Hotel Gayan's

The Google page has an old photo of the outside, and the hotel looks much better in person. Our room was very clean and had a convenient USB charger. The food was excellent, especially the homemade rice & curry made by the mom. The hotel is really close to the park, so getting an early safari start was easy and stress-free. They arranged a high-quality safari package at a reasonable price, and everything was well organized. Thank you, Gayan and Daya!

Gayan welcomed us so warmly and offered a wonderful vegan-friendly dinner cooked by his mother. The room was a good size, with comfy beds, though the shower pressure was a little weak. Gayan kindly served breakfast early since we were leaving for safari at 7am, and that meal was fabulous too. A thoroughly fabulous stay.

We stayed overnight before a safari, and the hotel booked it and arranged transport from Ahanagama and back, which made everything easy. The park entrance is close by. Our group had one jeep, which seemed much better than the groups of 4 we saw driving around, and made it easier to see animals. For an extra fee, we had a great Dri Lankan dinner and breakfast at the Hotel. At night, fireflies lit up the tree outside. The rooms were VERY SPACIOUS, clean, and had AC and a fan. We bought fruit at a stand, and they made us a fruit smoothie drink from it. The whole experience was seamless. On our first day, we also went to the Elephant Transit house, which is definitely worth doing if you’re in the area.

We stayed at Gayan’s place for two days and it was exceptional. It really felt like staying with family. Gayan and his mother were so friendly and welcoming, and she cooked us a range of amazing dishes. We had the freshest lime juice ever, after helping pick limes right off the tree, and they invited us into the kitchen to see how everything was prepared. We also took Gayan’s safari jeep to Udawalawe National Park, where the driver knew a lot about the animals, birds, and trees. The rooms were spacious and clean, with excellent facilities, and great value for the price. We really enjoyed our stay and highly recommend the place. I wish I’d managed to get some photos of the room or the place. Thank you, Gayan and Mama!