Yala Jungle Haven

Great jungle retreat that is very close to Yala national park making it ideal for safari. We were looked after very well, as long as you are okay with basic amenities I would highly recommend!

We loved our time at Yala Safari Lodge, if you are looking for an authentic, natural and personal experience we can’t recommend this place enough. We visited with our 18month old son and stayed 1 night. The hosts were very welcoming and cooked us a lovely dinner of Sri Lankan food, and built us a campfire. The next morning we went on safari with the owner of the accommodation. He has over 25 years experience as a Yala safari guide and his passion, knowledge and want for you to have the best experience stood out to us. Being so close to Yala National park entrance gave us the opportunity to get to the front of the queue for the entrance early in the morning. We spotted 2 leopards - 1 extremely close to the truck. Along with many others animals including elephants, mongoose, deer, Monkeys, various birds. An incredible safari and couldn’t have left happier. You won’t regret staying here, the only thing we would say is if you can’t live without aircon - this isn’t for you. Book a fancy resort if that’s the case. If you are open minded and want an experience which is authentic, then book this place for you. Thank you again to Suneth, Thushara and Wijepala. We cannot thank you enough, and wish you every success in the future. Hope to be back again.

Everything. Nice houses surounded of nature. Managers were very helpful and friendly.

The hotel/ houses are located in the jungle, creating a natural atmosphere. We stayed for one night, and it was a great experience — fully immersing ourselves in nature. We really liked the staff, the host contacted us in advance and met us with a jeep at the main road, then brought us to the hotel. We saw deer and monkeys near the hotel :) They prepared a vegan breakfast for us upon request and also packed food for our safari tour. The host was very friendly and helped us with the safari tour. During the tour, we saw leopards, elephants, crocodiles, and many other animals and birds. We were very happy with our trip!

Wonderful jungle experience, great location, baby-friendly - our 8-month old boy loved it there. Amazing food (especially the grilled fish and chicken BBQ were fantastic) and the hosts are super-friendly and kind.

The experience was incredible. The accommodation is located at the gates of Yalla, extremely convenient to get there (before the others 4x4). Many animals to observe around the accommodation. The welcome from the hosts was very warm and they were very helpful at all levels. The accommodation is very clean and comfortable. I think it is a unique experience to live and linked to that of safari and exploration. We were there with our 3 children aged 10, 7 and 2. And if we had to do it again, we would definitely go back there. And thank you for the fire in the evening which allowed us to extend the experience even more and enjoy the starry sky and nature!

We spent one night in Yala Jungle Haven, and did half day safari with the owner. The localisation of the hotel is absolutly amazing, very close to the entrance of the national parc, immersion into the nature 100% guaranteed ! Thusara and his nephew are really kind, and they did everything to organize for us a wonderful safari. We get lucky enough to see 2 leopards!! And they did everything to manage to be the really first one to come inside the park. Thank you very much for this wonderful experience!!

Nothing, everything was great, but Don’t forget to have a power bank with you in case of, because electricity is working with a generator.

We had a great stay at Yala Jungle Haven during our visit to Yala National Park. The hosts, Thusara and Sineth, were incredibly kind and welcoming, making us feel at home. Sineth gave us a tour of the camp, sharing its story, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner of the chef underneath the stars. Afterwards, we fell asleep surrounded by the sounds of the jungle. The rooms were clean and nice. Thusara, an experienced safari guide, made our safari unforgettable. He arranged special tickets, ensuring we were among the first jeeps in the park. His knowledge of wildlife and special approach to avoid the jeep traffic cues made the experience feel unique and less crowded. We also lucky enough to see three leopards during the tour! In short, we really enjoyed our stay at Yala Jungle Haven and next time we will stay longer.

We were very satisfied, our stay in the camp was very, very nice, you are right next to the national park and right on a small lake (you don't have any problems with insects at all) and sometimes you can see crocodiles there. The staff are incredibly nice and do everything to make your stay even better (we went on a scooter safari in the area twice, it was very worth it) The food was also very tasty, it was cooked traditionally and even a barbecue was made, which was very tasty. We were even driven into town the next day so we didn't have to take a tuk tuk. The camp itself also offers safaris through the Yala National Park, which are also really inexpensive. I would definitely come here again

the beds were very hard. only a foam mattress, the rest was great local village feeling

Wow, what a special experience! The accomodation: The accomodation was located in the middle of the jungle with lots of space, a little lake and a fantastic rock to see the stars during the night. At the rock, the host arranged a campfire. Together with the fantastic noise of the jungle, this was breathtaking moment. By the way: the host offered us, next time we visit, we can sleep on the sun warmed stones outside and watch the stars😊 The room is very simple, with lots of space and a veranda. There are mosquito nets at the bets (didn't needed them, as we had no problems with mosquito). We arrived with the scooter, which is a bit tricky to find as the road, after a few days of rain, was more for the advanced riders. Important: take the road from the south (coast side). It's the road to the yala national park main entrance. At km09 sign, take the little path to the left (there is a stone marked with "yala wild house"). But the host is willing to help. There is no constant electricity at the camp. They are running everything with solar and partly a generator. So it's good to have a charged power bank as a backup. The host: we ordered a dinner for the night of arrival and it was fantastic. Rice, beans, herbs, and a lot of ingredients are home grown. Typical sri lanken curry. The host is running business with his family. They've just startet the business in September, and he is so pleased to talk to foreigners, get tipps and grow an income for his family. As he is a seasonal safari driver, living in this hidden area for decades, the host has a perfect education about flora and founa, wildlife, herbs and natural medicine. He told us about the challenging life in the jungle, growing plants and living with the Elefantens that trying to steel the harvest (now a days, they have electric fence around). In the morning, we were picked up on the exact time for safari, as the host double checked everything the night before.

It's a bit hart to find, but the host will hang signs on main road soon.