Sinharaja Forest Edge

Horrific experience. The hotel itself seems okay but we had a lot of problems. When we first arrived we had to wait over an hour, with a lot of unnecessary discussion to be shown to our rooms which we booked. Then we were given no options for food, we couldn't order from the menu just have a very overpriced cold unflavoured buffet with very limited choice. In the morning we had a very serious complaint, about a situation, and where not taken seriously what so ever. The staff in general was largely unhelpful and creepy, the manager in particular was Incredibles rude to us over the phone (never bothered to show up). Ruined what could have been a nice stay.

A Deeply Disappointing and Unprofessional Stay; A weekend wasted. Had an incredibly unsatisfactory experience here, which turned what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway into a series of frustrations and disappointments. The problems were many, touching almost every aspect of what one might expect from a decent lodging experience. Pricing and Charges: Overcharging on Arrival: Despite a previously agreed upon price, the hotel decided to increase the charges by an alarming 20% upon arrival, with no prior warning or justification. Exorbitant Meal Prices: The cost of meals was shockingly high, with a basic rice and curry per person priced at 2000, far beyond reasonable expectations. Room Rates: The charge for a bread and breakfast stay in a triple room ranged from 7500 - 15,000, which is exorbitant given the substandard facilities and services provided. Facilities and Amenities: Lack of Electricity: The room lacked a basic amenity – electricity – throughout our stay. No Air Conditioning: Despite promises of air-conditioned rooms, this was not the case, adding to the discomfort. Poor Water Pressure: The water pressure was unbearably poor, making even the simplest tasks frustrating. Dilapidated Road Access and No Parking: Access to the hotel was hindered by a poorly maintained road, and the lack of parking space was a significant inconvenience. Inaccurate Location on Google Maps: The hotel's location on Google Maps was incorrect, leading to unnecessary confusion and delay in arrival. Last-Minute Changes to Booking: The hotel unilaterally changed our booking specifications at the last minute without informing us, showing a total disregard for customer preferences and plans. Service and Safety: Poor Communication and Rude Service: The staff's and particularly the owners, who is from Matara, communication was poor, and their service often rude, creating an unwelcoming atmosphere. Differential Treatment: There was a noticeable difference in the treatment of locals versus foreigners, which is unacceptable and discriminatory. Unsafe Surroundings: The area around the hotel felt unsafe, with unsavory characters giving our group, especially the ladies, uncomfortable attention. Misleading Information: The hotel did not provide clear instructions upon booking and seemed to be trying to maximize profits at every turn through deceptive practices. The Few Positives: Helpful Restaurant Manager: The only silver lining was the restaurant manager, who tried his best to be accommodating amidst the chaos. Credit Card Payment: The availability of credit card payment was a small convenience in an otherwise problematic stay. This hotel failed on almost every conceivable measure, from basic amenities and safety to customer service and transparent pricing. It's disheartening to see such a blatant disregard for guest experience in pursuit of profit. I strongly advise against staying here unless significant improvements are made across the board.

Exellent place, perfect location for hiking in the Sinharaja national park. Book the guide with your hotel to get a serious and experienced one. There are many hustling guides around who will force you to pay extra for nothing. The attentive host Prasad Jagoda and his staff will service you in the best way and make it a memorable stay for you.

Very nice place, instead of 2x3 person rooms we could check in with 3x2 double rooms all with own bathroom. Very nice swimming pool, friendly staff, good food and a very nice jungle walk directly from the hotel. Totally different environment of other parts of Sri Lanka, worth a visit!

We had a really bad experience here I do not recommend this place for everyone don’t ruin your holidays with them. * Location is nice * Hot water and AC system didn't work properly 😠 * Water pressure is not enough and intentionally cut down water.😡 * Intensionally cut down power at midnight (no generator) 😡 * Swimming pool is not maintained. ☹️ * Customer service is awful 😞 * Tasty of food is zero 🤮 This property owner is the rudest. When we tried to give feedback he didn't pick up the phone. Avoid this place not worth your money and time.

