River Side Cabana

Heerlijk in de natuur, je hoort alle dieren, maar hebt er geen last van in de boomhut. Super lieve mensen, die alles voor je willen regelen. We hebben een safari vanuit de accomodatie geregeld en deze was geweldig! Super leuke driver en 4 luipaarden gespot 🐆 De accomodatie is enkele minuten lopen van restaurants. In de omgeving zijn prachtige rijstvelden te vinden.

Il posto è meraviglioso, immerso nella natura. La mattina ho fatto il safari di mezza giornata ed è stato stupendo! Kasun è stato una guida ottima ed è stato capace di farci vedere i leopardi: pazzesco!

I don’t often leave reviews but this deserves one -I had a really great stay at Riverside Cabana. The room was clean and comfortable, right on the river. There were a few mosquitoes as expected by the water, but the mosquito nets and the little incense burners (coils) they provided worked well. The wildlife around the property was cool too. Early in the morning I saw a couple of crocodiles in the river, monkeys, several birds, and even a water monitor. The highlight was two toucans that sat in a tree right in front of me for ages — incredible to watch. The family who runs the place are really lovely, but the best part of my stay was the host, Dimu. He truly looked after me and went out of his way to make sure I had a good experience. He took the time to show me a few cool local spots on his scooter. Nothing was too much trouble. What a legend. Highly recommended if you want a relaxed stay close to nature.

Расположение отличное, не далеко от парка Яла, номер с видом на озеро прекрасный, там огромное дерево по которому прыгают обезьяны

Проблемы с водой, у меня она просто исчезла на утро. Постельные клопы в номере с видом на озеро, меня покусали ночью и я чешусь до сих пор, прошла неделя. Надеюсь я не принесла их домой

Wunderschöne Lage direkt am Fluss. Wir hatten eine Cabana. Organisation einer tollen Safari in den Bundala NP hat bestens geklappt. Zudem nette Tipps für die Umgebung

Allotjament a només 1 carrer de la via principal. Les habitacions que donen al riu són molt xules perquè ports veure inclús algun cocodril.Es menja bé i vam fer amb ells el safari full day i vam tenir un guia espectacular, de 10!! Molt agraïts per l'experiència.

Tot és confortable pel preu que es paga. No imagineu luxes. Vam tenir una mica de soroll la primera nit per alguna celebracio a l'hotel del.costat i es sentia la música.

The treehouse

Riverside location was beautiful, viewing & hearing all the wildlife around was special

Wi-Fi not working

The tree house is beautiful and surrounded by so much nature. The owner and his family were so welcoming and helpful. The owner took me for free to the lake to see the bats and was full of recommendations of things to do. I booked my safari through him and the driver was very knowledgeable. I heard stories about the park being overrun by jeeps with queues to see the animals. The driver always managed to keep us away from the other tours whilst still seeing all the animals - sloth bear, elephants and a jaguar. The owner also took me to see another hostel he has just on the edge of Yala park. Unfortunately I did not have the time to stay there but I definitely will return to stay there and experience the raw nature.

For me so everything was perfect

We stayed two nights in the Riverside Cabana and had a wonderful experience. The accommodation is really nice — we stayed in a cozy treehouse-style cabana facing the river, surrounded by nature. It was peaceful and refreshing, yet still conveniently located about a 15-minute walk from the city. The host was incredibly helpful. He arranged a safari for us and even organized a taxi to Tangalle at a fair price. We truly appreciated the warm hospitality and would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxing stay close to nature.

Nothing

the owners were really nice.

the place unfortunately had cockroaches.

Dimu is such a lovely host, I felt so welcome here! He went on a small trip to the lake with me to do some bird watching and see the bats. Also his wife is an amazing cook and overall I just loved the atmosphere with the hammocks and the river where you can just chill out.

We stayed in the tree house. Amazing view over the river. Best Sri Lankan breakfasts all home cooked. Not in centre of Tissa so not many tourists. But that made it all the better.

It rained a lot so we probably didn’t get the best experience.

I loved everything about it and so far I had the best stay here. The dorms are beautiful looking directly at the river and hanging in the trees. The first day I was just lying in the hammock and reading whilst watching the monkeys in the trees above me. In the evening there was delicious food, a nice fireplace and a spontaneous caraoce session. There were less mosquitos than I’ve expected (very few and with insect repellant no problem) and to sleep you had a big mosquito net. The shower and the toilet are located in the same room and it’s a bit like camping, but if you’re a nature lover then it’s no problem. The host and his family were so nice that they already felt like my own family within that short time period. Also the safari that was organized by our host was really fun and also the host is speaking a very good English.

