Travelers find serenity in garden-surrounded accommodations at Elephant Trail, where refreshing drinks from the coffee shop complement nearby local cuisine options.
Elephant Trail offers a tropical retreat where guests can start their day with continental breakfast, enjoy cocktails at the poolside bar, and relax in the garden's lush grounds. The outdoor pool area provides sun loungers for those looking to soak up the sunshine.
Located in Udawalawa, Elephant Trail is near theme parks. Ridiyagama Safari Park is a local attraction and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Udawalawe National Park and Mau Ara Lake. Take the opportunity to explore the area for water adventures such as fishing. Visit our Udawalawa travel guide
35, 5th Mile Post, Udawalawa, 70190
What's nearby
Udawalawe National Park
1 min walk - 0.1 km
Elephant Transit Home
9 min drive - 8.0 km
Lunugamvehera National Park
38 min drive - 40.1 km
Ridiyagama Safari Park
50 min drive - 44.0 km
Restaurants
Kottawaththa Village Inn
9 min drive
Grand Toscana Restaurant
7 min drive
Craft Tunnel: A Potter’s Retreat
2 min drive
Elephant Trail Restaurant
1 min walk
vibeX
8 min drive
About this property
Elephant Trail
Hotel near Udawalawe National Park
At Elephant Trail, you can look forward to free continental breakfast, a poolside bar and a terrace. Free WiFi in public areas is available to all guests, along with a coffee shop/cafe and a garden.
Other perks at this hotel include:
An outdoor pool, along with sunloungers
Free self-parking and valet parking
Bike hire, a local area shuttle and supervised childcare (surcharge)
Tour/ticket information, barbecues and newspapers in the reception
Guest reviews give good marks for the overall condition
Room features
All guest rooms at Elephant Trail feature comforts, such as fireplaces and air conditioning, in addition to amenities, such as separate sitting areas and safes.
More amenities include:
Bathrooms with showers and free toiletries
Balconies or patios, separate sitting areas and fridges
Free continental breakfast available daily 7 AM to 10 AM
A bar/lounge
A coffee shop/cafe
A poolside bar
A restaurant
Things to do
Bicycle rentals
Library
Outdoor pool
TV in common areas
Family friendly
Babysitting (surcharge)
In-room refrigerator
Laundry facilities
Outdoor pool
Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
Soundproofed rooms
Supervised activities for children (surcharge)
Conveniences
24-hour front desk
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Newspapers in lobby
Safe at front desk
Guest services
Concierge services
Housekeeping (daily)
Tour and ticket assistance
Outdoors
Barbecue grill
Garden
Picnic area
Pool loungers
Terrace
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Lift
Wheelchair accessibility
More
1 building
2 floors
Built in 2015
Mosquito nets
Room amenities
Bedroom
Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Private bathroom
Shampoo
Shower
Soap
Toilet paper
Towels provided
Entertainment
LCD TV
Food and drink
Free bottled water
Limited room service
Refrigerator
More
Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
Ceiling fan
Desk
Fireplace
Free daily newspapers
Safe
Separate sitting area
Soundproofed rooms
Policies
Check-in
Check-in time starts at 1:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age - 18
Check-out
Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out
Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Access methods
Staffed front desk
Pets
No pets or service animals allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 15.0 per night.
Cots (infant beds) are not available
Payment types at the property
Important information
Optional extras
Rollaway bed fee: USD 15.0 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room
We should mention
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property
Property is also known as
Elephant Trail Hotel Udawalawa
Elephant Trail Hotel
Elephant Trail Udawalawa
Elephant Trail
Elephant Trail Hotel
Elephant Trail Udawalawa
Elephant Trail Hotel Udawalawa
Frequently asked questions
Does Elephant Trail have a pool?
Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.
Is Elephant Trail pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much is parking at Elephant Trail?
Self-parking and valet parking are free at this property.
What time is check-in at Elephant Trail?
Check-in begins at 1:00 PM. Late check-in is available during limited hours.
What time is check-out at Elephant Trail?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Elephant Trail located?
