Galkadawala Forest Lodge

We spent a week at Maulie's place, where she treated us like family with her warmth and care. The accommodations were exceptional—comfortable and nestled in nature, surrounded by kind-hearted locals. The environment was breathtaking, immersed in the jungle, filled with the sounds of wildlife, a lake for kayaking, and even elephants passing by. This experience was truly rejuvenating, thanks to Maulie's love and compassion.

This is the most beautiful eco-friendly hotel I have ever visited in my life. This wonderful location is a creation of Ms. Maulie De Seram, who is so humble and kind. She and her few staff members are very friendly. Foods were amazing. You won't get ordinary western type food here. But you will be able to taste some different, organic, healthy, and so yummy local VEGETARIAN food over here. And the calmness of the place is superb. Full of birds. If I'm not mistaken, 143+ bird species recorded in the place where I got the opportunity to capture 30+ species within one day. Once to enter here, you don't feel like leaving this place. Rooms are made with very minimal eco-friendly materials and it is a good concept. When you enter this place you feel like going into sinharaja. I couldn't believe my eyes when I see the location for the first time. Wi-Fi is available, but use it wisely without wasting it.... I highly recommend this place for nature lovers to come and enjoy this unpolluted nature. **Please do not visit this place if you don't love the nature......** **Rooms are quite a bit open to nature, so you can enjoy the cool environment. If you don't like that sort of environment please don't come here** **Luxury of this location is not in the rooms but in the nature** Cheers to Maulie and the crew!!!!

We had the best time here. It was such a nice room and the food was one of the bests we had during our 3 week holidays. Maulie is a very kind woman and all her staff were super friendly. The dogs are a plus to that amazing place. They will take you on walks :)

In short, if you come here and still can't relax then there has to be something seriously wrong with you. Awakening up in the morning as the forest itself woke up and listening to the birds and monkeys is something I hope I never forget. Maulie and her staff are extremely helpful and can arrange excursions to the main points of interest, most of which are within a 30 minute drive. Genuinely sorry to have to leave.

A magical spot built on sustainability with architectural flair. The owner is a passionate ecological stalwart and the staff are wonderful. The food is fabulous. An excellent base from which to explore the many cultural sites in the area.

If you have rented a van and you can move around the region with ease, there is no better place to stay than in this lodge. It is simply about too many details that makes the experience unique. The retreat, nobody around, it is all about your trip. The cozy and well presented bungalows, where you can find all the amenities you would expect while keeping the simplicity of a Bungalow in the heart of sri lanka. The unique lankan food, cooked and present into the table with care. The dogs around the lodge. The staff. The nature around (its lake). I totally recommend it and would come back again if I ever drop by Sri Lanka in the near future!

Our stay was a unique experience. The whole place operates as eco-friendly as possible and the accomodations have been build from recycled material. All without disturbing the nature as little as possible. As such the place is very peaceful. Keep in mind that the accomodation is open, but you will have a mosquito net to protect you against the insects. Our stay was very relaxing and the food was really delicious.

If you can't live with insects, geckos, frogs, mice in corners or in the bathroom & are not used to hearing a multitude of different noises from hundreds of different animals, this is not for you. It doesn't get any more remote than this. You have fans & mosquito nets & they also protect you from the other animals & insects. The animals mind their own business & will leave you be, if you don't disturb them. There are so many different types of butterflies & birds in & around the hotel. Huge compliments to the chef & the kitchen/restaurant staff for giving us some delicious food. It was mouth watering. Only thing I want to bring up is that guests can't pay with cards. Yes, we can transfer cash, but no card payments possible. Nevertheless, I'll be visiting again :)

Our stay at Galkadawala Forest Lodge exceeded our expectations. Our host Maulie greeted us with iced tea upon arrival and took the time to explain the accommodations and surrounding area as well as possible excursions. Delicious traditional meals were prepared onsite at whatever time convenient for us. The place truly had a magical feel. We enjoyed sharing meals with fellow travelers and conversing Maulie about the history of the lodge and area. We hope to return to this hidden gem in the Sri Lankan forest soon!