuestra estancia. La comida estaba muy rica e incluso nos ha regalado el postre.

El precio debería ser más alto, ya que el trato y el alojamiento es realmente increíble

Literally everything

Value for money, feels like home, excellent location, and very family friendly.

Comfortable guest house, handily located for Yala NP. Hostess was very friendly and helpful in arranging safari and buses etc. Really enjoyed our stay here.

Very friendly staff. Clean room, clean house. Beautiful garden. Lady gave us delicious tea and harvested bananas. 100% recommend.

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We cannot recommend Viveka Inn highly enough. We booked to stay here as part of our trip to do a Yala National Park safari and would recommend it for anyone else looking to do the same. Vivkea and her family made our stay exceptional and went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. They showed us all the wildlife in their garden area, took us firefly catching at night, and even offered to take us to a local park to see the wild bats. Finally, they helped us book our Safari for a great price. They provided us a great lunch for the day and the whole day was amazing. Thank you so much for our stay

The friendly family I’ve ever met. They were so kind they gave us tea all the time, fresh fruit, we had dinner twice it was so nice. They sorted out everything about the safari and made our trip so welcoming we felt like part of the family

Amazing hosts, good food, safari they organised was amazing

Nothing

The location was lovely and remote with a beautiful sunset. The staff made me feel welcome and cooked me lots of amazing foods whilst I was staying. They spoke to me about the wildlife we could see from the back garden which was lovely.

The safari booked through them was more expensive than I had originally thought.

Excellent place very friendly family nice location value of money rooms was very clean we enjoyed our stay

Good room, conditioning, garden is amazing, owners very helpful, recommend!

Very kind and helpful family! They helped us with everything regarding the safari when we got there and it was very good! Really recommend

Lovely homestay, great food options and the safari they organised for us was amazing!

Viveka and her family were all very kind and helpful. They offered welcome food and drinks which is lovely. The surroundings are beautiful. There is a shop for water nearby and lots more to be explored than just yala - which we didnt realise before coming to Tissa. We stayed in the budget room with a fan. It wasn't the best, quite small and hot, but it is what it says on the tin. There was a lot of mosquitos in the room, i recommend a plug repellent and that the mosquito net is raised higher as it is kind of in your face a bit. The bathroom is very dated with holes in the wall, but the shower worked well. A shower mat would be useful as water gets everywhere when showering - like most places in sri lanka. There was only 1 plug socket, which isn't ideal. I recommend an extension lead.

Lovely stay and Yala Safari trip. Clean room.

Viveka and her family couldn’t have done enough for us. Her brother warmly greeted us as we arrived from our taxi and told us all about the safari, the packages they have available, and the different prices. He also told us what we could expect to see in the safari. Not only this but he gave us recommendations and advice on travelling the rest of Sri Lanka. Viveka was so kind and helpful. She knocked on our door and told us when “Bambi” was outside in her garden so we could go have a look, as well as the fireflies. She gave us tea every morning and woke up early to give us our lunch for the day of the safari. I didn’t need their mother but I think she was the one cooking us food and the food was delicious! The father also dropped us off in Ella as he is a taxi driver which was greatly appreciated. The safari itself was amazing, our driver was the first one at the gate of Yala Park at 5.15am. Highly recommend booking the safari with them! Only downside was the WiFi in the room didn’t work great but overall it was amazing!

Very nice host and family! So friendly and supportive, providing all the needed information. Viveka arranged our amazing Yala National Park safari. Everything went perfectly, and we even saw a leopard and many other wildlife up close!

Totally recommended. Viveka is super nice and helpful. Big room, great service.

Viveka is an extremely welcoming and nice girl! Explained all about the tours they offer. Caught a firefly for us in the night, which was pretty cool.

Everything was good!

We stayed here for 2 nights because of the Yala Park. I would recommend it to anyone. We were two girls and the daughter was so lovely, we talked a lot with her, cooked together and she sawed as the garden. The garden is a beautiful and peaceful place. We also did the Yala National Park tour through her, it was well organised, good price and we saw beautiful animals! Also the food is very good war her mum cooked. All in all we really enjoyed our stay!

