Wifi

Air Conditioning

Toiletries (Soap, Shampoo)

Towels

Hairdryer

Safe

Mosquito Net

Queen Bed

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The Elephant Next-Door -  Ran Diyatha Room With Standard Bathroom

Our top picks for wildlife safaris in Udawalawe — a handpicked shortlist for seeing Sri Lanka’s largest population of wild elephants.

Wildlife Safaris in Udawalawe: The Best for Elephant Sightings

Wildlife Safaris in Udawalawe

One of Sri Lanka's smallest national parks, with over-500 elephants. So it's one of the best places to see wild elephants!

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Udawalawe National Park

Our handpicked Udawalawe experiences for spotting wild elephants in one of Sri Lanka's smallest national parks, home to over 500 elephants.

Udawalawe National Park Experiences: The Best for Wild Elephants

Udawalawe National Park Experiences

One of Sri Lanka's smallest national parks, with over-500 elephants. So it's one of the best places to see wild elephants!

12.00 PM: Meet at the provided meeting point and check-in at The Elephant Next-Door
01.00 PM: Relax at the cottage and stay over night

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Enjoy a relaxing stay at The Elephant Next-Door

The Elephant Next-Door

05.30 AM: Head out for 6hr Game Drive and go deep in the park looking for wild elephants
11:30 AM: Return back to the hotel and check out

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This experience offers a one-night stay at The Elephant Next Door Lodge, where guests can relax in the serene and quiet garden setting. On the following morning, guests can head out for a six-hour game drive at Udawalawe National Park. ﻿The package includes an English-speaking driver and guide, breakfast before the safari, and water. The host, Janaka, is known for being friendly and really helpful, while the staff is described as true professionals who love to host and immerse their guests in nature. Guests have raved about the accommodations, hospitality, and the arranged safari experiences with knowledgeable guides who are passionate about wildlife.

Private trip with a chance to spot wild elephants.

Stay at serene Elephant Next Door cottages.

Experienced English-speaking driver & guide provided.

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Wildlife Safaris

Stay at Elephant Next Door near Udawalawe, then head into the national park for a 6-hour safari. Quiet garden lodge, breakfast and guide included.

2D1N Udawalawe Safari & Stay @ Elephant Next Door

This experience offers a one-night stay at The Elephant Next Door Lodge, where guests can relax in the serene and quiet garden setting. On the following morning, guests can head out for a six-hour game drive at Udawalawe National Park. ﻿The package includes an English-speaking driver and guide, breakfast before the safari, and water. The host, Janaka, is known for being friendly and really helpful, while the staff is described as true professionals who love to host and immerse their guests in nature. Guests have raved about the accommodations, hospitality, and the arranged safari experiences with knowledgeable guides who are passionate about wildlife.

Immerse in wildlife with Elephant Next Door; hosted in nature, guided safari, and friendly staff.

Excellent basic accommodations at a great value. The hosts were wonderful, the place was clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed for our honeymoon launchpad into the wildlife park. Wonderful hospitality and food!

Excellent basic accommodations at a great value. The hosts were wonderful, the place was clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed for our honeymoon launchpad into the wildlife park. Wonderful hospitality and food!

We stayed one night in Uwadalawe and couldn’t have wished for a better place to stay than Janaka’s. The surroundings are beautiful, perfectly located near the main artery. The bungalow was of a high spec, with all the right finishing touches and more! The host arranged two Safari experiences for us, one at 2:30pm shortly after we’d arrived, and another one for the next morning starting at 5:30am. Both guides were simply fantastic and clearly passionate about wildlife and going out of their way to make sure you have the best experience.
 Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a boutique, authentic Uduwalawe experience.

We stayed one night in Uwadalawe and couldn’t have wished for a better place to stay than Janaka’s. The surroundings are beautiful, perfectly located near the main artery. The bungalow was of a high spec, with all the right finishing touches and more! The host arranged two Safari experiences for us, one at 2:30pm shortly after we’d arrived, and another one for the next morning starting at 5:30am. Both guides were simply fantastic and clearly passionate about wildlife and going out of their way to make sure you have the best experience.
Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a boutique, authentic Uduwalawe experience.

The rooms, location and uniqueness of the hotel was brilliant. Janaka was an exceptional host making all of the arrangements for cars, trips and the safari even for dates when we weren’t staying in Udewalawe. Chandika, our driver for 4 days was superb as was the safari arranged with Leel. We ate both nights at the hotel and the food was excellent. This is a superb hotel and would definitely recommend it.

