Malala Retreat

Location: 42/41 End of lake bund road, Hambantota, lk

Star Rating: 8.9 Stars

Property Type: Resorts

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Check-out: 11:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
• Non-smoking rooms
• Air conditioning
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Family rooms
• BBQ facilities
• Luggage storage
• Express check-in/check-out
• Safety deposit box
• Ironing service
• Packed lunches
• Private check-in/check-out
• Board games/puzzles
• Allergy-free room
• Kid meals
• Outdoor furniture
• Staff adhere to local safety protocols
• Guest rooms disinfected between stays
• Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
• Physical distancing rules followed
• Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
• Cashless payment available
• Fire extinguishers
• First aid kit available
• Sanitized tableware & silverware
• Invoice provided
• Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
• Smoke alarms
• Shared stationery like menus, pens are removed
• Guest room sealed after cleaning
• Key access
• Food delivered to guest room
• Access to health care professionals
• Face masks for guests available
• Delivered food - securely covered
• Thermometers for guests provided by property
• Key card access
• Cooking class
• Express check-in
• Free wired internet
• Golfing on site
• Self parking (surcharge)
• Beach umbrellas
• Pool sun loungers
• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Internet access
• Housekeeping on request
• Private picnics
• Exercise/lap pool
• Japanese garden
• Covered parking
• Fishing nearby
• Swimming nearby
• Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
• Vegetarian menu options available

Rooms Available

• Double Room with Pool View

  The double room offers air conditioning, a private entrance, a terrace with garden views as well as a private bathroom boasting a walk-in shower. The unit has 1 bed.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Safety deposit box
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Seating Area
  • Fan
  • Toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Private entrance
  • Sofa
  • Tile/marble floor
  • Dining area
  • Electric kettle
  • Executive lounge access
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Terrace
  • Linen
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Entire unit located on ground floor
  • Toilet paper
  • Pool towels
  • Bottle of water
  • Trash cans
  • Shampoo
  • Body soap
  • Socket near the bed
  • Smoke alarm
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Key access
  • Key card access
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation

• Triple Room with View

  The triple room features air conditioning, a private entrance, a terrace with lake views as well as a private bathroom boasting a walk-in shower. The unit has 2 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Safety deposit box
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Refrigerator
  • Desk
  • Seating Area
  • Fan
  • Toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Private entrance
  • Sofa
  • Dining area
  • Electric kettle
  • Executive lounge access
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Terrace
  • Linen
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Entire unit located on ground floor
  • Toilet paper
  • Pool towels
  • Bottle of water
  • Trash cans
  • Shampoo
  • Body soap
  • Socket near the bed
  • Smoke alarm
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Key access
  • Key card access
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation

