Kottawatta Village

Kottawatta Village descritpion

Steps from Udawalawe National Park, Kottawatta Village offers a peaceful and scenic getaway from the city with Ayurvedic massage and night camping. Free Wi-Fi is available in public areas. The on-site Rose Restaurant serves Western, Chinese and Sri Lankan food.
Fitted with air conditioning, all rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV and a minibar. En suite bathrooms have either a shower or a bathtub.
Kottawatta Village is 0.6 miles from Udawalawe Bus Station and a 5-minute drive from Udawalawe Junction. Katunayake International Airport is 93.2 miles away. Parking is free.
At the tour desk, guests can arrange day trips to Madunagala Hot Springs, Wavulpanae Lime Stone Cave and Panamure Maduwanwela Walauwwa. Regular barbecue nights are also organised by the resort.

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Facilities of Kottawatta Village

Outdoors ：BBQ Facilities | Grounds

Pets ：Pets are not allowed.

Food & Drink ：Bar | Restaurant with Dining Menu

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：Free!Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).

General ：Air Conditioning

Languages Spoken ：Hindi | English | Arabic

Reviews for Kottawatta Village

Review 1：As some other travelers already mentioned on booking.com, there are some works currently on the property. Moreover, we found a pile of rubbish in the middle of the property. As a consequence several wild dogs were running around, searching something to eat there. Our room (room number 10 declared as "Deluxe Double Room") was full of mold, especially the bathroom. Due to this the complete indoor climate felt very unhealthy and we were confronted with an awkward smell all the time. Even the AC smelled bad. Getting some fresh air from outside was only possible through the wooden windows (no glass -> very dark room), which you could only leave open while staying in the room. Furthermore, neither the telephone nor the television worked. After our stay we confronted the manager with the the mold in our bad room and he only sad that unfortunately he is not able to check all his rooms on a daily basis. From our point view he knew exactly in which bad conditions our room was since mold like this does not appear suddenly. Consequently we asked for a price reduction. At least he gave us a 10% discount on the room price. However, from our point of view the room was still to expensive. Regarding the offered safaris by the hotel: We wanted to share a jeep with another couple staying at the hotel but the manager told us that this is not possible. Due to the fact that we read that some other people made the same experience, we had the impression that it was just about the money... As a result, we can't recommend staying at this hotel.

Review 2：The employees (servers at the restaurant and lady at the reception) were kind. Safari was a nice experience.

Review 3：Do not believe the pictures!dirty hotel and bad dinner.A lot of mosquitos in the room!

Review 4：Although the hotel was dirty and with a lot of mosquitos we had a really good breakfast.

Review 5：A perfect place! Small bungalows and tents are located in the big, green area. You can stay in peace, no one disturbes your privacy, but in the same time very safe. The food was also very tasty. They organise well safaries, worth if recommendation! P.s. we lost our passport, the manager of Hotel organised a transport of document to Mirissa. Thank You!

Review 6：Staff is very rude. The boy on reception didn't know how to use a credit card payment. And also his math is bad,he gave me less money and still didn't understand what happened. Breakfast is terrible, they need more than half an hour to serve it. It os far away from centre and there is nothing to do.

Review 7：Accommodation was OK, tent in a jungle :)

Review 8：The bathroom wasn't cleaned very well, but that wasn't too bad regarding everything that was good.

Review 9：The help we got when asking the staff was great and for the money we spent we really got more than expected, also to book the safari there was very simple and good. It's a very good place to stay! And the breakfast which was included was amazing :)

Review 10：Manager was exceptionally friendly with a wealth of local knowledge. Arranged the safari form there and the driver doubled up as our guide, which saved on the pennies. He was also an excellent spotter, noticing things far in the distance. All round excellent stay and safari. Wish we could have stayed longer to do the other excursions available from kottawatta.

Review 11：Ummm.....? Nice setting, a number of lights not working in room. Still don't know where our dinner came from as no evident kitchen. A lot of confusion over food. Safari good, but promised breakfast snack to take with us never came and a lot of problems with settling safari bill on return. Staff not transparent. Tried to get more money from us. Stand your ground.

Review 12：Bathroom, deluxe room had no ac, shower facilities, overall ok place

Review 13：The staff were good (receptionist and waiters) but the Manager Darshan was horrid. Very rude, we were scurried from one room to another, rooms were ok, but the deluxe rooms didn't cool, water leakage from bathroom, the toilet was horrible. the shower was so weak. Restaurant was good.

