River Garden Resort, Belihuloya, Sri Lanka

Nestled beside the Belihuloya river, approximately 158 km from Colombo along the Colombo–Badulla main road (A4), River Garden Resort is a place where the comforts of a well-run retreat meet the textures of the Sri Lankan countryside. The drive from Colombo takes around four hours, and the setting that greets visitors — shady gardens, mountain views, and the sound of flowing water — makes the journey feel worthwhile.

The resort offers three distinct accommodation options, each with its own character, alongside a range of facilities and activities that suit everyone from nature enthusiasts to those simply seeking a quiet escape.

Semi-Luxury Camping

The semi-luxury campsite is camping with a genuine difference. The tents are spacious, clean and modern, and guests sleep on comfortable mattresses while listening to what the resort describes as nature's very own orchestra. The camp has easy access to the restaurant, toilets, shower facilities, and freshwater open-air bathing in the river itself.

Garden Cottages

The individual cottages sit in a beautiful shady garden below the River Garden restaurant. Each cottage has an attached bathroom with toilet, basin, and hot and cold water shower. A winding path threads through the garden, connecting the cottages, the restaurant, cabana-style seating areas, and the Belihuloya river. After dark, atmospheric lanterns illuminate the whole area, giving the garden a quietly magical quality at night.

The Eco Lodge

A spacious eco lodge is located in the Kinchigune area of Belihuloya, offering views of the surrounding mountains and the Samanalawewa reservoir. The lodge has been restored using traditional methods — cajan (woven coconut palm leaf) covers the clay-tiled roof, and the building retains its mud walls, a mud-and-cow-dung mixture spread floor, and kithul poles in the windows. It is furnished with restored traditional chairs and beds. Set in a shady garden full of herbs and trees, guests can even pluck a jackfruit from one of the trees and learn to cook it the Sri Lankan way.

Resort Facilities

The resort's restaurant serves Eastern, Western, and Chinese cuisine. Beyond meals, guests have access to a well-stocked bar, a doctor on call, left luggage facilities, a mini library, and extensive tourist information — a practical range of amenities that makes longer stays comfortable and well-supported.

Activities and Excursions

River Garden Resort organises a broad range of nature and adventure activities for guests. These include bird watching, caving, cycling and mountain biking, kayaking and canoeing, hiking and trekking, rock climbing, white water rafting, rainforest explorations, wildlife safaris, off-the-road 4WD jeep adventures, nature trails, photography and filming missions, special study tours for fauna and flora, agro-tourism activities, eco-tourism experiences, and both nature wedding and honeymoon packages — including participatory, luxury, and super-luxury movable camping arrangements.