The rooms, location and uniqueness of the hotel was brilliant. Janaka was an exceptional host making all of the arrangements for cars, trips and the safari even for dates when we weren’t staying in Udewalawe. Chandika, our driver for 4 days was superb as was the safari arranged with Leel. We ate both nights at the hotel and the food was excellent. This is a superb hotel and would definitely recommend it.

The Elephant next door has beautiful cottages in a sereen and quiet garden setting. The owner is really helpful and the food delicious:). A Nice and calm gettaway to stay if You’re planning a safari-tour! We really enjoyed our stay here:) Thanks for having us!

Harmen &amp; Dominique - Holland

The Elephant next door has beautiful cottages in a sereen and quiet garden setting. The owner is really helpful and the food delicious:). A Nice and calm gettaway to stay if You’re planning a safari-tour! We really enjoyed our stay here:) Thanks for having us!

Harmen &amp; Dominique - Holland

The cottage is very unique and excelentelly equipped. The bathroom as well as the two other rooms were absolutely clean and our host went out of his way to make our stay extremely conformable. We recommend it!

The cottage is very unique and excelentelly equipped. The bathroom as well as the two other rooms were absolutely clean and our host went out of his way to make our stay extremely conformable. We recommend it!

This place is fantastic. Janaka the host is so friendly, organised and helpful and made our experience unforgettable. Thank you for organising an amazing safari with Leel- I couldn’t fault it. The place was spotless, food was incredible and worth the price tag. The towels were soft, the bed was so comfy and the WiFi was so fast. Ideal location close to the Elephant Transit Home. I would definitely recommend to friends and would love to come back in the future.
 Just FYI, food was not included in our reservation so we had this on top of what we thought.

This place is fantastic. Janaka the host is so friendly, organised and helpful and made our experience unforgettable. Thank you for organising an amazing safari with Leel- I couldn’t fault it. The place was spotless, food was incredible and worth the price tag. The towels were soft, the bed was so comfy and the WiFi was so fast. Ideal location close to the Elephant Transit Home. I would definitely recommend to friends and would love to come back in the future.
Just FYI, food was not included in our reservation so we had this on top of what we thought.

We found this hotel for a great price online. We wanted somewhere to rest inbetween visits to the local Elephant Transit home and we found the perfect spot for that! Just a 3 minute walk to the elephant transit home. This hotel is advertised as a boutique and that it certainly is. With only 2 rooms it has the personal touch and Janaka has thought of everything.
 He collected us from our nearby hotel for free and on arrival he presented us with towels and a cold king coconut to drink. We ordered our evening meal and breakfast and was shown to your room.
 A quirky set up with a lounge area leading to the bed room and a unique bathroom. The design is just beautiful with so much detail put into everything. (shown in pictures).
 Janaka’s attention to detail is superb:
 - board games available
 - Stocked fridge with milk shakes and snacks
 - Tv
 - Candles incase of power cut
 - Shampoo, conditioner, body cream provided
 - Air con
 - Mosquito net
 - insect repellant
 - homemade cake delivered to our room (a lovely surprise!)

We had breakfast and dinner which are prepared by the owners wife. They were delicious! My husband said it’s the best chicken he has ever eaten. Really lovely food and such good value for money.
 Janaka then organised a taxi to our next destination which arrived on time.
 A great service and we will certainly recommend the retreat to friends and family!

We found this hotel for a great price online. We wanted somewhere to rest inbetween visits to the local Elephant Transit home and we found the perfect spot for that! Just a 3 minute walk to the elephant transit home. This hotel is advertised as a boutique and that it certainly is. With only 2 rooms it has the personal touch and Janaka has thought of everything.
He collected us from our nearby hotel for free and on arrival he presented us with towels and a cold king coconut to drink. We ordered our evening meal and breakfast and was shown to your room.
A quirky set up with a lounge area leading to the bed room and a unique bathroom. The design is just beautiful with so much detail put into everything. (shown in pictures).
Janaka’s attention to detail is superb:
- board games available
- Stocked fridge with milk shakes and snacks
- Tv
- Candles incase of power cut
- Shampoo, conditioner, body cream provided
- Air con
- Mosquito net
- insect repellant
- homemade cake delivered to our room (a lovely surprise!)