Review 14：Maintenance can be better (f.i. shower, broken light, spider webs). Food is bad. Cold, bad quality, overcooked. No alternatieve around. Elephant orphanage nice but steen in 20 minutes. No WiFi in accomodation and in restaurant installeren and slow.

Review 15：Tent accomodation lovely located and well equiped. Staff very friendly but poor in English. Had a good safari with private jeep

Review 16：Wifi didn't work as advertised around the rooms or restaurant.

Review 17：Nishantha is a fantastic guide. The manager was friendly and accommodating, very helpful.

Review 18：- The restaurant staff was really slow. It took ages before we got our breakfast.

Review 19：- Friendly staff. - We stayed in the (very cheap) tent which was actually quite luxurious. - The safari which was organised by the hotel was very nice! - Price/quality ratio is extremelly good!

Review 20：WLAN works only in restaurant, but thats ok for such a wide spread area of a hotel be careful it tue monkeys, they try to geht into the tent ans jump on tue roof

Review 21：Personnel extremely friendly,very good english weich is rarely the case in Sri Lanka Nes in Test more comfortable than in Most hotels well organized safari food good ans fast (Not slow as mentioned in other reviews

Review 22：Although not the fault of the property, it seems that all hotels in Udawalawe are off of roads in the nearby towns rather than being located in the nature reserve itself. Because of this, although it was nice to stay in a tent it wasn't very peaceful because you could hear traffic during the day, and during the night we were there during a music festival which was quite loud.

Review 23：The bed was really nice, and staying in a tent was a unique experience. The manager was very helpful, and the safari he arranged (his own company) was really nice.

Review 24：This place is run basically as a nice little earner for the national park trips. Our bungalow/chalet had a bed too high off the floor. TV with no plug. Kettle but nowhere to plug it in except on the bed which obviously you could not do. One meal was so heavily over salted that it was inedible. Wifi only works in the main office. Taxi they arranged turned up 30 mins late.

Review 25：Decent location and arrangements for the trip to the national park were fine.

Review 26：- AC is not enough at all to cool the room - There was a bad smell in the bathroom - Bathroom badly needs renovation

Review 27：- They arranged a good safari which was on time - Free breakfast was pretty good - Hot water supply was very good - friendly staff

Review 28：The service in the restaurant is very slow but not really a problem as it was a nice place to just sit and relax

Review 29：We loved staying in the tent - they were much better than the rooms! Clean, comfy beds with mozzie nets and a big bathroom that worked well. Great for sitting and relaxing watching nature. Make sure you book your safari through the hotel as well - much cheaper than booking externally and we had a great drive around the park with a breakfast that had been packed for us!

Review 30：About 15 minutes ride from the National Park, outside the Uda Walawe town. Not much else can be done around except for the park visit.

Review 31：Amazing location inside a beautiful garden. We slept in the bungalows, which made it feel like we were in the jungle. Rooms were clean, even with a shower. Very nice and knowledgeable host gave us good advice about safari in Uda Walawe National Park and arranged a wonderful trip for us.

Review 32：Bathroom tap in the tub leaked and water pressure was low. Shower cubicle is too small and cramped. Bathroom size is quite large. If they attend to this, I will give 10 out of 10.

Review 33：Food. Being vegetarians, were really worried whether we will end up starving during our stay. Food was delicious. Breakfast was quite wholesome.

Review 34：TV didn't work and was not what we would term 'satellite TV'. Shower leaked but contained to bathroom. Power fluctuated and went out but it could be attributed to a storm that rolled through. Wi-Fi didn't work but was quickly rectified by management.

Review 35：Location for accessing the national park is fine; staff at the restaurant were good. Deluxe room was spacious.

Review 36：Staff nice but wouldn't tell anything about the place etc. Wifi didn't work at all.

Review 37：Stayed here only one night, nice hotel but unfinnished. Clean and big room. Restaurant was good, but one of the waiters didn't speak English very well.

Review 38：Some buildings are under construction; no lights on the way to cabin；

Review 39：10min to Udawalawe national park; air container works well; natural scenery around;

Review 40：We stayed here for 2 nights, originally planning just to visit the elephant transit home and go on safari. On Arrival the manager welcomed us warmly and explained that there were additional sites to see if we wished, the Buddhist temple and a secluded cave. We had time to fit all 4 activities in so happily agreed, we were not disappointed. The manager personally guided us around the temple, explaining everything we were seeing, it was fantastic! We visited the elephant transit home at feeding time which I would highly recommend! On the second day we got up very early for the safari which was absolutely worth it! We had our own personal driver who was extremely knowledgeable, he spotted many animals and seemed to know the best places to be. It was a brilliant experience and one of the highlights of our trip. After the safari we were taken to the cave. This is not easily accessible, but worth the trek if you're up to it. Very much untouched it was a fabulous place. All in all I couldn't fault Kottawatta Village, it was an amazing place with great accommodation in an amazing setting. We would happily stay here again.

