Big Game - Udawalawe by Eco Team

This is a unique experience, right in the buffer zone between Udawalawe national park and the villages. The staff are lovely, and very helpful. Dinner (bbq served to the table) is held outdoors in the lights of lit candles and fire pits. Tents are super cosy and much better than the pictures - each tent has its own bathroom with toilet and shower. Our tent was located a bit further away, and to find out way back after dinner, the staff had lit flamed torches along the path to our tent. It was magical! The next morning, Heshan gave us a private tour of the camp, pointing out various plants, trees, and animals. We got to taste some of the crop (mung beans) even saw freshly laid peacock eggs! Overall, a very good experience and we’d highly recommend Big Camp to anyone who’s looking for an authentic experience.

This was an amazing experience. We did not know where to start booking a safari, but this was recommended to us by other travellers. The team made it super easy to organize the safari and stay, with clear communication. Everything went smoothly, from the moment we arrived. Heshan, our personal naturalist, greeted us, and we got on the jeep ready for the safari. Heshan is an amazing guy, super friendly and knows everything about the animals in the park. Not only did we get to see elephants and crocodiles, but we learned so much about them and about all the birds in the park thanks to Heshan! That really made the safari fun, being able to ask anything to such an expert. After the safari, we drove to the camp, where there are glamping safari tents with their own toilet and shower, which was great. The only thing we missed was a mosquito net; that would be great. Although the tent is closed off, it would be more comfortable. Also we booked with an amazing candlelit dinner with fire pit and breakfast outside in the camp, an experience on its own definitely do that. Also get the vegitarian option it was great I think better than the BBQ. Thanks, Heshan and team, for this experience we won't forget!

A belated review. Throughly recommend and Solomons, our guide was so knowledgeable and keen to share his naturalist skills and experience. Even if camping is not your thing, try this glamping experience once. Dining under the stars is so wonderful. The food was also delicious (we were surprised). All the staff were so eager to help. We saw so many wildlife, especially birds.

I've got slightly mixed feeling about this experience. First impressions weren't great when staff weren't aware we were coming, they said head office hadn't let them know so our tent wasn't ready, lunch wasn't prepared, staff weren't aware and were enjoying a well deserved day off. Everyone rushed around and were very apologetic but it started things off with a strange vibe. I should note I did move our booking a day earlier but I had received a confirmation email advising it was all sorted. The tents are very comfortable and set up really nicely. There's lots of nice details like lanterns being lit at night and candles on the tables. The staff are extremely attentive and nothing is too much trouble. The food was absolutely delicious and eating by candlelight was lovely. We stayed 2 nights and it felt a bit too long, none of the camp activities seemed to be running. There was a board that had a list of activities 'craft, cooking classes, movies etc but none of this materialised. Our bush walk was about 15 minutes long due to it being too muddy. We also had no hot water in our shower. Someone came to fix it but wasn't successful. The game drives were really enjoyable, Solomon is very knowledgeable. It's a good 30 minutes to the park entrance and even though the camp is on the border of the park it's surrounded by electric fences so animals don't move through the camp. I had an idea it might be like safari camps in Africa where animals move through. This was a pretty expensive treat for us which is maybe why I had high expectations, maybe it's better just for adults rather than families?

Wat een fijne rustige plaats! Even terug naar de basics maar dat hoort er gewoon bij :-). Een super goede service, ‘s avonds een diner bij kaarslicht voor 2 midden in de natuur, ‘s morgens het ontbijt op dezelfde plaats. Deze mensen doen echt alles om het onvergetelijk te maken! Vraag zeker op Safari ook een gids mee, dan leer je echt veel bij, en zie je echt alle dieren zitten die wij zelf anders niet zouden zien… @Heshan thanks for the explanations, the wonderful drive true Udawalawe NP! For always a good memory!

We had the best two night stay here with Solomon and the boys, the staff could not have been more attentive. They organised lunch for us on our arrival which was above and beyond what we expected. The gentleman with the glasses who delivered our induction (apologies I cannot remember his name), was so friendly and welcoming, he (and the rest of the team) went above and beyond to make sure this experience was unforgettable! The food was amazing both nights, and catered to dietary requirements. We ate outside under the stars both nights which was lovely. The tent itself was perfect for our needs, the bed was comfortable and we slept very well both nights. You could hear nature which was wonderful. Solomon is a very knowledgeable and interesting man, he provided great insight into the nature around the camp very locally and also in the safari park. We booked our safari through Big Game Camp and had Solomon as our guide which we could not recommend more, he was quick at pointing out a myriad of animals, whilst also being aware that the park is a safari not a zoo so you are not guaranteed to see anything, despite this we saw many elephants, different species of birds, mongoose etc. We would recommend this to anyone travelling to Sri Lanka!!