We had breakfast and dinner which are prepared by the owners wife. They were delicious! My husband said it’s the best chicken he has ever eaten. Really lovely food and such good value for money.
Janaka then organised a taxi to our next destination which arrived on time.
A great service and we will certainly recommend the retreat to friends and family!

In this facility you will find a great professional named Janaka.
 Even before we arrived to his place I knew that he is a man on his place. He organized for us the pick up by his driver in Mulkirigala temple. Also the driver was very nice he came exactly on time, even if we asked to come earlier in last moment, he offered a bottle of water and he showed us many interesting animals already on the way. When we arrived Janaka was well coming us with fresh coconut and went thro the plans for udawalawe safari, which he organized for us, and about the lunch and dinner possibilities. He was that professional that I have a suspicion if he didn’t study the hotel business in Lausanne Switzerland 😀. Also the safari was very well organized, because there was a huge line of cars waiting for entrance, but Janaka brought us to the third car waiting there, so we didn’t wait at all.
 Lest but not last, the rooms were beautiful and clean, with beautiful natural bathroom and everything you can need. The whole facility has been done with taste and care.
 Than also the curry for dinner and lunch was very tasty (maybe one of the best we eat in Sri Lanka).
 Thank you Janaka!

In this facility you will find a great professional named Janaka.
Even before we arrived to his place I knew that he is a man on his place. He organized for us the pick up by his driver in Mulkirigala temple. Also the driver was very nice he came exactly on time, even if we asked to come earlier in last moment, he offered a bottle of water and he showed us many interesting animals already on the way. When we arrived Janaka was well coming us with fresh coconut and went thro the plans for udawalawe safari, which he organized for us, and about the lunch and dinner possibilities. He was that professional that I have a suspicion if he didn’t study the hotel business in Lausanne Switzerland 😀. Also the safari was very well organized, because there was a huge line of cars waiting for entrance, but Janaka brought us to the third car waiting there, so we didn’t wait at all.
Lest but not last, the rooms were beautiful and clean, with beautiful natural bathroom and everything you can need. The whole facility has been done with taste and care.
Than also the curry for dinner and lunch was very tasty (maybe one of the best we eat in Sri Lanka).
Thank you Janaka!

We would highly recommend to stay at this wonderful place! It’s been our best hotel-experience in Sri Lanka. The service is super and the room are very clean and new-modern with mini fridge, hot water (for coffee/tea), TV, mosquito sprays and hot water in the shower. 😊
 The owner is super sweet and arranged a driver that picked us up in Ella, and drives us to Tangelle after our stay. We got the best rice&amp;curry we have tasted when we arrived in the evening. He booked a 6h safari with breakfast for us and our Jeep-driver had a lot of knowledge of the animals in the safari. This made the trip even more fun😄🐘 An extra plus that our Jeep driver was the third in line to get in to the park, so we skipped all the waiting.
 After safari we got a lovely rice&amp;curry lunch, tea and dessert.

We would love to come back to this place! It’s really wonderful. We have nothing bad to say.

We would highly recommend to stay at this wonderful place! It’s been our best hotel-experience in Sri Lanka. The service is super and the room are very clean and new-modern with mini fridge, hot water (for coffee/tea), TV, mosquito sprays and hot water in the shower. 😊
The owner is super sweet and arranged a driver that picked us up in Ella, and drives us to Tangelle after our stay. We got the best rice&amp;curry we have tasted when we arrived in the evening. He booked a 6h safari with breakfast for us and our Jeep-driver had a lot of knowledge of the animals in the safari. This made the trip even more fun😄🐘 An extra plus that our Jeep driver was the third in line to get in to the park, so we skipped all the waiting.
After safari we got a lovely rice&amp;curry lunch, tea and dessert.

We would love to come back to this place! It’s really wonderful. We have nothing bad to say.

This is a must for people coming to Udawalawe for the safari. Janata the owner went well out of his way to make our stay a great one. He contacted us straight after booking to arrange our safari, talked us through everything on arrival, and helped us with our onward travel. The food was also superb. He has big plans for the place including an outdoor jacuzzi, I hope to come back one day and see how it's progressed! Thank you Janata!

This is a must for people coming to Udawalawe for the safari. Janata the owner went well out of his way to make our stay a great one. He contacted us straight after booking to arrange our safari, talked us through everything on arrival, and helped us with our onward travel. The food was also superb. He has big plans for the place including an outdoor jacuzzi, I hope to come back one day and see how it's progressed! Thank you Janata!

