Three hours south-east of Kandy, Gal Oya Lodge is the gateway to a National Park that includes Sri Lanka’s largest lake, Senanayake Samudraya. It is the only place in Sri Lanka where you can take a boat safari to see elephants swimming between some of the lake’s 47 islands.

Beyond mobile phone reception, beyond wi-fi and certainly beyond television, Gal Oya Lodge has one foot in the past. You can walk with a Veddha Chief learning how his tribe lived in bygone millennia. Yet, Gal Oya’s environmentally responsible tourism also has one enlightened foot in the future.

Elephants are everywhere. Printed on cushion covers. Carved into tap heads. Threaded through the bed throw. Embossed on the napkin holders and wild elephants amble through the Lodge’s 20 acres. Even the restaurant menus are printed on elephant poo paper.

The welcome

A cool flannel and a glass of lime

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