Host are very welcoming great garden and outlook Visited the fire flies in the garden which was pretty cool unfortunately it was pouring when we arrived so very muddy Rooms are very basic they are clean and all you need for a short stay Went on a safari to Yala but saw very little only block 5 was passable because of the weather so I feel it’s quite expensive for a bird watch

No hot water in our room which was the cheapest rooms I think the other rooms had hot water

Really nice Homestay close to Yala National Park. We had a lovely stay here. The rooms are spacious and have everything you need. The garden area has great views over the rice fields where lots of wildlife can be spotted. Very friendly service and they can provide lots of info and help with organising any safari tours into Yala at a good price. We had an amazing experience seeing bears, elephants and leopards with our guide. Highly Recommend 10/10.

An incredible stay that I will always remember. Viveka the host was more than accommodating, she made us feel at home and shared lots of stories with us. We caught fireflies in the evening and all had a laugh together. She organised the safari for us and gave us lots of information. The food was good, the views were amazing and we would definitely recommend this place.

Viveka and her family are delightful and made us hugely welcome. The property is a paradise with a wonderful garden; sunset over the rice fields was magical and we saw fireflies too. Breathtakingly beautiful.

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It was close to the bus stop. We walked to town easily. Very tidy property inside and out. It was quiet and the grounds were very pleasant to wander around. Viveka was extremely hospitable and waved down our bus to Ella. Lovely iced lime juice and nice cups tea!

Nothing

Feels like home away from home! Viveka, the owner's daughter, was waiting to show us around this incredible little garden/paradise, with a huge smile! She made our stay unforgettable, explaining things about Sri Lanka, the birds, the lake.. This place is literally one foot away from the rice puddy, bursting with life, birds, turtles, fireflies. The room is super comfortable and colorful, and the dinner and breakfast extra yummy! Thank you Viveka for sharing so many things with us. This accommodation definitely exceeded our expectations. See you next time!

The room and facilities were very good but the best part about this guesthouse is the family, the food cooked was 10/10, they were very helpful and they even took us in the garden at night to catch fireflies.

We loved everything about our stay at Viveka Guesthouse - it was the highlight of our trip! The room and facilities are fantastic, especially the garden which looks out onto the rice paddy next door. The food was delicious, affordable and always available to order, the best kottu we’ve ever had but it was the hospitality that made it so special. Viveka and her family have been the perfect hosts. Viveka has amazing knowledge about local wildlife, showing us the fireflies and bats in the garden. She helped us book an exceptional safari - we were second through the gate - and we were never without tea or a treat from the garden (the best bananas ever!). We even got picked up and dropped off before and after our stay by Viveka’s dad. A total legend! If you’re coming to Yala you have to stay here!!

Leaving!

Good for one night stand if you have safari next morning. Also, they do private safari which was good 👍

What a wonderful place and a superb garden. But above all, Viveka is the ray of sunshine of this place!

Incredible place to stay and relax. Viveka was a great host and really showed her love for the area and the animals. The outside area is so nice to spend time in. We really enjoyed our time here and the safari with them as well. Would definitely recommend!

The view from the garden could not be better !very nice stay with and amazing host!

The guesthouse is basic and no frills but has everything you need. Comfortable bed, mosquito net, hot shower. Everywhere was clean and the hospitality of the family running it really blew us away. We were being brought tea and fruit on a morning and evening, and the daughter even took us to the bus stop to flag down our bus to our next destination. We booked a full day safari with them which was reasonably priced and we were one of the first jeeps in the park. Food here was also very good!

The guesthouse is managed by a sister and brother duo. During our stay, some of the rooms were under renovation. Family stay at the back. There's mozzie net over the bed. Sister manages the bookings, brother manages the safari bookings. We booked our full day safari here and the driver they worked with was a cool and calm person. Sighted one leopard. They have a backyard facing padi fields and you can see fireflies at night. They also told us about the fruit bats sighting after sunset, which was highly appreciated.

