A quiet guest house near Nochchiyagama and Wilpattu National Park in Sri Lanka, with air-conditioned garden-view rooms, Asian breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free on-site parking.
See prices and availability
Wilpattu Wild Cottages is a small guest house set in a garden outside Nochchiyagama, in the Sri Lankan countryside and close to Wilpattu National Park, the island's largest wildlife reserve. It is a calm, practical base for travellers who come for leopards, sloth bears and elephants, and for anyone who wants a restful night between the ancient city of Anuradhapura and Puttalam.
There are just two room types, a Double Room for couples and a Family Room that sleeps up to four. Both are air-conditioned and soundproofed, look out over the garden and have a private bathroom with a bath, a shower and a bidet, plus a tea and coffee maker and their own dining table.
Mornings start with an Asian breakfast, Wi-Fi is free throughout the property and there is free private parking on site. The reception staff speak English, and the early check-out window, from 05:00, suits guests heading out on a dawn safari.
Wilpattu Wild Cottages keeps things simple with two room types, one for couples and one for families or small groups. They share the same comforts: air conditioning, soundproofed walls, a garden view and a private bathroom with a bath, a shower, a bidet, a hairdryer, slippers and free toiletries. Each room also has a tea and coffee maker with an electric kettle, a wardrobe and a small dining area with its own table, handy for a quiet cup of tea before or after a safari.
The difference is space for sleeping: the Double Room has one double bed for two guests, while the Family Room has two double beds and welcomes up to four.
Wilpattu Wild Cottages is about comfort and quiet rather than long lists of extras. The rooms are air-conditioned and soundproofed, the private bathrooms come with a bath, a shower, a bidet, towels, slippers, a hairdryer and free toiletries, and each room has a tea and coffee maker, an electric kettle and a dining table.
Breakfast is Asian, the garden is there to relax in after a day in the park, and Wi-Fi is free in all areas. Free private parking is available on site without reservation, non-smoking rooms are available and the reception staff speak English.
Wilpattu Wild Cottages lies in the countryside outside Nochchiyagama, a small town in Anuradhapura District, on the edge of Wilpattu National Park. The nearest restaurants are around a 15-minute drive away, and the ancient city of Anuradhapura is within easy reach for a day trip.
Most international travellers land at Bandaranaike International Airport near Colombo, around three and a half to four hours away by road. Sigiriya Airport is about 89 km away. By rail, the Intercity service from Colombo Fort reaches Anuradhapura in roughly three hours, and from there a taxi or tuk-tuk completes the trip. The main Hunuwilagama entrance to the park is reached from the A12 between Puttalam and Anuradhapura. Free private parking is available on site with no need to reserve, and check-in runs from 13:00 to 23:00.
Wilpattu is the reason most guests come. Sri Lanka's largest national park is dotted with villus, shallow natural lakes where leopards, sloth bears, elephants, spotted deer and water buffalo come to drink, and birdlife is rich, with winter migrants from November to March. The gates open at 06:00 and close at 18:00; arriving early beats the queues, and a full day gives the best chance of sightings, although a morning game drive followed by a quiet afternoon back in the garden also works well. The drier months, broadly from February to September, are the best time to visit, as animals gather at the remaining water. Closer to home, the Ihala Maragaha Wewa lake makes a peaceful stop. Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, deserves at least half a day: the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree grew from a cutting brought in the 3rd century BC, and the Thuparama is the island's oldest stupa.
