Sapphire Garden Hotel

Lovely complex right on the edge of the park. The owners and staff were great. We would definitely have stayed here longer if we had the time!

What a lovely 4 day stay we had here. We had such a warm welcome. The hosts could not do enough for us, happy to organise trips and recommend things to do. It is an oasis of calm from the hustle and bustle of Sri Lanka. You are surrounded by bird song on the edge of Minneriya Nature Reserve. We often had the pool to ourselves. Great breakfast to start the day and dinner was delicious.

Everyone I needed . Staff incredible, kind and helpful. Service is over and above making you feel like family .

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Wanda und Leo haben sich hier ein richtig schönes Hotel geschaffen. Sie und ihr Team pflegen und hegen alles sehr. Besonders der persönliche Kontakt zu ihren Gästen ist ihnen wichtig. Am Morgen und am Abend waren sie immer präsent. Die gemeinschaftlich genutzten Räume und der Garten ermöglichen eine superentspannte Atmosphäre, um zur Ruhe zu kommen. Die Zimmer und das Bad sind sehr sauber. Toll, was sie in den letzten 5 Jahren hier geschaffen haben. Ich würde gerne wiederkommen.

The room was big and comfortable, clean and quiet. The owners are a lovely couple that went beyond their way to make us happy. The place is on the boarder of the national park, in nature. The food was delicious and the pool nice and quiet.

The wifi was not really working in the room, only in the reception area.

We had a clean and spacious room. Exactly what we needed. The breakfast was nice and the pool a great add on, given that we travel with our toddler. The place is quiet and the garden beautiful. Most of all, we loved the people. Wanda took the most care of us but also Lieyon and Deenesh were always kind and helpful. It felt like home, every request was granted, even if it was last minute (e.g., asking for driver for an excursion), or if it was not normally provided (e.g., once we had lunch there because it was the most convenient for our next activity). People think with you and for you, and it was an absolute delight to stay there. Certainly going back if we come back to Sri Lanka. :) The place is also nicely located in the middle of several top sights, which makes it a good choice for activities such as safari, or sightseeing like Sigirya. We spent 5 days there (more than usually people do), but it was filled with interesting things and totally worth it.

Lovely stay with Wanda and Leo - they make guests feel very welcome. Rooms were comfortable for country living. Great breakfast. It’s a little further out from the main centre of Habarana - but easily accessible by tuk tuk

We were very pleased to find a large swimming pool, the perfect way to cool down after a day of looking around.

The bathroom configuration was a wet room, which I find difficult to negotiate, when wet.

We have made a mistake on our booking, but the owner has sorted it out without cancellation and rebooking.

Due to off season not many staffs are working.

Charming friendly and helpful hosts. Lovely big clean and cool room. Nice fresh food and refreshing pool

It’s a little far from town, but as long as you know this it’s completely fine. With driver or tuk tuk its easy and the host can help you

Wanda y Leo son los mejores anfitriones que nos hemos encontrado durante nuestro viaje a Sri Lanka. Amables y super atentos. Nos hemos sentido como en casa con ellos. Las instalaciones y la piscina son perfectas. Además, está muy bien situado, muy cerca de todo. ¡Volveremos!

Dinner was great!

Aircon in 2 of the 3 rooms we booked wasn't working properly and the room stayed very warm throughout the night. Had a very uncomfortable night's sleep with both the fan and Aircon on. Toilet smelled of damp, and the open window without a net allowed all sorts of insects into the toilet. Shower head looked really old and yellowed.

El trato de los dueños exquisito y muy simpáticos , Un hotel con una jardín enorme y muy bonito Habitaciones son muy grandes y muy cómodas con un porche donde poder tomar algo tranquilamente . Lo recomiendo ! En tuk tuk está a 5 mint de la calle de comercios

Very helpful owners who were happy to help with any requests. Delicious dinner (homemade curries) available upon request for a reasonable price.

Atmosfera familiare e la gentilezza dei proprietari. Piscina perfetta per rilassarsi tra le escursioni. Ottima cena disponibile.

