Woodland Hideaway in Sinharaja

As a solo traveler to Sinharaja forest, I sincerely feel the warm and friendly by Chanaka brothers. Before arrive, they start taking care of me, his brother picking me up from the Langkagama bus station for free and make a hot tea when I arrived. It was very heat warming as I was arrived at night .And you can order dinner from him, the food is delicious. Chanaka is a very very experienced guide, he has very good sight of eyes. He keep finding the animal for me and gaving some explanation. Sometimes I didn't noticed, he is very patience and point with his finger until I saw. Talking with him very chill. I hope I can do a whole day trekking in Sinharaja forest but my time schedule crushed as I go to Sinharaja forest at my second last day in Sri Lanka. Overall, I will recommend those who solo or a group of two to come this resort. You will get a experienced guide and you will be taken care of.

The resort is located at uphill, you have to climb a little bit to get there. When arrived at night, it was quite dark and have to be careful. Not a big problem at all, just point it out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had a wonderful stay at Woodland Sinharaja Inn. The location is perfect for exploring the beautiful Sinharaja Rainforest, surrounded by peaceful nature and greenery. 🌿🌳 The hospitality from Chanaka and his lovely family was excellent, and the staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful. The food was also a highlight of my stay — everything was fresh, delicious, homemade, and full of authentic Sri Lankan flavours. 🍛🇱🇰 I especially enjoyed the homemade-style meals, which were perfect after a day exploring the rainforest. The peaceful atmosphere made it a great place to relax and enjoy nature. I really enjoyed my time here and would definitely recommend Woodland Sinharaja Inn to anyone visiting Sinharaja. 💚

Chanaka and his family were brilliant. Great place to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. So close to the jungle where you can see amazing wildlife.

Fantastic stay! great ecofriendly location, and incredibly friendly staff. Will definitely return. Everything was perfect from check-in to check-out. Highly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting the area.

- chanaka est au top - nourriture très bonne - Trek en jungle était super

- La chambre manque un peu de confort (douche froide, insectes) - Le rapport qualité prix reste excellent

La struttura era bellissima e la famiglia che la gestiva sono tra le persone più dolci e accoglienti che abbia conosciuto. Sono una ragazza e sto visitando l’isola da sola, mi hanno guidata all’interno della foresta e preparato del cibo locale buonissimo. È stata un’esperienza bellissima

Super netter Gastgeber, welcher sich um alles perfekt kümmert, sei es die wunderschöne Dschungeltour bei welcher wir alle möglichen Tiere gesehen haben oder das perfekte Frühstpck und Abendessen. Falls wir mal wieder in Sri Lanka sind kommen wir aufjedenfall wieder vorbei :)

Super Lage und herzliche Gastgeber. Super Dschungeltour. Wer den Luxus mitten in der Natur sucht, ist hier genau richtig. Das Abendessen und Frühstück ist perfekt gewesen.

My brother and I stayed here for 3 nights, and wished we could have stayed longer. The Sinharajah rainforest is truly a magical place with unique flora and fauna to discover. The room had everything we needed. Only no hot water in the shower (but we didn’t miss that as it wasn’t cold). The views from the balcony are spectacular with many birds to see (I’m a birder), squirrels and monkeys. The jungle sounds both during the day and night really encompass you in nature. In about 10 minutes walking you reach the entrance to the rainforest. Before booking the hideaway inn, I saw incredible positive reviews. Especially about the hosting family. I was sceptical (how amazing can they be?) but I was wrong to question it. All those reviews really are true. We felt so welcome and at ease, and built a genuine connection with Chaneke, his wife and their baby daughter. They are warm, caring, friendly and at heart such good people. They went out of their way to help us in any way possible, be it with tours (Chaneke and his brother are official guides), transport, preparing great meals, and even proposing to lend their bike. The hideaway inn and its rainforest are a precious, magical place. To be protected and continued. Luckily, they are working on expanding (for now they only have 1 room) and we wish them all the best!! If we ever visit Sri Lanka again, this will be our first stop!

-No hot water in the shower. But its not that cold either. -Sometimes the wifi connection was lost. We were mostly amazed that we even had wifi in this remote place. -you need to walk up high stairs to get to the Inn. So this place might not be suitable for someone who is less mobile. Chaneke (flying up and down like its nothing) helped us with our luggage.

Hervorragende Gastrfreundschaft und eine tolle Familie. Man hat Aussicht über den Regenwald und kann direkt von der Unterkunft Tiere beobachten.

