Welcome to the wild with the comfort of a star-class room. Our unique two story Tree Cabin is your ultimate luxurious eco hideout. The lower deck of the plush wooden cabin is air-conditioned and has a glass wall on the river-front offering guests probably the most spell-binding experience from a Sri Lankan hotel room. The bedroom has the largest bed found in Sri Lanka and the room offers you truly mesmerizing views of the river below. The space KumbukRiver has won the travel Oscar as the world’s leading eco-lodge and is among the world’s top 10 most unusual hotels. It is also among the top getaways for adventurous honeymooners. Nestled on the banks of a secluded river on the northern edge of Yala, nature’s pristine glory makes the location picture-perfect and a haven for nature lovers. The 2-story Elephant Villa has 2 extra large bedrooms and an open lounge on the upper deck. Open spaces foster friendships as the accommodation allows sleep between 2 10 people. But the beauty of it is, exclusivity is guaranteed even when one bedroom is booked by a couple and we don’t give the other to another party. There is a toilet upstairs and a large and pleasant bathroom and another toilet on the ground accessed through a beautiful eco corridor. There is hot water in the bathroom. There are fans in the bathroom and mosquito nets but mosquitoes are not frequent here. Temperature may dip to a very comfortable level at night. We do have electricity and back-up power generator. However, please do note that this is off the beaten-track and occasional breakdowns may be possible. Dining is in the eco lounge downstairs, overlooking a pond and beautiful greenery. We offer a combination of delectable local dishes coupled with some popular western fare. Also offered are traditional herbal beverages according to availability and Sri Lankan tea & coffee. Guest access Getting to KumbukRiver from Colombo, Galle, Yala, Hill country or Arugambay is simple with a great road network. Final 2kms of access way, however, is an ‘off-road’ experience especially when it rains. In case, if the road is not motorable at the time you arrive, we provide parking facility in the village and offer a free pick-up on a mini tractor or a tuk-tuk, depending on road condition. Many visitors find this an adventurous experience. Other things to note Please check on the availability before you make instant bookings. KumbukRiver is part of a social responsibility initiative and guest rates are currently subsidized, considering the costs involved in maintaining such a unique concept off-the-beaten track. The setting allows you to be at one with nature and our staff epitomizes true Sri Lankan hospitality. Even though KumbukRiver is about 65 km to the Katagamuwa entrance of Yala National Park, it is a distance you may anyway have to traverse through if you are arriving from the hill country on your way to the south or east coast or travelling from south to hill country. Geographically we are located on the Yala Buffer Zone on the banks of a river that is the official border of the park though you have to drive to the Katagamuwa or Palatupana entrances. Visitors going south wake up around 4am to visit Yala on their last day at KumbukRiver while visitors coming from the southern coast will first have their safari and reach us in the afternoon for their 1st day. We are in a village called Okkampitiya in Buttala, just 16 km to Wellawaya, the gateway to the hill country on one side and the southern coast on the other, or Colombo through Uda Walawe National Park. New gate to Yala is a short drive from KumbukRiver: On the Buttala-Kataragama Road, a breezy drive from KumbukRiver is the latest entrance to Yala National park. The good news is that on this block, there’s much less traffic inside the park unlike through Katagamuwa and Palatupana.