Tara Watergate

This hotel has a lovely location next to the lake, offering a calm and relaxing atmosphere, perfect before or after a Yala safari. The last 500 meters of the road leading to the property were a bit damaged due to recent heavy rains, so the drive is slightly bumpy, but once you arrive, it’s absolutely worth it. The rooms were very spacious, clean, and comfortable, providing plenty of space to relax. The swimming pool is large and well maintained, and the overall surroundings feel very peaceful and close to nature. Breakfast at the restaurant was tasty and enjoyable. The staff were very kind, friendly, and helpful throughout our stay, which made us feel welcome from the beginning. A fun highlight was a local “poolside friend” — a large monitor lizard that occasionally relaxed near the pool. It didn’t bother us at all; on the contrary, we found it quite amusing and a reminder that we were guests in nature, not the other way around. The location is very convenient for visiting Yala National Park and Kataragama, making this hotel a great base for exploring the area. We truly enjoyed our stay and would recommend it to travelers who appreciate space, nature, and a peaceful environment.

Het ontvangst van de manager, het heerlijke eten wat hij kon maken zo goed! Locatie was ideaal, vlakbij strand, kamers erg groot en zwembad was top!

De drukke weg waar het aan ligt vonden wij wat minder

Nice location adjoining the lake. Last 500m to the property road was bit damaged due to recent heavy rains. Road is bit bumpy. Spacious and clean room. Tasty breakfast at the restaurant. Good location for Yala Safari and to visit Katharagama.

Great room opening onto pool, free bike hire, good restaurant

Nothing

The room was large.

The manager of Tara Watergate introduced me to a driver for a group tour of Yala that ended up being a scam, and did not go to Yala national park, despite being charged for the entrance tickets. The manager showed little surprise or remorse when i informed him of my experience. I checked out early as I no longer felt safe staying there as a solo female traveler. Longer story below. I ate dinner at the property the night I arrived. The manager approached me, introducing me to a driver that could provide a tour of Yala national park with a group, at a less expensive rate than the private tour initially offered to me at check-in. I signed up, and was picked up from the hotel the next morning. The tour did not take us to Yala national park, but drove around for 5+ hours on perimeter roads. The guide was openly hostile to our group, cursed, and made disparaging comments to the tour members from Japan and China. After returning from the fraudulent tour, I checked out of the hotel early. I had lost trust in the staff, and did not feel comfortable staying for an additional night as a solo female traveler. The manager showed very little remorse (or surprise) when I informed him of my tour experience. He did refund me (in cash, although I had paid on my credit card) for the hotel night that I left early (but not for the night before, nor offered compensation for the fraudulent tour cost). The manager informed booking.com that I had never checked in, a “no show.” As a result, I needed to directly booking.com to request the ability to write a review. I would not recommend this hotel. My tour group and I filed a police report and files a complaint with the Sri Lankan tourism board.

Wielkość pokoju, jakość obsługi, kameralność

Stanza grande con una bella vista. Buon rapporto qualità prezzo, si mangia bene, staf molto professionale.

Al mattino non c è acqua calda, si sente un odore sgradevole dal bagno.

Hjælpsomt personale. De hjalp blandt andet med alt vedr. booking af safari til Yala.

Eneste minus er vejen det ligger på er lidt øde. Så hvis man skal nogen steder om aftenen er det bedst med Tuk da der ikke er så meget lys.

Lovely location, very peaceful and beautiful. Staff were lovely. Great base for safari trips, good restaurant nearby, Chef Lady and food also good at Tara Watergate. Great to have access to bicycles to get around

Road accessing hotel is poorly surfaced. Hopefully this will improve