Showers weren't working at first but that was righted. Lights were not bright. Slow wifi. Still ok given the price paid.

Viveka is a great host and their garden overlooking the rice fields is breathtaking

The rooms are very clean but they do have a lot of humidity, we only stayed one night so it was ok and the value for money id excellent, but it has to be noted as they’re humid inside!

The garden area at this homestay is a paradise, with ponds, trees, walking areas, and views of rice paddy fields. The family are so lovely - Viweka (the daughter who is the main point of contact) is a truly kind and helpful woman, I really enjoyed sitting with her in the evening and talking about Sri Lanka, the safari, and life in general. The bedroom was a good size, there was a/c, and there was hot water in the shower. The family also arranged a safari for me. There is a bus stop at the end of the lane - ask the drivers to stop at 'Yatala Stupa' (don't go all the way into the town centre otherwise you have to come back on yourself). The price of this homestay is very reasonable.

Really lovely stay with very friendly and welcoming owners! The family were very helpful and kind, showing us around the beautiful property with a great sense of pride in the amazing garden they keep in which you can sit to enjoy tea watching the surrounding nature and they also cooked us a very delicious breakfast. Would highly recommend! 😊

Nice & spacious property with amazing outdoors seating areas with great views in a great location. The room was great & had an en-suite. The food was also amazing and we ate here both nights! We had already booked a safari in yala before we booked the accommodation, but we would have done it with the guesthouse had we not booked in advance. They also helped us to try & start our Tuktuk when it wouldn’t start & when it wouldn’t start they went to collect a mechanic and brought him to us. Super helpful & kind hosts!

The family that run Viveka are just wonderful. The actual property is superb, hidden behind a back road and opening up to a gorgeous rice paddy filled with exotic birds. The gardens that you can chill, sit and eat in are also so beautiful. We saw turtles in their river, it was really cool. The Safari they booked for us was AMAZING. Our guide was the first one at any leopard siting and just absolutely blew us away. We cannot recommend booking safari through Viveka enough. Our safari guide was called Sule.

The room was fine and had all the basics. Unfortunately the mosquito net was pretty small and it was hard to cover the bed, which meant we kept waking up with it on our face and still got bitten a little (as expected in the jungle). The room was also very hot. I don’t want this comment to put you off though because this place was one of the loveliest places we stayed in Sri Lanka.

Beautiful garden to chill and watch birds. The hosts are super nice and helpful.

The Homestay was beautiful. It is placed just off a big rice field with beautiful fields. The family have their own garden which they take great care of.

Great place, terrific hosts and they organised a wonderful Safari in Yala!

Very comfortable stay for the night before our safari. Booked a fan room and the fan was very effective. Very clean room. It is a family run guesthouse and they are all so kind and accommodating. Garden is beautiful, overlooks rice paddies with lots of nature and the garden itself is like a little world to explore. The mother of the family cooks for guests too, ate twice when we stayed here. Chicken pasta was delicious and very reasonably priced with huge portion. The son very kindly got up at 4am to open the gate and see us off for our safari. You can book Safari through the hotel too.

Could provide soap in shower but if you’re travelling you’ll have your own anyway so doesn’t matter.

Very warm and welcoming hosts. They were incredibly helpful with onward travel, tips on avoiding scams in the area, and knowledgeable about Sri Lanka in general. The food was good value for money and delicious. The location is beautiful, very calm and peaceful.

The rooms are very dark, and need outside ventilation (not possible) if it is raining. The mosquito nets in the room are too small when sleeping in the bed as a couple, especially considering the high volume of mosquitoes in the area.

What can I say... Viveka and her family are amazing! Their hospitality is great, they are all very friendly and knowledgeable about the area. Regarding the rooms, they are clean and nicely furnished. The garden is nice with a chance of fireflies in the evening, and you can book your Yala and Bumdala park Safaris here.