J'ai aimé le fait d'êtres en hauteur sur une montagne, la vue est magnifique et c'est en pleine forêt. Le village est calme tout est reposant et chanaka celui qui tient le lieu est d'une grande hospitalité, on a été accueillie comme des rois.

Die Lage ist einmalig. Man befindet sich mitten in der Natur. Chanaka der Gastgeber und seine Frau sind sehr bemüht einem einen unvergesslichen Aufenthalt zu ermöglichen. Wer ein einmaliges Erlebnis in der Natur und einen guten Guide für den Sinharaja forest sucht, ist hier genau richtig. Er gibt sich Mühe die Tiere zu finden die man sehen möchte. Die Unterkunft ist einfach aber ausreichend. Das Essen ist hervorragend.

This place is not about the little house in the woods, the comfort of the bed, the bathroom, the food, or even the location. All of that becomes secondary. It’s about the host, Chanaka. Chanaka is truly one of a kind, and meeting him alone makes the trip worthwhile. He built this little house in the middle of nowhere all by himself over four years. He’s a man of action – at the same time a bit of a day-dreamer and scattered, yet structured and strategic. He took cooking classes to spoil his guests, attended wildlife courses to share his deep knowledge and genuine fascination of the surrounding rainforest, and studied English so he can communicate – sometimes quite eloquently, sometimes with charming awkwardness, but always with warmth and humor. Chanaka genuinely wants to fulfil your every wish, he would give you the shirt off his own back if you asked for it. When he learned that my partner was a musician, he immediately bought a guitar – which arrived two hours later – and was overjoyed to have music fill his place. Staying here was so much fun and the most unforgettable adventure of our entire trip – and our time in Sri Lanka was anything but boring. After just 2.5 days, we grew so fond of Chanaka that saying goodbye was deeply emotional. Without Chanaka, Woodland Hideaway Inn would be a very simple, clean, no-frills place in a rather remote location. But because of him, it becomes an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind and truly authentic experience, we will talk about for years to come. If we ever return to Sri Lanka, visiting Chanaka will be at the very top of our list.

I would venture to say that this accommodation is a hidden treasure in the jungle. A great host with vast knowledge of the natural world! If I had to recommend what to visit in Sri Lanka, it would be this place! I look forward to my next visit.

The hotel is located just a 3-minute walk from the Sinharaja reserve/forest. The accommodation itself is simple, as it’s right in the middle of the forest/jungle, but the guide is truly exceptional. The hardest part here isn’t finding a place to stay, but rather finding a good guide to help you discover the local wildlife and flora.

Alles. Super Lage mitten im Regenwald mit sehr freundlichen Gastgebern. Beste Unterkunft auf unserer Reise durch Sri Lanka!! Die Unterkunft ist einfach gehalten und rustikal, genau das was wir erwartet und erhofft haben. Wir würden sofort wieder kommen. Können die Unterkunft wärmstens empfehlen.

Die Unterkunft ist rustikal. Aber genau das macht hier den Charme aus. Wir haben die Unterkunft mitten in der Natur mit einer herrlichen Aussicht genossen. Chanaka ist ein grandioser Gastgeber der stets bemüht ist seinen Gästen einen hervorragenden Aufenthalt zu verschaffen.

Prachtige locatie midden in de natuur, op loopafstand van de ingang van het Sinharaja regenwoud. Sir Chanaka ontving ons zeer vriendelijk en zorgde voor een onvergetelijke ervaring. De curry en devilled chicken waren superheerlijk, knap van Chanaka om in een eenvoudige keuken ( op houtskool) zo lekker te kunnen koken. Twee nachten in het regenwoud slapen was fantastisch mooi. De 10km trail in het regenwoud onder begeleiding van Chanaka's zus was bijzonder, veel gezien!

Het ligt afgelegen, het kost moeite om er te komen, maar de route is spectaculair mooi. Eenvoudige badkamer met koud water douche, verwacht geen luxe. De bijzondere locatie, het heerlijke eten en fantastisch ervaring compenseert dat ruimschoots. Neem voldoende cash mee, de tours zijn niet gratis.

De lokatie is prachtig en de hele sfeer om het huisje heen is fijn. Je hebt echt het idee alsof je in de middle of no where bent. Heerlijk. De man die het huisje heeft gemaakt is supe reliëf en doet er alles aan om je verblijf zo comfortabel mogelijk te maken.

