62/1 Ereula Junction Kandalama Dambulla, 21108 Dambulla, Sri Lanka
#1 of 48 hotels in Dambulla
Guests' ChoiceBased on 64 hotel reviews
9.7Cleanliness
9.9
Comfort
9.9
Location
9.4
Facilities
9.9
Staff
9.9
Value for money
9.6
Free WiFi
10.0
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Showing 1 – 25
Reviewed: 8 May 2024
Arianna
ItalyThe best place where we stayed in Sri Lanka. It really gives you a sense of relaxation. The pool area is amazing, food is great, the rooms too.. I wish we could have stayed more!!
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 6 May 2024
Pamela
ItalyKandalama lodge is really a beautiful place. The modern design is perfectly mixed with the Sri Lankan wood style, which contribute to creating a peaceful and authentic atmosphere. There are only 5 chalets, one with its own pool, so the swimming pool area is really a place to relax. The staff is careful and discrete. The food is fresh and delicious, the best rice & curry we had in all the 10 days trip, I sincerely recommend to try it!
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 3 May 2024
Oliver
United KingdomCan't fault it.
During the three weeks we travelled Sri Lanka, this was our favourite stay. It's quiet, clean and everything is new and nicely designed. The service is excellent, particularly the owner who goes out of his way to make sure you're having a good time. The food is incredible and you can see the chefs making it due to the open kitchen. The pool is clean and tranquil, and the rooms are large and comfortable. It's a good location, an easy 30min tuk tuk to Sigiriya. Couldn't ask for more.
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 2 May 2024
Liz
BelgiumPerfect place to relax at the end of the day… or to spend the entire day! Only a handful of lodges and beautifully styled. Very clean inside the lodges and around the pool/garden. Loved the open air bathroom.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 1 May 2024
Konstantinos
GreeceEverything from start to finish was absolutely amazing!! Stuff super, owner perfect and facilities the best there is!!
Stayed in May 2024
Reviewed: 30 April 2024
Alexandra
United KingdomIt’s design is secluded yet spacious, natural and modern with interiors that are both comfortable and breathtaking. From the shabby chic living areas to the open top jungle bathrooms. Great food, incredible service from the staff and a real diamond of a find in this beautiful country.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 28 April 2024
Frederic
ChinaNothing
A small number of beautiful lodges in beautiful green surroundings. Everything fits together perfectly and is of good quality. Very friendly and helpful owner and staff. The food is more expensive than outside but it is simply fantastic. We had one of the best vegetarian curry selection cooked after our preferences. The breakfast is also really good.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 21 April 2024
Lucy
AustraliaBeautifully designed oasis with an incredible chef, making amazing food. Close enough to the caves, using their tuktuk driver. The accommodation was gorgeously designed, very comfortable. The pool was lovely and very clean.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 20 April 2024
David
AustraliaBe aware that it is a thirty minute tuk tuk ride to sirigiya and ten minutes to Dambulla so you need to allow time. As the private garden is surrounded by high walls You do feel a little removed from the real Sri Lanka but after a hectic day sightseeing that can be a good thing. I would prefer for environmental reasons that they stopped using plastic straws.
Peaceful, relaxing, quiet, clean. Set in a small private garden there are five villas surrounding a pretty and clean pool. Loved the cute private outdoor ensuites.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 17 April 2024
Leonie
GermanyLiterally nothing
10/10 because 15/10 is not available 🥰 Our stay at Kandalama Lodge for four nights in April 2024 was more than perfect. The property and the garden is absolutely beautiful and new (built in summer 2023), there are only five lodges so a lot of privacy and time to relax. The lodges are very modern and the jungle bathroom is breathtaking (noted, you will probably meet some small animals). The staff is absolutely amazing and loving, they are doing a perfect job and made our stay there absolutely outstanding and memorable. We felt like home in the first second we arrived and have been very sad to leave the place after five days. It’s a worry-free-zone 😍 There are two professional cooks that are serving outstanding food, breakfast lunch and dinner (take the curry variations!!). Best food we had during the whole trip and worth every $$ you pay. Further, the staff organises everything. They planned our pickup at the airport with a amazing driver, Mela. Our outstanding local guide from the hotel, Amila planned all our trips for us and suggested everything (siringiya rock in the morning is a must do!!, cave temple, elephant safari and piturangala rock, wood carving, batic, herbal garden) and even joined us on all our trips. We felt 100% safe all the time and we had a absolutely amazing time with Amila. We got snacks like corn watermelon and coconut on the tuktuk rides and he explained everything to us from a local perspective. We really really recommend doing the trips with him!!! We are really happy that he helped us with everything, because it’s quite overwhelming planning everything by yourself and it’s especially helpful to get his local perspectives on everything. Go on Tuktuk rides with him, he has the fastest Tuktuk on the island!!! So concluding, we cannot recommend it any more and hope to come back one day.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 13 April 2024
Lars
NetherlandsAmazing little resort! Great personnel who make the best food!
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 8 April 2024
Ruth
GermanyWhile the staff at the lodge were undoubtedly warm and welcoming, their enthusiasm to assist sometimes felt a bit overwhelming. For instance, they would often linger near our table, eager to refill drinks or clear plates, which, although well-intentioned, disrupted the relaxed atmosphere. Additionally, it seemed that tasks weren't always evenly distributed among the staff, leading to moments where requests prompted group discussions rather than swift individual action.
The Kandalama Lodge is a beautiful oasis and the perfect starting point for adventures in and around Dambulla and Sigiriya. We especially enjoyed the outdoor bathroom and the pool after our hikes. Also, the cook (and his curry!) are exceptional.