Guest Reviews

• Rose (10/5): Perfect location for Bundala National Park and gorgeous hotel - What a great find. We picked Malala Retreat so we could do a safari in Bundala National Park. The staff were excellent, with a particular shout out to the chef whose cooking was outstanding. The rooms were clean and spacious, the pool was great and the location was perfect for the safari. Would highly recommend. NA
• Verena (10/5): - A truly beautiful place, peacefull and quite, well looked after. Great chef, excellent food. A perfect location for excursions to the national parks in the area. Booking the safaris through the hotel will ensure best value.
• Louise (8/5): Ruhige Unterkunft mit tollen Möglichkeiten Vögel zu beobachten - Sehr ruhige, abgelegene Unterkunft mit vielen Vögeln, die man beobachten kann. Auch die Affen spielen etwas weiter weg herum. Leckeres Essen und sehr freundliches Personal!
• Abaigael (9/5): Beautiful setting, surrounded by nature and lovely atmosphere. - Beautiful setting, surrounded by nature and lovely atmosphere. We say monkeys playing around at the hotel as well as lots of different birds. Rooms were comfortable and the staff very helpful to make our stay great with our baby, the hotel purchased a cot as we’d requested one but they didn’t yet have one. Location is great for access to Bundala National Park, Yala is about a 45 minute drive. The pool area was great and the pool heated to a very comfortable temperature. Really tasty food, good portion size and a plentiful breakfast! Staff were very happy to help when asked but we would have appreciated a quick daily freshen up of the room (water refilled, bins emptied etc.) without needing to request it.
• Melanie (10/5): - A fantastic retreat, surrounded by nature. The rooms/ dining area are of an exceptional standard and spotlessly clean. The staff were really helpful and took care of our needs. They organised two private safari tours which were both unforgettable experiences. The food was delicious, a big thank you to Fazal the Chef who looked after us, and cooked some amazing food. We will return. Thank you Malala Retreat. The drinks menu was somewhat limited. I would suggest juices, coconut, mocktails..
• Jolanda (8/5): -
• Sara (10/5): מקןם יפה מוקף בטבע - מקום יפה. מסביב טבע מקסים. החדר שקט ונוח.מזגן מצוין . מאורר תקרה. בריכה יפה ונקייה מאוד, מול הנוף. הטבח מאוד נחמד והתאים את הארוחה לבקשות שלנו. לקחת בחשבון שיש בסביבה יתושים וצריך להמרח בחומר נגד עקיצות יתושים. אין משהו שלא אהבנו.
• Sibren (10/5): - 5 sterren, geweldig rustig verblijf in het midden van de natuur en vriendelijk personeel
• Dominic (10/5): A peaceful stay - A lovely peaceful place. Really enjoyed being by the pond area and watching the birds and monkeys, and the pool was nice too. A very good (and good value) dinner too. Got bitten by a few insects in the night so mosquito nets could be useful
• Jennifer (10/5): -
• LOIC (9/5): -
• Paul (9/5): Exceptional location and tranquil atmosphere - Fantastic location . Fazar and his team looked after us extremely well. We were only there for 2 days but wish we’d stayed longer . Even in that short time we got to see so much wildlife both on the river and in Bundala national park. But there was also an array of wildlife in the grounds of the hotel . Rooms were well designed and comfortable and WiFi acceptable. Above all it was a small scale place ( not too many rooms ) so we felt it really was a retreat . And the food - including fish - was excellent Nothing
• Craig (10/5): Ultimate relaxing retreat - Great if your looking to relax, great pool, view and wildlife. No other restaurants etc in the area but the food in the onsite restaurant is amazing. Think should be adults only
• Christina (9/5): - A perfect place to relax and enjoy nature, away from tourist areas. The food and service were excellent. The rooms are comfortable and beautifully decorated with high-quality finishes.
• Kristina (9/5): -
• Lukas (10/5): -
• Roman (10/5): Close to the nature - Malala retreat is located in a secluded place far from people. If you enjoy being in a quiet place close to the nature, Malala retreat is the place to stay! If you wish to go for a safari to Yala or for bird watching in Bundala, Malala retreat is just between these two national parks. The hotel has 7 rooms equipped with furniture made by a carpenter from Hambantota. Such small hotel has even a pool! I asked to have breakfast earlier than they usually serve and it was arranged for me (omelette with tomatoes, toasts with jam and butter, fruits and tea pot). I think their restaurant does not even offer alcohol, which is good! But the food in the restaurant is good and portions cannot be called small :) Bring mosquito spray, because you may encounter those insects in the evening. Ear plugs may also be helpful, because it might be noisy in the morning (parrots or other birds start their loud chirping around 5-6).
• Dmitry Ilinykh (8/5): -