The owner, Chaminda, had done a great job creating a very relaxing, comfortable and attractive place for his guests. Very modern looking and clean rooms, airconditioned, everything I might be needing was there.
 The best surprise was dinner in the evening. There is a small cabin in the garden where you eat and the whole athmosphere is just fantastic!
 It's a 3 minute walk from the Elephant Transit Home and a 5 min walk from the bus station.
 Chaminda can also arrange your safari to Udawalawe NP.

The owner, Chaminda, had done a great job creating a very relaxing, comfortable and attractive place for his guests. Very modern looking and clean rooms, airconditioned, everything I might be needing was there.
The best surprise was dinner in the evening. There is a small cabin in the garden where you eat and the whole athmosphere is just fantastic!
It's a 3 minute walk from the Elephant Transit Home and a 5 min walk from the bus station.
Chaminda can also arrange your safari to Udawalawe NP.

What a great place, situated right across the road from. The elephant sanctuary and not far from the national park. Where to begin with the family...fantastic hostesses. They are so pleasant and kind. The room is equipped with everything from a full mini fridge to a fab shower. Slightly small rooms but so well equipped and designed it doesn't take from the beauty of the place. The cleanest and most pleasantly decorated place I've stayed in Sri Lanka.

What a great place, situated right across the road from. The elephant sanctuary and not far from the national park. Where to begin with the family...fantastic hostesses. They are so pleasant and kind. The room is equipped with everything from a full mini fridge to a fab shower. Slightly small rooms but so well equipped and designed it doesn't take from the beauty of the place. The cleanest and most pleasantly decorated place I've stayed in Sri Lanka.

Such a great owner who arranged EVERYTHING for me including airport pickup, Safari, meals, etc. Amazing facilities, so cute and thoughtfully decorates, great location, and such good food (the chutney was amazing). Seriously you should stay here!

Such a great owner who arranged EVERYTHING for me including airport pickup, Safari, meals, etc. Amazing facilities, so cute and thoughtfully decorates, great location, and such good food (the chutney was amazing). Seriously you should stay here!

the elephant next door has much facilities more than i thought.it has very comfortable rooms with A/C and without A/C the foreign guests should need. have a nice garden in front of the rooms and it is very beautiful.

the elephant next door has much facilities more than i thought.it has very comfortable rooms with A/C and without A/C the foreign guests should need. have a nice garden in front of the rooms and it is very beautiful.

This is one of the last additions to the scene, just 2 rooms for now with plans to expand, well managed by the owner Chaminda well supported by his family in the background. Great treatment, we arrived late and escorted to a family restaurant in the village and the morning after all the family worked to deliver us breakfast boxes at 5am for the safari. The two rooms are similar, one with AC and the other will soon have, clean and well equipped albeit not so big. Overall great return on the money, Chaminda delivers for what he asks!

This is one of the last additions to the scene, just 2 rooms for now with plans to expand, well managed by the owner Chaminda well supported by his family in the background. Great treatment, we arrived late and escorted to a family restaurant in the village and the morning after all the family worked to deliver us breakfast boxes at 5am for the safari. The two rooms are similar, one with AC and the other will soon have, clean and well equipped albeit not so big. Overall great return on the money, Chaminda delivers for what he asks!

The Elephant next door has beautiful cottages in a serene and quiet garden setting. They also have a restaurant inside the property. The host Janaka is also friendly and really helpful! The staff are true professionals that love to host and immerse their guests into nature. They also provide safari experience in Udawalawe national park. We highly recommend The Elephant Next Door!!

The Elephant Next Door

The Elephant next door has beautiful cottages in a serene and quiet garden setting. They also have a restaurant inside the property. The host Janaka is also friendly and really helpful! The staff are true professionals that love to host and immerse their guests into nature. They also provide safari experience in Udawalawe national park. We highly recommend The Elephant Next Door!!

2D1N Udawalawe Safari & Stay @ Elephant Next Door

What You’ll be Doing

Day 1:

Day 2:

What’s Included

Who you’re supporting

Community Champion

Wildlife Protector

Where You’ll Sleep

The Elephant Next-Door - Ran Diyatha...

Next Available Dates

Where we'll meet

Start Point

End Point

Start & Ends

Suitability / Accessibility

Cancellation & other policies

Cancellation

What to Pack

Join Waitlist

Meet your host

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