Good For You

Life at Tree Tops Jungle Lodge is all about getting back to basics. There are no showers here, instead you'll bathe at a freshwater well, nor is there any electricity. Meals are cooked over a wood fire and accommodation is found in simple but stylish mud huts.

Set in the Weliara wilderness bordering Yala National Park, the lodge was originally built as a private nature retreat for environmentalists but opened its doors to tourists in 2002. Since then, scores of couples have come seeking an alternative jungle adventure.

A handful of thatched unfenced clay huts sit discreetly in a jungle landscape that elephants call home. Time your visit right and you'll see dozens of the majestic creatures. The bird life here is also prolific - there are more than 160 species in the area - and the region is even home to leopards.

It's an incredible spot and you're guaranteed to have a Sri Lankan jungle experience like no other.

Good For Sri Lanka

The idea behind Tree Tops Jungle Lodge is to live close to nature with minimal infrastructure and minimal impact. The huts are made from natural materials found on the spot and no trees were felled or land cleared to build them. There are no fences here, animals are free to roam where they choose and the huts blend seamlessly into the landscape.

The lodge is actively involved with elephant protection. The 'human-elephant' conflict is particularly prevalent here where villagers often kill elephants for destroying their crops and raiding their villages. The lodge practices a philosophy of coexistence with the elephants and hopes to educate locals to do the same.

Rooms

Food

Features & Facilities

A stay at the Tree Tops Jungle Lodge is all about getting back to nature. It usually takes visitors at least a couple of days to settle into their surroundings and completely relax. Activities organised by the lodge focus on exploring the natural surroundings and spotting for elephants and other flora and fauna. There are also a number of important Buddhist shrines and monuments in the vicinity.

At the lodge itself guests can laze in a hammock and soak up the jungle sounds, watch the birds (there are over 160 species in the area), enjoy a native-style bath at the freshwater well and learn the native art of cooking rice and curry.

Local Info & Activities

Guided Jungle Tours Either on foot or by 4WD, guests at the lodge can explore the forest with a team of at least four trackers. Wildlife Observation Tours are offered to three different parks within the area although the most common is to Yala National Park which offers the best variety in terms of scenery and wildlife. This is a great spot for leopard sightings. The best months for spotting elephants are between June and September.

Ancient Irrigation Systems As part of Sri Lanka's ancient large scale irrigation system, King Saddhatissa - Dutugemunu's brother and successor to the Royal Throne in the 2nd century B.C. - constructed Weliara Wewa (’tank’). Ruhunu is actually in the dry zone but with the highly developed art of tank building, Buthala was known as the 'rice bowl' of the country. The ancient irrigation system is still used today, especially for the irrigation of paddy fields.

Hills of Enlightenment Tree Tops is situated 2 km from the base of a mysterious ring of hills called Arahat Kanda. During the Ruhunu Kingdom, these hill tops were home to Buddhists monks and the local belief is that several monks reached the state of Nirvana at this place.

Kataragama Kataragama is the main place in Sri Lanka where bhakti ('emotional') style religious activity is observed. Hundreds of thousands of devotees gather here annually to make vows, walk on fire, pierce themselves with big needles and perform other examples of religious fervour. Peak seasons for the pilgrimage to Kataragama are the days around Full Moon ('Poya'), especially in May and August.

Within Kataragama stands the Maha Devala, a six-faced, 12-armed Buddhist God-Kataragama - one of four Lankan guardian Gods in the cosmology of Sinhalese Buddhists. This god is also known as the God of War, Skanda, in the pantheon of Hinduism.

Ancient Buddhist Monuments For those interested in Buddhist rock monuments there are two first class attractions close to Tree Tops Jungle Lodge: Buduruvagala and Maligawila. Their somewhat remote location means that few visitors to Sri Lanka see these monuments.

The seven gigantic rock figures of Buduruvagala date back to the 10th century A.D., and are carved out of a large rock wall. These figures are quite unique being of the Mahayana Buddhism, as the Theravada school of Buddhism historically has been all-dominant in Sri Lanka. One of the beautiful figures is thought to be the mythological Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara.

The huge crystalline limestone rock statue of Maligawila dates back to the 6th century A.D. For centuries it lay fallen and covered by thick jungle until rediscovered in the 1950s. It was restored between 1989 and 91. The 11m high Buddha is regarded to be the largest freestanding Buddha rock statue in the world.

INSIDER TIP/S

Tree Tops is not equipped for young children - there are no kid-friendly activities or facilities. Tree Tops recommend a minimum age of 15 years.

There is no electricity here but there is a facility for charging digital cameras that's powered by a car battery so you'll be able to take plenty of snaps.

Good walking shoes, insect repellent, binoculars, a water bottle, and a flashlight (torch) with extra batteries are essentials.

You will also need a supply of cash - the lodge does not accept credit cards.

Sustainability

The idea behind Tree Tops Jungle Lodge is to live close to nature with minimal infrastructure and minimal impact. The huts are made from natural materials found on the spot and no trees were felled or land cleared to build them. There are no fences here, animals are free to roam where they choose and the huts blend seamlessly into the landscape. The lodge practices low impact tourism by observing the following principles:

• Simple clay huts and tree huts make the lodge almost invisible.

