Polwaththa Eco Lodges

An exceptional experience. Such an amazing place and the people and staff were so good. It’s rustic and you’re in the jungle, so you will always make some compromises. Claire the yoga instructor was great. An amazing family-run business, the community is heavily involved. I cannot recommend this experience enough. I loved it so much I came back twice and it just gets better. There are lots of things to get involved we. I did the cooking class 😍

It is an awesome place to relax and restore. The yoga shala is very nice. The yoga classes are very good. Thanks Thais and Olivia. The staff is very friendly. The food is good and the portions are big. The wildlife is amazing.

The matress in the bed is thin and very soft. No mosquito nets at the windows. Hot water smells like smoke from the fire. In my opinion to pricey.

alles

nichts

Nettes Personal, tolle Ausflüge, immer bereit auf persönliche Wünsche einzugehen. Tolles Yoga.

Man muss sich im Klaren sein, dass die Unterkunft etwas abseits liegt. Wenn man nicht mit Tuktuk anreist, muss man den Rest zur Unterkunft hochlaufen, weil der Weg zu steil und eng ist.

Immersion dans la jungle, notamment avec tous les bruits nocturnes. Les chalets sont isolés et très beaux. Beaucoup d'activités sur places sont proposées. Mais ne pas y aller si vous n'êtes pas à l'ase pour vous déplacer dans la jungle : il faut marcher un petit moment pour rejoindre le restaurant.

Le prix est quand même élevé pour des équipements pas toujours au top (pas d'eau chaude durant mon séjour)

We were a family with two children aged 11 and 12 and stayed in the bungalow, which was perfect as the children could have their own room. We also took part in the activities, the village and waterfall walk and a trek in the Knuckles which were both great with very knowledgable guuides. As I am interested in textile crafts, I had asked if a visit to the Umbara weavers could be arranged and they arranged it for me in conjunction with the Knuckles trek, for which I am very greateful. Staff is very friendly and food was good!

It is a steep climb to the lodge, which we knew about. My son has motion sickness so for him it was tough. The location is remote, which is why we chose it, so one should be prepared for all kinds of insects etc. Also the water pressure in the shower was sometimes quite low.

We stayed 2 nights at the eco lodge and didn't regret it, although it was a bit rainy when we visited the place we still had a wonderful time. We had a large apartment in the middle of the forest which was nicely decorated and had all the facilities we had hoped for. Even a large TV incl. streaming services, which was nice for the kids. The dinner and breakfast were very good and the guide was very nice.

None

Maden var virkelig god – sund, smagfuld og lavet med omtanke. Det var en særlig oplevelse at bo midt i naturen, og vandreturen ned til vandfaldet var en god oplevelse. Men det ligger ikke så tæt på at man selv kan vandre en tur - det er kun med guide. En klar bonus var den lille krydderifabrik på stedet, som var spændende at besøge og få en rundvisning i. Bungalowen var meget stor og moderne indrettet – ikke så autentisk, men med rigtig fine faciliteter. Derudover var der gratis drikkevand under hele opholdet, hvilket vi satte stor pris på.

Stedet har bestemt en smuk beliggenhed og en spændende idé med bæredygtighed og retreat-fokus, men vores oplevelse levede desværre ikke helt op til forventningerne. Hytterne var meget fugtige, og det var ikke muligt at lufte ordentligt ud på grund af dyr i området. Det varme vand skulle enten komme fra solceller eller opvarmes over bål – en løsning der kræver meget arbejde og store mængder brænde, hvilket føltes lidt i modstrid med det bæredygtige koncept. Vandet endte også med at lugte kraftigt af røg, så vi følte os faktisk renere efter kolde bade. Som gæst uden for selve yoga-retreatet følte vi os lidt udenfor. Der var ikke garanti for, at man kunne være med til yoga, og ved måltiderne var der en tydelig opdeling mellem retreat-gruppen og øvrige gæster, hvilket gav en lidt ekskluderende stemning. Det er heller ikke muligt selv at komme væk fra stedet, da det kun er stedets egen transport (tuk tuk eller jeep), der kan klare turen ned fra bjerget. Så hvis man har planer om at udforske området på egen hånd, skal man være opmærksom på det. Vi havde håbet på en mere rolig naturoplevelse, men både morgen og aften blev præget af høj bønnekald fra en nærliggende moské – det er naturligvis ikke stedets skyld, men det påvirkede den rolige stemning en del. Alt i alt var det en interessant oplevelse, men ikke helt det, vi havde håbet på, især hvis man ikke er en del af selve retreatet.

