Gal Oya Lodge is a stunning, African-style safari lodge set in a beautiful, rarely visited Gal Oya National Park, in Southeast Sri Lanka. Nestled within a 20-acre private forest and strategically located on the outskirts of the park, it offers easy access to view its amazing wildlife including elephants, deer and leopards. Guided experiences include boat safaris over Sri Lanka’s largest reservoir and meet local ‘Vedda’ tribesmen, believed to be Sri Lanka’s earliest inhabitants.
Surrounded with lush forest, Gal Oya Lodge offers just 10 beautifully designed bungalows. Each are built from local materials with thatched roofs, polished cement floors and spacious bedrooms come with four-poster beds and a private veranda. Large glass windows ensure guests stay in touch with nature and the rich resident birdlife. There is an outdoor swimming pool with sun loungers overlooked by an in-house restaurant that serves delicious local and continental dishes.
Gal Oya National Park is famous for its boat safaris, which allow guests to see elephants swimming in between the islands in the great Senanayaka Samaudra reservoir. Guests at the Gal Oya Lodge can take guided boat and jeep safaris into the park, home to a wide variety of wildlife including deer, water buffalo, Sri Lankan leopard and monkeys, as well as a rich birdlife. Since the park is less visited by tourists, you can expect a peaceful and breath-taking, wildlife experience.
Amenities
Bar/PubConciergeCribs/Infant Beds AvailableFamily RoomGardenLibraryMultilingual StaffOutdoor PoolRestaurantSafety Deposit BoxesWi-Fi AvailableStay Gal Oya Lodge offers just 10 wooden bungalows. There are eight, rustic but spacious bungalows (74sqm) with a bedroom furnished with a king-sized four-poster bed and a living room with a private veranda. The ensuite bathrooms have twin vanities and indoor/outdoor showers. There is also a two-bedroom villa set at a vantage affording spectacular mountain and jungle views and a one-bedroom villa, slightly secluded for privacy which is ideal for honeymooners.
ChildCare Families with children are welcome at stay at the Gal Oya lodge. There is a spacious two-bedroom villa, each of which open out to a private veranda. One bedroom is furnished with a king-sized four-poster bed, the other with two singles and is ideal for families with children. Although there are no specific facilities for children but they will love the wildlife experience here.
Dine The in-house restaurant at the Gal Oya Lodge, located at the lodge’s mezzanine level has a beautiful rustic design; wooden pillars, thatched roof and a jungle landscape. There is a simple a la carte menu serving delicious International and local traditional meals prepared with fresh ingredients from its own vegetable garden. Breakfast is usually Western with Sri Lankan favourites; picnic lunches include delicious BBQ during game drives and lantern lit dinners have a wide choice of dishes.
Relax Facilities at the Gal Oya Lodge include a beautiful outdoor swimming pool, surrounded by trees and views of the surrounding mountains. Take a leisurely stroll in the lodge’s organic farm which supplies vegetables and eggs. Guests can get involved in the many activities supported by the lodge including the Jim Edwards Wildlife Research Centre, which runs numerous ongoing projects in collaboration with local and international conservation trusts and universities.
Experience Gal Oya National Park is the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka. An important feature of this Park is its elephant herds that can be seen swimming from one island to another. Gal Oya Lodge has created unique, guided experiences to include boat safaris with expert naturalists to see the swimming elephants, jeep safaris to the impressive Nigala River and bush walks with the ‘Veddas’ aboriginal people. Birdlife is exceptional on the lake where migratory birds swell between Dec to April.
Location Gal Oya Lodge is located close to Gal Oya National Park on Sri Lanka's central east coast, to the east of the hill country.
Getting there Fly into Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. From there,the property is a 7-hour drive.
When to go From May to August the Yala monsoon brings rain to the island’s southwestern half. The southwest has the highest rainfall – up to 4000mm a year. There is also an inter-monsoonal period in October and November when rain can occur in many parts of the island. The sea stays at around 27°C all year. Climatically speaking, the driest (and best) seasons in the Northeastern half of Sri Lanka are from May to August and for the west and south coasts, December to March.
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