You must be aware about living within nature. This stay is more camping than sleeping in a hotel. But it’s camping in queen size beds with mosquito nets above you inside the jungle with a view to the river feeling the house shaking with the wind, for me I was a phenomenal experience and I will recommend it to every person I will meet!

For 1 night it‘s okay otherwise not. They were friendly and the food was really delicous. Room was about dirty

I asked if our room was able to be locked as promised. The hotel owner very rudely tried to push me along for the tour and claimed that he locked room as the door swung open. I didn’t appreciate being lied too. Then he told my friend to make sure I didn’t leave a bad review and “to watch me.”

The owner helped organise our safari tour and was helpful and friendly.

The room was dirty and there were cockroaches in the shower when I checked in. They could have checked the rooms before we got them.

The family owning the place is super nice and helpful. Staying in this room felt really like sleeping just in the nature.They also helped me to book a great safari.

Amazing helpful host upgraded our room, helped organise safari and Tuktuks. Cooked us dinner which was one of the best meals I’ve had in Sri Lanka. Beautiful treehouse room with big bathroom and mosquito nets.

Shower wasn’t very powerful.

I got upgraded to a single room for the same amount of money (i booked a shared dorm). The place is really cosy and the owners are super nice. Plus, the dinner!!!! The curry was the best I have had on Sri Lanka so far. The owner arranged a sarafi tour for me, which was super nice.

The shower was…. Well. The doors didnt work, but since I had my own room, it was alright.

Great little place to stay! Was in dormitory, but I was the only one at the time. Very comfortable and the views from the rooms are incredible! Going to sleep with sounds of the insects and frogs! Staff are amazing and very helpful/knowledgeable. Food is really good and a good area to be in, nice and quiet!

So as you can see, it is a more adventurous stay than average - but in proportion everything is really clean, a lot more than other more ‘luxurious’ stays we had. There is noice in the evening but if with ear plugs I slept really good. The owner is super cute and friendly and arranges everything how you like it. Because it was off season, he hadn’t arranged wifi yet, but we didn’t mind! + he has really cute dogs and arranged a safari for us with an amazing guide

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It was a pretty affordable stay and they arrange a good safari, even if it may be more expensive than you might expect (just how it is these days). The setting was serene. The owner also dropped me off at the bus stop which was nice.

No social vibe at all - I was the only person there! Bugs are absolutely everywhere, and the facilities are very basic. It wasn't clear where I could fill up my water bottle. I was happy to move on after two nights.

Dimuthu and his family have a very beautiful home along the river. If you are thinking of doing a safari in Yala national park this is the start, you can easily spot monkeys, all kind of birds and even crocodile alongside the river. They gave me such great hospitality and care. I was by myself and the only customer but I felt like I was part of the family from the first minute. Delicious food and very big portions 🤤 I highly recommend thank you!

The staff here were so friendly and kind. The guy picked me up from the bus station which was very generous. He then took a group of us in the tuk tuk to see the pretty countryside and helped me book a safari tour with pick up from the hostel for a reasonable price. I had a double bed to myself with a mosquito net and slept out in the open next to the river. It was beautiful. It is off the beaten track but walking distance from the main road which holds a street market and shops/ restaurants.

Being out in the open there were ants mozzies and other bugs but you have to expect that in this location

Lovely people that will help you with wathever you need. I just had a short stay, but they were nice. And the place is beautiful.. Would definitely recommend staying here. If you want a special place, book the treehouse..

It can get quite hot in the rooms, even with a fan. That off course is to be expected in all of sri lanka. So that is not on the host :)

Nice family quite area worth the money

The family were kindhearted and friendly and they have cute dogs, especially the new Labrador puppy (but we do hope he isn’t being overfed). The treehouses are genuinely very authentic so it’s a really cool experience to stay there and experience nature! The whole camp is situated on a river which also offers some good wildlife watching opportunities. The Sri Lankan curry meal we enjoyed (at a small additional cost) was home made and was one of the best meals we’ve had in Sri Lanka!