We had a wonderful 3-night stay at Sapphire Garden, the rooms were spacious and clean with good air con. The rest of the property is truly lovely, with nice trees and plants surrounding you… We loved sitting out in the dining area in the evenings, playing games and had the delicious dinner every night. It was really relaxing. Breakfast was also excellent, with really good fresh bread - which was unusual to find on our trip! Wanda sorted our laundry for us within a day, very helpful. She is a lovely person and makes you feel at home. We stayed in a variety of places on our 2-week trip, all of them very good and varied price ranges, and this was definitely one of my favourites. The pool was very also lovely and very refreshing

Not a dislike, but my only suggestion would be some cushions for the pool loungers.

LOVED our stay at Sapphire Garden!!! Wanda is a super lovely, chatty and friendly host who was extremely helpful and also super chilled. She gave you the options of eating in or Dining out, various different excursions and let you take your time and decide what you want to do - nothing was pushy at all. We slept so well and felt so relaxed. The room was spacious, and the real treat was HOT water !!! The swimming pool was an absolute delight. We used it daily before or after activities and we were lucky to basically have it to ourselves once or twice. We had dinner the first night and it was delicious- a variety of different curries. Breakfast was also plentiful and tasty. Whatever you needed, Wanda and the team were always around to help out.

L’accoglienza dei gestori e del personale, davvero eccezionali, simpaticissimi e disponibili in tutto. Colazioni e cene squisite, abbondantissime. Una piscina incantevole in mezzo agli alberi

Nice and small resort on the Edge of the jungle. Large room, nice bathroom. The A/C and fan working good. Nice and tasty food. Friendly and profesjonal hosts.

The property is well located, clean and comfortable. The pool and spa were great and relaxing.

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Lovely pool, rooms very clean, modern and comfortable with excellent A/C. Gardens with plenty of birds which were fun to watch.

The Hotel is located in a very spacious location. We got one of the newer rooms. The hosts Lieyon & Wanda are very helpful. Explained everything you need to know at the check in. We had dinner one night and was tasty. Breakfast was very good, with fruits and vegetables and a curry. Fruit juice and a choice of Tea or Coffee. The pool has a jacuzzi which was excellent to help you relax after a busy day.

Great location meaning that with four nights and three full days you can see everything around the area. Wanda and Leo are brilliant hosts that sort everything for you. Breakfast was lovely and the evening food they offer is freshly cooked and always delicious. Cannot recommend enough!

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The owners, Leo and Wanda, couldn’t do enough to help our stay go smoothly. They helped shape are itinerary and suggestions additions that were fantastic, eg Sri Lankan dance show at the cultural centre, organising a fabulous yoga teacher, as well as great safari. Relaxed and happy vibe to the place with lovely pool area.

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Breakfast including accomodating to my glutenfree diet, despite it not being their standard to offer sri lankan breakfast, flowers on the balcony, athmosphere in the restaurant, the service, the bed.

I felt slight initial resistance to feedback (non functioning aircon, industrial lighting in the room, accidic pool, mediocre safari equipment and guide). Although some feedback was handled adequately eventually, and they had actively requested feedback, I was confused by the resistance I felt in their responses. Overall the host are very helpful and accomodating.

Fabulous stay at Sapphire Garden Hotel! Wanda and Leo were wonderful hosts and couldn't have been more helpful! We felt right at home. The breakfast was amazing, as were the curries for dinner. We loved being surrounded by nature and relaxing by the pool. The rooms were comfortable and very clean. We can't wait to come back one day!

We cannot fault anything :)

We loved this stay: nice modern rooms with a terrace where you can listen to the singing of the morning birds, super friendly service, excellent breakfast with fresh fruit, beautiful pool area and garden. Wanda and Leo took us around to excursions and gave us great travel tips. Go here and you will enjoy!

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Excellent hosts. Very good evening meal and breakfast. Lovely pool, relaxing and one to be recommended. Attracts very friendly guests from worldwide.

Nothing really but perhaps the shower could have been a bit hotter and a kettle put in the room.

