Tree Tops Jungle Lodge

There are just two tents here. They are well equipped and very spacious. The restaurant is in an open-sided mud brick building. The surroundings are fantastic with the forest that surrounds the tents forming part of the Yala buffer zone. The staff are all local and were extremely welcoming and the way they served the food and explained what the ingredients were added to the dining experience. We were treated to evening and morning walks to look at birds and these were also excellent. In fact we saw more here than we did in Yala itself! This is not a location for luxury and there is limited power and no wi-fi. but was easily one of the best places we have stayed in in Sri Lanka. |Kamal and the rest of the team should be congratulated on creating and running a place like this. When I say created, Kamal told us that they have planted most of the trees themselves over the past 18 years, so they a really have. They are already growing more to plant next year.

My family of four (husband, wife and two teenage/grown up kids) stayed at TTJL in mid-February 2025 for two nights – and like other reviewers mention, it was not nearly long enough. An absolute highlight of our epic 16 day Sri Lanka trip and one of the best places we've ever stayed.||I switched my accommodation from Tissamaharama near Yala Block 1 entrance when I discovered TreeTops and I am so glad I did. We'd read about how busy and manic Block 1 Yala could get in peak season and so TTJL's emphasis and proximity to the quieter Block 5 was a massive factor in this change. However, it was the incredible experience of living for 2 days in the jungle, under canvas and truly in the wild that was the real selling point. We will never forget the sheer excitement of staying here - so different to anything we have done before. It was magical!||From the bumpy tuk-tuk transfer from Buttula along dusty tracks to arriving and seeing our beautiful (glamping) tents for the first time, just felt thrilling. The tents themselves are built on solid raised concrete bases (which is reassuring) with a really smart bathroom as a solid unit/add-on. The tents (we had both) are spacious, stylish, with lovely comfortable beds with nets and just enough space and places to put everything. I wish we had longer just to enjoy them. The communal eating area mudhut is a triumph and candlelit at night for meals – it's just beautiful.||The team here are amazing, Kamal especially, plus Lars the owner and founder is also amazing, helpful and full of advice. We had a big (nice) decision on what safari to do and Lars was absolutely brilliant in steering us to what we felt was 100% the best choice – which was a full day safari in the quieter Block 5 of Yala N.P. The excitement of heading out at 5am and seeing sunrise and sunset in one day is an experience we will cherish forever. Block 5 is very beautiful but we have not done Block 1 to compare.||We were very, very lucky on our first ever safari, a male leopard in the morning and a female leopard spot in the evening was a special privilege to witness. Absolutely amazing to be told that the purple-faced langur's warning calls in the bush and the deer scattering was a sign a leopard was strolling through soon.||Our first ever wild elephant encounter was magical (we saw over 10 throughout the day). Wild boar, buffalo, mugger crocodiles and so much amazing birdlife – watching a crested hawk-eagle eat its prey on the floor, metres from our jeep in complete silence was phenomenal. Such a special day we'll never forget with many, many photos taken! Highly recommended for all nature lovers. Kamal's love and knowledge of nature is a joy. A local lad who clearly loves each safari as much as every first time visitor does. We also did a walk around the local area on arrival with Kamal and his team, walking across paddy fields and around the edge of lakes spotting birds and being blown away by their spotting talents.||The food here is exceptional and unique – vegetarian curries of the highest quality with fresh, local produce and all explained and presented beautifully. Dining is an exceptional experience here, romantic, exciting and utterly unique... especially when you have wild elephants munching leaves and cracking branches in the pitch dark, five meters from your dining table! The elephants even walked between our tents at night which is hard to describe how exciting this is.||I could go on and on. It was everything I had hoped it to be and more. A truly magial and special memory for my family that we will treasure forever. I just wish we had 4 nights there and not two. Thank you to Lars and to all the team at TTJL for making us feel so welcome, so well looked after and for creating such a special place. We will definitely be back!