These are our personal experiences, so won’t happen to everyone but I’m sharing in the interest of reviewing honestly. 1. We booked the “deluxe treehouse” a few months in advance. When we checked in, there seemed to be an issue with our booking and it transpired that two girls had already checked in to that particular treehouse earlier that day after booking on another third party website. The staff then moved the girls’ backpacks which were already in the treehouse to allow us to stay there as per our booking. Whilst we were happy that our booking was being honoured, we felt uncomfortable that the girls’ things had been moved (and the safe contained their belongings so we couldn’t use it) and that they’d return from the safari to someone else in their room! We didn’t want the awkwardness or the confrontation so we voluntarily moved to another treehouse - it was a downgrade but we actually enjoyed the views of the river. The treehouse we moved to was cheaper so we paid less and the owner gave a discount of $5 off the price. Perhaps, there should have been more compensation as we saved them a lot of hassle and expense by voluntarily moving before the girls returned. 2. Granted, this is authentic tree house living in the jungle so of course the outside is the inside and as such, things like many cobwebs and insects in the room is unavoidable and didn’t bother us. However, beyond this nature, the riverside treehouse we stayed in was dirty. A dirty shower, sink and toilet. No toilet paper or soap provided. I would have expected a better level of cleanliness for the price as it’s not dirt cheap and these are basics. 3. We booked a safari through the property. Whilst this isn’t directly related to the accommodation, I’m noting our experience here so people can keep it in mind when planning their trip. Months in advance, I booked the half day safari. When we arrived, the owner convinced us to book the full day which we were happily persuaded to do in the end.

We had a lovely stay at this family run hotel! Good location if you wanna have a safari day in Yala and it’s super easy to organize with the owner. Food here is so delicious and the owners were so friendly and kind to us. They even gave us a tuktuk ride for free to see the sunset and bats! Overall we loved our stay here, highly recommended!

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It’s in a beautiful setting, the owners and employees are lovely and helpful. Monkeys and birds all playing in the trees outside, and the owner took us to see the bats at sunset which was really nice.

I contracted a skin infection while at this property. Can’t 100% say exactly where it is from, but maybe a risk I took by sleeping in the dorm room that is open to the jungle.

The location on the river was awesome saw Monkeys and crocodiles from my bed and the owner was amazing and great at planning everything for us!

I stayed in the dorm and while it's not the most comfortable and alot closer to camping then a hotel it was 100% worth it! You sleep in the jungle and wake up to Monkeys playing!

The location is amazing. I loved having breakfast and watching the monkeys in the trees enjoying theirs too. The owner is so accomodating and gave helpful tips. The food is also amazing too! Definitely worth spending at least a couple nights here if you have the time.

The accomodation is basic but for the money it's fine. And it is part of the experience sleeping in the jungle.

Shabby unclean - not like the photos on the booking.com site - stayed in deluxe tree house - (nothing feliz about it at all) toilet and shower on the ground 3 flights of steps to go to toilet in middle of night - toilet was worst have had in Sri Lanka filthy - overpriced - friends stayed in a deluxe room toilet seat hanging off and dirty - amazing hotels next door and across the road cheaper than this stay - we left early only stayed because we had a safari booked with the river cabanas and that was not what he had promised we were told he took us on the safari and was an expert guide - he didn’t take us at all just bundled on a safari bus with other guests from other place - all about the money here

Awesome spot on the side of the river, saw some wildlife while sitting having tea. Also organized a great tour and guide for a very reasonable price! And had an additional free tuktuk trip at dusk to see the nearby lake, birds and fruit batswhoch was amazing! Definitely recommend

So quiet and just in front of the river You can see some crocodiles if you’re lucky. The owner is so kind

Pretty cool location near the river,the upper rooms are amazing! The staff nice and friendly! Thank U Dimu!

The treehouse vibe

So many mosquitos

Beautiful nature place! We loved the room and the river view. Super awesome

The shower and bathroom was not super clean

Just in the forest. If you want to have an experience to sleep in the middle of the forest go for it, you will hear all the animals sound during the night and watching what's going on on the river just a crossing the guesthouse

Amazing hospitality, the family does everything to make your stay comfortable.

I really enjoyed staying at the river side cabanas for two nights. The location is amazing, directly on the river, with nature around, but also close to bus stations. The dorm had 6 big double beds with mosquito nets and two bathrooms. Also the place to chill out with hammocks downstairs is nice. I’ve done the safari with them, where they also included a drive around the lakes the previous day and dropped me of close to the bus when I left, thank you for that! Lovely family taking care of all that and trying their best to fit all your needs 😄

- Could be a bit cleaner/more taken care of in some places but considering you’re in open nature some spiderwebs are unavoidable, so I didn’t mind that - safari breakfast I wish would be something local (but complain on high levels)

I loved this place! I was treated like family, extended and stayed 5 nights! Wish I'd had longer! Dimo was fantastic in organizing tours to yala and took us on a lake tour! The food was some of the best I've had in Sri Lanka! I spent a lot of time watching wildlife by the river!! Saw heaps of amazing and rare birds!! I adored everything about this place!! My room was sensational! Great amenities and views of the river! Comfy bed and pillows! Really awesome varied accommodation for every budget! I can't thank these guys enough! I had a really comfortable, tasty and exciting experience here! And I can't wait to go back!!

