Flameback Eco Lodge

Top top notch place !! A little bit of heaven on earth. From meeting Saduni on reception (lovely girl, couldn’t do enough to help you) through to Ishan who helped guide our village visit, and helped us at meal times (so friendly and helpful), to chaminda (resident and truly wonderful naturist) every single member of the staff went out of their way to make sure we had a wonderful visit. The glamping tents were SO comfortable- superbly comfortable bed, AC, loo, brilliant shower - everything and more that you could wish for - all the sounds of the outdoors, but in cosy luxury indoors!! The food was amazing - 7 courses and totally delicious. Lovely pool area, right close to lake, birds xx everywhere and land monitor lizards all around! We went on a couple of guided bird walks around the camp which we loved, and also went to Yala and were lucky enough to see a leopard close up, relaxed and personal!! What a thrill!! Great Spa on Stilts, too…. Cool and wonderfully tranquil and relaxing . If you get a chance to go to this camp - definitely go!!

This has been a difficult review to write. We have given it 4 stars but maybe 3 and a half would be fairer, if that were possible. My instinct would be to give it 3 stars, but the other 3 star reviews of this place are far more critical than our experience would justify. There is much to like about this place. The views of the lake shore and birdlife just feet from your deck are beautiful (if you frame your photo correctly) and the team are charming and helpful as individuals (but confused and disorganised as a collective). The safaris, which are a key feature of the lodge, are beautiful, but involve a long drive there and back, and they do not appear to have worked out how to coordinate meals with the safari schedule. Some other reviews have been critical of the 'glamping' tents, but they were one of the positives for us. The bed was very comfortable and the air con was efficient (but obviously noisy) and the showers were efficient with plenty of hot water. The deck was a pleasant place to sit at times but the flying things became a nuisance as dusk settled. This is understandable given the location, and not a complaint. Another positive has been the quality of the meals we had (I will talk later about the meals we did not have). We had a Sri Lankan meal on our first night, and a 'European' meal the second. Both were really enjoyable and served with good humour. Breakfast was tasty and filling. The pool area is welcoming and very enjoyable. As for the negatives, the proximity to the main road cannot be ignored. The traffic noise is a constant and occasionally even drowned out the air con. The site is also shared with a large hotel. This did not impact on us but the publicity for Flameback Eco Lodge does imply a more secluded location. The birdwatching walk with the naturalist consisted largely of the Hilton hotel car park. To be fair, it was quite a rich environment for birds, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. The restaurant and lounge area are a bit tired. The cushions on the sofas are quite dirty, the glass table tops need a clean and everything needs a little attention. We were not impressed by the service overall which was a bit disorganised. We assumed that our room would have been straightened by the time that we got back from an early safari, but it was untouched until I asked for it to be done and even then, empty drinks glasses were left uncollected for the duration of our stay. They close the window blinds at night as part of the turn-down service but they do not open them again. This might sound trivial but rolling up the blinds involves balancing on the edge of the deck, finding something to stand on to raise the zip to the top, getting soaked by rainwater/condensation run off, and disturbing a swarm of flying things. Getting water replenished required several requests. Not exactly 5 star! We went on an (excellent) safari getting up at 04:15 for a 04:45 departure. A snack of 2 small bananas, cake and water is pr

Flameback Eco Lodge was the highlight of my trip to Sri Lanka. Firstly, all of the staff are AMAZING and so so so attentive. They went above and beyond to make sure I made the most out of my stay. The deluxe tents are great. The beds were super comfy, facilities were all in great working order and the view over the lake was incredible. I used there in house service to do 2 safari mornings, both of which were fantastic. My guide was so knowledgable and I got to see a variety of animals and my favorite animal, elephants! They packed a beautiful breakfast of fruits and cakes for me. In the afternoons the manager took me on 2 village based tours to see different varieties of birds, which were all beautiful! He knew every type of species and we must of seen over 30 different types! The breakfast was the best I had in Sri Lanka and the candlelit dinner was also very tasty. The pool is perfect to relax in the afternoon sun after a morning safari. Also as a solo female traveller, I felt completely safe at all times! If you're looking to be out in nature, nestled with the birds but still have a luxury feel and service then this is the place for you. I could not recommend it highly enough and will definitely be visiting again in the future!