Elephant Rest Udawalawa

Small family hotel. The host extremely nice. Perfect place for the Safari. The rooms were nice and it felt nice to be there on the village. I recommend this place

El personal es muy amable y atento, la ubicación es inmejorable ya que está a menos de 1 kilómetro del safari. Reservamos con ellos el safari y muy bien de precio. La comida estaba muy rica y barata. La piscina muy chula. El desayuno ha sido una tortilla francesa, fruta y muchas tostadas, todo muy bueno

Se me subió una cucaracha por el brazo

Schone kamer, mooi hotel met een fijn zwembad. Maar bovenal: de medewerkers zijn fantastisch, een heel lief en zorgzaam gezin.

Hotel ligt vrij afgelegen in een heel klein dorpje.

Awesome place, absolutely 💯 gorgeous 😍 ❤️ great location, pool and staff.

Die Lage zum Nationalpark war sehr gut. Es wurde Abends extra für uns gekocht, das war so lecker.

War eigentlich alles ok, Wasserdruck in der Dusche hätte besser sein können.

Das Hotel befindet sich in der Nähe des Eingangs zum Udawalawe Nationalpark. Wir haben die Safari über das Hotel gebucht und es hat alles gut geklappt. Wir hatten eine Privatsafari für 6h und das können wir auf jeden Fall empfehlen. Da die Safari bereits um 6 Uhr beginnt, haben wir ein Lunchpaket für unterwegs bekommen. Hier könnte man bei der Verpflegung etwas kreativer werden. Da wir aber die einzigen zu dem Zeitpunkt in dem Hotel waren und nur ein Mitarbeiter anwesend war (aufgrund eines Feiertags?), würden wir das nicht negativ anmerken. Allen in allem war es ein schöner Aufenthalt- wir waren nur eine Nacht da.

Lunchpaket mit etwas mehr Auswahl oder noch etwas Gemüse

Es gemütlich, sehr einladend eingerichtet. Für uns ist es ok keine Klimaanlage zu haben, der Ventilator war ausreichend.

Es war alles ok, wir waren nur eine Nacht dort, daher fehlt etwas der Vergleich.

Small group of ground floor rooms. Nicely decorated and airconditioned. Outsoor seating area and swimming pool. Restaurant on site. Helpful staff organised good value safari at short nitice and tuk tuk to Elephant Transit Home. Very good value.

Restaurant menu was basic. Not everything on it available. No coat hangers in wardrobe or kettle in room but we were able to request a pot of ceylon tea by the pool.

De kamer en natuurlijk het zwembad. Verder de ligging dichtbij het park.

De beperkte keus voor een diner.

The host is very supportive in all needed. Very nice food. Close to Udawalawe safari, but also possible to get to the Lunugwehera national park with a Tuk tuk.

Perfect for a one night stay, hosts very accommodating. Welcome drink on arrival. They organised safari at short notice (2 hrs after we arrived). Delicious meal cooked from scratch in the evening. You can see work ongoing to improve this property further but was not an issue 😊

Nothing really, all good

The family running Elephant Rest were so kind and helpful! They made us a delicious dinner the night we arrived. Breakfast was tasty! On the morning of our Safari we left at 5:45 am, so they provided us with a take out breakfast :) It was the perfect location for our Safari and it was just we needed. A nice pool, outdoor sitting areas and a comfortable bed.

Staff were friendly and went out of their way to help us. Food was great. Pool was clean. The safari they organised was good

Nice and friendly hotel with perfect location to national park. Organised safari for us. Perfect.

Nothing

Semplice ma ben curato, in mezzo alla natura, 2 min dal parco, piscina perfetta, staff gentilissimo

The hotel is very close to the national park entrance. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the good food. The hotel owner helped us to arrange a safari tour and another tour to the elephant transit home. In the afternoon we enjoyed the big pool. We would definitely stay there again.

Friendly family who runs the place. Big spacious rooms and nice outdoor space. Super close to Udawalawe park. The manager arranged safari for us which was very good.

The first day we ordered lunch, fries and fried rice. It took them nearly 1,5 hours before we got it. Keep that in mind when you order food. Even the day we were going on safari, we had agreed breakfast at 6 and pickup at 6:30. Driver was there 6:15 which was nice. Problem was that our breakfast was still not ready until 6:20. Biggest problem was actually the pool that had not been balanced correctly. There was so much chlorine in it that you could both taste it and see it. One of our kids god several bad rash and we were all itching. The last full day we were there, we didn’t go in the pool because of that. Staff was very friendly and seemed they wanted to do their best. If the pool was fixed then we would stay there again.

Amazing location, great service, delicious food

We booked this accommodation for easy access to the safari, which it was. But it is some distance to anywhere else.