• Laura (10/5): - Ein super freundliches Team mit einer sehr gepflegten Anlage. Wir haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt. Ein toller Blick auf Affen und die Felder. Ein happy place und super zum Entspannen. Außerdem: war dies das bislang beste und bequemste Bett auf unserer gesamten Reise. Was viel wert ist, wenn man viel unterwegs ist :)
• Sergei F. (10/5): - Удобное расположение чтобы посетить национальные парки. Еда была вкусной и разнообразной. Вокруг огромное разнообразие птиц, обезьяны, вараны... Ты словно наблюдатель, это совершенно восхитительно! Каждый вечер, с призывными криками, павлины слетаются на дерево, птицы мигрируют к ночи и вдруг становится слышны молитвы из буддийского храма, создавая густую и насыщенную атмосферу Шри-Ланки. Был только один вид сока из арбуза (
• Andrey Nikiforov (10/5): -
• Юлия (10/5): - Очень гостеприимно! Отдельное спасибо хозяину за прекрасный и вкусный ужин, приготовленный для нас одних (кроме нас с мужем постояльцев в отеле не было), и индивидуально организованную экскурсию по Сафари)
• Dale (10/5): -
• Sharon (10/5): Malala Retreat is a treat - Everything so tranquil, serene, beautiful surroundings. Staff were wonderful, so attentive. Our room was gorgeous 😍 very comfortable bed. Outside was perfect if you like the sound of wildlife this is the place for you. Beautiful pool and the food is so tasty all freshly cooked to order.went to Yala on safari from here. They organised driver and jeep with breakfast to go. Such a brilliant and magical day. Saw loads of animals even the elusive leopard 🐆 and elephants galore made our day. There was nothing not to like.
• Jordan (10/5): Chill nature escape - Fazal was an incredible host. Malala is a lovely setting with plenty of birds roaming around, close to the safari at Bundala, and very chill and quiet.
• Elisabeth (10/5): Sublime ! - Rien à dire tout est parfait dans ce bel hôtel en harmonie avec la nature : cerise sur le gâteau nous étions les seuls ce soir la ! Le personnel est au petit soin, la piscine au top ! Merci..
• Manuel (10/5): We had wonderful days and nights here. Coming from the touristy Arugam Bay, we weren't sure how to handle so much pe -
• Thierry (9/5): - Emplacement magnifique au milieu de nulle part. Optimal pour un safari matinal à Bundala. Repas excellent cuisiné par le gérant avec des produits frais. Certainement l’un de nos meilleurs repas du séjour. Il faut commander quelques heures en avance car il est seul en cuisine mais ça en vaut la peine. Piscine parfaite. Literie confortable ce qui est rare au Sri Lanka. Des options de boissons (jus, bières, cocktails) rendraient l’expérience du repas un peu plus festive de même que les heures précédant le repas
• Sofía (9/5): - Location was beautiful, if you like birdwatching, you can see birds from there.
• RameshG (9/5): Nice quiet place. - We had an amazing two day stay at the retreat. The staff was very good and the food was excellent. If you are looking for a quiet place to relax and do nothing this is an excellent location. Nice places to walk around and beautiful nature. During meals, the service felt a bit too rushed, and contrasted with the slow paces of the rest of the environment.
• Snow (9/5): Superb - We loved everything about Malala Retreat, rooms, facilities, location and staff. Couldn't fault it.
• Mashood (10/5): Exceptional -
• Hasini (10/5): Exceptional -
• Naomal (7/5): VERY MINIMAL NEGATIVE POINTS BUT THE POSITIVE NATURE OF THE RESORT OVER CAME THE MINIMAL NEGATIVES - THE MEALS WE WERE SERVED BREAKFAST AND DINNER VERY TASTILY PREPARED CLEAN SURROUNDINGS THE STAFF WAS VERY HELPFUL TO MAKE SURE WE WERE COMFORTABLE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IF THERE WAS A SIGNBOARD TO MALALA RESORT ALSO IF THERE IS A N INDICATION OR A MAP TO DIRECT THE VISITORS FROM HAMBANTOTA A LOT OF INQUIRIES WNEED NOT HAVE BEEN DONE AND THE VISITORS WOULD NOT BE STRESSED AS HAPPENED TO US
• Thilanga (7/5): Good -
• Viran (10/5): Exceptional - Great 3 days with very good food and fantastic service signage and the road need a massive improvement.
• Martin (4/5): Beautiful hotel and surrounding in need of good management - The position is amazing. Ideal for bird watching. The rooms are clean and comfortable. The hotel needs refinements to make it special. The sun bed mattresses are plastic so too hot to lay on. No tables next to sun beds. ONLY beer available…. No wine etc. No poolside drinks service. The evening meal we had was not good. However, the breakfast was fine.
• Willem (10/5): Serene stay near Bundalla - If you like peace and quietness, look no further. There are animals in the wild around the property while you are in the pool and it’s just so nice and relaxing. The staff went above and beyond and Srikanth cooked us some delicious vegan meals! The water of the pool was perfection! My only comment is that the pillows were small and not fluffy and that it’s a bit expensive for Sri Lankan standards.
• Tusitha (7/5): Good -
• Kaia (8/5): Lovely stay in a peaceful location. Comfortable rooms and great staff. - We loved the peacefull surroundings in nature. The rooms were comfortable and we enjoyed the pool area. Nice breakfast and friendly staff. Would come again☺️ -