Distance from town, which is only a short walk, might be an issue for some. It certainly wasnt for me. It's one of the things I loved about it.

Staff super friendly and super helpful Really easy too book a safari from there. Food is also good

we stayed in the tree house which was a really special experience 😍 it's very modern, clean and the owing family is very kind and offered very good food and help with everything. they even took us to a little trip for the sunset to see a lake and some birds and bats. thank you for everything! 🙏🏼

Great location and the staff were very friendly and helpful. They also offer Jeep safari tours for Yala through the accommodation.

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Riverside Cabana is a great choice for visiting Tissamaharama. You will not be at the center of all the hustle, but very close to the National park. We stayed the apartment with the open wall so you could hear the animals at night and it's an unique experience. The amenities were great, bed very good and overall our stay was very nice. The breakfast was good. The owner was great, and very helpful with all our needs.

Nothing.

I had a very good time there. Really nice people! The dormroom is at the river and it's very close to nature. I booked the safari at Yala via the host and it was a well organised and exciting safari.

The owner was really hospitable, arranged an excellent trip to Yala and an onward taxi to Ella for us. He also took us in his tuktuk on a fantastic sunset trip to watch fruit bats next to the lakes and paddy fields. Rooms are basic but fine and clean. The meals were huge.

I know it's pathetic of me, but the spider in the bathroom....

This guest house is a safari! Crocodiles, Indian scops owls, paradise flycatcher, stalk billed kingfishers, golden oriole all in his garden! Make sure you stay at least a full extra day to absorb the nature here. Also the food is amazing! Can’t get enough of it :)

The safari tour is great! The leopards climb the trees at 5pm so make sure you stay till the park closes at 6pm! Have fun

A wonderful place on a beautiful river, the treehouse is the most amazing place, and it will blow your mind. The owner dimu and his family are the most kind people, and he help us with everything, thanks dimu🙏

Truly a unique hostel! Waking up to the sounds of nature right outside your door is really an experience, and we even got to see crocodiles floating down the river while sitting and eating our delicious breakfast. The host was extremely nice and helpful and it felt like he really cared about our experience. We arranged the safari tour with him as well as our transport to Ella, and everything was super easy, well-organized and for a fair price.

I loved the outdoor sleeping area with amazing views of the river. Such a peaceful location, I would definitely come back and can recommended it to anyone who enjoys being in the nature! Lovely host who organised the Yala safari for us and took us on a lake visit to watch the bats. The home cooked food was very tasty as well!

It’s a proper tree house where you’re actually staying right in nature with a river running just beneath it and monkey jumping from one tree to another. The owner is very friendly. I was staying in the dormitory and after I got back from the safari there were locals having a party for new years. After mentioning I kinda don’t like that too much, he offered to stay in a privat tree house for no extra charge - very nice! The host also arranged my safari even though it was canceled at first and not easy to find a spot on one of the trucks, he managed to pull it off - full day $80.

It’s kinda out of the way from the rest of the city. So exploring the city definitely requires using a tuctuc. Also I felt like there was a little lack of transparency with the prices and specifics for any service. I asked if they have drinking water at their place that I could buy and they said yes and send their son to get one and the water in the bill came for an even RS250 wich is just the most I have paid for a water during my trip. Another thing was - maybe just a lack of our communication - that on the safari there is a break for 2 hours (12-2pm) where trucks are not allowed in the park, which I was surprised to learn while I was on the safari. And a third thing was, that the host offered to have his son drop me off at the bus stop where I could just take the bus to Ella, for just RS750 because it was a long 9km trip all around. I thought that’s reasonable price for such a long trip. But the actual drop of was 3 km away which I learned later on and kinda left me with an uneasy feeling about the stay. I felt like there was tried to make an extra buck by leaving room for interpretation when possible.

Breakfast is more than enough and nutritious. Location is ideal.

Bathroom is not clean. Shower is broken.

The locations.

Amazing experience in the treehouse overlooking the river, with a very nice breakfast!

Nothing not to like

Great place to stay! The family that runs the place is really friendly and helpful! They arranged an amazing safari in Yala National park for me and gave me a small tour around the town.

