TEMBO Cottage Wilpattu

The hosts were super welcoming, shared information and accommodated our requests where possible. They arranged an excellent safari driver for our full day tour in Wilpattu National Park. The food was good, and cost approx $14 AUD for dinner and dessert. Breakfast was included and was filling. Remember to have local currency for payment. The host came to the ATM to allow us to make payment which was very accommodating as we only had USD for the room costs.

The rooms were close to the kitchen in the main reception area and were a little noisy.

It's the perfect stay to discover the great Wilpattu national park. The accommodation is nice and well located to do a full day Safari, which is great arranged by the hosts. It was wonderful! We also had some problems and the owner is so helpful and kind. Thanks for everything! Best place to stay to visit Wilpattu!

Dinner was fantastic! Loved the hospitality and the safari.

Bring mosquito repellent!!!

The food was fresh, healthy and tasty and portions were always too much. I liked the peace and quiet, the garden and the setting. It also felt very safe. The staff were very pleasant and helpful.

The three staff present did a good job of welcoming guests, maintaining the hotel and grounds, preparing meals and th general running of the place. But none of them could speak much English so conversations were sometimes necessary over a phone with the owner Gihan, to translate for the staff. It was a bit cumbersome but it worked. It would have been nice to talk to staff directly and learn about them and their area directly tthough.

This is a lovely accommodation that is conveniently located near Wilpattu National Park, which makes it easy for your safari driver to pick you up and drop you back. When you drive onto the property, you are greeted with a lush garden, with many areas to sit outside. There is a modest but inviting (certainly on hot days) swimming pool that faces the outdoor dining area. The large reception area is tastefully decorated with dark wooden furniture, and a large tapestry depicting local birds faces you as you enter. My room was cozy (smallish) but perfect for one person, since the large double bed with a mosquito net essentially fills the space. The bathroom was large and stocked with amenities like shampoo, conditioner and soap, which is rare. They also thoughtfully provide you with bottles of water and snacks in your room. The air conditioning and ceiling fan were quite welcome during the hot, sticky weather. They have a large, fully equipped kitchen so dinner can be ordered in advance from a large menu, which is handy since it is a longish drive to the nearest local restaurant. A yummy and plentiful breakfast was included in my rate. Communication was prompt with the owner, and the team TEMBO staff (their t-shirts had that slogan on the back, which helped identify them) were very sweet and eager to please.

Though I communicated with the owner the time that I would arrive, my room was not ready even though it was late in the day, after a long drive. The staff first tried to tell me that the place was fully booked as they thought I was a walk-in. Once they confirmed with the owner, they scurried off to prepare my room, but I was left in the garden, not knowing what to do. But once things were sorted out, the staff (a woman and a young man) were more than helpful. I never did meet the owner as all communication was by phone or text/email. The meals are served outside on the dining room patio, which is lovely, except the resident dog often begs for food, which in itself is not terrible but it then barks frequently when it doesn't get any.

The staff were really friendly and the property is perfectly located for the wilpattu national park. The owner arranged for us to have a safari at short notice which was magnificent.

We had to pay cash which meant a tuk tuk ride to the nearest town. Compared to other hotels in Sri Lanka we found that the price was high relative to the quality of the property. We found it difficult to converse in English with the people on site and had to speak to the owner on the phone.

We particularly liked the food service. It was served in the central dining area on the porch next to the pool. The meals were delicious. We also liked the pool and the location with the Wilapattu park right nearby. They arranged the safari for us which picked us up right at TEMBO.

Nothing to share.

Great location, very quiet and relaxed. Staff very helpful although their English was limited - Gihan the owner wasn’t there but contactable by phone - Google translate helped with communication. Delicious breakfast especially the pancakes.

The food in the evening was quite bland.