The Elephant Next-Door

-Great location next close to the national park. -Solid restaurant. -Kind and helpful staff members. -Good opportunities for safari.

Janaka was a fantastic host who went above and beyond to make our stay perfect. The room and restaurant were lovely and they were happy to organise taxi transfers and a safari for us.

Absolutely incredible. Beautiful and comfortable room. Janaka was an incredibly friendly and helpful host, arranging an amazing safari and very reasonable transfers. Would absolutely recommend. Thank you for our stay.

This is one of the must beautiful Accomodations i've ever been to. But not only the place itself, also the host was extraordinary. When we arrived at the Gates he greeted us and led us trough this elephant themed paradise to the front desk, where we were seated on sitting bags and given mango-banana-smoothies. He sat down with us and went trough the plans for our stay. At first we thought that he wanted to sell us something or make us go on some tour organized by him, but it was just his plain professionalism, trying to organize plans to make us spend our time the best way. We even double checked the price we would pay, because we could not believe that low price! While we unpacked our stuff, he even brought some cake for us to enjoy. Unfortunately we could not try the (according to the reviews) great dinner, because the restaurant was closed during our short stay. There were only two rooms, so we were the only guests. 10 minutes walk to elephant Transit home, same street. Room had a terrasse with lounge-furniture. A living room including all you could wish for (foot-massage-device, yoga-mattress, games, working desk,...). Bedroom both AC and Ventilator, wichever you prefer. Next, the spectecular bathroom with natural shower. All shining clean an made of wood/stone/nature materials (even plastic bottles in wooden covers). Everything thought through to the smallest of Details, perfectly arranged. The whole place looks like all work has been done, but the host still plans to ad a swimming Pool and elephant themed cottages so he can house more guests. When we left, we even got a parting gift! Even more, he also contacted us after we arrived at our next destination to see if we were well. Long Story short, there is only one place to spend a few days in udawalawe: the elephant next door.

DON'T LOOK ANY FURTHER - This is the only place you will ever need to stay in! Oh my days! I felt like I was in a Spa Hotel! Absolute gem of a small, boutique hotel - THE best! Jenaka will do everything possible to help you feel relaxed and at ease. What an amazing place! So many little touches make it incredibly special, and every minute detail has been thought of. He will also take the headache of organising and researching trips and transportation away and do all this for you, so much better than I could ever do. And his rates are fantastic. Location wise, you are literally a 5 minute walk from the elephant transit lodge (go early, it gets busy), there are little eateries /street cafes around there, but Janaka's food is incredible. He organised our express safari (more animals to see in the afternoon) where we saw so many elephants. You really are in for a treat if you stay here. Especially if you love nature - the reception and eating area are all out in the open - just beautiful. You really do feel like you're in an exclusive jungle spa. Thank you so much, Janaka. Itwas an absolute pleasure staying with you.

Nothing. Totally perfect.

The host was absolutely fantastic! Super friendly, incredibly organized! The property was really beautiful - decorated beautifully down to the smallest detail! If you’re heading to Udawalawe, stay there! It’s truly amazing!!!

Very caring owner who really took care of us to make sure our trip was perfect. Spacious room with a nice bathroom, a really cozy common area. Also Janaka and the team organized a wonderful half day safari for us! Can 100% recommend

Nothing. It was all great.

Janaka was a wonderful host and made us feel very welcome. He arranged two excellent safaris for us with a really nice driver that knew his stuff and was able to answer our questions about the wildlife. He also arranged transfers for us and made sure everything ran seamlessly alongside the safaris and meals. The food was also lovely, the fruit bowl at breakfast was a highlight.

Great experience with our kind host and the safari which he organised for us. Our private taxi driver Chandika was also amazing! Room was big and they provided us with everything we needed during our stay. Nice location very close to the elephant transit home. Hope to see you all again!

Nothing