Getting there is tricky as Google Maps does not know the correct roads which is not the owner’s fault. I checked and Google showed we were not even driving on any roads but right in the woods. Also Google at the end showed a like 200m walk over a river where we actually had to drive another 15km. „Streets“ are narrow and at some point I doubt a car other than a Jeep will make it there. The hotel is situated right at one entrance to Sinharaja. Rooms might need maintenance at some point but nothing big. Door to my room was a little tough to slide, top of toilet flush was broken. Hot water was working, just keep in mind that the heater will simply not be able to heat properly if you use maximum water flow. Simply reduce the flow a bit and you’ll get a nicely hot shower. Rooms were clean Sri Lankan style. Simply do not exspect the same standards you might be used from Europe. If you need 100€ European Room Standard do not exspect it at a rate of 25€. Also be aware that you are at the RAIN forest. Humidity was at 99% so everything will feel a little moist unless you book a fully climate controlled room. They have a nice small pool, too. Restaurant was very clean, food was delicious, tasty, yummy at a fair price. You can decide on different guided tours starting with a 5km roundtrip up to 14km trails. They also offered a nearly 3 hrs guided birding tour in the mornings. I did the 5km guided tour thru Sinharaja at 11am which was great. Again, remember no one can give you a forecast on what you are going to see during the tour. Wildlife is not predictable. Exspect nothing and be amazed by everything you discover! Birding tour took place in the fields and village at 7am. Actually I wouldn’t need a guided birding tour as I did hundreds of them myself back home and also am able to recognize maybe half of the Sri Lankan birds. However, these birding guides must have implanted binoculars. They spot and recognize birds where you wouldn’t even guess it’s a bird at all. Therefore I highly recommend to hire a guide for the birding tour. Finally the Lady who runs the place, I guess Mischa was her name, is a warm and very nice Person, trying to make your stay as comfy as possible. Thanks for the nice stay! Andreas and driver Saman

I picked Sinharaja Forest Edge by checking the reviews on Trip Advisor and decided to reserve a double room. I called Gayani, the owner Prasad's wife, and was given precise details of the Full Board charges for a double room as Rs. 10,000/- per day and upon my query informed what was provided for the said charges which included transport by a hotel vehicle from the parking area up to the hotel along the gravel road and one half day trek with park entrance fees. We stayed at Sinharaja Forest Reserve for 2 nights (i.e 2nd and 3rd January 2023). My friend and I were given a double room with AC. There was no generator during the power cut. But 2 candles were provided. The staff were very friendly, especially Shali who served us during meals. On the first day, having arrived in the afternoon we were provided with a half day trek with the Guide Sujeevani. She took good care of us and ensured we were protected from leeches by applying salt on our socks and shoes before the trek, which touched me as a sweet gesture. She pointed out various trees, plants and insects for us to photograph. On the following day, we were asked to pay Rs. 12,000/- for the guide (later reduced to Rs. 10,000/- for 2 visits to Sinharaja in the morning and afternoon with park entrance fees). The 2nd Guide Sagara Nadun took a lot of trouble to ensure we enjoyed the visit. He took us to 5 water falls within Sinharaja from the Lanka Gama Entrance which will stay in our memory for ever. He understood we were interested in photography and made the experience inside Sinharaja truly memorable. The only downside was being ripped off over the room charges which was offered as Rs. 10,000/- for a Full Board double room and later when the bill was handed to us, we were shocked to see Rs. 20,000/- for a Full Board double room per day, totaling Rs. 40,000/- for 2 days + Rs. 10,000/- for the 2nd Guide. When we queried, the owner Prasad said that was because they charge Rs. 10,000/- PER PERSON per double room! We have never been billed per person for a double room anywhere else in Sri Lanka! The bill was paid since we did not want to have arguments over a bill to ruin our memorable visit to Sinharaja. Currently, businesses are down in Sri Lanka and visitors are less. But that shouldn't be the reason to act dishonorably.