Wild Asian elephant drinking at a waterhole near Wilpattu National Park

Photographs

Gallery

The lodge, the lagoon and the wildlife that turns up without being asked.

The wildlife

What turns up without being asked

Elephants at the pond, leopards in the park, peacocks on the lawn, and a long list of birds that treat the lodge garden as their own.

Wild Asian elephant drinking at a waterhole near Wilpattu National Park

Sri Lankan leopard resting in the shade in Wilpattu National Park

Indian peafowl displaying its tail in the dry-zone scrub around Wilpattu National Park

Mugger crocodile basking on a riverbank in Wilpattu National Park

Painted storks feeding in the shallows of a villu lake in Wilpattu National Park

Grey langur resting on a branch in the forest canopy of Wilpattu National Park

Water buffalo grazing on the open grassland at the edge of a Wilpattu villu

A green bee-eater perched on a branch in the Wilpattu area

The lodge

Where you actually stay

Villas, a glamping lodge, a family residence, and the terraces and quiet corners in between.

The outdoor swimming pool at Raalmadu Wilpattu beneath a thatched shelter

The private plunge pool of the Suite with Private Pool at Raalmadu Wilpattu, lit at night

Bunk beds under mosquito nets in the Family Room at Raalmadu Wilpattu, forest visible through the glass walls

A double bed beside a full-height glass wall looking into the forest at Raalmadu Wilpattu

The open dining deck at Raalmadu Wilpattu, tables looking out over the forest

The balcony deck at Raalmadu Wilpattu with table and chairs overlooking the forest

Food & kitchen

What the kitchen sends out

Rice and curry, string hoppers at first light, and whatever the coast and the garden gave up that morning.

A meal laid out on the timber deck above the water at Raalmadu Wilpattu

Meat and vegetables cooking on the barbecue grill at Raalmadu Wilpattu

Sri Lankan food served on a banana leaf with curd at Raalmadu Wilpattu

The place

Wilpattu and the country around it

The Kala Oya lagoon, the villus of the park, the sandy tracks, the paddy and the light at the end of the day.

The main lodge at Raalmadu Wilpattu lit at dusk, its thatched roof against a pink evening sky

The lodge and its grounds at Raalmadu Wilpattu lit at dusk

Paddy fields in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, near Wilpattu National Park

A Land Rover safari jeep and guides at Raalmadu Wilpattu, ready for a game drive

A shallow rain-fed lake on the dry-zone plains of a Sri Lankan national park

A table laid on the timber deck above the river at Raalmadu Wilpattu

Kayaking the mangrove channel on the river beside Raalmadu Wilpattu

Guests silhouetted against the sunset on the water near Raalmadu Wilpattu

Photography credits are listed on the image credits page.

A shallow rain-fed lake on the dry-zone plains of a Sri Lankan national park

Come and stay

Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back within the day with availability, rates and a plan for the safari.

Check availability