The Sanctuary

The staff were really friendly, amazing food and really gorgeous place. They took us on a wildlife tour where we saw otters and loris all on their grounds! There is not much in the local area so you need to keep this in mind if planning to visit a shop or restaurant during your stay, it’s not really possible

HR Solo traveller I visited the Sanctuary on the recommendation of a friend and thoroughly enjoyed my brief stay there. Great care and much thought has been given to the furnishings of the house. It has an extensive collection of books on wildlife and birds and I could have spent many hours browsing this collection. The food was delicious and I was looked after very well by Dula and his team. There is a good choice of excursions on offer, but I chose a half day tour to the Wilpattu National Park which is only about 30 minutes drive from the Sanctuary. Dula and his wife, Achini were my guides and they took a great deal of trouble to ensure that I had a memorable experience. We were fortunate to see leopard, elephants, sea eagles and much more. I will definitely return on my next visit to Sri Lanka.

The Sanctuary is hidden gem in the Wanathavillu town. The accommodation was very comfortable and the rooms spacious. The grounds have been imaginatively re-wilded and is now a haven for many species of birds and mammals. We were looked after very well by Dula and Achini and nothing was too much for them to ensure we enjoyed our stay there. The food was delicious, prepared and beautifully presented by Dinesha. We were taken on a night walking tour of the property and were thrilled to have a rare sighting of a Slender Loris, a roosting green snake and several roosting birds. During our brief stay at the Sanctuary we also saw the shy and secretive Mouse Deer, a mongoose and her baby and many varieties of birds. Will definitely return for a longer stay and would highly recommend this property to our overseas friends.

We stayed for two nights and planned a boat excursion on the Puttalam lagoon as well as a safari in Wilpattu National Park. The Sanctuary is located a convenient 14km from the park and a similar distance from the lagoon. The team arranged every single detail of our trip, and it was absolutely wonderful. From the delicious welcome drink, to the exceptionally tasty food, and superb excursions with the most well trained guides we had the holiday of a lifetime. The property itself is probably the best in Wilpattu and also on the island, with spacious, authentically decorated rooms. Every single little detail from the little wooden electrical switches to the well thought out living and dining spaces and incredibly beautiful bathrooms made the stay a real pleasure. The team led by Dula catered to our every need and anticipated everything in advance. They took us on walks around the property and were able to let us know when there were great bird sightings, especially a couple of barbots one more morning. The food was so good and so tasty, authentic, delicious Sri Lanka dishes like milk rice, hoppers and the most delicious pork curry on arrival made our food loving family's stay even more delightful. The highlight of the trip was the safari arranged by the team, where we saw multiple leopard, samar, deer and even an elephant in musth! The property has one of the best stocked wildlife libraries on the island and any wildlife and animal enthusiast will be inspired!