I don’t often leave reviews but this deserves one -I had a really great stay at Riverside Cabana. The room was clean and comfortable, right on the river. There were a few mosquitoes as expected by the water, but the mosquito nets and the little incense burners (coils) they provided worked well. The wildlife around the property was cool too. Early in the morning I saw a couple of crocodiles in the river, monkeys, several birds, and even a water monitor. The highlight was two toucans that sat in a tree right in front of me for ages — incredible to watch. The family who runs the place are really lovely, but the best part of my stay was the host, Dimu. He truly looked after me and went out of his way to make sure I had a good experience. He took the time to show me a few cool local spots on his scooter. Nothing was too much trouble. What a legend. Highly recommended if you want a relaxed stay close to nature.

“A perfect place to enjoy nature, great hospitality, and an unforgettable safari experience😊”

We had a great stay and even received a free room upgrade. The upgraded room was surrounded by nature, with birds everywhere very peaceful and beautiful to sleep in. We also did a safari with the hotel and were lucky to see a leopard. The driver was excellent and avoided crowded areas, which made the experience much more enjoyable. Highly recommended for both the stay and the safari.

“Unique experience with nature immersion, worth the money”

Really cute cabana, different from other hostels i usually stay at! The hosts were great, the food amazing…. The host arranged the safari tour for a reasonable price and the entire family was just super lovely!

Nice place driven by nice people. The rooms are basic and not the cleanest I have tried, but for the price overall very good. In addition the hostel can arrange Yala safari for a very decent price with good guide!

Our stay was absolutely magical! Waking up to the sounds of the animals and the river felt like stepping into another world. The owner is incredibly kind and attentive, he even made a cake for my friend’s birthday and helped us with transportation and planning our safari, which was unforgettable. The food was delicious, and our room right in front of the river allowed us to see several crocodiles both during the day and at night. Cozy cabanas, peaceful surroundings, and wonderful staff make this a truly special place to stay.

Beautiful place right next to the river, great views for birds, lovely natural setting and good location. Very comfortable and clean, big bathroom. Dimu is a good host, super helpful, and organised 2 brilliant trips to Bundala and Yala national parks for us. Highly recommend!

“The treehouse was amazing, beautiful view and very good dinner”

The treehouse

“Owner and family went to great lengths to make our family welcome & arranged a great safari!”

Riverside location was beautiful, viewing & hearing all the wildlife around was special

The tree house is beautiful and surrounded by so much nature. The owner and his family were so welcoming and helpful. The owner took me for free to the lake to see the bats and was full of recommendations of things to do. I booked my safari through him and the driver was very knowledgeable. I heard stories about the park being overrun by jeeps with queues to see the animals. The driver always managed to keep us away from the other tours whilst still seeing all the animals - sloth bear, elephants and a jaguar. The owner also took me to see another hostel he has just on the edge of Yala park. Unfortunately I did not have the time to stay there but I definitely will return to stay there and experience the raw nature.

“Amazing room near the river”

We stayed two nights in the Riverside Cabana and had a wonderful experience. The accommodation is really nice — we stayed in a cozy treehouse-style cabana facing the river, surrounded by nature. It was peaceful and refreshing, yet still conveniently located about a 15-minute walk from the city. The host was incredibly helpful. He arranged a safari for us and even organized a taxi to Tangalle at a fair price. We truly appreciated the warm hospitality and would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxing stay close to nature.

Dimu is such a lovely host, I felt so welcome here! He went on a small trip to the lake with me to do some bird watching and see the bats. Also his wife is an amazing cook and overall I just loved the atmosphere with the hammocks and the river where you can just chill out.

“Tree house stay back with nature.good sri lankan food and best breakfasts”

We stayed in the tree house. Amazing view over the river. Best Sri Lankan breakfasts all home cooked. Not in centre of Tissa so not many tourists. But that made it all the better.

“Jungle camping in an exceptional atmosphere”

I loved everything about it and so far I had the best stay here. The dorms are beautiful looking directly at the river and hanging in the trees. The first day I was just lying in the hammock and reading whilst watching the monkeys in the trees above me. In the evening there was delicious food, a nice fireplace and a spontaneous caraoce session. There were less mosquitos than I’ve expected (very few and with insect repellant no problem) and to sleep you had a big mosquito net. The shower and the toilet are located in the same room and it’s a bit like camping, but if you’re a nature lover then it’s no problem. The host and his family were so nice that they already felt like my own family within that short time period. Also the safari that was organized by our host was really fun and also the host is speaking a very good English.

For 1 night it‘s okay otherwise not. They were friendly and the food was really delicous. Room was about dirty

The owner helped organise our safari tour and was helpful and friendly.

The family owning the place is super nice and helpful. Staying in this room felt really like sleeping just in the nature.They also helped me to book a great safari.

“Very beautiful and comfortable stay. Very pleased.”

Amazing helpful host upgraded our room, helped organise safari and Tuktuks. Cooked us dinner which was one of the best meals I’ve had in Sri Lanka. Beautiful treehouse room with big bathroom and mosquito nets.

“Great place with nice people”

I got upgraded to a single room for the same amount of money (i booked a shared dorm). The place is really cosy and the owners are super nice. Plus, the dinner!!!! The curry was the best I have had on Sri Lanka so far. The owner arranged a sarafi tour for me, which was super nice.

“Great place to stay if you love nature and want to feel outside the center”

Great little place to stay! Was in dormitory, but I was the only one at the time. Very comfortable and the views from the rooms are incredible! Going to sleep with sounds of the insects and frogs! Staff are amazing and very helpful/knowledgeable. Food is really good and a good area to be in, nice and quiet!

“Perfect add for a safari trip.”

So as you can see, it is a more adventurous stay than average - but in proportion everything is really clean, a lot more than other more ‘luxurious’ stays we had. There is noice in the evening but if with ear plugs I slept really good. The owner is super cute and friendly and arranges everything how you like it. Because it was off season, he hadn’t arranged wifi yet, but we didn’t mind! + he has really cute dogs and arranged a safari for us with an amazing guide