Situated in Udawalawa, this hotel is steps from Udawalawe National Park and within 9 mi (15 km) of Mau Ara Lake and Udawalawe Reservoir. Sankhapala Raja Maha Viharaya & Phussadewa Tomb is 9.2 mi (14.8 km) away.
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Reviews
Elephant Trail Reviews
7.4
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
Great staff and they were very helpful. The hotel is located near the national park which was very convenient.
Manotharan
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
8/10 Good
Robert
11 Jan 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great location, basic accommodation
The hotel was good value for money, and was extremely close to the park which was great (and meant not such an early morning) however we struggled to sleep because of a dripping overflow and loud noise from the fridge throughout the night.
Little bit older and shabby but close to the national park. Ok overall
Verified traveller
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
4/10 Poor
Linnea
3 Jan 2019
Disliked: Room comfort
Tarsigt badrum och förflyttade
De började med att vi blev förflyttade till ett av deras andra hotell pga att rummen var ”out of order”. De nya hotellet var inte samma standard men vi skulle bli kompenserade med mat. Dock var denna maten på ett ytterligare hotell som vi skulle köras till. Inte nog med det så var som sagt rummet inte så bra. När vi skulle duscha fanns de bara skållhett vatten, vi bad om hjälp men de kunde ej fixa. De sa då att en rörmokare skulle komma om en kvart men efter över en timme fick vi ge upp eftersom vi snart skulle på middag. Men efter de ”fixat” fanns de nu inget vatten i handfatet häller. När vi skulle cheka ut bad vi om någon slags kompensation eftersom vi inte kunnat använda vårat badrum ordentligt och för att allt bara blivit omständigt och inte så trevligt. Dock sa de att maten var nog med kompensation och vi fick gå därifrån efter att ha haft en besvikelse och inte alls värd pengarna upplevelse. Mycket tråkigt.
Super Hotel mit tollem Pool und freundlichem Service. Zimmer sind gross mit Balkon. Einzig die Ameisen und Geckos muss man akzeptieren, aber nicht weiter schlimm.
Da rund um das Hotel nichts ist ausser Safari, würde ich nur 1 Nacht buchen.
The hotel was no frills and the WiFi only worked in a corner of the bathroom. The bed was very bouncy but other than that the pool and staff were wonderful. It is not a luxury hotel but good if you are visiting the area for a night to do a safari.
Good location if you looking to go to the national park which is few minutes away. Dinner was very good here. Room was nice but could use a screen door perhaps to keep some of the bugs out. The Wifi was down while we were there but we didn't need it much as one of us had a local sim card.
Verified traveller
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
6/10 Okay
Verified traveller
13 Sept 2018
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Fantastic location for the national park which is why we stayed here. Food & astmosphere leave a lot to be desired but the room was clean and had what we needed.
Verified traveller
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
6/10 Okay
Scott, Kuwait
3 May 2018
Liked: Staff & service
Well situated but do not expect luxury.
The Elephant Trail is perfectly located for entry to the Udawalawa National Park. We arrived after travelling from Nuwara Eliya and were pleased with the appearance of the hotel, however the front desk staff speak limited English. Helpfully, one of the staff carried our bags for us which was a nice touch and we were able to sign up for the safari experience (which is owned by the same company as the hotel).
Our room was okay with basic essentials like a shower, bed and TV plus a balcony. However, the sink in the bathroom had a lot of dirt in the plug hole and on the second day dirty water came up the hole after I had just finished shaving. Also, the shower pressure was awful and the temperature switched back and forth from cold to scorching in a matter of seconds. Furthermore, the lack of WiFi in room did get annoying but I realise this is a first world problem and the environment we were in is stunning.
On site, there is a restaurant (do not go next door as we found flies in our onion soup) and they offer a decent enough menu for Sri Lanka with a good variety of drinks. Our food was average and reasonable but the fact that you have to pay by cash does leave a bit of a sour taste as it means you need to be carrying a lot of rupees if staying for a while.
All in all, it was an average hotel in a beautiful setting which could do with some upgrades: WiFi in room, decent showers, sinks being fixed, better food and the option of card payments.
