Habarana

Habarana was hands down the best decision we made when planning our Sri Lanka itinerary. Staying here for four nights allowed us to explore Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, and Anuradhapura all at a relaxed and unhurried pace without the stress of constantly changing hotels. The town itself is wonderfully peaceful and the surrounding jungle and lake create a beautiful atmosphere that feels completely removed from the outside world. The highlight of our stay was undoubtedly the early morning jeep safari to Minneriya National Park where we witnessed over 200 wild elephants gathered around the reservoir at sunset. It was without question the most extraordinary wildlife experience of my entire life. Habarana is an absolute gem.

Jonathan H

Canada

I came to Habarana primarily for the elephant safari and left having fallen completely in love with the entire region. The Minneriya elephant gathering was every bit as spectacular as I had hoped — watching hundreds of these magnificent creatures moving freely across the open landscape as the golden light of the setting sun painted everything amber was a moment of pure and profound beauty that I will never forget. But Habarana gave us so much more than elephants. The village tour we took on our second morning was a wonderful and eye opening experience — cycling through paddy fields, watching local craftsmen at work, and sharing a home cooked Sri Lankan lunch with a local family was genuinely one of the most enriching experiences of our entire trip.

Laura M

Germany

Habarana is one of those places that does not get nearly enough credit and I am almost reluctant to tell too many people about it because it still feels wonderfully undiscovered compared to some of the more famous destinations on the tourist trail. We used it as our base for five nights and explored a different ancient wonder every single day — Sigiriya one morning, Polonnaruwa the next, Dambulla the day after. Each site was extraordinary in its own right but coming back to the peaceful tranquillity of Habarana each evening felt like returning to a sanctuary. The Habarana Lake at dawn with the mist rising off the water and the birds calling across the jungle is an image I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Samantha R

Australia