Amba Kola Udawalawa

Friendly welcome, well decorated room and cooling pool in garden. Janik drove us to transit centre for elephants in evening and arranged a fabulous safari for us with excellent driver who knew wildlife and helped us spot all sorts of species as well as loads of elephant. All Janik’s recommendations were great and this was topped off with a fun afternoon cooking a 13 dish Sri Lankan feast with Swarma (Janik’s mum). She also arranged a beautiful birthday cake for me! A very homely peaceful stay in beautiful surroundings.

Nothing we didn’t like

What an incredible stay here. The hosts always make sure you’re looked after, they book the safari tours for you and the food was the BEST we had during our travels. This was such a special stay for us and would love to come back.

Phenomenal. We’ve travelled the world but not sure we have ever had such warm and welcoming service. From the minute we arrived and given freshening towels and drinks we were made to feel like family. The staff couldn’t do enough for us. The food was the best we’ve had in Sri Lanka. Don’t miss the curry! The location was fantastic to see the incredible elephants. Whilst we were there a couple were honeymooning and the music went on, congratulations on the stereo and a cake came out. We all had to have a slice. The family were dancing and it was all just amazing. Book this place. You will not be disappointed. A true slice of Sri Lanka. So blessed to have stayed here.

Nothing.

Niesamowite miejsce!!! Przepiękny obiekt z kilkoma pokojami urządzony w pięknym, oryginalnym stylu. Pokoje bardzo czyste. Okolica dookoła dzika i spokojna. Łazienka pod gołym niebem i palmami :) przemiła obsługa, pyszne jedzenie. Jest możliwość wzięcia udziału w safari. Bardzo bardzo polecam, z chęcią zostałabym na dłużej.

Uns hat die Unterkunft wirklich sehr gefallen – es hat uns an nichts gefehlt. Die Lage ist traumhaft, sehr naturverbunden und nur etwa drei Minuten vom Udawalawe Nationalpark entfernt, mitten im Grünen und herrlich ruhig. Besonders hervorheben möchten wir die Gastgeber, vor allem Jannik und seine Familie. Alle waren unglaublich nett, herzlich und hilfsbereit und haben uns bei allem Möglichen unterstützt. Ganz spontan sind wir mit Janniks Jeep zu einem tollen Sonnenuntergangspunkt gefahren – ein echtes Highlight für uns. Außerdem haben wir sowohl die Safari als auch einen Kochkurs direkt über das Hotel gebucht und waren mit beidem wirklich sehr zufrieden. Alles war super organisiert und authentisch. Die Zimmer sind sehr schön eingerichtet, gut ausgestattet und man fühlt sich sofort wohl. Auch das Frühstück und der gesamte Essensbereich waren richtig gut und haben den Aufenthalt perfekt abgerundet. Insgesamt haben wir uns bei Jannik extrem wohlgefühlt und würden jederzeit wiederkommen. Eine Unterkunft, die wir von Herzen weiterempfehlen können.

The best hosts! The delicious home made food, beautiful, spacious rooms with outdoor shower and lovely pool. Super close to Udalawawe. Don’t doubt, just book (we were afraid that the hotel was too good to be true because of the raving reviews but they are all true). And join the cooking class!

Amba Kola bills itself as a gem in the jungle and it certainly is. It is a little rustic but very comfortable. Each room has character and the common area has a lovely pool. They provide a small menu of delicious food and regularly arrange safaris for the guests (just 5+ minutes away). We had a wonderful safari guide who let us sit and watch the elephants as long as we wanted and was great at spotting other animals. The owner, Janik, could not have been more helpful, providing everything we asked for and more. We gave him some feedback and he immediately took action to improve the place. As a bonus, we met several other travelers whom we really liked and had some great conversations, as this place seems to attract lovely people. We will remember this place fondly and highly recommended it to others.

Janik has already addressed the suggestions we had so we have no complains.

Die Gastgeberfamilie war super freundlich. Das Zimmer war sauber und hatte ein Outdoor Badezimmer. Das hat uns besonders gut gefallen. Über die Unterkunft kann man ohne Probleme eine Safari im Udawalawa Park buchen und abends lecker essen. Es war eine der besten Unterkünfte auf unserer Sri Lanka Reise. Zum Abschied bekamen wir sogar einen Blumenstrauß und ein Brief der Gastgeberfamilie in unsere Sprache.

Although we only stayed one night at Amba Kola, it instantly felt like home. Janik went above and beyond to organize a safari for us that truly exceeded all expectations. We saw countless animals including elephants, various monkeys and birds, crocodiles, and water buffalo. Our safari driver was incredibly experienced and guided us safely through the national park. Janik’s mother is an absolutely amazing cook. We had the best lunch and breakfast of our entire trip in Sri Lanka. The rooms are modern, spotless, and beautifully designed. A real highlight was the bathroom with a view straight into the jungle. Simply unforgettable! On top of that, they prepared a special lunch package for our journey to Colombo and even had our tuk-tuk washed for us. Amba Kola was by far the best place we stayed in Sri Lanka, and we recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone visiting the country. Don’t miss out on this gem!