Dew Safari Cottage

It was a spacious stand alone cottage on the property of the most genuinely helpful and friendly family. The accommodation was so clean and tidy. On our first night we had a traditional dinner cooked by the lovely ladies. It was a delicious feast !!! So good & so much variety. Breakfast was also super tasty and generous. The ladies also offer a very reasonably priced laundry service which was greatly appreciated 🙏 A morning safari was also arranged for us in advance. Perfect way to spend the morning, 4wd driving through the national park. Jeneke was our guide and we had such a great time!!! Such an awesome experience. Mala & Dilpeena, made us a beautiful picnic breakfast for the journey also. They took care of us so well 😊🙏 Highly recommended staying at Dew Safari Cottage

No bar fridge to place bottles of water etc Not a big issue, just would have made the cottage even more comfortable.

De gastvrijheid van de 2 lieve vrouwen. Ze hebben ons van begin tot het eind uitstekend verzorgd. Alles in overvloed. De cottage heeft een gezellige uitstraling en voldoet aan onze wensen.

Tout était parfait, l'accueil avec gentillesse et boissons fraîches, serviettes humides pour se rafraichir, le logement et la salle de bain très propres et comme neufs, le dîner et petit déjeuner excellent et très copieux. Suffisant pour 4 alors que nous étions 2.

Rien, tout était parfait

Amazing dinner the hosts cooked for us. Light and spacious room. No problem with washing laundry, even if it was with a surcharge.

Nothing.

We really enjoyed our three-night stay at Dew Cottage. The room is spacious with a big comfy bed and modern bathroom.- all very clean. The breakfast was really good - more than we could eat! There is a great little dining room in the garden. The location is perfect - walking distance to the elephant orphanage and restaurants; and away from the busy road. They offered safari at a good price but we were happy to just visit the elephant orphanage a couple of times having done safaris elsewhere.. A really lovely family including the sister's children next door who were so friendly. Really good value for money.

Family vibe. Really friendly and helpful. Helped us book safari with a local knowledgable guide and saved us lots of money.

Nothing. It was brilliant

It’s the only cottage on the owners property and therefore quiet.

Nothing

This was my best stay in Sri Lanka. Nice accomodation ideal to relax, delicious breakfast and dinner, very friendly couple managing it who do everything to make you happy.

Wir haben eine Nacht in der Dew Safari Cottage verbracht. Die Kommunikation im Vorfeld lief gut. Wir haben uns im Vorfeld eine Nachmittagssafari über die Familie organisieren lassen, was reibungslos geklappt hat. Die Besitzer sind sehr gastfreundlich. Wir haben bei Ankunft ein Begrüßungsgetränk erhalten und auch nochmal nach der Safari ein Erfrischungsgetränk. Wir haben die Familie gebeten ein Abendessen nach unserem Wunsch zu kochen, was überhaupt kein Problem war. Vielen Dank dafür! Zum Frühstück gab es eine große Auswahl und zur Abfahrt haben wir eine Snacktüte mit Keksen, Bananen und Wasser erhalten, womit wir nicht gerechnet haben. Es sind wirklich tolle Gastgeber. :) Außerdem ist die Sauberkeit hier noch zu erwähnen.

Hôtes d'une extrême gentillesse qui nous ont organisé un super safari. Le cottage est très propre et bien équipé. Le repas du soir et le petit déjeuner sont excellents. Mention spéciale pour les petites attentions (eau, thé)

Fantastic stay in a beautiful self contained villa with its own shaded veranda and separate covered outdoor eating area. Amazing home cooked food. Very reasonably priced . Our host arranged a brilliant safari with a local guide/driver, who collected us from the homestay. Fully recommend going for the full day safari and staying here 2 nights to enjoy the tranquility. On the full day safari you get right away from the other jeeps in the park and we saw loads. The homestay packed us both a fantastic picnic breakfast and lunch to eat in the park. Dinner on both nights was amazing, great variety of authentic Sri Lankan dishes (and non spicy as requested as I am rather feeble with spice/chilli!!) Highly recommend this accommodation.

Nothing

No words to explain how welcoming the host family was! The location is perfect if you need to go on safari, the room is big, really clean with AC and warm water! The bed is really big and super comfortable. We had an amazing home made dinner , with real local Sri Lanka food ! Si ce the moment we had the safari at 5:30 in the morning they prepared us the breakfast “to go” in a big box, was amazing eating it inside the national park, and of course it was delicious! Thank you a lot for the best stay we had in Sri Lanka.

