Birdsong eco cabana

True to its name, the mornings are filled with birdsong — waking up here was lovely. There’s no air conditioning, but even in the peak heat of August a pleasant breeze flows through, and I slept comfortably. You essentially get the whole house to yourself, and being tucked away in the middle of the jungle gave it a wonderful “living out in nature” feel. The food is a real highlight. A proper breakfast is served, and they’ll prepare lunch on request too. It’s mostly local Sri Lankan food, and it was quite tasty. Best of all, the owner is incredibly kind and arranged nearly all of my sightseeing and activities for me.

* Water pressure is on the weak side. * The Wi-Fi is fast and generally good, but it drops during power outages. When that happens you also lose 4G/5G, so you’re completely out of contact for a while. * Power cuts and tripped breakers were a bit of a hassle. That said, the owner responded quickly every time and reset things for me. * Access is a little tricky — it’s along a road where elephants roam, so at night tuk-tuk drivers will sometimes refuse to take you there. But if you let the owner know, he’ll come and help you out.