ACCOMMODATION

Four luxury tents (two family tents for 4 and two twin tents), can accommodate up to 12 persons.

All our tents have been custom made to the particular clearing it occupies. We have concentrated on providing you with a safe and comfortable outdoor experience.

The handpicked high quality tent material keeps the heat and dampness out and the tent remains cool even during the mid-day heat. Each tent has large ‘windows’ and the front ‘door’ roll up flap enables perfect ventilation and the ‘outdoor feel’ without compromising on insect proof comfort. All tents are sealed with netting even when ‘windows’ are open. We need your support in ensuring your stay is comfortable – please keep the netting zipped.

All tents have permanent beds with fresh linen as you would expect in luxury lodges.

There are plenty of plug points for all your devices.

Kotiya (Leopard) Tent : (Sleeps 4 persons)
From the front deck and your bed, the endless blue of the crashing Indian Ocean and the rolling sand dunes are always visible. This incredibly spacious tent has 3 permanent beds (one king size double and 2 single). The large and completely ventilated modern toilet and shower is attached to the tent, and can be accessed in safety even in the night. There are plenty of plug points for all your devices.

Aliya (Elephant) Tent : (Sleeps 4 in two different units)
Inspired by the luxury camps of Africa, we created this ‘double room’ tent. Safety is combined with privacy with 2 permanent beds each in the two ‘rooms’. The shared modern toilet is in between with the shower area attached.
Nestled snugly in a clearing in the vegetation, the tent opens out to the dunes and the beach beyond. Don’t be too surprised if you hear elephants passing by or feeding in the jungle beyond.

Muwa (Deer) Tent : (sleeps 2)
Spacious and airy this tent has a twin beds, and if needed, there is space to add a temporary bed. The large and completely ventilated modern toilet and shower is attached to the tent, and can be accessed in safety even in the night.
Set on the high ground of a dune with vegetation to keep you cool, you look out over the rolling dunes from your bed. A restful outdoor space is created with a unique bamboo screen.

Kesbewa (Turtle) Tent. (sleeps 2)
Spacious and airy this tent has a twin beds, and if needed. The large and completely ventilated modern toilet and shower is attached to the tent, and can be accessed in safety even in the night. Set on the high ground of a dune with vegetation to keep you cool, this tent is situated close to the Aliya tent.

A big part the glamping experience is of course the meals in our shaded sea sand floor dining wadiya. We make sure everyone has a combination of the unfamiliar and exciting as well as ‘home-feel’ comfortable food to choose from. So we offer Sri Lankan traditional game-kama as well as contemporary dishes, international traditional and travel dishes. In keeping with the traditions of our Back of Beyond retreats, we use all fresh vegetables, fish and fruits. One of the best fishing habours in Sri Lanka is in the neighbourhood, so if you are a sea food lover – live it up!! Despite being a tented camp, the kitchen is modern and structured. But never fear… we love our camp fires – you will not miss out on that! Its Glamping after all!

Tents are offered on Bed and Breakfast, Half Board or Full Board basis.

We can also pack you a picnic lunch should you be going on a long dune walk, doing a full day safari, or spending the day exploring the historical sites of the South.

VIEW ACTIVITIES

Yes, the reason there are so many accommodation facilities in this area is Yala - Ruhunu National Park. But the Dune Camp is different – this is really so. We would very highly recommend the SUNRISE AND SUNSET BEACH DUNE WALKS. There is something beyond magical to be sitting on a sand dune looking out to Antarctic as the sky throws up a pallet of colour, the Kuda Ravana Light House flicks itself on and off, and turtles suddenly bob up in the waves. And…the icing on the cake – the 3km stretch of beach is completely isolated. Not a single village, even inland. The only ‘life’ around you is certainly ‘wild’ – we have followed the tracks of not just innumerable birds and crabs but also elephants, leopard, sambhur, wild boar, jackals over the dunes and along the beach. So please don’t venture out without speaking to our Naturalist.

Warning: The sea is not suitable for swimming. Its open deep sea, the rocks cause further currents and crashing waves. Please refrain from swimming or even wading out to sea.

A safari in a National Park is of course a big part of a visit to this area.

Yala - In spite of being famous for having the greatest concentration of leopards in the world, Yala is much more than for leopard watching. Herds of elephants, lone tuskers, sloth bear, wild buffaloes, deer, sambhur, jackals, crocodiles, innumerable birds, butterflies, trees, landscapes…the list goes on. For the morning round, we recommend you leave the cottage by 5.30 am to be at the Park gate as it opens. The best time for departing for the evening round is around 3.00 pm. If you prefer to spend the whole day at the park, take a picnic lunch and break journey by the Menik Ganga.

Beyond Yala, there is the beautiful and much less visited Lunugamvehera National Park on the north west boundary of Yala National Park. Lunugamvehera is around 1hr away by luxury safari jeep.

If you are a bird enthusiast, Bundala National Park (40 min. drive) and Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary (1.5 hr drive) offer excellent sightings, especially during the migrant season.

For those interested in history and culture, there is much more to explore in this part of the island.

The Civilization of Ruhana goes beyond two thousand years but is eclipsed by the central Anuradhapura Kingdom. Ruhuna’s ruins are scattered everywhere, along the coast and inland. Within easy access are the well-known sites of Kirinda (approx. 15 min. drive), Sithulpahuwa (45 min. drive), Tissamaharamaya (20 min. drive) and Kataragama (approx. 45 min. drive) as well as the lesser visited ones of Yatala (approx. 30 min. drive), and Thelulla Dagabas (approx. 30 min. drive).