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Kithala Resort is a 40-room Thema Collection hotel in Tissamaharama, near Yala, where every room has a balcony looking out over the surrounding paddy fields. Named after the kithala, the purple swamphen that feeds in the wet fields around it, the resort is built around open lawns, a long pool and a large pond, and its back garden is a sanctuary for birds, which makes it a good base for both safaris and birdwatching around Tissamaharama.
Most of the resort is made up of Deluxe rooms, with a single suite on the upper floor. The names below are the ones you will see when you book.
Rooms take a maximum of three adults, or two adults and one child; the tents take two. Check-in is from 2 pm and check-out by noon.
The main restaurant seats 60, indoors or outside, with views over the paddies, the garden and the pool, and serves local and Western dishes from breakfast until 9.30 pm. The main pool bar, open from 9 am to 11 pm, pairs spirits and cocktails with Western snacks. For a special evening the resort can set up a private dinner by the paddy fields or in the garden.
The main pool is just over 15 metres long and from about 0.9 to 1.6 metres deep, with a separate shallow pool for children. You can borrow a bicycle to ride out through the paddy fields, play badminton, mini pool or board games, or simply watch the birds in the back garden. The resort runs a village and paddy-field walk, a sustainability walk and a visit to a local supplier to make Tissamaharama's famous buffalo-milk curd. Wi-Fi and parking are free, a doctor is on call, and drivers are accommodated and fed free of charge.
Jeep safaris into Yala National Park, best known for its leopards, can be arranged from the hotel, and Bundala National Park, famous for its waterbirds, is close by. A sunset boat ride on Tissa Wewa, the ancient reservoir beside the town, is a lovely way to see the birdlife, and the great white Tissamaharama Raja Maha Stupa stands nearby. Further up the Kataragama Road, the pilgrimage town of Kataragama and its temple complex are sacred to Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims alike. The resort also runs full-day trips to see the elephants of Udawalawe National Park.
The resort is about 184 kilometres from Bandaranaike International Airport in a straight line, and most of the drive south is on the Southern Expressway. The simplest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Kithala Resort, which brings you to the door. Small aircraft use Weerawila Airport nearby, and the resort can arrange airport shuttles at a charge.
It suits families, couples and wildlife lovers who want a relaxed base for Yala and Bundala, with a pool to come back to and a rural setting among the rice fields rather than a jungle lodge. Two or three nights allows a morning and an afternoon safari and time by the pool. For more options in the area see our places to stay in Tissamaharama.
Excellent place to visit if you are seeking to stay with calm and quite environment. Service is also appreciated.
Location is beautiful and perfectly placed for Yala safari, we were given a breakfast pack which was a nice detail. The swimming pool and bar area and very nice and quiet, with good service and the pool acts as a lovely escape f…
Beautiful suite and comfortable. Great pool area overlooking the fields! The staff were all lovely and very attentive. Very quiet and enjoyable stay and close the national park
Ratings and reviews provided by TripAdvisor for Kithala Resort - Thema Collection.
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