Leel’s Safari Cottage

We had such a lovely stay at Leel’s Safari Cottage in Udawalawe. Even though we stayed only one night before our safari, the place felt incredibly warm and homely. Surrounded by trees, it truly feels like a little cottage tucked away in the jungle.

Leel was amazing - super helpful, always up for a conversation, and genuinely such a nice person to talk to. His adorable rescue pup Rookie was also a highlight of the stay! The Sri Lankan rice and curry dinner cooked by Leel’s mother was absolutely delicious, and the sweet pancakes at breakfast were unforgettable.

Leel also helped us arrange a safari jeep for a very reasonable price and even organised a relaxing massage at a nearby local spa. Everything was smooth, comfortable, and thoughtfully arranged. Overall, a fantastic stay and one we’d definitely recommend!

We had a wonderful stay and can highly recommend this place. The family atmosphere made us feel at home from the very first moment. Leel truly does everything possible to make sure every guest has a perfect experience and is always kind, helpful, and attentive.

Everything is very well maintained, clean, and cared for with great attention to detail. The food was absolutely delicious – fresh, homemade, and full of flavor. It is something we will remember for a long time.

Thank you for such a warm and unforgettable stay. We would be happy to come back again!

Super schön und gemütlich eingerichtetes Cottage, man spürt die liebe zum Detail und fühlt sich gleich super wohl. Leel hat hier fantastische Arbeit geleistet. Alles super sauber und wir hatten auch ein sehr feines Curry bei ihm.
Leel ist ein einmaliger Gastgeber und erklärt vieles, wir haben sehr viel von ihm über Sri Lanka gelernt.
Das einzig schade, wir konnten nur eine Nacht bleiben…

We stayed here for two nights and had an absolutely wonderful experience.

The host organized a safari for us, which was truly amazing. Our driver was very friendly and knowledgeable, and we were lucky to see so many animals – it was simply beautiful and unforgettable.

The accommodation itself was excellent. The rooms are beautifully designed and very comfortable, and the bathroom is especially well done – modern and spacious.

What made our stay even more special was the incredibly kind and welcoming family. You can really feel their warmth and care.

The food was absolutely delicious – every meal was a highlight.

Das Cottage hat eine sehr schöne Einrichtung, alles ist sehr neuwertig und liebevoll eingerichtet. Es gibt sogar ein Moskitonetz, was bei Bedarf genutzt werden kann. Wir hatten aber keinerlei Moskitos oder andere Insekten in unserem Raum. Das grüne Badezimmer ist ein kleines Highlight für sich. Wir haben das Dinner hinzugebucht, welches von Leels Mutter zubereitet wurde. Das Essen war wirklich super lecker und für uns persönlich das beste was wir bis dato in Sri Lanka gegessen haben. Wir haben außerdem über Leel unsere Safari Tour gebucht, was wir ebenfalls empfehlen können. Vielen Dank!

Wir waren zwei Tage dort. Der Gastgeber Leel und seine Familie haben alle unsere Wünsche erfüllt.
Neben dem leckeren Frühstück hatten wir auch das Abendessen gebucht. Dieses ist sehr zu empfehlen.
Vielen Dank für die schöne Zeit.

Es war super sauber und modern eingerichtet. Das Abendessen war super lecker und wir haben die von Leel organisierte Safari mitgemacht. Die hat uns auch sehr gefallen.

Wundervolle Unterkunft mit einem bezaubernden Gastgeber, inkl. Familie!

Super tolle Lage, um die Safari zu machen. Der Gastgeber war super freundlich, wir haben hier zu Abend gegessen, es war sehr lecker.
Die Unterkunft is super modern und schön gemütlich eingerichtet. Das Frühstück (hatten wir als To Go), dass wir auf der Safari gegessen haben, die wir über die Unterkunft gebucht haben war lecker und die 6 Stunden Safari super. Haben viele Elefanten gesehen.
Nur zu empfehlen!!

