The Warden's House

The Warden’s House stands directly alongside the Menik River, a waterway that threads through Sri Lanka’s dry zone and supports riparian forest and grassland habitats. At the lodge’s edge, Sri Lankan grey hornbills, junglefowl and brown-capped babblers forage in the tree canopy. And the river beckons for bird-spotting in the forest.

The lodge has four suites named after Sri Lanka’s most renowned national parks and landscapes: Yala, Kumana, Wilpattu and Horton Plains. Each is individually decorated with antique furnishings and vintage photography. We especially love the subtle theme of local birdlife woven throughout the interiors.

The Warden’s House is a great base for exploring Yala National Park and the surrounding towns. In Block 5 of the park, morning and afternoon game drives take you through dry-zone forests, grasslands and rocky outcrops in search of leopards, elephants and sambar deer. The nearby town of Kataragama is home to two temples – Kiri Vehera Temple and Kataragama Davalaya Shrine – where the Kataragama Perahera festival is celebrated in July and August in honour of the Hindu god of war and wisdom, Skanda.

We especially recommend visiting Sithulpawwa Monastery perched atop an escarpment. Here you’ll see rock-hewn caves and ancient paintings dating back to the 2nd century BCE, attributed to King Kavan Tissa.