We booked Sapphire Garden Hotel very last minute for a one night stay and our only regret is that we couldn’t stay longer! The location is truly idyllic - right in the middle of the rainforest and we loved the outdoor pool. Swimming at sunset amongst all the greenery and nature was a real highlight. The dinner was easily one of the best ones we tried in Sri Lanka too - and each curry was really unusual but delicious. Like other reviewers have stated, Wanda and Leo are truly amazing hosts. They couldn’t have been more welcoming and were super helpful, friendly and accommodating - while also creating a really relaxed environment. It truly felt like a home from home :) Anna & Kostas

Breakfast with a good variety. Leo and Wanda are very welcoming. They make us feel like family. They know very well the region giving excellent tips. Spacious room with comfortable beds.

Our favourite place in 3 weeks of travel, Wanda and Leo are such great hosts, amazing food , safari and location, thankyou so much, also accomodation for our driver an extra bonus

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Wanda and Leo are awesome hosts! They are so kind and the place is so lovely, quite and natural. One of the best place in sri lanka! :)

The staff were very attentive and helpful. The food was excellent, particularly the evening meal. The room and facilities were what you would expect for the price.

The room wasn’t serviced daily.

Very nice hosts, loved chatting with Wanda and Leo om the evenings! Amazing food, the curries for dinners were the best we ever had. The location is right in the jungle, so we made friends with gekkos and squirrels. A great stay!

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Very welcoming hosts and good hospitality. Good value for money. Great location for seeing Sigirya, Dambulla and Anaradhapura.

Best to be accessed by car, otherwise would've been very hard to find.

We had a delightful stay at this small family-run hotel. Leo and Wanda clearly have a tremendous amount of warmth and experience, as well as local knowledge. They made us feel very welcome, and their catering (both breakfast and dinners) was excellent.

A heads up that this is a little way out of the main Habarana town (however, it is easily accessible by tuk tuk).

It was the best place in our 2 weeks holidays in Sri Lanka. Great owners, Wanda and Leo, great place in green nature, many interesting places to visit max 1 hour from Habarana. The best breakfasts we had there. We ate every evening dinners there and that was the best curry dishes we had during holidays. Swimming pool, great ajurweda massages in neighbour. Wanda and Leo helped us to arrange everything and we spent together nice evenings! Highly recommend!

Absolutely loved our stay, Wanda and Leo were amazing, they sorted a lot of stuff for us, and took us down to Kandy. Hotel is perfect, the swimming pool is great, we already want to come back!!!

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We loved our stay here, the hosts were so nice and helpful and very welcoming. The food was very good and we loved the quiet location right out of town, it was great for relaxing and good to visit the many sites in this incredible region . I highly recommend!

Nice, clean pool. Nice breakfast. Large bed. Good location. Friendly staff.

Cash only with bad exchange rate. Bad shower - very hot, no pressure and unable to adjust.

This hotel is a gem. Wanda and Leo have created a peaceful oasis in Habarana. They were exemplary hosts who are friendly and dedicated to making the travellers trip right for each person’s wishes. I can’t recommend it enough and am excited to see how they develop the accommodation in the future. You must stay here!

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Very good hosts, helped with organising a safari and tuk tuks to the sights. Excellent food in the evening and breakfasts. The swimming pool was great and having a beer while relaxing in the jacuzzi was a highlight!

Would have liked a kettle in the room.

We loved everything. The location, the beautifull room with the high Windows overlooking the lovely garden. The very pleasant pool. We like to thank Wendy and Leo for their hospitality, and the good arak and Pina Colada! And the cook for the very tasty food. Loved our time here!

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We’re taking a moment to express our gratitude to the super hosts Wanda & Leo. They’re super warming and welcoming, Leo figured out to organise an Ayurvedic spa last minute for both of us and even drove us to the place. The breakfast and dinner were very good as well. Wish you the prosperity, guys!

Friendly owner, always eager to help or support to complete your ideas

Wanda and Leo could not have been more welcoming or helpful! . Highly recommend the food- the dinner is absolutely amazing.