Review 41：Could do with small fridge in tent

Review 42：Tents were great with very comfortable beds! Young waiter (Roxum? Not sure if spelling is correct?) was wonderful always had a smile and ready to help.

Review 43：* Way too many insects * wifi doesn't really work * location isn't as close to udawalawe as they indicate

Review 44：* Stayed in a tent which was a unique experience

Review 45：The staff were so helpful here we would visit again in a heartbeat. There is so much to do, and the safari experience was amazing. A real highlight of our whole trip.

Review 46：Wifi dosent work in the room. The bathroom could do with a good scub or updating. Stick to traditional Sri Lankan food if ordering at the restaurant.

Review 47：The location was great, the bedroom area was very big, the outside sitting area was lovely and you felt at one with nature. Breakfast was good, lovely traditional Sri Lankan curries and the Manager was friendly.

Review 48：nothing

Review 49：we booked this hotel randomly without reading any reviews or even seeing it's pictures first. It was one the best coincidences we could have asked for. The place itself is a well structured jungle inside a jungle that has comfortable rooms with a relaxed atmosphere and a restaurant. The service is greatl with some of the friendliest staff I have ever encountered. The food is good too. But what stole the show was the manager Sagara, Who helped us plan two incridibel days in udawalawe kept and making sure everything was ok the whole way through. This is Definetlt the hotel to stay at in udawalawe. Stayed January 2015

Review 50：Nothing except mastcard not working in spite of valaint efforts pf the manager mean't extra visit to atm bus ride into town

Review 51：Friendly staff great location definitely try the tent experience Manager very helpful arranged our morning safari highly recommended.

Review 52：This place is overpriced,smelly and the food is horrible. The owner claims he is a chef and that everything in the hotel restaurant is delicious. We had a dinner there and breakfast the following day,both were awful,the food was cold and dry,the bread was stale.The rooms are dirty and smelly,there's mould on the walls. I would discourage anyone from staying there.

Review 53：Nothing,it's a rip off.

Review 54：Beware of them trying to overcharge for your room with excuses.

Review 55：Beautiful place, right on an almost private beach. You can hear the waves crashing at night, very soothing.

Review 56：Cottages and tents are spread over a substantial piece of land making you feel "on your own".Excellent location for visiting the national parc. Friendly staff.

Review 57：Nothing

Review 58：My room very beautiful & very clean & hotel surroundings areawas very beautiful & always very silent food very tasty. Everything mainly price very reasonable. Our safari is very great there showto us leopard also end of the time we very happy with there sarvice& we never get any service sri lanka like that any other hotelthere very friendly

Review 59：Confusion over taxi journey that we arranged the night before. Journey was also supposed to take 3.5 hours but took less than 1.5 so ended up being way more expensive than other journeys we'd done in Sri Lanka. Not enough staff when it came to dining. Drinks take a long while to come.

Review 60：Very welcoming and friendly staff, location - easy to get to Udawalawe, grounds, spacious room, clean and comfy bed.

Review 61：great stay even if the safari was a bit extensive for us ( we wanted to Share a jeep but there was no-one to Share it with is

Review 62：we had a Nice stay here, we loved the tent, which was more than a tent ! Everything was good.

Review 63：Dinner is not worth the money. We ordered chicken on the waiter's recommendation and it was not freshly prepared. We had booked a taxi from the hotel to Ella via Haputale and when the journey started the driver began to talk about more money, to argue about the route and refused to drive via Haputale, which was a huge disappointment as I had agreed about this price after asking them to take us via Haputale. It was very very rude.

Review 64：It is good to stay there for the safari. The jeep driver they provided was good. Breakfast was OK.

Review 65：Staff, Safari, food all excellent particularly the lads in the restaurant. Great location and value for money. Will be better when pool and new tents finished.

Review 66：It was set up really well, felt comfortable the whole time we were there, had very professional service from the restaurant waiter. Would definitely be a place to recommend!!!

Review 67：Receptionist not very friendly

Review 68：Food was very good Head waiter was real nice lad and friendly and made food layout look nice. Room was basic but was worth the price

Review 69：The location and staff was great. The property and rooms are fair for the price you pay. Good place to stay for back packers - not for honeymooners ;)

Review 70：Pics are bit misleading, do not expect too much from the place. Basic breakfast, worst we had during our 3 weeks in Sri Lanka.

