Resplendent Ceylon’s headline safari lodge, whose ‘Cocoon’ tents appear by bird's-eye view as a scattering of chunky larvae amid the boulder-strewn fringes of the leopard-dense Yala National Park, sits on the cusp of the Indian Ocean bordering Southern and Uva provinces in Sri Lanka’s Southeast. It’s loved for these characterful vintage-feel tented rooms, some with plunge pools, the curved, freeform saltwater pool – refreshingly unheated – with Jacuzzi and sitting spots, and its cavernous bamboo-ceilinged bar and restaurant. Now a fresh facelift brings additions of a sports and wellness space, fossil room, a crafty shop and an al fresco ocean-set bar for sundowners. Solar-powered, waste-avoidant and minimal impact conscious, this is a quality spot going from strength to strength.
Pod-like ‘Cocoons’ in the jungle wrapped in French canvas are kitted out with polished teak floors, freestanding copper baths, decent sound systems, porthole windows, plush leather easy chairs and soft rugs (there are special extension pods in the eight family suites). The Cocoons are arranged around landscaped waterholes; beach-facing suites have decks with plunge pools.
The domed dining pavilion and its breezy bar – which local fishermen helped to weave the roof of at the outset of the project – resemble some of the surrounding beach boulders on this wild stretch (so wild that no swimming is allowed on the actual beach). With its timber furniture and sandy floor, it’s glamorously rough and ready with plenty of natural cross ventilation. Because it’s open to the elements, any stray elephants drifting over to graze will be instantly spotted. The modern menu is bountiful and healthy, mixing Sri Lankan and pan-Asian classics with international dishes like steaks and racks of lamb. Sri Lankan and international versions mix at breakfast too, with sambols, pittu and hoppers and roti always on the go.
The lodge sits next to an unfenced border of Yala National Park, so elephants, or even leopards, might wander near the shore. Apart from a visit to the park itself (see ‘What to Do Nearby’ below), one of the eternal highlights of the lodge is the sundowners taking in the sunset over the Indian Ocean. You can’t swim here, due to the virulent surf, so this is the way to feel the ocean.
This year Wild Coast Tented Lodge has tweaked the interiors, adding new spots along with a refresh of its dining space, and a suite of new eating and cultural moments. The Quarry Gym is the new sports and wellness space (the design inspired by the singular geology of its surrounds); there’s also the Fossil Room – brilliant for children, it reveals the story of biodiversity and natural history in the park through objects. The Trunk is a new shop selling local products and crafts. Down by the sea, the Dune Lounge is a smart new spot for sunset cocktails, and the Library Cocktail Lounge is another new drinking spot. Various appealing new days out added include joining evening pooja at the nearby Kataragama Temple, visiting fishing village Kirinda by bike, and an immersive journey to Sithulpawwa Rock Temple, a second-century Buddhist monastery tucked into some rocky outcrops in the wilderness, visible from the park as a dash on the horizon.
It’s all about Yala National Park. Yala is wild and vast at 1,260 square-kilometres, and only a sliver is visible in a safari vehicle. Lodge guests have access to Block One of the park (Ruhuna), which is the most heavily visited, but also contains the brackish ecosystem of the coastal lagoons, Patanangala beach, and the highest concentration of leopards (in the world, not just here). This low scrub wilderness is dotted with rocky outcrops and tamarind trees (hangout of the leopards), shimmering grasses and lagoons (buffalo and crocodiles) and treetops (monkeys and sloths). There are multitudes of small-ish creatures too – from monitor lizards, mongooses, jackals and wild boar to pony-sized sambar deer. Ibis hop on the backs of elephants and there are herons, storks, pelicans, hawk eagles and peacocks galore. I visited at the beginning of the monsoon and saw rain-thrashed water holes filled with crocodiles, and lightning flashes over the ironwood trees.
When it opened in 2017, part of Resplendent Ceylon’s trinity of flagship properties in spots of outstanding natural beauty (alongside Ceylon Tea Trails and Cape Weligama), Wild Coast Tented Lodge became the standard-bearer for the elevated safari experience in Sri Lanka. Resplendent Ceylon is led by the charming Malik Fernando, whose father Merrill J. Fernando founded Dilmah Tea. The family are the pioneers of the top-end, culturally conscious hospitality blueprint of Sri Lanka.
Try and visit the national park in the afternoon, when it’s less crowded. The dawn queues can be something. Those used to the spaciousness of an African safari might baulk at the busyness of the park and the beeps of bumper-to-bumper safari vehicles queuing to see the leopards going about their business. But that is Yala. Bundala National Park (and its resident naturalists) is also within striking distance for wetland bird watching of greater flamingos and other migratory and local species.
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