Bathrooms are basic. Would be great to have some comfortable sun loungers by the pool.

Very nice owners Gathering reception-space for all guests

Not really something to mention

We had a wonderful stay a Sapphire Garden, Wanda was so helpful. She helped organise all of our excursions including safari, hiking, and onward transport. The room was comfortable and clean with great views of the trees. Whilst there we enjoyed great breakfast with so much food and wonderful curry in the evening. Overall one of our favourite places we’ve stayed in Sri Lanka.

Our host Wanda was so welcoming we felt like old friends. The rooms are very clean and thank goodness for the ac as it was very hot during our stay.

We would have liked to see a menu of food that's on offer, but saying that what ever we asked for was provided.

Sapphire Garden Hotel is fantastic. The great accommodation is surrounded by greenery and there are even better people who make you feel like you belong there. We sat together in the evening and had great conversations with beer and Arrack. And the food was also very plentiful and delicious! Thank you for the wonderful time, Wanda and Leo!

Host , rooms , location

Very clean , nice rooms , confortable beds

Great hosts, lovely pool, comfortable rooms, great breakfast

the swimming pool and the big room. The owners were very kind and full of attention.

The food - not spicy at all. Not even for the driver who was very disappointed

the swimming pool was fantastic white a nice bar. it was the hole evening open. we had dinner next to the swimming pool. really relaxing!

Lovely place, surrounded by birds and green. Very kind, generous hosts who help with whatever you need - including good times! Comfortable beds. Great pool. Thank you!

Fabulous location for the many sights and activities in the area. We enjoyed walking into Habarana experiencing the friendliness of the locals. The hotel is surrounded by greenery at the end of a no through road, so peaceful but with easy access to the town. The birdlife is amazing. We have stayed in 5 star hotels that are not a match for Sapphire Garden. The pool and garden are beautiful while the floor to ceiling windows allow you to enjoy your surroundings from the large comfortable rooms. Food is wonderful! To top it all you have the best hosts; Wanda and Leo. We loved it so much we've altered our itinerary to come back in 3 weeks time.

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Amazing oasis in the jungle with exceptional 5 star service Wanda and Leo make you feel at home.The pool is so relaxing after a day out exploring the cultural triangle which the hotel is ideally placed for. There is lots of wildlife around which we love, especially the chipmunks. Do not hesitate to book, we didn't want to leave.

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Loved how welcoming the staff were here. They created a gorgeous atmosphere. The pool and surrounding area was great. The rooms were clean and had everything you needed.

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Everything morning fresh brekfast ,fresh fruits , excellent bed XL ,nice wiew to the nature around ,clean rooms ,and Leo and Wanda fullfill all we need and help as to adjust our traveling , we have non expectation and we got new friends. We can trully recommend their Sapphire Garden - better to say ,they have hear on right place. ❤️❤️❤️ We are looking to get back . Its for first time we give more than 100%👍

Next time we stay longer 🙏

The hosts were amazing! They helped us to arrange everything- day trips, transport. They took us to the sunrise, arranged taxi to our next location… all in all they were really helpful and that meant so much to us considering it was our first stop in Sri Lanka. Let’s not forget about the amazing pool and delicious food. Great people, amazing place. Also - the location is not a problem - the host is always willing to pick you up and drive you to the city center (free of charge) and the distance from the center means peaceful nights - we slept like a babies!

The hostess was incredibly friendly and made us feel at home from the first minute! She went above and beyond to accommodate all our requests and wishes. The hotel is a 25-minute drive from Sigiriya, but has a much better location for the national parks. The hotel helped us to book a very last minute safari and it was just AMAZING! The breakfast was good and the rice and curry for dinner was also plenty and tasty 😊 would definitely recommend!

Hospitality and warmth. Great attitude of owners.

Approach road.

Highly recommend this hotel! Super location in the very centre of the cultural triangle- ideal to combine relaxation in the hotel with visiting nearby attractions (and there are many of them). The really nice owners running the hotel are happy to give all kinds of tips, help in the organisation of transport to & from the hotel as well as to tourist attractions. Very clean, the pool with jacuzzi makes the stay more pleasant and the proximity and sound of the surrounding nature allow you to relax. The food is excellent and the staff is very friendly.