Review 71：Very frendly staff, good location to visit Uda Walawe natiinal park.

Review 72：This place has great potential, but is in need of serious refurbishment. Our cabin smelled from the mold in the bathroom; the walkways were unlit and broken, and breakfast was just not good. In daylight, the grounds looked even worse, with open ditches and unfinished construction.

Review 73：The hotel is in a good location but...

Review 74：Our room smelled too much like moth balls because they were in every possible corner and air vent (understandably needed in the jungle). However, the manager happily removed them and the smell was gone by the time we returned from dinner.

Review 75：The staff was very helpful especially when we were running late for the safari. We took the hotel truck and driver and had no issues with anything. The chef made some wonderful meals and accomodated food for our daughter.

Review 76：Expected to stay in a thatched roof cottage......what I thought I had booked, and got a modern new build. Not really suitable for the surrounds!

Review 77：Great base for a safari, hotel organised it for us..".excellent. Restaurant staff work very hard and smile with no complaints.

Review 78：Weak air conditioner and the leaking shower cubicale in one of my rooms lowered our expected comfot level. They are new equpment and could have sorted before selling the room.

Review 79：Location, staff and the price for the purpose of my visit.

Review 80：The air con blew in one corner and didn't really get round the room, the toilet/shower was leaking.

Review 81：Very large rooms, good food, beautiful four poster bed. Hotel organised a great safari for us. Staff very accommodating especially as we booked for the wrong night and didn't realise until we arrived!

Review 82：I stay one night in this hotel i think in sri lanka i never get like this service before any hotel. staffs, food , my room (tent),was amazing. i pay very less rate get to this all service. my safari also arrange this hotel there have there own hotel jeep all luxury jeep price very very good very reasonable. and there have very beautiful restaurant with bar also my rice & curry was very good i never eat before any place. end of the time i am very happy i RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL ANY ONE NEED TO GO UDAWALAWE N.P DO NOT MISS THIS HOTEL

Review 83：The food can definitely improve

Review 84：This resort has there own safari arrangment and the guide and drivergave us wonderful experience spotting elephant herds and explainingabout the parks wildlife. We selected the tent however it is a modernand luxurious cottage with canvas walls and concrete attached bathroom.The elevated and balcony gave us a window to the wildlife with a colonyof monkeys playing in treetops above :)

Review 85：We were told our safari would be over 3 hours but it was only 2...we did mention this to the manager so hopefully he will ensure this won't happen in future. We arranged a taxi to the south coast which we were told was a 3 hr drive so we were charged accordingly...it was 1hr max so felt a bit ripped off, a shame because we genuinely felt the staff wouldn't be like that. However, only one slight negative on an otherwise perfect trip :-)

Review 86：We stayed in one of the tent rooms...highly recommend it! The nicest tent I have ever stayed in. The manager was great, very informative and helpful, the waiter was just lovely and generally made to feel very welcome. Food was great, enjoyed every meal there...all in all a fantastic stay :-)

Review 87：Although the huts are nice and the restaurant, there is literally nothing to do in the area but safari. A great stop the night before a safari but staying any longer would result in boredom. There's nowhere even to go for a walk as it's just off a main road, no bars or restaurants exist outside the village

Review 88：The cabanas / huts made for great accommodation and something a little different Very peaceful The staff were very helpful A great place to stay to see Udawalawe National Park

Review 89：We had an unpleasant circumstance with our driver who in the end was not an honest man. When we arrived at Kottawatta Village we had already paid a local to take us on the safari that our driver had organised. On being informed of this, the hotel manager spoke to our driver in Sinhala. Afterwards the manager told us that the driver may be trying to scam us. The driver was then asked to leave by the hotel manager-unbeknownst to us at that time. Later the hotel manager explained this to us and we felt we had no choice but to go on the Kottawatta safari (the safari was the only reason for our stay at Udawalawe). It was unclear whether the driver was scamming us or whether the hotel manager told our driver he was stealing his business (we gave the manager the benefit of the doubt). In the end we paid too much for the safari then the usual price (4500 LKR) but to the hotel manager's credit, he charged us less as he knew we had already lost our other deposit. The moral of the story is- don't pay for any safari until you get to your hotel!