Leel and his family were super welcoming and helpful from taxiing us to and from the booking, cooking delicious meals, and organizing the safari! The guide was respectful of nature, patient, and shared helpful information and pictures from a book for reference. It was pouring when we arrived and Leel moved our luggage to the room for us. The room itself and the bathroom were super clean and spacious! The whole area is so beautiful! Great AC and wifi in the room. I also appreciated how responsive the host was which made communication and planning easy!

I had a great stay at leel’s!! Mums food was as good as you can get, we LOVED IT!! And Leel was extremely helpful and informative. It was a great walk through the jungle to get to our place, very clean, spacious and the aircon worked a treat. Will be back for the Safari!!

The host and his family were very welcoming, they organised our transport and safari tour. The dinner was delicious! The room is spacious and comfortable.

Nous n'avons pas séjourné longtemps et l'entrée dans les lieux a été un peu compliquée mais ils ont trouvé un arrangement pour pouvoir accéder au logement et nous accepter tardivement également. Personnel agréable et gentil qui organisent le safari tout inclus et sur demande pour un prix intéressant. Le logement en lui-même était splendide pour le coup. Nous recommandons !

Leel is an amazing host who enjoys a chat. Room was spacious & clean. We had his Mums famous curry & rice for our evening meal😋
The following day one of Leel’s team took us on Safari which was unbelievable😊
Check out Garlic restaurant that’s next door, fab place for a beer & chillax

I had such a wonderful stay at Leel’s place in Udawalawe and couldn’t recommend it more.

From the very beginning, Leel was incredibly responsive and helpful. I was traveling from Hiriketiya, and he kindly arranged transportation for me at a very fair price. The journey itself was enjoyable—he’s such a friendly and genuine person, and we had a great chat along the way.

The cottage was beautiful and clearly made with a lot of care and attention to detail. The garden was especially lovely—well maintained, peaceful, and the perfect place to relax, even for a short stay.

We had dinner there, and it was hands down the best local meal I had during my trip. Leel’s mom is an amazing cook—the food was incredibly flavorful and made with so much love. If you stay here, you absolutely have to try the dinner.

Leel also arranged our morning safari, and everything went smoothly. They even prepared and packed a generous and delicious breakfast for us to take along, which was such a thoughtful touch.

What really stood out was the warmth and hospitality. You truly feel welcomed like family here.

If you’re visiting Udawalawe, don’t even think twice—just book Leel’s place. You won’t regret it!

Accueil chaleureux, le bungalow au milieu des bananiers et autres plantes tropicales est bien ammenagé, le repas du soir (curry 7 plats) était parfait. Nous avons fait le safari sur une journée, notre chauffeur a été formidable: de nombreuses explications, un oeil sûr pour repèrer les animaux, un trajet à l'écart des grands flux.

Leel was a wonderful Host. Leel’s Safari Cottage was stunning. Beautiful accom, gardens & his mums food was probably one of the best we have had in Sri Lanka. We did a safari with them as well which was wonderful the breakfast supplied by Leels’s wife Nameel delicious. Nothing was too hard. Very generous people.

Nous sommes venus chez Leel’s Safari Cottage pour faire un safari d’une demi-journée et passer une nuit sur place, et l’expérience a été vraiment super. Nous avons été très bien accueillis par Leel et sa famille.

Le safari était génial : notre driver/guide est clairement passionné par les animaux et très respectueux de la nature, ce qui rend l’expérience encore plus agréable. Il nous a expliqué beaucoup de choses et nous avons eu la chance de voir de nombreux animaux — même si, bien sûr, dans un parc naturel on ne sait jamais exactement ce que l’on va croiser, et c’est aussi ce qui fait le charme de l’expérience !

Le soir, nous avons dîné sur place et avons passé un très beau moment à discuter avec la maman de Leel, qui est une personne absolument adorable. Après une nuit au calme dans un lodge charmant, en pleine nature et très confortable, nous avons aussi pris le temps d’échanger avec Leel le lendemain matin. Il a répondu à beaucoup de nos questions et c’était vraiment enrichissant.

Encore merci pour votre accueil et cette belle expérience !