It was a quick stop off, ok for one night but I wouldn’t stay longer.

Great place! Loved the location amongst all the sugar cane fields. The family who run the place were lovely. We organised our safari through the hotel, and were super happy with the experience. The location is close to the main gate of the national park, but far from the main town centre of Udawalawe (it’s not hard to hail a tuk tuk, or you can try your luck with the bus on the main road which we did and it was fine!). Would recommend to others.

From arrival Sangee made us feel very welcome and the glass of papaya juice was most welcome. Our first room was basic with some very old electrics that were a little dubious. However on first look the room was clean enough to stay in. Sadly after a down pour our room was flooded with water pouring through the light fixtures. Sangee was very accommodating and offered the choice of two more rooms; one again slightly flooded and the third was perfect. The bed was very comfortable, the AC adequate and the fridge useful for water. However the water pressure was very low and the water heater didn’t work so Showers were more a necessity than a luxury. As shared the rooms are basic and tired - the owner could do with spending some money on modernising and painting the rooms. The location of Elephants Rest is perfect for the Udawala National Park and Elephant Safari. All smoothly organised by Sangee. It’s worth the 40 min Tik Tuk ride to the temple again organised by Sangee.

Great location and very clean

While only accepted payment in cash, they helped me to get this and will have this capacity in the near future. Very good lentil soup and breakfast. Help get a reasonably priced taxi to Ella. Good value for money and well located to the National park.

Had a nice stay here. They arranged a jeep safari for us for a good price. Rooms are clean spacious and comfortable. The shower was warm when the heater was switched on but didn't work that great. Breakfast was pretty basic but okay - just toast fruit and an egg. Very close to the park.

Location is very good, close to the entrance of the park. Price-quality is fine.

The pictures look better than reality. The maintenance and attention to detail of the public areas can be better, especially the poolwater was not so clear (even more so the fishpool)

Accueil au top, on est reçu avec un jus de fruit fraîchement fait, les chambres sont spacieuses, avec une petite terrasse et un salon de jardin en bois, 1 gel douche, 1 shampooing et 1 lotion lime/cinnamon dans la salle de bain, un espace détente avec un terrain de badminton, des échecs et une piscine très agréable, les repas sont préparés minutes et avec attention, prix très corrects. Emplacement idéal à - de 10' du parc. Des hôtes en or, une bouteille d'eau donnée quand je suis partie à 5h45 pour mon safari (ils peuvent vous l'organiser), à midi, Ils m'ont proposé le petit déjeuner si est inclus mais que je n'avais pas pris et le bus pour aller vers Tangalle passe devant chez eux, mais sur à un blocage, la dame m'a gentiment emmenée en scooter jusqu'à la station suivant et s'est assurée que je suis bien dans le bus. Des gens adorables. Allez-y les yeux fermés !

very close to park entrance, very helpful and caring host. in house restaurant serves delicious food. nicely laid out pool to relax. spacious clean rooms.

all good

Was small and personal very warm family feeling with perfect manager and family. Great location for Safri breakfast was very good.

Nothing

Friendly service and staff was very helpful. nice local food

Great place for a short stay. nice host. food was so good one of the best meals we had in Sri Lanka. good pool to relax under scorching sun

all ok

quite place very close to park. excellent for relaxation.

lovely host family. nice pool to relax and can play Badminton to burn calories. food was delicious and care taker family was very helpful. and organised a great safari. highly recommend if anyone coming to Udawalawa

All good nothing to complain

Nice family run budget hotel, ideal for the safari, the hotel can organise the safari tour at a good price too . Great value for money. Big breakfast. The accommodation basic but ok for the money. Friendly staff. Recommended for a short stay.

For the price, no complaints, maybe shower could have been stronger.

It’s clean and in a great location but the absolute best thing is the people that run the hotel they are kind and helpful. The location was great for our safari which they organised and the food was lovingly home cooked from scratch.

It’s a little bit dated the aircon is ok but tired. The water is warm but with low pressure. Non of these things make the stay uncomfortable and it’s great value for money !

The location was perfect for safaris in the park. It felt like a lodge, very homely. Home cooked food. Decent sized pool, nice poolside area, to have pots of tea, on request, in the afternoon.

We stayed two nights at this lovely little guest house. Its a remote area, so we were not only thankful for the pool, but for Sajeewa and   Kumari, who could not have done more for us. A fabulous welcome, cooked our very tasty meals and organised our Safari and trip to the local Elephant . We could not have asked for more

The family were amazing and really looked after us. They sorted us a safari and made us feel very welcome. I would definitely come back! Great food!

Nothing

Beautiful rooms, nicely decorated, and a perfect location for Safari. Good food and attentive staff.