Our stay Treetops Jungle Lodge was nothing short of incredible. The team has curated the experience to have authenticity and a deep connection to the natural surroundings. We did a morning and a night safari. The guides were knowledgeable and passionate, going out of their way to help us spot wildlife while respecting the park’s natural rhythms. We got very lucky and were able to see a Leopard, Bears, Elephants, Crocodiles, Hornbills and so many more bird species. The lodge itself is a peaceful haven. The remote nature of the lodge is a part of the experience, and the accomodation far surpassed our expectations. A magical addition was all of the fireflies around at night! (Being from Australia this is a novelty…) The food was another highlight. Each meal was home-cooked using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and was always delicious! Lars and the entire team were amazing. If you’re looking for a real, authentic Sri Lankan wildlife experience, this is the place to choose.

I stumbled upon this place on an old version of the Sri Lanka Lonely Planet, and after having investigated more about the place and what it has to offer, my partner and I decided to book it as our first off-the-beaten track destination in Sri Lanka. From the communication to Lars over emails to reserve the place, to arranging the transfers the whole experience was nothing short of phenomenal. The place is stylish, what I'd like to consider eco-luxury. We felt we didn't want to leave. The food Nasanka and the rest of the team cook every day, three times a day, is by far the best we had in the whole 2 weeks in Sri Lanka. Locally grown, fresh, incredibly flavourful, healthy, filling. We came back and we still try to replicate as many as recipes as possible from those we tried here. Thanks to Kamal and the other guys who got us on daily walks, we got lucky enough to spot elephants in their natural habitat more than once a day. It's a completely different experience, much better in our opinion, to do this than the safari. It's much more peaceful way of experiencing the wildlife, and at your own pace, and hiding and walking down dusty tracks not to be spotted by the animals. All the guys who make this place run the way it does deserve all the best that tourism can bring to this area. 5 and more stars, to all of it.

Our favourite stay in Sri Lanka. We stayed here for 2 nights and did the safari and evening walk organised through the team. Staying here was special; The chefs use all locally sourced ingredients in the cooking and explain each dish, the staff are incredibly attentive and the rooms super clean. It was my birthday and through Kamal (Camp manager), he organised a cake (locally made and was incredible) + decorated the dining table. We couldn’t recommend more! Couple early 30s

Came during off season in May for 2 nights & it wasnt easy to leave! Do not hesitate and book at least 2 nights to fully immerge into the nature & slow life. Some highlights: - food: the food was very delicious. All organic and local and prepared with love, there‘s no hungry moment, thats for sure! - ⁠bush walk: We did 2 amazing bush walks with Kamal and team. They are all super knowledgable and can name every bird species we encountered. - safari block 1: we would like to point out that we had an eeextremely lucky day! We saw leopards, loads of elephants (especially on the way back from yala), bear, many birds, crocos, python and more. The driver is very knowledgable and you‘ll definitely have a good time no matter what nature offers you that day! - the lodge team: absolutely outstanding. Every single one was super kind & we appreciated the attention to detail. We cannot recommend the lodge enough! Thank you Kamal, Lars and Team!

Our Tree Top Jungle Lodge experience was a memorable one. We spent two nights in one of the two of their super-comfortable tents, and it was nothing short of incredible. We were picked up in the town of Buttala and taken to this rustic yet well-designed lodge, perfectly nestled in a vibrant forest and surrounded by the sounds of wildlife. The tent itself was spacious, featuring a comfortable bed, and the service was flawless. The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. Each meal was a special experience, with ingredients sourced locally, including unique vegetables we had never encountered before, such as penny plant salad and sessile joyweed salad. The kitchen staff exhibited great attention to detail, ensuring that every dish was unique and beautifully presented. All meals were vegetarian, of high quality and taste, and fully included in the price. For dessert, we savoured a delightful earthenware pot of curd topped with kithul treacle. After a freshly prepared breakfast, which included eggs, hot roti, cheese, fruit, juices, and tea and coffee, we embarked on a guided nature walk through the primary forest. Accompanied by three knowledgeable staff members, we explored for nearly three hours, marveling at ancient trees that were perhaps 600 years old, as well as spotting wild boar, various birds, insects, and signs of sambhar deer, elephants, and snakes. Lunch, again, met the same high standards. Kamal, our host, arranged for an afternoon safari in Yala National Park, so at 1 PM, we were driven to Block 5 and spent the remainder of the day exploring. We even made a stop for a hot cup of tea and biscuits. Throughout the safari, we encountered numerous elephants, water buffalo, deer, peacocks, a turtle, a crocodile, and many birds, including grey langurs and various monitor lizards. While we were not fortunate enough to spot a leopard, the day was exciting and filled with wildlife. We also had the opportunity to see elephants on the road to and from the park. After a thrilling day of game viewing, it was a pleasure to return to camp for another freshly prepared and delicious dinner. The exceptional care we received at Tree Top Jungle Lodge made it difficult for us to leave. What truly made our stay special was the staff's dedication to our comfort, the lodge's eco-friendly construction with minimal impact on nature, and its commitment to supporting the local community using local materials and labour. They have successfully found a way to protect the environment while simultaneously supporting the local people.