Stayed in April 2024
Reviewed: 1 April 2024
Pablo
AustriaTasty dinner but overrated, overpriced and we got it served partly cold due the kitchen's organization. The quality was good but don't expect a lot of food though. The shrimps were amazing.
It was very spacious and comfortable. A bit far from the main attractions but totally worth it. Very good breakfast, also possibility for sri lankan breakfast. The tuktuk service was priced well and the staff was very good. Super good and cheap restaurant nearby for amazing dahl (home kitchen dambulla).
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 28 March 2024
Leonardo
SpainMaybe a second roof could help reducing the noise of animals walking on it at night. They woke us up sometimes, but I guess is part of the experience :)
Everything is made with such an exceptional taste. We loved the outdoor bathroom. Everything looked even better than in the pictures. If the price was the double we wouldn’t be surprised.
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 27 March 2024
Ryan
United KingdomNothing.
Where do I even begin!! This place is exceptional right from the start to the end and we had such an incredible experience. So much so, that is was a real highlight of our whole Sri Lanka trip and that really says it all. From the beautiful grounds, to the stunning lodges with open air bathroom which was a real experience to connect with nature and to hear all the sounds. Everything in the hotel has been lovingly sourced from different parts of the world including the furniture and even the unique moon wall sculpture which is beautiful! We have never visited such a place where you can feel the love and care that has been put into this oasis. The place is spotless and so well maintained. We enjoyed spending an afternoon rejuvenating by the pool after a busy day hiking up Sigiriya. The food was another highlight!! They have a beautiful open air kitchen where there are 2 super talented chefs (chef Ananda and chef Darshan) who make all the food from scratch. The food is beautifully presented, all ingredients sourced and the food is to die for! We ate all our meals there and we were waited on by the amazing team who couldn’t do enough for us. The owner, Wedage is so friendly and he welcomed our family with open arms. He works incredibly hard for his guests and you can feel the care and effort which goes into what he does. It’s so incredibly refreshing to see how he does it and other hoteliers should definitely take note. He went above and beyond for us, even helping to source the coveted train tickets from Kandy to Ella which were completely sold out. He worked his magic and used his contacts to source tickets which were delivered to our next hotel. The team feel like one big family and you feel that across every part of the Kandalama lodge experience. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend staying here and if you are in doubt, just book it and you won’t regret it at all. The only regret you will have is not booking more nights ;)
Stayed in February 2024
Reviewed: 25 March 2024
Heidi
United StatesNothing
Our room was exceptional. We loved our pool and bathroom. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
Stayed in February 2024
Reviewed: 24 March 2024
Jeffrey
AustraliaFrom the moment we stepped inside the grounds of Kandalama Lodge, it felt relaxed and inviting. Each little villa was beautifully furnished with a comfortable verandah area to sit and a very spacious outdoor bathroom This was in a quiet area away from the hustle and bustle of Dambula and was perfect for visiting sites within the area, such as Dambula cave temples, Sigiriya, Pidurangala, Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa They have a resident tuk tuk driver Amila whom will take you anywhere you would like to go safely and with helpful information and a good price Highly recommend
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 20 March 2024
Nigel
United KingdomWe had to leave….
Wow! Wow! Wow! This small, exclusive, delightfully built & crated collection of 5 lodges and pool is one of the most relaxing and best property I have stayed in - excellent The food is incredible 2 chefs cook your food fresh, just for you in an open kitchen, so you can see them at work This fine dining experience, is obviously more expensive than the local buffet restaurants. But it is so worth it. In the UK, I would be paying 4 or 5 times the price - and the quality is exceptional I would strongly recommend staying here for 4 or 5 nights whilst taking day trips to explore this part of Sri Lanka Oh! & the outside private bathroom is to die for
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 17 March 2024
Lars
GermanyThe rooms where a little dark, but that’s also a heat protection and we did not see this as a real issue.
Small property, which makes the place very nice and private. Very good good - we just tried the Sri Lankian dishes and they are perfect. Very friendly and attending staff.
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 11 March 2024
Polly
United KingdomNothing couldn’t fault it
Beautiful place, super friendly staff, amazing fresh food, great location and very peaceful
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 11 March 2024
Séverine
Francecomfortable, quiet hotel with fine cuisine, in a peaceful location with a beautiful pool and garden. The owner and his team are adorable and very professional. In short, an ideal hotel for discovering the sites of this region.
Stayed in March 2024
Reviewed: 5 March 2024
Mrs
United Kingdomnothing.
The manager and staff went out of their way to help - nothing was too much trouble for them. The catering staff were very happy to accommodate special needs and the food was delicious. We loved our stay there - a small oasis after busy sightseeing every day. The pool was an added bonus.
Stayed in February 2024
Reviewed: 2 March 2024
Andrea
FranceEverything in our stay was perfect. The location of Kandalama lodge is great if you want to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigirya and Pidurangala. The lodge is cleverly designed, and well maintained. The garden is a quiet oasis, peaceful and beautiful. We stayed in both the deluxe villa with the private pool and the “regular” rooms. We enjoyed both. The staff made our stay even better. I’ve never seen a manager, cook and helpers so attentive in my life. I rarely rate a stay a 10/10 but they deserve it.
Stayed in February 2024
Reviewed: 2 March 2024
Frédéric
SwitzerlandEverything was fine!
Nice boutique hotel with swimming pool. Staff is great very helpful.
Stayed in February 2024
Showing 1 – 25
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