Nothing, everything was amazing

Top Gastgeber. Man hat sich sehr aufgehoben und wohl gefühlt. Nächtes mal 100% wieder. Nur zu empfehlen, super Preis- Leistungsverhältnis!

Fantastisch groot cottage, met heerlijke (warme!) douche! De locatie is perfect voor Udawalawe national park. Het wordt gerund door een onwijs lieve familie die ons erg welkom lieten voelen. Voor de safari kregen we een heerlijk Sri Lankaans ontbijt mee. Eén avond hebben we rice & curry gegeten bij het verblijf, dit was onwijs lekker!!!

Il cottage è molto semplice e pulito, con tutti i servizi. È in mezzo al verde è accanto alla casa della proprietaria, che ti coccola dal primo momento che arrivi. Noi abbiamo passato qui solo una notte purtroppo ma è stata magica, siamo state accolte con dei cocchi ghiacciati e la sera ci ha cucinato una cena buonissima fatta da lei. La mattina dopo siamo partite per un safari all’alba, per questo motivo ci ha preparato apposta la colazione da portare da asporto sulla jeep, con tantissime cose buone. Al nostro ritorno ci aspettava con un succo fresco. Lei e la sua famiglia sono state persone bellissime con noi, è stato veramente bello avere l’occasione di conoscerle. Spero di riavere in futuro la possibilità di poter tornare qui. In ogni caso lo consiglierò a tutti i miei amici che verrano in Sri Lanka.

This was by far our favourite stay in Sri Lanka! It’s a really authentic experience with the most lovely, welcoming family, they really go above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect. The room was so clean, and towels and bed linen smelt really fresh. It was also really spacious with air con and hot water working perfectly. You definitely cannot miss them cooking your dinner as it was the best food we have had! Also made us a packed breakfast for the safari which was really good. They booked us the most amazing private safari at a very reasonable price (beyond safari udawalawa on trip advisor). They also sorted our taxi to and from udawalawe which was on time and and again very reasonable prices. Overall, please stay here for your safari and support this lovely family who really care for their guests 🙏☺️ Please note there are some very cheap hotels in udawalawe for as little as $2, but charge a lot more for the safari so I would definitely recommend Dew safari cottage instead which works out cheaper!!

we were utterly pleased by the kindness with which we were welcomed. the room was really spacious and clean and the water pressure was excellent! we would have loved to stay for some more nights and would come back any time! If you are doing a safari in udawalawe you definitely need to book this place!! they even set up the safari tour for us! also definitely take the opportunity to have dinner at their place! Thakshila‘s mom is the best cook in the whole wide world! only minus point is that your tummy is gonna hurt as the food is soooo good you just cant stop eating and there are so many options to try from! also breakfast was absolutely delicious and prepared with so much love!

Amazing property run by wonderful mother and son. The cottage is one of the nicest properties you could wish for. The mum and son are so lovely and can't do enough to help. The breakfast and evening meals were outstanding and huge. We hired a bike and travelled around the outskirts of the safari area and saw plenty of elephants by the perimeter so no need to pay expensive prices for the actual safari. The elephant orphanage is in walking distance and was great to visit. You will not be disappointed staying here and it is so cheap too.

Nothing whatsoever

Our stay at Dew Safari Cottage was a highlight of our trip. The cottage was very comfortable and clean, the dinner and breakfast were very delicious, and the hospitality was outstanding! Our hosts also helped us arrange a good Safari trip.

A simply wonderful experience. The family are so welcoming and the location is perfect for the safari. Room is lovely and clean. We asked for dinner as well as breakfast.....mum's cooking is beautiful...the best Sri Lankan food we have tasted. We have paid 20 times the price to stay in other hotels and they have not been as good. We would 100 per cent recommend!

We couldn't be happier staying with Dileepa and his family. The cottage is super nice, very clean and has everything you need to enjoy your stay. They even arranged a Safari for us, which was awesome. We arrived after a long bus trip and got the friendliest welcome ever, getting a welcome drink and some cold refreshing towels. And I didn't mention the food yet. Breakfast was super delicious and if they ask, get the dinner as well, which was also soooo delicious and the best food we had in Sri Lanka. 1000/10, you have to stay here!!!

