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Wild Glamping Gal Oya is a small tented lodge of the Thema Collection at Rathugala, a remote village of the indigenous Vedda community on the edge of Gal Oya National Park, set on a 30-acre organic farm beneath forested, mist-wrapped hills. It was built by the villagers themselves, many of whom now work at the camp and on its farm, and it makes a good base for Gal Oya's boat safaris among swimming elephants.
Guests stay in thatched tented lodges, each with a private bathroom with a rain shower, air conditioning and a fan, a veranda, a seating area, a writing desk, a wardrobe, a safe, tea and coffee making facilities and custom-made natural toiletries. The names below are the ones you will see when you choose a room.
The restaurant is in a large thatched pavilion of traditional design facing the pool and the hills, open from 7am to 9.30pm, with Sri Lankan and international dishes cooked by the camp's own chefs. Vegetables come from the organic farm and fish from the nearby lakes, and the menu includes village specialities such as curd with bees' honey and smoked meat dipped in honey gathered by the Vedda people of Rathugala and Nilgala. There are barbecue nights on the river deck, and dinners can be set up by the pool or out on the farm for a special occasion.
The camp borders the Rambakan Oya stream, a good place to cool off after a day out, and has an outdoor pool with views of the hills. Guests can join in on the organic farm, a former slash-and-burn chena plot now run with drip irrigation and composting, and learn to cook traditional Vedda dishes with members of the community. Naturalists are on hand, and the camp runs a village bike ride, a cultural show, a farm tour, a jungle walk with a Vedda guide, a visit to Henewala cave, a trek up Monkey Mountain and walks and lake rides at Kiri Oruwa. You can read more about the forest dwellers of Rathugala and the Veddas of Sri Lanka before you go.
Gal Oya National Park is home to some 150 species of birds and 32 of mammals, including elephants, leopards, sloth bears and water buffalo, and it is far quieter than the better-known parks. The signature trip is a boat safari on the Senanayake Samudraya, Sri Lanka's largest reservoir, created in 1949: in the right season you may see elephants swimming between the islands, along with crocodiles, deer and plentiful birdlife. The boat trip takes about four hours including the transfer, with departures early in the morning, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and boats are shared by up to seven people; you will need to send a copy of your passport when you book. Jeep safaris go in through the Hathpotha entrance near Inginiyagala to the open banks of the reservoir, where herds of a hundred or more elephants have been seen in the dry season, and the camp also arranges safaris to Nilgala.
The forest monastery of Rajagala, dating back to the first century BC, spreads over 1,600 acres with more than 600 ruins, stupas and caves; the camp runs a half-day trek there, about an hour and a quarter's drive each way, which is fairly demanding. The district town of Ampara and the ancient stupa at Deegavapiya lie to the east, and the surf beaches of Arugam Bay are within reach to the south-east for those continuing round the coast.
Rathugala is on the far side of the island from Bandaranaike International Airport, in the hill country between Bibile and the east coast, so allow a full day's drive or break the journey on the way. The simplest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Wild Glamping Gal Oya, which takes you all the way to the camp; the camp can also arrange airport transfers.
It suits adventurous travellers, families and wildlife lovers who want to get off the usual circuit, meet a Vedda community and see elephants from the water, and who are happy to trade a big hotel for a comfortable tent in a remote village. Two or three nights gives time for the boat safari, a jeep safari and a day in the village. For more choice in the area see our places to stay around Bibile.
Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