My partner and I stayed at the TTJL for 2 nights and we regretted not staying for longer. It's one of our favourite places that we've ever been to! There is a great emphasis on conserving and protecting nature and wildlife at TTJL, as evidenced by the careful thought and planning in all aspects of the lodge. As nature lovers, we very much enjoyed speaking to Lars, Kamal and the wider TTJL team to understand how they have been working to protect nature and showing visitors the beauty of Sri Lankan nature and wildlife. The experience of staying at the lodge was incredibly unique, made even more special by the wonderful team at TTJL who brought us around their home and took the time to answer our many questions about wildlife, Sri Lanka, and the lodge.||Accommodation: The lodge comprises of a couple of spacious, heavy-duty tents that are constructed on top of concrete floors and connected to a built toilet that has shower and toilet facilities with running water. The tent was very spacious with a comfortable bed, and an outdoor patio set up. We were so lucky to see a wild elephant crossing through the lodge (not in any of the living areas, but through the forested areas) when we arrived, which culminated in a funny encounter of the rogue elephant trying to eat the coconut leaves off the roof of the mud house restaurant. During our stay, we could hear wildlife all around us - elephants snapping off branches somewhere in the distance, squirrels tapping along, peacocks calling from trees. We loved listening to the sounds of the forest and falling asleep to it. The lodge was very safe - it was secluded enough that nobody would just walk through and not without a TTJL team member realising. We regretted not staying for longer to enjoy more time just staying in the lodge.||Food: The TTJL team cooked up a variety of fresh, delicious dishes every meal. The dishes were all local, made from local ingredients. The team took the time to show and explain to us what local ingredients were being used for each meal. There were a good variety of drinks to choose from, with some alcohol available as well. We personally loved the fresh juices that the team made for us.||Activities: We booked two half-day safari tours through TTJL. They hire a local, independent safari guide who has been doing this since he was 18, and the experience definitely shows. The safari itself was amazing - we chose Block 5 of Yala National Park as we preferred a quieter experience, and we got to see leopards, elephants, mongoose, rusty spotted cat, land monitor lizards, many different birds, and more. What made the tour even more amazing was witnessing our guide's knowledge and expertise of wildlife (and his fantastic eyesight). The leopards were feeling shy that day and most jeeps touring the safari had not spotted them. Our guide demonstrated incredible expertise when he was trying to track down leopards (e.g., spotting rabbit fur on the ground and the smells of carcasses). Eventually, we managed to catch sight of two leopards! Animal sightings are, of course, not guaranteed as wildlife does not adhere to human schedules but it was such an fascinating process to see how our guide used environmental cues around him to figure out where the leopards will likely be. We loved the tour so much that we booked for another half-day tour in the evening! Lars went with us on both tours, and he together with the guide told us more about the animals we saw and answered our many questions.||Apart from the safari, the TTJL team brought us on morning and evening walks around the huge plot of land/jungle around the lodge. There again, the team showed us more of the beautiful Sri Lankan forests and wildlife that it habours.||Team: The TTJL team are from the local villages, and we could tell how much they loved their home and the nature surrounding it. They were very attentive and thoughtful, and always took care of our needs - they prepared food/drink for us no matter how early we had to get up (for the safari). They were so lovely and we are so grateful for their hospitality!