Great views of the Rain Forest. Right on the edge with a river valley so you could see the pristine forest on the other side. The owner, Chanaka, Is an incredible guide. Without him I may only have seen 3 or 4 animals out of the 17 we saw. Amazing cluster of wildlife in an incredible rain forest. I've been to many renowned rain forests and not seen this density of wildlife.

The walk way is a bit steep and may be a bit difficult for elderly or people with disabilities.

Our stay at Woodland Hideaway in Sinharaja was truly memorable. Mr. Chanaka went above and beyond by offering us a complimentary night view tour, which was an absolute highlight. We were amazed by his incredible ability to spot various native birds — his knowledge and keen eye made the experience truly special. The meals were not only delicious but also uniquely prepared, giving us a taste of local flavors. The hospitality was exceptional, and Mr. Chanaka’s warmth and friendliness made us feel right at home. We can’t wait to return for another visit! Highly recommended for nature lovers and anyone seeking a genuine Sinharaja experience.

the view.

there was a gas leak and even after mentioning it that person did not care to fix it. the gas cooker was broken. same as the door lock, it was broken. whenever its locked from the outside someone had to climb through the window to open it. kitchen was unclean , most of the facilities that was mentioned was not available, and the info was misleading eg. there is 20km from the nearest town to the inn but they have mentioned 9.5km. I specifically told i need my b'fast at 7am but the host comes in whenever he pleases.

My 2nd time staying this place, and I will come again for sure :) great location, very quite and with beautiful view, friendly host, tasty food - very relaxing rest

The location was incredible, really out in the rainforest and in nature, I wish we’d had more time to stay another night to go on a night tour. But the morning tour we did was excellent, so much wildlife and even swan in a waterfall pool. Food was good too. chanakain and his family were fantastic nad so friendly and knowledgeable about the wildlife and environment.

It was a bit hot in the room with no fan and my husband doesn’t cope well with the heat otherwise it was excellent

Chanaka is the greatest host we’ve stayed with on our Sri Lanka honeymoon! He has a heart of gold and does everything for his guests. His little Hideaway is an absolute gem and the views from the property are breathtaking. We could choose from a big variety of foods and Chanaka even arranged for things not on the menu.

The location was beautiful, in the middle of the forest, beautiful mountain view. The breakfast was very good and big! Very kind host, he offered a free night tour and made me discover local culture

Fantastic location and very kind and sympathic host Chanaka. This is a pleasure to stay so close with the nature, practically in the jungle. Chanaka also was the great tourist guide (you can go to Sinharaja Forest with him!) with an amazing "eagle" eye to rare animals. We have an incredible opportunities to saw an frogmouth owl, which is not frequent and easy to meet especially in the daytime. Also the waterfall at the end of the journey in forest is just wonderful, clean and refreshing water after an few hour was just perfect. We also had an ocassion to tried traditional delicacies with whole fantastic and kind family, because Chanaka invite us to him house and they are lovely, very hospitality, give us an amazing local food and drink like Toddy, honey and jaggery chickal tree (i hope so i’ve good notice this name). It was an excitement experience which i totally recommend for everyone, especially with Chanaka as an tourist guide, because he perfectly knows the area he loves so he really give you a heart for your whole stay!

Amazing location surrounded by the jungle. Lots of bird to spot! Stonethrow away from the park Chanaka and his family were super nice and really responsive/ helpful throughout my stay

A bit more transparency about the pricing of the extras would've been good. I got quoted a price for visiting the forest with Chanaka but then had to pay the park fee on top for example Lunch and dinner was provided but also without prices until the bill

Location beautiful. Tucked on a hillside overlooking the jungle. Quiet and peaceful. Our host, chanaka, was very helpful and enthusiastic. He was open for any adventure and hung out with us for a night of music, dancing, and laughs.

We are very grateful for the warm hospitality and how we were able to be part of the daily life. The beautiful view, the delicious food and how Chanaka guided the very interesting rainforest walk…. All are unforgettable. We wish you a great development of your business!

Such a wonderful experience! We stayed for one night at this magical place and it was perfect. It’s a cozy and clean wood house in the middle of a rainforest. Through the big window you can watch the rainforest life while you’re laying in the bed. The owner is such a friendly guy and is very dedicated to making the stay as pleasant as possible. The typical Sri Lankan breakfast was delicious! Highly recommended.