It has a unique view to the lake, its a tree house so you are really in the jungle and it is so beautiful. We could see monkeys jumping around. The owner and their family are the nicest people ever! He took us for a little tour to see the lake free of charge, and also picked up us for a restaurant a little bit far from the hostel free of charge too. There were a lot of insects and spiders but that comes with sleeping in the jungle so its okay. A great experience.

We got upgraded to a room overseeing the river where we saw crocodiles at lunch time. They owner didnt charge extra and we got to taste his wife homemade meals. Definitely recommend

we had an incredible experience! stayed for 3 nights, and saw heaps of animals high up in the tree: paradise bird, palm squirrel, monkeys, a mantis, peacock. down in the river there was a huge crocodile, but they don't climb the hill up to the property, so it feels safe. also the treehouse is a very solid construction.bath room is on ground level. they serve fantastic curry and kotthu!! Demu, the host, took us for little tours (little charges apply), to see spectacular bat migrating from big trees at the lake,and also to the dunes,which was very beautiful. he can help with arranging safari tour (half day for 54$ which we totally recommend) all of the family were very friendly and helpful no matter what needs we had. thank you!!

it is in the middle of the nature, so it's not a big surprise, but those tiny ants make it thru the mosquito net, which gave us some sleepless hours at the beginning. repellent helped :-)

Super lovely family and a beautiful place to stay. I got help with getting picked up at the bus station and getting dropped off. I also got upgraded to a room with more space and a river view for the same price because it wasn’t booked. I booked a safari for a fair price and loved it! Saw three leopards, elephants, water buffalo, crocodiles and more. All I had to do was say yes to the safari and get up early - everything was arranged very quickly. We also went on a tuk tuk ride to the lake on the day I arrived at sunset to watch the bats. Thanks so much for the lovely stay!!! :)

Everything, the hosts were beyond helpful, friendly and welcoming. The place is beautiful and is right by the river! Such amazing value for money, and the bedrooms have mosquito nets! Highly recommend!

That I couldn't stay longer!

Worst ever

Host not answering the phone Washrooms without water Rooms not prepared Very poor Quality accomodations for money

I stay in a cabana with a beautiful view of the jungle and a river. You can see some monkeys, crocodiles and birds from your bed. It’s a magical place and the family are very nice and helpful. The food also was very tasty and homemade. Everything was perfect

The host is a great man, showing you around with his tuk tuk and the wife cooks delicious kottu roti that you don't want to miss! The location is right next to a river, close to the town centre. He can organise a great safari with an experience guide always in contact with other drivers to try to catch as many animals as possible... Highly recommend if you want to feel like you are staying at friend's place.

Got a drive to the bus the following day

I booked shortly before arriving, so they didn't really expect me, I think. Didn't feel the most welcomed, but they still seemed nice.

Beautiful place, you feel like you are in the middle of the jungle. The owner was very nice and the staff was very helpful. They even drove me around without any charge. When you come in you get tea and juice for free and I did the safari there to for a fair price.

Absolutely nothing.

I have been traveling for four months, and I have never experienced such a host and hospitality. Kudos to the food, accommodation and organization of the safari.

Owner is so sweet and helpful. Amazing view from the room. Got a free upgrade because the room wasn’t booked. Owner brought us to town for free in the tuktuk to a nice restaurant. 100% would recommend staying here!

Actually everything. Super clean, super friendly and English speaking staff and an amazing place located in the nature close to Yala Nationalpark! Dimuthu, the owner, wants you to have a great time and organised our trip to the Nationalpark perfectly. Thank you, we will come back :)

Especially when considering price absolutely nothing to complain

• towel included • got a free room update thanks again! • was a really nice view • kind staff

• it’s in the nature so you can hear many animals during the night

Great location at a river and beneath the trees, feels like one is sleeping in the middle of the jungle, calm, central, cheap, mosquito net

No hot shower and some ants crawling around (but that's nearly everywhere in Sri Lanka like that, better get used to it :)

Very nice big room open on the river. Clean and very confortable bed. Fan, adaptateur, mosquito net and also mosquito incense sticks are provided. Amazing staff and good affordable food. The owner even give you an evening free tour around the lake to see the birds and bats going around. He organize safari if you need for a good price too. Highly recommend it!

The cabana is roomy.

Plenty of mosquitos though

Had an amazing experience sleeping in a treehouse 9 meters high. The entire family is super friendly and helpful. I would also recommend having breakfast or dinner here, the rice and curry was great. Thanks for the great stay Dimuthu 🙏🏽