Reviews of Siyambala Resort - Udawalawa

We had the most wonderful stay at Siyambala Resort Udawalawa – it has truly been our favorite place of the entire trip. The hospitality we received from Hassen and Thisaru was absolutely outstanding. From the moment we arrived, they made us feel so welcome and cared for, going above and beyond in every possible way. The meals they cooked for us were not only delicious but some of the most beautiful and thoughtful food we’ve had in Sri Lanka – each one felt like it was prepared with so much love. Although the resort is still under construction, the room itself was amazing – peaceful, beautifully designed, and right by the river, which made it such a serene and relaxing stay. The attention to detail in the design is gorgeous, and it already feels like a special hidden gem. We can’t recommend Siyambala Resort highly enough. With hosts like Hassen and Thisaru, it’s not just a place to stay, but an experience you’ll never forget. We’re so grateful for our time here and can’t wait to come back one day!

Nothing - it was wonderful

Loved the chalet, lots of space and clean. The staff were attentive, very friendly and chatty! It will be even better once the renovations are completed with the big pool and restaurant!

No option to pay via card which we were not told in advance. Limited meal options with no advice on cost until payment.

The facility is in a quiet location, with modern comforts such as running water, A/C etc.

The place and its surround are over run with stray dogs. As a tourist we do not want to taken back to our respective countries for Rabies Treatment. Not with standing this, these dogs kept howling and barking night long consequently our group could not earn a peaceful sleep. On top of this, power cuts are a normal feature in this area. However, the standby generator was not started to help the situation. Food is anything BUT none existent at this location. Hassan speak great as if he is the part owner of this resort that is in progress of expanding with a few more chalets and swimming pool. NO where does the advertisement for this place say that these are the two chalets (twin chalets) at present on this property.

The accommodation was nearly new.

What is described on the website is inaccurate for the following reasons: 1 Food onsite is barely passable or non- existant. 2 Stray dogs on the premises and in the general area is a grave potential health risk - rabies!! 3 Restful sleep at night was non-existence due constant barking an howling from these dogs. 4 Hassen, the onsite inn keeper will be better to talk less (boast) and concentrate on looking at the comfort of visitors. 5 Work is in progress at this site to expand the accommodation facility. When this goes in full swing accommodation may be even more untenable. In short if we visit next time we will look at other places.

We book this place and were initially unsure before our trip began, but as the other positive reviews came in we were more confident in staying here. This resort is still being built so it’s just the two suites. It has a lot of potential, please stay here to support this resort.

There’s bugs, but you’re near the jungle and a river so there’s going to be bugs. The WiFi could be better. But overall we were happy.

This is the start of a new project and all the vibes are good. The rooms, kitchen/dining area and entrance are beautiful and built to a very high quality. The location is fabulous; so peaceful and tranquil. The rooms are sumptuously decorated and each have a private veranda with a beautiful view of the nearby river. The two men, Hassen and Anthony, currently running the property could not do enough to make our stay so enjoyable. A fabulous place to relax after an elephant safari.

Breakfast and dinner were very tasty but the menu choice is limited at the moment.

Beautiful and relaxing. Very nice location, right by the river. The chalet bedroom was lovely to stay in and the beds were very comfy. Staff very hospitable and friendly, going above and beyond to ensure a special stay

Minor things that didn’t bother us too much: WiFi didn’t work in room (aside from for WhatsApp) No plugs at all next to the beds

Great food and brilliant staff. They can't do enough to help.

Peaceful, clean , modern and the two staff members who worked there went above and beyond. It is the holy month of Ramadan so we are fasting. Both gentlemen were so accommodating to our request of having breakfast before sunrise.

Nothing really, it was lovely. We will definitely recommend to others

This is the best accommodation near Udawalewe National Park. Rooms are so lush for the price and the view is INCREDIBLE. Right in front of a beautiful river, which staff were kind enough to show me where to swim. Staff made me dinner when I arrived on short notice, and breakfast included in the price after my safari was great. Highly recommend this stay for a night or two and the hotel will arrange the safari tour for you.

Nothing

The room itself is great. The territory behind the hotel is amazing. That is all from good things.

As it is not a fully functioning hotel yet, there is no professional staff. To begin with, the room could use some cleaning especially the rugs by the beds. And there are still price tags on literally every single thing, even books on display. But it’s the least of the problems, as the biggest problem was the guy who was doing all possible jobs there. I wouldn’t know his name if you put a gun to my head btw. But he was trying so hard to please us so we leave a good review, that he wanted to SCAM us. At the checkout he gave us the receipt for our meals there (remind you, there’s no fully functioning restaurant) and it was 3 times the regular prices and prices from their “old” menu. In said menu the seafood fried rice for example was 1650 rupees and he wanted to charge 4000. On top of that he included all the teas/coffees (some of them were part of breakfasts that’s included in room price), water bottles, and additional dishes that he claimed was complimentary “just for us”, because he’s wanted to give us “5-star hotel services”. And on top of that he charged us the same 3x for the dinner where he served absolutely raw chicken (where he tried to cook it 3 times and 3 times he was bringing raw chicken) and making us wait for some semblance of food for 1,5 hours. And I don’t even want to mention the absolute disgrace of a “breakfast to go” when we were going early on safari. Also if you’re asked if you want local breakfast or English one, don’t even bother saying English, they won’t give to you anyway.

If you are lookking for a place to relax during your trip, this is a perfect location to rest and read a book.

Maybe the choise of food could have been better. The cook was not present, so the manager fixed it all to his knolidge., so the choise was very limited.

Beautiful cabin, really new, modern, comfy and nicely decorated. Peaceful area with the possibility to go for a walk into a nearby river. As the place is still in construction, they are offering a lower price so it was good value for money.

Not many options to eat nearby and because there are only 2 cabins at the moment, if you want to eat there they only offer one –quite overpriced– option. We had seafood fried rice and they tried to charge us 4000 each when the price in the menu was different and it’s a very high price for fried rice in Sri Lanka. While the amount is not that significant, we felt ripped off. We also didn’t like that the photos shown here are photoshopped or AI-generated showing you views that are not real. The surroundings are still nice but not those in the photos. The manager/owner tries hard to make you feel welcomed but we found him a bit too intense and a bit of a smoke-seller.

Lovely staff, so clean and big. The doors that open up at the back to the greenery is so lovely. Lots of reviews saying that you could hear people next door but we didn’t have this problem! The hotel organised the safari for us which was amazing and we had breakfast waiting on the table for us when we got back.

Nothing bad to say!

The design, the level of comfort, the staff were an excellent combination. Mano the manager was so helpful and really the nicest person ever.

There was a huge wasp nest outside the bathroom window so it was impossible to air it out. The window also needs a mosquito net at least to solve the issue. Secondly, the AI pictures are something I personally really don’t like, even though I understand the construction of the resort has not been finished and they need to advertise it somehow. It’s a beautiful place regardless.

The architecture is wonderful, and this is going to be a great resort once finished.

You can hear everything from your neighbour's room, as the villas are separated with a wooden wall only.

Beautifully decorated, very comfortable bed and bedding- a bit of luxury in the jungle!

There is a door with poor sound proofing which connects the two rooms - our next door neighbours talked very loudly and we could hear every word. It’s quite a way out of central Udawalawa so you can’t walk back.

the place is good.

there are only two rooms.