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The staff were so welcoming and warm. They made our stay perfect even if it was for just one night. The food was incredible. Highly recommend:)

The owners - Leo and Vonda were lovely! Took care of all of our wants and needs. Perfect hosts.

We loved the Sapphire Garden Hotel. Clean, comfortable rooms, lovely swimming pool and grounds, fantastic freshly cooked food, great location for exploring Sigiriya area, many species of birds and wildlife but most of all fantastic hosts. Wanda and Leo were so welcoming. Nothing was a problem.

We only booked 2 nights and our stay was over too soon!

The location is perfect for exploring the historical and cultural sites. The property was perfect, big bedrooms and a fantastic pool to relax in after a day’s exploring. Leo and Wanda are amazing hosts. They made us feel so welcome and could not have been more helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed sing along sessions after dinner and spending time chatting together listening to the owls, monkeys and peacocks!! Just heavenly.

Clean, friendly, approachable and well located away from the hustle bustle. Highly recommended to all travellers. Thank you again Wanda & Leo, hope to see you again in future.

Everything was great.

The hosts were very welcoming, even though we arrived very late. They organised a meal for us, which was very tasty. It is nicely located for visiting Sigaria and Dambulla.

I would recommend travelling during the daytime to this location as there is no street lighting and the access roads are narrow..

We loved the hospitality Vanda and Leo showed to all their guests. From the moment we arrived it was like we already knew them. The room was super spacious with a view over the garden to the pool. All the guest facilities were well laud out and comfortable with plenty of places to sit and enjoy the solitude of Sapphire Garden Hotel. Having a pool was a bonus on the hot days. We ate our dinners at the hotel as the food was so good and plentiful. Both breakfast and dinner were big enough not to need any lunch😂. Thank you Vanda and Leo for looking after us so well. And thank you Kumara for always smiling and showing us a happy face.

Loved everything

Staff is so friendly and the garden is lovely.

Location is a bit off, but the owners help you with everything, so not a problem at all.

Everything, even before arriving we knew this place and its people were special and in the end we didn’t want to leave! 16 days in Srilanka and Sapphire Garden in Habarana was the best spot of this trip!

Amazing stay at Sapphire garden hotel First of all, Wanda and Leo are wonderful persons! They will do everything to accommodate you at the best of their ability. They will make you feel comfortable and make sure you will spend a good time there. Breakfast is big and tasty! Coffee and scramble egg are delicious. The pancake/ doughnuts are super yummy as well. We had dinner at the property. Classic rice & curry fresh and tasty. If you stay there, you got to try it (at least once). The swimming pool is a good addition to the stay! The rooms are large and clean. WiFi is good. Leo helped to arrange tuk-tuk for our drive to Lion rock visit, and also advised eco-park safari, which was a good experience as well. I highly recommend staying there, and will certainly be back on our next visit to Habarana.

We stayed at the Sapphire Garden Hotel for a three nights. Everything was perfect. Wanda and Leo are such a great and warm persons. They made us feel like at home. We liked hotel a lot, pool and amazing breakfast 🤩 i can highly recommend 😍 you will love this place ❤️

Really lovely and caring hosts. They really do everything for you to feel welcome. They even sat with the guests in the evening to have a drink and chat. You can also ask them for recommendation. They also take guests on tours on request. The room is basic, but clean and equipped with everything ypu need, including working AC. Really beautiful garden with big and clean pool. Good breakfast and dinner, local dishes.

This stay was SO AMAZING! it was my first stop in Sri Lanka and I’ve been traveling for 6 weeks now, and have not had as good of an experience anywhere like I had at sapphire garden! The meals are cooked whenever you want them, there’s beautiful gardens and flowers everywhere, the pool is awesome, and the hosts are exceptional! I had so much fun playing card games with Leo and Wanda! Leo worked in the tour industry, so he has connections and knowledge about everywhere. They booked everything I needed, and personally drove me places as well. I had the best time here, and will never forget my experience and the hosts who became friends!

