Just returned from 3 weeks in Sri Lanka and of all the places we stayed at, this place was tops (so much so we hope to return next year). Why,... read more well Jeevaka (owner) and his staff were very helpful in every way from how to properly eat a Sri Lanka curry and hoppers, to giving us the best timing for visiting Wilpattu NP. And the cook has to be one of the best.
It is a small hotel, four rooms plus one in a tree house. They have a natural pool to swim which is very refreshing. There are also nature trails to walk on. The hotel is situated on a lake and the boat ride as the sun was going down was beautiful.
If you are planning a trip here, get in touch with Jeevaka to organise your safari in Wilpattu, as his local knowledge is better than any travel agent.
It is also worth noting that the Ibis is set up to help the locals, with the idea that one day they take over and run it themselves.

  . The Ibis Hotel at Wilpattu proved to be a lovely introduction to Sri Lanka, the friendliness of the people there and the views were outstanding. The service provided and... read more the presentation/ explanation of food served was to top class restaurant standard, all served at tables by the lake. We did not want to leave More

  Superb location, helpful staff, fantastic food and comfortable rooms. Lots of bird life to see and enjoy. Quite, serene and peaceful.
The fresh water pool is pure bliss, a... read more cool dip in the shade is just perefct!
Wilpattu is about 30 minutes away and easily accessible.
Our group of 6 had the place for exclusive use and the need for face masks in public areas was not needed. More

  We stayed 2 nights here while visiting Wilpattu.It is the most amazing location with only a few rooms.The rooms are all en suite but are simply furnished which adds to... read more the character. Jeeves ,our host is very knowledgeable on everything to do with Sri Lanka. We ate delicious hoppers made by a local lady who came in and cooked our dinner. We also ate a delicious curry with string hoppers. There is an amazing lake with many birds and covered in lotus flowers.Next time we must stay longer and walk round the lake .We visited Wilpattu Park which was about 30 minutes away. The Park was great and we saw a few leopards which was very exciting and also saw a sloth bear.Looking forward to returning .

  We were visiting Wilpattu NP and stayed two nights at the Ibis (named after the bird not the UK Hotel chain). We stayed in the Treehouse - a wonderful perched... read more high in a large tree, with fabulous, open-air views across a lake.
Jeeves, the owner, is very hospitable and knowledgeable and introduced us to Sri Lankan cooking with excellent explanations (we now know how string hoppers are made). All the food was very good, including our packed lunch for our day in the park.
Our main aim was birding and our list for the grounds was 77 species, about half of the total number spotted there. They have an excellent naturalist who will take you for an early morning bird walk or an evening Slender Loris hunt.
In summary, a small, friendly, interesting place to stay where you will be very well looked after.

  A wonderful friendly hotel where each guest is treated like a member of the family. Fantastic authentic food, beautiful views and myriads of birds to see. The lake is a... read more picture filled with water lilies. All profits from the hotel go to community projects and it is run in a totally green way. We loved every second.

  There is not much I can add to the previous reviews except please try to visit this wonderful location for a true taste of Sri Lankan hospitality in a stunning... read more setting. You will treasure these memories for life.

  The Ibis is beautiful small boutique hotel by a lake close to Wilpattu wildlife park. The owner is very friendly and informative. It is run for the benefit of staff... read more from the local village who provide outstanding service. The meals are excellent, much of the produce coming from local farms or grown in the gardens.

We also did a Loris walk just after sunset hosted by Saren, a local man, to try to spot the reflections of eyes in red head torches. No luck but we saw nightjars, one nesting.

On our second evening a local lady came in to cook hoppers and showed us how to do it. Added to the richness of the experience.

The Ibis is not a 5 star hotel but eminently comfortable and welcoming. Not to be missed!

  A very small hotel, off the beaten track. We were the only guests so were thoroughly spoiled by Saranga. We arrived in the early afternoon and received a... read more lovely welcome although Saranga explained that there had been a 'disaster' because they had found a Russell's Viper in the grounds so they had to catch it and release it back into the wild. It didn't put us off taking a walk around the grounds with Saranga who showed us the butterfly garden and spotted a woodpecker for us. After our safari at Wipattu (and yes, we did see a leopard!) we had pre-dinner drinks in the lovely tree house and dinner by the lake in an area that had been beautifully set up with simple lighting. Saranga told us about his background and his wedding at the hotel and it was a wonderful evening. The rooms are fairly basic but clean and comfortable and perfect for a stopover at Wilpattu.

  We stayed at the Ibis for one night during our honeymoon in February 2020. On arrival we were met by Jeeves who was super friendly and immediately made us feel... read more at home. We had an amazing lunch prepared for us and Jeeves told us all about Sri Lankan food and cooking, as well as his family, the history of the Ibis and the team that work with him there.

After lunch we had a safari booked at Wilpattu which is very close by. The wildlife in the park was amazing and we were lucky enough to see elephants and a leopard!

On our return to the Ibis we realised we were the only people staying and were so lucky to be able to have the most beautiful candle lit dinner for two under the stars, looked after all evening by Jeeves and his team from the local village. The food was outstanding and a great experience - some of the best food we tried on our tour of Sri Lanka.

We were sad to leave early the next morning for our second game drive before moving on from the area. If we were to return to Sri Lanka we would definitely return to the Ibis (but would stay longer!).