We had a wonderful 1 night stay, Communication before (via Booking.com) and during (via WhatsApp)our stay was excellent. The photo's and description of the property and its surrounds are very accurate. Dileepa and family are so very welcoming & organised hosts who are only too willing to help. The breakfasts they provided were delicious but our dinner (paid extra) was so delicious. If you would like an authentic homestay, then I would definitely recommend.

Nothing :)

The most amazing hosts and cottage! The room is so modern and has everything you need, from USB plugs to AC, fan and a waterfall shower! The bed is huge and so comfy! It is in a great location just off of the main road in a beautiful garden, and walking distance to the elephant transit home. What makes this place so amazing though are the family who run it. They are so warm and friendly and treat you like family. They bring you fresh juice, herbal tea every evening, and the mum cooks the most delicious breakfasts and dinners. The son carried my bag and walked to the main road with me and waited 1 hour with me to make sure I got on the bus okay. Best place I’ve stayed in the whole of Sri Lanka- highly recommend !!

Nothing! It’s perfect!

Brand new fixtures. Powerful Air Conditioning. Comfy Bed. Great service. Welcome drinks and leaving gift. Honestly, couldnt have been mnore impressed.

Nada.

The location was great. We could walk to restaurants and the internet was fast enough to upload YouTube videos. These are the nicest people in the world. They have a single cottage ont he property that they rent out and they treat you like a King. The breakfast they prepared was amazing. But also eat lunch there. They have a cute little Gazebo thing they serve meals in and it is all home made and delicious. They arranged out rtour guide of the elephants and he did an amazing job too. I couldn't possibly recommend this place more hightly. Just book and have a great time. They will take amazing care of you. They also answer questions about how to get there so you can ride the cheap bus if you want to or take a taxi. They know everything and share it all freely.

Extremly helpful and friendly host family. Organized a great Safari. Bungalow basic but very clean. Great dinner also.Highly recommendable.

Nothing

Everything was great. I can't fault anything. Dileep was the kindest person. He would bring me a different herbal tea in the evenings. Breakfast was outstanding, everyday something different. Always Included fruit and a special sri lankan sweet. Tea and coffee at any time. Room was very comfortable. And the location is perfect near to shop but also still near to nature. Very relaxing place recommend 10/10

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The host family was super friendly and warmly welcomed us with a fresh juice and a refreshing towel. Room was super clear, ac and fan both working fine and bed really comfortable! Host Familiy arranged a safari for the next morning for us, which was also really nice! Got a great breakfast package for the tour, even though it was 6am.. After check out they helped us to catch the bus to our next destination at the main road and even provided a small lunch package. Really enjoyed our stay!!

Absolutely nothing to complain about!

The perfect location to stay for a safari in Udawalawe park :) A beautiful family runs this spacious unit with double bedroom and ensuite shower room in the grounds of their colourful garden. Breakfast was delicious, set up in the outside 'dining room'. We also had the optional home made Sri Lankan dinner which was simply amazing. I 100% recommend staying here :)

Clearly everything! The hosts (son & mother) were very welcoming and the most attentive people we met on our journey so far. We had an awesome stay even though we only stayed for one night. We would come any time again! They cooked sri lankan Dinner for us and served it on a lovely arranged table in a nice hood in their garden - having that is a must. They where even able to arrange an awesome Safari trip on short notice and transit to our stay in Mirissa. The 3h Safari was awesome and we even got breakfast to-go. We saw Elephants including a Baby, Waterbuffalo, Deer, Warthogs plenty of birds and great nature.

Thank you Dileepa and your amazing mother for making our stay so special. The cottage is great, very clean and comfortable. You provided such great service and the meals were delicious. Our son loved playing in the garden. If we return to udawalawe we will stay again. Thank you 🙏

You have to choose this accommodation when you are in Udawalawe! Super clean So friendly hosts Best dinner Perfect breakfast If I could give 12 points I would definitely do it. Best accommodation we had in Sri Lanka Absolutely recommend!!

Nothing

Very good! Extremely nice people, clean and spacious appartment. Also got a delicious breakfast bag for our safari trip. Would definitely recommend to everyone!

