Overall the most authentic and incredible experience we had in Srilanka. From the comfortable tents, location to nature, absolutely lovely staff who went out of their way to make our stay amazing, and hands down the best meal we had. Was a full inclusive experience and for the price is an absolute must do !

Nothing

Makalu Safari Camp offers a unique setting, the location is ideal for nature lovers. In the morning, we saw monkeys, kingfishers, monitor lizards and peacocks in the camp alone. At night you will see Eagle Owls and fruit bats. The camp is around 10 minutes from Udawalawe National Park and 20 minutes from the Elephant Transit Centre. Due to the location you’ll need to have lunch and dinner at the camp, but you will not be disappointed. The chef offers a seven dish meal and they even try to provide alternative dishes for the children. The staff were exemplary and went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable. We booked a morning safari and the staff even packed breakfast for us. It really was a memorable experience and our kids didn’t complain about the lack of wifi once. You really need to have an open mind as the camp is basic, the electricity is provided by a generator which runs for short periods in the evening, obviously there is no WiFi and the the animal sounds throughout the night is relentless. All in all, it’s a great experience for a couple of nights and the service provided by the staff is outstanding.

Everything! Above all the staff, they were extremely kind to us, always finding new ways to tell us more about Sri Lanka and finding activities for our kids. This ranged from creating a cricket bat with coconut tree and playing cricket with us, to taking us to a boat tour or as simply as making us taste a few fruits directly of the trees. At the end of the journey we really felt they were part of the family.

Very scenic and peaceful setting by the river and surrounded by cane fields. The staff went out of their way to be helpful and arranged a safari for us and also a trip to the elephant orphanage. The tents were large and had ensuite sections. The food served at breakfast and dinner was plentiful and good.

Power was by generator and was only turned on for part of the day. The information given on booking dot com and also in emails to me by Makalulu Camp said that there was a restaurant and drinks were available to purchase but this was not the case. Food was prepared on-site at dinner and breakfast time and there was no choice.