Scott
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018
6/10 Okay
Verified traveller
23 Apr 2018
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Well located for safari, but only 1 night as the hotel is only adequate.
Hotel is basic with all amenities required but is in excellent location very close to national park.
Hotel itself is tired and shower mouldy but room otherwise fine. Breakfast and food ok. The staff were helpful and organised a fantastic safari for us with Niluka safaris and recommended restaurants etc and were helpful in booking taxis.
We organised our safari through the hotel when we arrived - we paid for 'package 3' and were told we would have a morning and evening safari. When we got back from our morning safari we were told we would have to pay the whole £40 again plus the £30 entrance fee. The staff at first refused to accept that they had explained to us we would have both drives and then shrugged - it was a really poor experience and the staff were very rude. We couldn't have been more disappointed with the service and the failure of the staff to accept they were in the wrong and had lied to us about what we paid for.. couldn't recommend less.
The hotel is well located, however is very dirty throughout. The pool is merky and i dare not venture in to it, the rooms are run down and not maintained. The bedding was dirty, with the shower not cleaned for some time, the bins within the room had not been emptied and the sheets unchanged from previous guests. I would advise against as overall experience.
Clean, comfortable and very close to Udawalwe Park
We stayed in one of the deluxe rooms for one night to be close for our safari. The bedroom was clean and big, as was the bathroom - fantastic shower (one of the best we have had whilst in Sri Lanka!). The staff were very accommodating, they made us a “take away” breakfast as our safari jeep picked us up at 5:30.
This hotel was ok. Overpriced for the state of the rooms which were in quite poor condition. It seriously needs to be painted and cleaned up a bit. The Staff were very helpful and fixed our toilet that wouldn’t flush quite quickly during the night. Some of the staff at reception however had difficulty understanding basic English.
sharon
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017
6/10 Okay
Dirk
21 Oct 2017
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Nah zum Nationalpark
Für eine Übernachtung ok. Zu teuer für den vorhandenen Komfort Kleiner Pool. Sauberes Zimmer. Frühstück nicht dem Preis angemessen. Schöner Ausblick. Gutes Personal.
Dirk
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017
6/10 Okay
Verified traveller
27 Apr 2017
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Muy cerca del parque, habitación bien, desayuno no
La habitación estaba bien, mi única queja es que en mi reserva constaba vistas al parque y la habitación estaba en la planta 0, y las vistas eran un muro con los sistemas de aire acondicionado, y la pared de la trasera de la cocina por el otro, es decir vistas ninguna.
Una vez más nos dan la peor habitación de la gama contratada por haber reservado con Expedia.
Spacious room with very high ceiling. Close to Udawalawe national park which is convenient for safari. That makes the property away from everything else. Have to dine at the hotel restaurant but luckily the food was good and reasonably priced. No wifi in room and very limited in lobby, guess comes with the remote location. Some room service/restaurant staff speaks very minimal english which makes communication rather difficult
Compare to alternatives, Elephant trail was a lovely looking place with good rooms. However, it let's itself down on
- Music playing constantly 08:00 in restaurant area. Plus music is poor quality pop, heard Celine Dion multiple times
- When sitting out to read at back of hotel veranda, strong petrol fumes
- staff poor English and not helpful on advising safari. Felt being ripped off
The hotel has no idea what service means.we requested for simple veg dhal curry and white rice four hours before dinner and they flatly refused. With great difficulty one of kitchen chef gave us food after lots of delay.
Same story in morning time.we were so fed up we checked out after 1 day though we booked and paid for 2 days.
This experience was just opposite to our excellent stay at midky hotel,nuwara.
Used the hotel as a base for a safari into Udawalewe National Park.
Wendy
8/10 Good
Luis, Santiago
23 Feb 2016
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Sin shampoo
No había shampoo
Luis
4/10 Poor
Verified traveller
12 Feb 2016
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Basic facilities in a "deluxe" room
A brand new hotel, close to Udawalawe park. The "deluxe" room lacked anything deluxe, include a lack of hot water, the "view" from the balcony was of a solid wall that housed the kitchen and the "wifi" was non-existent. For the money charged, stay somewhere else.