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Waraka is a twelve-room eco boutique hotel of the Thema Collection at Udawalawe, about 20 minutes from Udawalawe National Park, set beside a quiet waterway in the shade of the jackfruit trees that give it its name. Completed in 2024 to a design by architect Kasun C. Perera, it was built around the existing trees from reclaimed concrete posts, recycled steel and fibre-cement panels, and draws most of its power from its own solar farm.
All rooms have air conditioning and a fan, Wi-Fi, a minibar, a safe, a seating area, a writing desk, tea and coffee making facilities, a rain shower and Ayurveda-inspired toiletries by Ayurvie. Several have an attic sleeping level reached by an open steel stair, which makes them good for families. The names below are the ones you will see when you choose a room.
Up to three adults, or two adults with two children, can be booked in each suite. Children are welcome throughout, and the attic rooms and suites are the obvious choice for a family.
The restaurant, Polos, is named after the Sri Lankan curry made from young jackfruit. It is a semi-open pavilion raised above the ground and overlooking the water, open from 7am to 9.30pm, and serves both Sri Lankan and Western dishes with jackfruit worked into many of them. There is a bar, high tea by the river in the afternoon, and dinners set up elsewhere on the grounds on request.
Between game drives there is an infinity pool with a lake view, shaded decks, and the Tea Spa, where therapists offer Ayurvedic massages and treatments; yoga is also available. Bicycles are free to use, kayaks can be hired, and the hotel runs its own programme of experiences, from a sustainability walk around the grounds and an accompanied village bike ride to a village walk, traditional fishing, cooking with the local community and an agricultural and culinary experience.
Udawalawe National Park, one of the best places in Sri Lanka to see wild elephants in herds, is about 20 minutes away, and the hotel arranges jeep safaris. Close by is the Elephant Transit Home, where orphaned elephants are raised and returned to the wild, and which you can visit at feeding time. The Udawalawe reservoir lies along the edge of the park, and Embilipitiya is the nearest large town. For a change from wildlife, the historic manor house of Maduwanwela Walawwa makes an easy half-day trip, and Chandrika Wewa is another of the area's large reservoirs. The hotel also offers day trips to Yala National Park, and the Sinharaja rainforest can be reached from here for a long day out.
Allow about three and a half hours by road from Bandaranaike International Airport. The simplest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Waraka, which takes you all the way to the door; the hotel also has accommodation for drivers if you are touring with your own chauffeur.
It suits families and wildlife lovers who want a comfortable, modern base for Udawalawe with a pool to come back to, and travellers interested in sustainable design. One or two nights is enough for a safari and the Transit Home. For more choice in the area see our places to stay in Udawalawe.
Bookable activities, tours, and tickets within a 25 km radius.
from LKR 7,200
from LKR 9,600
from LKR 9,600
from LKR 9,600
from LKR 16,000
from LKR 35,200
Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