Everything was great, except they should take greater care of the animals. We saw some dogs in unbelievable poor condition, suffering with disease and open wounds. Heartbreaking really.

Such a lovely little place to stay for the night. Rooms were very clean and comfortable. The staff were so kind and lovely, the home cooked food was some of the best we’ve had in Sri Lanka. They also arranged a safari for us, we had a jeep to ourselves, and saw many animals (elephants, monkeys, mongoose). All in all a fabulous experience, and incredible value for money.

Location and helpfulness of the staff was brilliant. Food was cooked from scratch, the Elephant Rest organised the whole safari which was just perfect and we were picked up at the door. Room very comfortable and in good order. Pool was a lovley addition.

A word of warning, food is great however every dish is made from scratch and with that may take 60 minutes from order. Well worth the wait.

True sample of great hospitality. Staff was amazing and very caring. safari was over the top with many Jumbos and was so lucky to see a leopard. food was nice and love the cheese kottu. clean rooms and nicely laid pool and pool deck.

None

nice and quiet place in a village setting. host were so nice. family run place and food was delicious. well maintained pool and badminton court. bedroom was spacious nicely arranged. Hosts took us on a village tour to see sugar cane farming and nice lakes where we enjoyed bird watching

Nil

The room was lovely and spacious the facilities were good swimming pool he hired us a jeep the food was very good and plenty of it

Very clean, helpful manager, great breakfast, good location for safari

Payment is by cash.

Really friendly and helpful hotel manager. They do everything to make your stay as nice as possible.

Perfekt för en övernattning om man ska på safari. Litet hotell där ägarna fixar allt, boende, vilken mat man vill, safari, frukostpaket, taxi. Det är bara att fråga, mannen som driver hotellet är otroligt hjälpsam och trevlig!

A beautiful family run this hotel, they are very warm and hospitable, they cooked us lunch, dinner and breakfast. Lovely energy. It was like staying with family. Our kids enjoyed playing with their kid. Lovely pool and a badminton court! They organised our elephant safari. The rooms are basic but clean and very quiet. Thank you

We liked everything

This was a beautiful place to stay while visiting Udawalawe. The host and his family were so friendly and welcoming, and we loved chatting to the kids. There is a beautiful pool and outdoor lounge area. Breakfast was fantastic and they also have a restaurant doing homecooked meals for dinner. The Sri Lankan vege curry was delicious.

It's a little far out of Udawalawe so make sure you bring enough cash to pay for the room and meal because there are no ATM's nearby.

The hotel hosts were very welcoming and they did their best to see that we were happy. The hotel has a pool and a pool area that is relaxing after a walk or a safari.

The family that run the hotel and cook are incredible. They are so kind and friendly we had the most delicious meal there! Thank you !

Was perfect for what we needed.

Clean and big room with a good bed and air conditioning. The hosts were really friendly. A good breakfast and a swimming pool are pluses. A great base for a safari

The hostess was very friendly and helpful, and also a very good cook. The room was spacious and comfortable. Pool well maintained.

None

Amazing peaceful place with lovely caring host family. food prepared was delicious. recommend to try Ceylon tea with locally made sugar cane jaggary which was first time for us and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. swimming pool was great to relax and if you want to sweat go for a game of badminton. we did longer safari and managed to see couple of Elephant herds. highly recommend if you looking for a peaceful homely type place

Nothing much.

Location was excellent as was the welcome and the accomodation. Dinner was really tasty and would easily have fed twice our number. Lovely swimming pool too!

Slightly disappointed with the safari but that was nothing to do with the Elephant Rest which we thoroughly recommend

Family run property who couldn’t do enough for you. Very near the National Park for Safari trip

It’s more like a home stay with limited breakfast. A bottle of water should be complimentary.

Nice big room and great pool. The hosts are really friendly and nice and made the stay even better. We had such a nice welcome and it felt good right away. The hosts are always there when you need something. They make great juices, pancakes and food. The location is not too far from the entrance of Udalawawa NP.

Really friendly and helpful staff, clean room and spacious, comfortable bed

Helpful manager

Nothing

The hosts were incredible, always smiling and happy to see us happy during our stay. They have organized our Safari and cooked for us great breakfast and meals. The pool has been fundamental to restore after the Safari.

Best booking in Sri Lanka so far. Great people, great service, great food, great price. Highly recommended.

Quite stay in good proximity to the national park. The hosts were very friendly & Pool was great to survive the heat. They organised our morning safari for us. We careful to avoid gluten for my allergies.

Room is quite basic & not many menu options available. All meals we ate were very fresh but took over an hour to be prepared, so would advise planning and ordering in advance.

