Nirvaan Safari Lodge

The people.!

Nothing

+ Food was good + Large bed + Great location

- Very expensive for the location - No A/C - Very hard bed

We really enjoyed staying in a tent in this small eco-lodge near the entrance to Wilpattu. The owner is an academic who is exceptionally well informed about the flora and fauna in the park - it was a great experience to go on safari with him twice. The tents are basic but comfortable, and the outside bathroom turned out to be much better than we feared! It is a very quiet and secluded place to stay. The food was also delicious.

You have to be prepared for 'visitors' to your tent - there were much fewer insects than we feared (there is a plug-in insect repellent which probably helped, or maybe it was the time of year) - but we did have evidence of a chipmunk and there are birds in the bathroom. We got used to it remarkably quickly but don't leave food lying around!

The lodge is beautiful, amazing food, staff were very helpful with organising the safari and taxi to our next town. The room and ensuite very clean and spacious. Overall excellent stay and good value for money.

No issues encountered

The location was great and really secluded. It felt like you were in the middle of the jungle. The staff were also very friendly and helpful. It was perfect for visiting Wilpattu national park.

Since it was in the middle of nowhere, you only had the option to eat at the location. The food was fine, but not expectational. It seemed a bit pricey for what you got, but it was also hard to tell because I just got a final bill with the total and it was impossible to know exactly how much everything cost.

If you are visiting Wilpattu for a safari, you couldn't stay in a better place than Nirvaan. The lodge used to be a research station for the the owner Ranil's work on sloth bears. Ranil, who is an internationally renowned conservation biologist, has seen his work published all over the world and uses the income from the lodge to fund his on-going research. What could be more brilliant! Accommodation is in one of two permanent tents which now have permanent thatched rooves to protect them and is, as you would expect, pretty basic but more than acceptable. The space was clean, and the beds were large and comfortable, and there is a good sized 'open-air' bathroom. The point it that you don't come here for luxury but for the safari and ours, with Ranil himself as our guide, could not have been better: 65 birds (which Ranil could recognise by their calls alone!), leopard, elephant, jackal and more. Absolutely the highlight of our trip! Note that you are best organising the safari with Ranil before you arrive - his communication on booking,com is very good.

Wish we had been able to spend another day there!

Wildlife experience! Safari was fantastic! Food was good and service is excellent.

We had me of the best sleeps there during our whole stay in Sri Lanka! They have really comfy glamping tents and huge outdoor bathrooms. The safari was THE BEST and one of the biologists who runs the lodge accompanied us and told us so much about the wildlife.

There is no wifi (which we liked very much but should be made more clear in the description). Also there is an extra charge on the final bill which isn’t listed in the description on booking.