Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge

Other reviewers have mentioned the uncomfortable journey to reach the lodge. The road is indeed dreadful. The Lodge itself was very good. Accommodation is in large and well appointed tents which have a large balcony overlooking the valley, although our tent was in need of some maintenance of the zips. Watching sunrise over the Knuckles mountain range from our bed was a highlight. The food in the restaurant was OK but not as good as elsewhere on our holiday, and service was a little slow (seemed to be understaffed) and we had to ask for water for our rooms and at mealtimes. The walks through the tea plantation, including one to the local Hatale mini-World's end were very relaxing, and we enjoyed learning about the planting and harvesting of tea and seeing the picking and sorting of the leaves. However, - as we found out - the Lodge is NOT a good base for hiking the Knuckles range (one of the reasons we came here). We did do a full day hike - 7 hours of hiking with a local guide which was a great hike, and we reached the top of the highest of the Knuckles. However, it took 2 hours by car to reach the start of the hike, and a further 2 hours to return to the lodge, making for a very long day. Anyone wanting to hike in the Knuckles would be better off staying close to the trails.

Super nice to stay for 4 nights. The tents are great and very nice, however, some might need a new zip-lock. The place is quiet and has a beautiful nature around. The road to the hotel is horrible and must be fixed, especially the last 3 km took our driver 30min. At last the food is okay. Sri Lanka chef making western food is a good enough, but not western food. The food prices are reasonable and there is a lot of different hiking tours to go with. The hotel is a long way from many places, so come and stay for a few days, but do not plan to many trips.

Had a wonderful stay here. What a special place! The views were amazing, the tents were a really unique and private experience. We did with Yoga with Sadaruwan which we would recommend to anyone staying here- it was splendid. Had a good massage, delicious food and a wonderful hike around the tea plantation.

Although it is a long journey up to this lodge it is truly worth it. The views from the tents are incredible and I had the pleasure on taking a guided walk to the "world's end". We also took a walk down into the village were we were welcomed into a home a fed well. This is just a few of the activities provided. With the infinity pool and warm welcome of the ambiance of the reception (which contained a pool table and chess) it truly was a magical stay.

We stayed in the lodge for 2 nights, if you need to recharge yourself this is the best place to do so. The view is breath taking, the food was great and the staff is just outstanding. They made us feel home thank you to Indila you’ll, kumuduni, Kushan, Kasun who made our stay special. Definitely coming back and recommending it to anybody who needs a break !

The estate is even more stunning in real life. The tents were kitted out perfectly and large. The staff were excellent. We particularly enjoyed a two hour hike we did with a guide. He was very informative. If we had realised how amazing this place was we would have stayed an extra night (we only stayed for two nights). Our son loved running around the estate, swimming, playing games etc. It was not clear on some booking websites that the tents can facilitate an extra children's bed. The only thing we would change is the wine list. It is limited and not particularly interesting wine.