Wonderfull place to stay. Very friendly and helpfull hosts. Lovely big pool and nice badminton court. The rooms are beautifull decorated and very clean, good beds ( best so far we had in Sri Lanka) They arranged a good safari tour, saw lots of animals. Very close to the park entrance. Good food as well.

This beautiful hotel right next to the Udawalawe National Park was just perfect in every way! The room was big exceptionally clean with gorgeous decor-a very comfy bed and lovely hot shower. It was so peaceful at night all we could hear was the sounds of our tropical surroundings which made for a really good nights sleep! The breakfasts were outstandingly delicious and Saj and his wife the hotel manager, took such good care of us-made us feel so welcome and like family! They arranged a safari for us and we were amazed at how many animals we saw-loads of wild elephants, crocodiles ,water bison, exotic birds, and even a golden jackal! Our safari guide was a great guy and really made sure we saw all this and was so kind taking as long as we needed for great photos! We really cannot recommend this exceptional hotel enough and have say it was one of our most favourite places in Sri Lanka at a very very good price!

Nothing-it really was perfect!

Peaceful place, lovely hosts, very helpful, good swimming pool

The ambiance

Very clean , excellent combination of western and local food, dedicated & friendly service, convenient and relaxing environment

Convenient and relaxing environment, very clean and great food

Lovely little property near the national park. The owners were so kind and attentive, they were happy to sort out anything we needed. Large and varied breakfast, and happy to bring out more if you’re still hungry! Would recommend for a night if you’re doing a safari!

Nothing else around, about 10-15 minute drive to the nearest town with restaurants. But the property does provide breakfast, lunch and dinner so you don’t necessarily have to venture out!

Nice lovely place. The hosts were very friendly and helpful. loved the green colour welcome drink. husband and wife duo cooked some amazing rice and curry and recommended to try Spine gourd curry. The pool was well maintained. room was clean stylish and roomy. great value for money and service was attentive and efficient.

The property was absolutely beautiful, clean and well equipped

Location and peaceful place

Rooms were not not that clean as expected .

Cosy, clean and cute in colonial style with a nice pool and even a badminton court. Very friendly and helpful family run the place. Excellent value. Good food. Close to park (10 minutes)

UK style wall plug in my room didn't work so well (it worked in another socket outside my room).

Super warm and cute people! Very nice place, good athmosphere and clean. Delicious food, location is perfect for the safari (very near).

Small and private hotel close to the park. Friendly staffs, also a clean pool for laps. The traditional foods served were soo delicious. Sweated out by playing badminton. The village tour arranged by the hotel gave us a really awesome experience along with the canoe rides.

great place very peaceful set in middle of sugar farming village. lovely hosts. had first time experience playing badminton which was amazing. chef cooked some nice curries. pool was a blessing in soring heat. Hotel arranged a safari tour where many heards of Elephants were seen and lucky to spot a Leopard at far distance

Peaceful and quiet place very close to park entrance.nice friendly staff.

The hosts were very friendly, hospitable and organised safari trip. Room was spacious but there were many insects!

Warm hospitality and excellent Sri Lankan food in the Uda Walawe National Park

Good place to stay if you’re planning to go on safari. Value for money. Competitive safari prices offered by the host

My wife and I stayed at Elephant Rest Udawalawa for one night. The room was clean and comfortable and well put together. We had dinner and breakfast at the guesthouse and both were very tasty and generous portions. We were able to book our safari at the guesthouse and also our onward taxi to Mirissa. The service was friendly and efficient. Overall we were happy with our stay and we would recommend this guesthouse.

We had booked a 2 night stay due to the good reviews, and with the intention to go on the 'value for money' safari trip. Our taxi dropped us off midday, there was no one on reception to greet us. No water, tea, or refreshment of any kind. However, a maid told us we could go into our allocated room. This had not been prepared recently, as I found a dead lizard and dead flies in the bathroom. Apart from that the room and bed looked clean. We decided to cut our stay down to one night, do the safari that evening (which was great), then move to another hotel 10km away which was cheaper, lovely and clean, and had a swimming pool. Thank you to Hotels.com for sorting out a refund.

Stayed here for 1 night. Good location near the park.

I had an excellent stay at Elephant Rest. The Sri Lankan dinners that they cook were some of the best that I've had in the country. The wifi worked well for the entire stay. The showers had hot water. They have their own jeep for safari and give a really good rate.

Lovely place to stay near Udawalawe National Park! We drove in from Ella and the owners cooked a delicious fresh meal of rice and curry for us and later that night, made string hoppers for dinner. The room was very clean and spacious and the bed was comfortable. In the morning, they had arranged a safari, so we went out to the park at 6am. We are hungry first thing in the morning so they graciously made breakfast for us at 5:45 so we could eat before the safari. The family is so friendly and their little boy is adorable. Highly recommend staying here if you're coming to Udawalawe!