• Stacey (10/5): Peaceful, beautiful and perfect location, rooms, and staff! - Hard to explain the perfection of this place! It’s a tranquil sanctuary where you can relax in the pool and watch the birds and monkeys, chat with other travelers, and use as a great base to visit Bundala or Yala National Parks. The team that greeted us was so quick to help with organizing an afternoon river boat ride, a morning Bundala safari, and our meals, all within the first 15 minutes! The food is outstanding - we had planned to eat in town in the evenings, but the first meal we ate there convinced us to let Chef Srikanth take charge of all of our meals for our stay. He is a true gem, lovely to chat with, accommodating on timing, and the dishes he creates are amazing! Highly recommend the Sri Lankan breakfasts (I miss them!), the curries, and also the fish and chips for a lunchtime snack! The rooms are spacious, very clean, and beds super comfortable. Each room has its own little patio/terrace area which was a lovely addition to the pool, lake, and other public areas. Easy parking options within the closed gates. Was the best find of our stay! Nothing!
• Rheza (9/5): If you want tranquility, this is the place to go. - Beautiful, tranquil location that's the perfect place to go if you want to get away from everything for a couple of days. Clean rooms and facilities that are well maintained. Friendly and accommodating staff, especially Srikkanth who runs the place and is also the chef. Nothing was too much trouble for him and his staff. Had a very relaxing couple of days at Malala. Nothing to dislike. You have to choose your meals in advance if eating at the hotel but I fully understand why this is needed given the location of the property.
• Mohamed (8/5): Nice Quite Place - A great group of staff whom are very welcoming, the property owner constantly available & assitanc via phone.
• Niklas (10/5): Quiet haven in nature - The hotel manager Sri was really nice and made several times sure we were taken care of fully. Diner and breakfast were also really good. Our cook was flexible and wanted to know if we'd like to change anything to the dishes. All in all a very quiet and wonderful location Thanks to Sri and the staff! The road towards the hotel was the real adventure since it rained along and we slid our way in. But we were told the road towards will be sealed this month!
• Sulari (7/5): Good -
• Ishani (9/5): Superb -
• Hiru (8/5): Very good - Staff was very friendly and special shout out to Sri the chef! He was excellent and very kind. Very peaceful and calm location, if you love birds, wildlife and tranquility, Malala is for you!
• James (10/5): Thank you Malala team, i felt incredibly welcome. - Beautiful scenery, Srikanth was a fantastic host & incredible chef I struggled to find the property
• Theresa (8/5): Great setting in green fields. - We enjoyed this small, quiet resort near a lake and rice fields. It’s filled with the sight and sounds of wildlife - peacock, kingfishers, bee eaters and songbirds,herons, egrets, all drawn to the pond on the property. Frogs, turtles, a small crocodile and a troop of monkeys round out the day. The owners have lovingly built this property up over 20 years for their guests’ enjoyment. It was great for the nights we were in the area for safaris. Nice pool, good breakfast, friendly staff. A nice little family run place. It’s about 7km from town, and the 1/2km to the main road can be muddy in the rainy season.
• Anne-marie (10/5): Exceptional - We recently had the pleasure of staying at Malala Retreat, and it was an unforgettable experience. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Chef Srikanth deserves special mention – the food was delicious, prepared with care, and he is very friendly and interested in his guests. The surroundings were simply breathtaking, with a vibrant array of birdlife and playful monkeys adding to the charm. The peaceful atmosphere, surrounded by nature, was perfect for relaxation and unwinding. The room was comfortable and well-appointed, providing everything we needed for a restful stay. The hot shower was very much appreciated. Overall, Malala Retreat offers a perfect combination of great service, good food, stunning wildlife, and a beautiful setting. Highly recommended for anyone looking to escape and recharge!
• Liesbeth (9/5): Superb - Perfect accommodation to enjoy relaxing days in nature and visit (some) national parks. You really come to rest. The owners and personnel are extremely nice and we enjoyed excellent meals! If you are looking for some late night buzz this is not the place to go. But if you would like to rest, enjoy nature and enjoy good food, this is the place to be!