A real gem of a place. Greeted on our arrival by Dileepa with cold towels and fresh papaya juice. Room itself was amazing, being a separate building in their garden, with modern bathroom, plenty of sockets, generous size room, kettle and comfy bed. Ordered dinner which was cooked by Dileepa's mother and was exceptional. Included a range of authentic curries, rice, poppadoms, salad and hoppers, all finished off with fresh curd and honey. The best food we've had so far in Sri Lanka. To top it all off, the included breakfast was also absolutely delicious and very generous. The family were super friendly and helpful, and keen to make sure we were happy with our stay there. If you want to visit the nearby national park for a safari, highly recommend staying here. Located down a small lane, away from the main road and surrounded by nature.

Absolutely nothing!

The hosts are incredibly welcoming. They took care of us from the beginning. Their food is delicious and very big portions. The room is clean and well maintained. Nice bed sheets, A/C working properly, towels are clean and smell good. The terrasse is perfect for relaxing and reading. They arranged our safari and made us a breakfast to take with us in the Jeep. They were always happy to play with our little 6 months child. They deserve all the success possible.

Nothing

Wow! Wow! Wow! We were greeted by our hosts and given cold flannels and fresh coconut juice. We were later given tea after we had settled in. So thoughtful, and much appreciated. The room was huge, beautifully furnished, with the best equipped en-suite bathroom. There’s air conditioning and Wi-Fi, plus tea and coffee making facilities. We were offered an evening meal, which we were so happy we opted for, it was out of this world!!! Loads of local dishes I’d been wanting to try, and cooked with such care and skill. Breakfast was equally mind blowing. I would without doubt recommend this place to anyone visiting the area…..the family are wonderful and so welcoming.

Homemade breakfast, super delicioius.

Everything was super!

Outstanding from start to finish. The family who run the place are the best hosts. From fresh juice on arrival to preparing us delicious dinner and lunches at a very reasonable price, it was all amazing. We stayed for two nights and it was a very special part of our holiday. The room is modern and clean and I had one of the best night sleeps I’ve had in a long time. If you plan to go to Udawalawe Park for a Safari I highly recommend you stay here.

Nothing!

We booked Dew Safari Cottage from our home in Ireland based on the previous review’s and it was as we hoped and more.. we had a very warm welcome and a truly authentic experience that was a lovely insight into the gentle way of Sri Lankan life. We had two nights in this wonderful cottage and ate all our meals there, it was tasty traditional food cooked with pure ingredients from scratch.. we were heading for Safari at 5.30am and the family had been up well before us and prepared a freshly baked breakfast to take with us. The room had everything we needed and the whole experience was 5 star but with a personal touch. We really enjoyed the experience and if I could give them 11/10 I would and having travelled the world I rarely say that. Dew Cottage is an experience and a tribute to the gentleness and warmth of the Sri Lankan people. Dileepa, his Mum and his Aunt made us feel like royalty and they are such nice people it was a pleasure to meet them!

This is an amazing place. The accommodation is totally self contained within the owners garden. It is spotless, spacious and well designed. Full aircon and fan. The owner is very attentive but very respectful of privacy. As others have said, the cooking is tremendous, authentic and cooked to order with superb flavours. By far the best value of our holiday so far and we don't expect that will change. We also used Lahiru as our guide to the park, can recommend him also.

Nothing

I write this review from a “Boutique Villa” that cost 8 times as much and hasn’t anywhere near the quality of service we received at Dew Safari Cottage, so please read for more insight: Our Arrival The host met us on arrival, showed us to our room and then brought us beautifully scented face towels along with a glass of delicious juice. Our Stay This is a unique experience with 5 star service. Our hosts were so attentive and accommodating to our every need. Providing us with a room that was honestly cleaner and better fitted than expensive hotels we had stayed in prior to our arrival. After we had settled in and relaxed, a knock came to the door and we were presented with a lovely tray of tea with a Sri Lankan sweet treat that I’ve forgotten the name of, anyway it was delicious. They then offered to make dinner for us which we gladly accepted, both vegetarian and meat options available. We chose the veggie option and it was so delicious. Even the service at dinner was exceptional. Our table was in a little private hut beside our room, providing a wonderful atmosphere in which to dine. The cost of this dinner was also very reasonable considering the effort that had gone into it. Our Checkout The next morning we were up very early at 5am, our hosts met us at our door and had very kindly provided us with a freshly made traditional breakfast to take with us on our safari. In summary Our hosts attention to detail is top class. They are truly good people with good hearts who will make every effort to make your stay a memorable one. In all honesty could ask for double or triple what they are currently charging for the room per night and I’d be happy to pay it, and more!

