Double Room Cottage
Sleeps 2
Our smallest, made for a couple: one queen bed, and birdsong for an alarm clock. There are two.
from $70 / night
See the Cottage: Double Room Cottage →
Sigiriya Wild Cottages · Sri Lanka
Stay in the Forest.
Experience Real Sigiriya
Seven private cottages surrounded by nature, wildlife and the sounds of the forest, just minutes from Sigiriya Lion Rock.
★★★★★ 4.9/5 Loved by Guests ·
Book Direct for the Best Rate
Welcome
Sigiriya Cottages in the Forest,
A Quiet Place to Stay Near the Rock
Sigiriya Wild Cottages is at Indigas wewa, near Dambulla, on a quiet road a few minutes past the Sigiriya junction: a 12‑minute drive from the rock and 20 minutes from the Minneriya park gate. The cottages are spread through the trees around one garden.
This is glamping in proper cottages rather than tents, each with its own bathroom, air conditioning and hot water, and there is a swimming pool for guests.
Looked After by Suranga
Suranga, our manager, answers your messages before you arrive and, with the team, looks after you once you are here. Room service runs until 11pm, and someone is on call at any hour for emergencies.
Breakfast in the Garden
Sri Lankan dishes cooked fresh each morning and eaten outside, often with a giant squirrel or a monkey hoping for a share. Lunch and dinner are cooked to order too.
Wildlife at the Door
After dark a mouse-deer, a civet or a slender loris may cross the garden in the torchlight. Wild elephants move through the forest outside, and the fence keeps them out of the garden.
A Guest's Story
★★★★★
The room was luxurious and the breakfast outstanding, the best we had on our three week journey around Sri Lanka. We ate outside, surrounded by birds and giant squirrels we could feed with bananas. The second morning we even had monkeys visiting. But better still were the wonderful staff, who did everything to make our stay great. When one of us got sick, the manager, Suranga, called the doctor and drove into town for the medicine himself. Five stars is definitely not enough.
Elin Magnusson
Sweden · 5/5 on Google
The Cottage Experience
Built by Hand,
Finished by the Forest
Days here move at the forest's pace. A shama sings in the garden at first light and the junglefowl are out on the paths in the morning; the hornbills come over at dusk. In between there is little to do but read in the shade and take a swim.
We look after guests the way you would look after family staying with you. Breakfast is made the way you like it, and tomorrow's plans are talked through over tea. If something goes wrong, one of us drives into town to put it right.
Built by hand and left to the forest, the cottages feel less like a hotel than a home stay by the rock. After dark, with the lanterns lit and dinner on the table, the morning's climb feels a long way off, though Sigiriya is just down the road.
Falling asleep under the figure on the clay wall
An evening outside, listening to the forest
Someone up in the canopy is waiting for your banana
Washing off the climb in a bathroom of your own
A long nap through the midday heat
Junglefowl up before you, scratching through the leaves
Coming home to a cottage half hidden in the forest
A slow Sri Lankan breakfast, made in our kitchen
The Wild
Elephants at Minneriya, 20 Minutes by Jeep
Wild elephants share this forest, and the herds at Minneriya are close enough for an afternoon safari.
The Cottages
Four Kinds of Cottage, From Couples to Families
Rates are per cottage per night with breakfast, and they rise in the busy season. Send us your dates and we will come back with the best rate we can offer.
Triple Room Cottage
Sleeps 3
A king bed and a separate single in a round, mud-walled cottage, for a couple travelling with a child or a friend.
from $80 / night
See the Cottage: Triple Room Cottage →
Quadruple Family Cottage
Sleeps 4
Our largest, with a king bed for the parents and two singles, so each child has a bed of their own.
from $90 / night
See the Cottage: Quadruple Family Cottage →
Economy Quadruple Cottage
Sleeps 4
Two double beds for four, plainer inside and the same forest outside. The two of them share one building, each with its own door.
from $85 / night
See the Cottage: Economy Quadruple Cottage →
12 Minutes by Road
Sigiriya Rock Before the Heat
Leave at six, be at the gate before the heat and the crowds, and stand on top as the mist lifts off the tanks. We will have breakfast waiting when you come down.
Experiences
Days Here, Arranged for You
Tell us what you would like and we book the jeep, the guide and the tuk-tuk, with the price agreed before you go.
The Elephants
Minneriya Safari, Late Afternoon
The jeep collects you from the cottages in the afternoon, with a driver who knows where the herds are feeding. In the dry months they come down to the tank bed in dozens as the light goes soft.
Plan Your Minneriya Safari →
Sunrise or Sunset
Pidurangala & Birdwatching
Sigiriya is best seen from the rock beside it: 20 to 30 minutes up, with the whole of Sigiriya Rock in front of you at the top. Take a torch if you go up before sunrise.
Birdwatching Around Sigiriya →
On the Doorstep
Village Lunch & a Cooking Lesson
A village family a few minutes from the gate shows you how they cook lunch over firewood, then you sit down and eat what you made. Children are welcome, and they usually end up on the coconut scraper.
The Cooking Lesson, in Full →
From the Gate
Village Cycling, at Your Own Pace
Quiet lanes past paddy fields, tanks and village gardens, with a stop for a king coconut along the way. Our bikes are free for guests, and we will sketch you a route before you set off.
Cycling and the Village Tour →Gustaf Blomberg
Sweden
★★★★★
“Amazing and cozy location, but the thing that impressed me the most was the staff. Thoughtful and caring. I was having a bit of a health issue and one member of the staff went into town and brought me medicine. Highly recommend!”
Lennard
Germany
★★★★★
“A great place for a calm and relaxed stay. It has a very cozy and natural vibe, the staff were super nice and accommodating, and the breakfast and dinner were very good with big portions.”
N vdW
Netherlands
★★★★★
“A wonderful, peaceful jungle stay with incredibly kind staff and great food. Being in the middle of the forest was part of the magic. We even had a few animal visitors during breakfast!”
Elif Sökmen
Türkiye
★★★★★
“We were warmly welcomed in the middle of a pristine forest. The traditional food was delicious, and there were giant squirrels and monkeys all around. The natural surroundings were absolutely beautiful.”
David
United States
★★★★★
“Peaceful, secluded cottages in a natural setting, yet close to nearby attractions. Staff was attentive, kind, and delightful to talk to. Rooms were clean, spacious, and of good value.”
Janaka Nishantha
Sri Lanka
★★★★★
“Absolutely unforgettable. The perfect balance of comfort, tranquility, and authentic Sri Lankan hospitality. The staff made us feel more like family than guests.”
Rathna Prasad
Sri Lanka
★★★★★
“The peaceful, nature-friendly environment made it the perfect place to relax. The food was delicious, and the staff were warm and welcoming. Highly recommended!”
Chamidu Amarasinghe
Sri Lanka
★★★★★
“Service and the rooms were great, roomy and clean. The breakfast was an authentic Sri Lankan experience. The place itself is cozy and calm, with a lot of trees around.”
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