Review 90：The safari jeep driver left directly from the hotel and went to areas of the National park that the other jeeps did not seem to go to-Definitely worth staying here if you intend to do the safari. We saw sooo many animals including lots of elephants up close and a jackal! The accommodation was extremely luxurious for what we paid-4 star quality at 3 star prices.

Review 91：we came to kottawatta village.it is fantastic hotel we travel in srilanka 10 days with my friends we didnt see like this hotel.b"fast very large and room comfortable staff is very friendly every thing best i wish this hotel..

Review 92：The Best hotel in udawalawe. we visit one night in this hotel. hotel everything was very good . me & my wife very happy with there high hospitality service. next day morning there arrange my udawalawe N.P safari this also very good & price was very reasonable. there room very clean & very big food very good & taste. restaurant was very beautiful & clean.out side garden very nice & very quit & peaceful place. end of our one day visit this hotel we are very happy * ANY ONE NEED TO GO UDAWALALAWE N.P THIS IS THE IDEAL PLACE WE RECOMMEND.

Review 93：Room just acceptable

Review 94：Staff : top Great breakfast We shared a jeep with an other couple for the safari so price was only 2225 per couple

Review 95：The room was in terrible condition ! There was mold everywhere, especially the bathroom was awful.

Review 96：Staff and service was nice

Review 97：Never ever again

Review 98：The food is disgusting and the place is a building site.

Review 99：The guides are amazing

Review 100：our bungalow was so umid that feel sleep in the water

Review 101：staff really pro. safari amazing. good diner and breakfsst

Review 102：Very wet (bath-)rooms with a bad smell, very dark rooms

Review 103：Calm location, very good safari service, but there is nothing else to do ;)

Review 104：Uncomfortable bed

Review 105：Beautiful grounds, quaint cottages/bungalows, extremely helpful staff, great breakfast, helped us organise safari

Review 106：Wifi only in main building :(

Review 107：The breakfast was really good! We slept in a tent/house which was nice and cool to sleep in.

Review 108：Water preasure was very low. free breakfast wasn't that good.

Review 109：the staff was helpful. Rooms and bathrooms were clean.

Review 110：Great place to stay for one night if doing a safari.

Review 111：The facilities at the hotel didn't look clean

Review 112：Tent accommodation was excellent

Review 113：After staying at some fantastic places in Sri Lanka, this was our worst. The potential was there but they just seemed to get everything wrong.

Review 114：i stayed one night in kottawatta.it is amazing.evey thing is best [food,service.staff,room].safari is best.

Review 115：Nothing, it was great

Review 116：Attentive staff, very honest and helpful, food was fantastic, rooms were spacious and well equipped

Review 117：They try to shell you some activities that seems not very interesting. The waiters were not trained.

Review 118：Our safari, which the hotel organised at a day's notice, went well, we paid a good price for it and the driver was considerate and attentive.

Review 119：we stayed one night at this hotel..very quiet and lovely place for us.food +,staff+,room+,location+safari+ i recommend this hotel very one.

Review 120：The dinners were not at standard.

Review 121：We liked the relaxed atmosphere and the great service level and hospitality.

Review 122：Food

Review 123：Safari tour and free room upgrade

Review 124：I stayed in this hotel for 1 night in May 2014 since I had a safari to Udawalawe the next morning. This hotel definitely does not worth 45 usd a night, the room was dirty and run down, lot of bugs and mosquitoes, the mosquito net was dirty, wifi not working. Also, the hotel is in the middle of nowhere and you need a driver to move around. The accommodation provided to my driver was a shame. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.

Review 125：The only good thing is that my rice and curry and breakfast were good.

Review 126：Beds are not really comfortable and very hard. The curry we had for dinner unfortunately was nowhere near to what we were already used to. What bumped us the most was that after agreeing to offer accomodation for our driver they threw him out later that night because he arranged a safari for us. Appenrently they didn't want to let go of the commission. But it can't be mandatory to book anything through the hotel.... Wouldn't recommend it.

Review 127：Good located to start Safaris from, we only used it as the transit stay for that day.

Review 128：The kindness of the staff, exceptional food, great room and a great base to visit both Uda Walawa and the Elephant Transit House. We booked our jeep to the park through the hotel and had the most exceptional guide - Nisa who had the most amazing eyes and an incredible passion.

Review 129：No negative points here..

Review 130：Location was very close to Uda Walawe NP. The room was spacious, with a very comfortable bed. The staff were all very helpful and gave us a warm welcome. They even gave us great advice on our trip. The food was nice and really value for money (same price as everywhere else in SL)

The Fine Print

Please note that safari can be provided at LKR 4000/- excluding the safari entrance ticket.