Bethany 101

Location is fantastic for getting to Wilpattu. On Day 1 we were welcomed by Chaminda who is the resident manager with a lovely refreshing juice and the cool bedrooms of the main house were a welcome respite from the afternoon heat. (I found the drive from Colombo to be easy and trouble free). The pool was irresistible! We followed that up with sandwiches (yum - made to order vegan as well as non-veg) and coffee and on request we were for small extra fee driven up to Cloud 9 which conducts a night Loris tour for a nominal cost - and we saw four of these beautiful protected endangered creatures. Dinner awaited us - laid out on the green lawn - with the sound of the palm leaves blowing in the wind and the stars in a clear sky. Thougful provision of mosquito repellents.We wanted Sri lankan and it was wonderfully cooked by Pasindu. A wake up call at 0400 am for an early start on a full day Safari to Wilpattus Kudiramalai point. 11 hours in a jeep but an absolute must at least once in a lifetime. (Was disappointed its ancient turtle carapaces - I'd rather have gone with the Meteor theory!!!). The fain hearted can have a four hour less intense Safari I'm told. Chaminda and his crew again kept us well fed. Fruits and sandwiches on the go for breakfast. Lunch tasty fried rice and devilled dishes - difficult to serve and eat in the back of a jeep with the windblown the plastic sheets away - but it was good so we persevered. (can suggest its served in foil containers as a one pot pack. Tired and satisfied after a close encounter with a Leopard who passed within 5 foot of the jeep, having been charged by an elephant and identified too many (birds, lizards, geckos, butterflies, cicadas, insects, crocodiles, shrubs and trees) to count from the books thoughtfully provided by our guide Amith Weerasinghe - the Photos of the Elephant and are his - we returned to the Oasis of Bethany. The place is kept so very clean with every surface wiped down spotlessly. The collection of antiques placed just so it should feel like a museum - but it feels so lived in yet and as if we were honoured guests of the family. When you book - tell them you will want the room at a particular time and confirm it with the on site manager. Chaminda is on the ball and direct and super efficient. Highly recommend this. For the price we paid the experience was absolutely worth it. Downside - the rooms are small. A double sharing if its not your significant other will stretch your limits of tolerance - Sri Lankans are used to big rooms. In my view there is no such thing as a family room - no way you can accommodate 2 adults one child and a cot in any room on the site. (This is my second time here and I had a bad experience last time(July 2023) where I had to sit outside for 4 hours plus till 1920 for a room I asked for at 1400. Initially they said 2 hours so I didn't use another persons room which I would have done if I'd known it was going to be four hours!) The booking w