Have nothing to say here, but they are expanding and adding some cool new features to the property, so it’s only going to get even better!

Amazing stay, great value for money, lovely room ands fantastic pool! The hosts were extremely helpful organising everything for us and generally lovely people. Would highly recommend!

The hosts were extremely nice. The pool looked nice even though we didn't get to use it. Breakfast was basic but tasty.

Rooms were very basic and a bit on the older side style wise. The hotel acceptd cash only which we found odd since we weren't carrying much cash. There are no real common areas other than the pool. This place feels like someone's home with a few extra rooms. We felt the value was not great compared to what we paid elsewhere

Amazing guest! Very warm and welcoming. We had a lot of fun playing card games in the evening

From the incredibly warm welcome to the very personalised attention we received from Wanda and Leo, we loved this place. Our room was great and overlooked the serene gardens and pool area. We loved being away from the main areas of Sigiriya and surrounds. We took advantage of the dinner option to save going out and enjoyed our curries etc. Leo is also a tour guide and so we went with him to pidurangala for sunset. It would have been a wonderful place to stay another night and totally chill out.

Nothing, all great. Be aware of the location before you book, though, as it's quite a distance from anywhere. For us, this was a great thing!!

Leo and his wife(Wanda, I think) were amazing hosts. They gave us plenty of helpful tips, cooked amazing food and even put on a birthday celebration when they found out one of us had a birthday. All staff were great, the pool hits the spot and the rooms are spacious and cool.

The hosts were amazing and so friendly! We had an amazing time with them and we would love to stay there again!!

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The hospitality shown by the staff, especially Wanda, Leo and Lalithe were again exceptionel. After spending 2 nights here we left for Trincomalee where we were supposed to spent 5 nights. Trinco did not meet our expectations and so we shortened our stay to 3 nights so that we were able to spend another night at Sapphire Gardens while on our way to Anuradhapura. We appreciated all the extra effort and attention given to our 7 y.o. son. He loved it here (especially the pool) and is already asking when we are going back 🙂

Nothing, it felt like coming home after only staying here for 2 nights before. We will send a magnet for your collection when we get home 😘

Very friendly owners. You could feel like staying at family's home. They were extremely welcoming & helpful. We stayed in 10 hotels in Sri Lanka & that's the cleanest & best one in our opinion. You can tell there is a European owner as everything was clean, including glass windows etc. Very tasty & fresh food every day. Great pool that you can use anytime. Pieceful surroundings, yet close to local attractions like Danbulla or national parks. Nothing walking distance apart of local houses but that's what you want there. Wish we stayed longer at Wanda's & Leo. Recommending to add their hotel to your travel itinerary & you won't be disappointed. Dziękujemy ❤️

Wanda and Leo are very kind and helpful will do everything to give you a pleasant stay.. They arranged transport and tickets to a dance show. The pool was the best we had in Sri Lanka the temperature was not too high because there was shade. The food was also great.

The location was quiet but also a little far from main road. Our suggestion. Is to put some atmospheric bed lights instead of 1 big light in the rooms.

We stayed at Sapphire Garden for 2 nights with our 7 yo son and visited Dambulla Cave Temple, did a Safari in Kaudulla National Park and climbed Sigiriya. This place feels like a oasis in the dry and dusty Habarana. Wanda and Leo (and other staff) were very gracious hosts that made us feel very welcome and had a natural ability to connect while at the same time respecting our privacy. The room was a decent size and clean. The breakfast was very good and we especially appreciated the filter coffee and the lime juice made from their own garden. We also appreciated the late night dinner that was made for us without notice upon arrival. The pool and the well maintained garden were the highlights of the hotel. We were travelling with a dedicated guide/chauffeur who was offered accommodation there also, and were very happy to learn that he was treated excellent as well.

We feel the room could use some accessories like a safety deposit, small refrigerator and perhaps some deccorations. Perhaps a towel change. Though we appreciate those would take up extra room and are more applicable to larger establishments.