The location is exceptional. Immersed in nature and staying in simple clean lodges. I loved the uneven paths and waking up to birdsong every morning. The food &: the staff were brilliant. Nothing was too much trouble even accomodating an earlier supper on request. . All the activities were well supervised. Highly recommended & I will definitely return .

On the days when there were in excess of 35 guests the restaurant became too crowded and noisy. We suggested a 2 stage sitting for the buffet dinner to help overcrowding at the buffet and ease the pressure on the kitchen to refill the buffet. This was well received & made for a more relaxed atmosphere.

Beautiful location.

Could be more plug points

The best place we stayed on our trip. Great team and services and really respect and value the ethos of the project. Would certainly recommend this place to anyone travelling in the area for a truly authentic forest experience

This unbelievable estate offers very nice lodges located on the edge of jungle. We felt really connected with the nature. The hosts are very nice and helpful, they provided us everything we asked. They offer guided tours, hiking, yoga and more, so you won’t be bored! We have visited little spice factory, which is part of the property, and the very friendly guide told us everything about spices and other plants that grows in the area. Therefore it was very educational experience. And we bought spices that were grown there for good prices. Furthermore, we have two yoga classes in the outstanding shala in the forest. The owners are such nice people and it was our best stay in Sri Lanka. We highly recommend this place, especially to the nature lovers.

all

nothing

Super nice and friendly staff, nice room, great Yoga shala! If you go there, definitely check out the spice factory and the little store there.

Quite pricy, for us it didn‘t seem obvious that all the activities incl. Yoga cost extra.

Very memorable experience fully immersed in the jungle! The staff were extremely friendly and attentive and the dinner and breakfast were great.

Rooms were noisy given the rain, but to be expected living in jungle!

In the nature and with the nature! They do incredible work with the local community. The food was good, they always offered me gluten-free options. And the cabin was super-clean.

Everything was perfect. Good food, clean room and friendly people. Highly recommended

Spent a fabulous few days at Polwatha. A great place to unwind and enjoy nature. Would return in an instant. So much to do and not do!! The staff are super friendly and efficient- loved doing yoga in a amazing Shala.

all good

Polwaththa is very special place, especially if you look for something more than typical tourist experience. The owners are genuine people who care about sustainability and fair trade, having little spice factory and organic gardens. I really enjoyed yoga classes with Freya, who gently guides you with love and care. Sometimes monkeys join you in yoga shala, but in a decent distance :-) Had lots of fun in cooking class and generally the food is amazing. If you search for a place with soul, where you can relax in the silence or join various nature activities, you have just found it.

This was an experience like no other, an amazing location. These are eco-lodges, so they are basic, if you want 5* luxury this isn't for you, but you'd be missing out. The views are amazing, sitting on the balcony looking out to the lake in the distance. Everything is taken care of, you have torches and umbrellas. You are so far from anyone else it is lovely and quiet (apart from the wildlife!) We always had hot water from the solar panels. The bathroom was clean but basic. Food was great, simple as you would expect from that location, and delicious. We were well looked after and Nihal and his staff go out of the way to make sure you have everything you need. Highly recommend their organised treks!

Wir haben 6 Nächte in dieser schönen Unterkunft verbracht. Alles hat hervorragend geklappt: die Abholung am Flughafen (obwohl wir sehr verspätet angekommen sind), die Durchführung der wunderbaren Ausflüge nach Sigiriya und Dambulla und selbst um die Zugtickets für die Bahnfahrt von Kandy nach Nuwara Eliya hat sich Nihal, der überaus freundliche und hilfsbereite "Chef", persönlich gekümmert (ohne ihn hätten wir keine Plätze mehr bekommen, da der Zug fast ausgebucht war). Die Lage der Eco Lodge ist traumhaft, die Verpflegung sehr gut, Sonderwünsche wurden jederzeit mit einer unglaublichen Freundlichkeit erfüllt. Unsere Lake View Lodge war einfach, aber zweckmäßig ausgestattet, mit wirklich heißer Dusche und sehr bequemen Matratzen. Den wundervollen Blick von unserem Balkon werden wir nicht vergessen. Ein Highlight war auch der Ausflug zum Wasserfall! Nochmals herzlichen Dank an Nihal, seine reizende Frau Nel und seinen Sohn Remon sowie das gesamte Personal. Wir haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt und kommen gerne wieder!

Les bungalows sont bien espacés, propres avec un confort suffisant. Très agréable de se réveiller avec le chant des oiseaux. Le personnel fait son maximum et reste toujours souriant et serviable Cet eco lodge reste éloigné du centre de Kandy et avec un accès assez difficile.