Everything was perfect

This was my best stay in Srilanka. This place exceeded my expectations and standards. This place is just 5mins walk from the main road. The room is very spacious and clean. I loved fresh fragrant bed covers and towels. The bathroom was super clean and had hot shower. After a long tiring journey, I was so glad to see everything so nice and comfortable. The owner of the place is a wonderful chef. She made the best Srilankan dishes for me and lots of varieties each day so much that I couldn’t eat them all. Her flavourful dishes were the best part of my stay. She even packed my breakfast early morning at 5:30 am for the safari. She also made me organic health drinks every day. On New Year’s Eve the owner took me to a very sacred Buddhist temple in the countryside. They took care of me so well that I almost felt like being at my home. They also have a beautiful garden with lots of birds and a lovely cat. The family arranged my safari to the national park and called a tuk tuk whenever I needed. I would love to go back again to this place. It was just perfect!

Staying here was such a special part of my holiday in Sri Lanka. The room is lovely and well maintained. Lots of little helpful bits for travellers including USB charging next to the bed. The hosts, mother and son, were absolutely delightful and very helpful. They even packed a delicious breakfast to take with me on Safari. Oh, and the dinner was fantastic!

Just spent one night unfortunately but this is probably the best room I have been in Sri Lanka. Lots of space with a very neat private bathroom. By itself it would have been enough for a 10/10 but, as always, the staff made the stay even better. They made us a early (5h30am) breakfast for our safari, were super helpful and extra welcoming.

We were so lucky to find this accommodation!! It is a magic place with a perfect host. The room is super clean, bedsheets and towels are new. The bed is really comfy, and the bathroom is spotless. The porch is a great place to rest. They have A/C and hot water. The hosts really make you feel pampered, and they are great cooks!

Amazing self contained guest house for 3 people! So clean and immaculately presented. Working aircon, WiFi, hot water for showers, kettle in the room for teas and coffees, bottles of cold water etc... The hosts were amazing and couldn’t have made us feel more welcome and comfortable! They welcomed us with cold towels and smoothies after our journey, cooked us a delicious traditional Sri Lankan dinner and gave us pack-up breakfasts to take on our Safari. All in all, an amazing stay and one of our favourite experiences during our 2 week trip to Sri Lanka!

Nothing!!

The people that run Dew Safari Cottage were absolutely amazing with us. They welcomed us with a welcome drink and the dinner that we had with them was absolutely delicious. They helped us in so many ways! Moreover, the room is an amazing good value for money (very clean and spacious, with hot water,wifi and good location). I 100% recommend staying there!

Nothing!

Very clean and comfortable

Nothing

The family is AMAZING and very WELCOMING. The place is very clean, we were welcomed with tasty coconut drinks. We had the best dinner ever, selection of different curry dishes. It's the best place to stay and do safari in the Udawalawe national park which is very close.

A perfect cocoon of generosity, hospitality and comfort ! The food and the drinks are absolutely delicious:) I recommend this : high quality for such an affordable price We loved it so much that we would like to spend more time there..

Rien

This is the best accommodation that we have stayed in. The family are very welcoming, quiet and gentle. We had hot water and air conditioning and a large room with an ensuite. It is all ivery clean. We were welcomed with tasty coconut drinks. The evening meal was an extensive selection of different curry dishes and really delicious. We also loved the curds and treacle afterwards. It's a great place to stay and do a safari in the Udawalawe national park which is 5 minutes away. We also had an amazing safari with Lahiru during our stay.

Great, clean and comfortable room. Very close to the Elephant Transit Home and a short drive from the Nationl Park main entrance. Staff was great and prepared us one of the best meals we had on our stay in Sri Lanka, dinner and breakfast! I can't recommended this place enough!

Everything was perfect

The location is good, not far to safari. It's easy to order a safari. The place is a detached building in the garden of the owner, it feels very safe and help is always very near. Great hosts and great meals (they cooked for us a vegan meal on request). The room is very big with good air conditioning and fan. There is enough space, the bed is big and everything is clean and modern. The bathroom has hot water on demand and is very clean. We spent two very nice nights there and would recommend it.

the room, pillows

I was greeted with true kind smiles and a fresh juice. The dinner offered was outstanding and same with the breakfast. Clean, friendly and caring people, comfortable and superb considering the value. My facilities accommodation in Sri Lanka!