• Gemma (10/5): Magical and beautiful simple place ! The location, food and place are perfect! Pool view amazing - This location is magical, you can see the most beautiful birds.The place is simple and perfect! The food is great, very delicious Srilankan breakfast. The costumer service is fantastic! And they arranged a great safari to Bundala national park which is worth a visit. I totally recommend it
• Richard (9/5): Idyllic surroundings in which to spend a peaceful few days - The place is immaculate and despite being built over 20 years ago (i was told), it feels like it was opened only recently. Breakfast was good, especially as the Resort Manager/Chef Sri cooked ours to order. The setting is amazing and even thought we did a half day safari while we were there (organised by the staff), you could have seen a good proportion of the wildlife we saw at Bundala just by sitting on a sunbed by the pool with a pair of binoculars. The pool itself and the sunbeds are great and pads and towels are provided. The site is quite remote, you can't just pop out on a tuk tuk to local shops or restaurants as they are just not there. We ate in the restaurant, which was great and once again, immaculate. There was no alcohol served on site, but I think that might be changing as Sri, who has only been in charge for just over a month, tries to make alterations. My main observation would be that the place needs to offer a few more facilities - they certainly have the space. Yes it is sold as a "retreat" but, in my opinion, it just needs a bit more "soul", as it's all a bit too clinical. Maybe a communal area with a bit of soft seating might be popular. We had the whole place to ourselves for 2 nights, so maybe there would be a different feel to the place if there were more people staying?
• Gábor (10/5): Trully recommend to visit! - Simply amazing from arrival to departure. The staff is the friendliest and most helpful we have ever seen, they offer nice spacious rooms with proper and silent AC, so we had a good night sleep. The breakfast was very tasty and offered a wide variety of foods. They helped us with everything we asked for. The environment too is absolutely breathtaking with palm trees and small ponds everywhere, with peacocks and monkeys and parrots all around the area. They also offer a pool which is just perfect. We completely loved the place and regretted that we haven’t stayed for more nigths.
• Douglas (8/5): Good location, quiet and relaxed, comfortable accommodation - Location very good for visiting Bundala national park. Quiet and relaxed setting. Staff were very attentive. Nice pool to swim in and cool off next to accommodation
• Pierre-jean (10/5): Highly recommended - Located near Bundalla NP,very quiet and confortable. For nature lovers ,Langurs ,birds around the place ,birdwatching on the access road is great. Manager/chef Sri speaks very good English and is eager to please and help all the time. Nil
• Josie (9/5): Wonderful stopover location - Wonderful spot which we stopped over at for a night between Ella and the southern beaches. The pool was stunning, rooms were clean, comfortable and plenty of space, and it was a lovely surprise to have a fruit plate waiting for us. Amazing pressure in the shower (best we’ve had in Sri Lanka), and the staff were exceptional, so warm and friendly. Really loved that they’re trying to be self sufficient with the solar panels on the roof, and the property felt very secure and private. WiFi wasn’t great, and I think the restaurant was overpriced.
• Jody (10/5): Lovely spot, yummy food, terrific staff, great location near Bundala National Park. - Lovely spot, great food, excellent staff and an easy 10 minutes to Bundala National Park.
• Ana (9/5): Superb -
• Adriana (10/5): Amazing retreat with friendly staff and plentiful nature - This is an amazing property located in a quiet area surrounded by nature. It is quiet, remote and has plenty of opportunities to view amazing species of birds, monkeys, and other local nature all while relaxing on the property. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. When I stayed here I was one of the only guests for a few nights and the staff here made me feel safe and at home. It is truly a great retreat, very good prices and food and an overall excellent experience. Would visit here again and highly recommend!
• Sakshi (6/5): Pleasant - It’s far in the jungle and mosquitoes
• Lindsey (10/5): Ideal for birdwatching and close to Bundala National park - Quiet and secluded
• Charitha (7/5): Good -
• Mursith (9/5): The resort offers a delightful escape with its friendly staff creating a warm atmosphere. The culinary experience is exc -
• Kouznetsova (10/5): The perfect place to unwind and enjoy the beauty of the nature - We enjoyed our stay at Malala Retreat a lot thanks to the fantastic team and the dreamy surroundings. Tucked away in a beautiful corner of Hambantota it's the perfect base to explore the national parks around, or just chill by the pool and watch the time go by. The food was also excellent. The team always made sure to cater to our preferences and both, Sri Lankan as well as Western dishes tasted delicious.

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