• No trees were felled or ground cleared to build the lodge

• The lodge is not fenced but integrated in the forest.

• Live in harmony with the elephants and other animals

The human-elephant conflict

A characteristic feature of the area is the so called ’human-elephant’ conflict – the violent clash between villagers and elephants raiding cultivated plots. This problem, which is the main threat to the endangered Asian elephant, is due to deforestation and habitat fragmentation. The lodge frequently gets reports of a village house that was smashed by an elephant - the elephant has pushed down walls looking for vegetables, rice grains or salt.

During the months of June-September, many elephant herds come into the area from Yala National Park. The village folk shoot at many elephants in a bid to chase them away. The hunters too, shoot at them mainly to keep them away from the area, so they could hunt without the fear of an elephant attack. Many elephants are wounded in this exercise, some killed. The total wild elephant population of Sri Lanka is about 2500 animals, at least 150 are killed every year.

Philosophy of coexistence with wild elephants

It’s the policy of the lodge that peaceful coexistence with elephants is possible by using the animals’ intelligence; trying to let them understand our ’friendly intentions’. Unlike other human settlements, at Tree Tops elephants are not chased away, or shouted at in aggressive ways. There has been the odd minor incident where elephants have attempted to raid the lodge's kitchen but the lodge has responded by talking to the elephants and thus far, this method has been successful. In case of emergencies, the lodge stocks powerful ’elephant crackers’ to scare the elephants away.

Reality tourism

Visitors are not isolated from but introduced to real life including some of the problems faced by Sri Lanka. A stay at Tree Tops Jungle Lodge offers an alternative perspective on the Sri Lankan eco-systems and an insight into the interaction between wildlife and humans in a remote area.

Benefiting the local community The local people (about 25 families) have no alternative to hunting animals and illegal logging to survive the six months when farming comes to a halt because of the drought. The villagers are extremely poor - in the 'dry zone' only one crop can be cultivated a year.

The crop is mainly rice which is a favourite food of the elephant. The lodge is working to find alternative crops, less attractive to the elephants. A combination of agroforestry and replanting of jungle may be the best long term solution. Buying up land and let it grow wild may also be a way forward.

The whole staff team including Kamal, the Enlish-speaking senior assistant and host, are locals working as trekking guides, night watchmen, cooks etc. All are highly experienced in the ways of the jungle. Sustainable tourism is part of the solution to the problems of the area as small scale responsible tourism will generate an income among the local community and thereby reduce their need of hunting and logging. At the same time the management of Tree Tops depends on the villager’s local knowledge of the jungle. The local staff have been offered English lessons and trained in interpretation programs.

Problems of the area The bottom line towards all the destruction of nature is poverty. From around the month of March onwards there is no farming in the area. During the months of July-September, the jungle is so dry that forest fires become a major concern. Most wells in the area run dry and villagers have to trek long distances in search of water.

Another problem are the hunters who deliberately start fires as it makes it easier for them to spot game. There are two types of hunters - those who use automatic weapons that hunt in order to sell on the skins, tusks and meat of the animals and those who hunt out of necessity, the poor village people.

The lodge & tourism

The lodge believes that tourism, properly managed, can be very beneficial to the local communities and thereby help preserve the natural habitat as well. Once locals understand that visitors come to the area expressly for the nature and wildlife they will understand that their income depends on protecting and not destroying this natural habitat.

Getting There

It's 9km from Buttala, 40km from Ella (1 hours drive) and 275km from Colombo.

By Air Bandaranaike International Airport is Sri Lanka's only international airport. It is located in Katunayake, 35 km north of Colombo. The airport is serviced by a number of international airlines including Air India, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines and Thai Airways International.

The hotel can arrange a private transfer for you from anywhere in Sri Lanka alternatively you can make your own way to Buttala by air, train or car.

By Plane At Colombo airport, transfer onto a Sri Lankan Airlines Air Taxi, which flies to Weerawila Airport in just 30 minutes. From here you can get a taxi to the Lodge.

By Train

Trains run regularly between Colombo and Ella, from Ella you can take a taxi or find a local driver to drive you to the Lodge - journey time approx. 1 hour.

By Car

It's a six hour car journey from Bandaranaike International Airport to Buttala and the best way to do this is to hire a private driver. Enquire with the Good Travel Company for more details.

From Buttala

Once you're here the easiest thing to do is to hire a 'tuk tuk', an Asian 'three wheeler' taxi for the 9km journey to the lodge. The lodge recommends finding a driver outside Aruna Stores in the centre of town, opposite the bus stop. This journey will cost around 400 rupees.

Transfers

Pick up Airport or Colombo and transfer to Buttala / Tree Tops Jungle Lodge US$145

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

Staying at Tree Tops Jungle Lodge is full board (all meals) and all inclusive

• US $75.00 per person per night
• 3 nights including all 'standard' jungle walks - $240 per person
• Guided walks from $25 per walk ( 2 - 3 hours)
• Leopard Safaris from US 160 per person(full day / day camp in the park / morning and afternoon safari)

booking & cancellation policy

A 15% non-refundable deposit secures a reservation, with the remainder payable directly to Tree Tops.

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.