Discover the Top Eco-Friendly Accommodations in Sri Lanka: Sustainable Hospitality at its Best

Welcome to the land of serenity, Sri Lanka! Known for its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, this tropical paradise has now become a pilgrimage site for green travelers looking to escape the monotony of city life. As eco-tourism gains momentum in the Indian subcontinent, it is no surprise that some of the best sustainable hotels in Asia are popping up on this island nation.

We’ve done our research and compiled a list of top five Eco-hotels that not only offer luxurious stays but also promote environmental conservation and sustainability.

Whether you’re traveling solo or with family, these accommodations will make sure your carbon footprint is minimized while you indulge in nature’s offerings at their doorstep.

So throw away those mundane hotel brochures and join us as we explore Sri Lanka’s finest eco-friendly lodgings!

Eco tourism in Sri Lanka is a huge trend right now, where most people want to experience their surroundings of the purest form, such as pristine seas and unexplored wilderness. A lot of rain forests are among the list of places to visit in eco–tourism. Pearly beaches and small islands are also famous among tourists.

Best Eco Tours in Sri Lanka

• Whale & Dolphin Watching Trincomalee
• Pigeon Island Day Trip In Trincomalee
• Wilpattu Safari Drive From Trincomalee, Nilaveli & Suburbs
• Udawalawe Afternoon Safari – Private Day Trip From Colombo
• Shore Excursion from Colombo port passenger pier to Ceylon Tea plantation

See all Eco Tours in Sri Lanka on GetYourGuide.

1. Jetwing Vil Uyana 5* – Eco Friendly Hotels Sri Lanka

Located in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, Jetwing Vil Uyana features modern accommodation set amidst a spectacular man-made wetland. Free WiFi is available and rooms feature cable TV with an entertainment system.

Residences at Vil Uyana feature teak flooring and a balcony, with both fan and air-conditioning provided. Video games, a DVD player and radio are available.

Guests can get a relaxing massage at the spa, or workout at the fitness centre. Jetwing Uyana also offers an indoor swimming pool.

On sprawling grounds with reed beds, paddy fields and a lake, this imaginative, eco-chic hotel is 15 minutes’ walk from the Sigiriya Museum and 2 km from Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress.

Guests can enjoy breakfast (fee) in the hotel’s upscale restaurant with a terrace overlooking the lake. There are also 2 bars. Ayurvedic treatments are available in the spa, as well as yoga classes, a gym, and bike rentals.

Nestled deep in the heart of Sri Lankan paradise, Jetwing Vil Uyana offers a sustainable, eco-friendly modern design which incorporates five main ecological zones. This tranquil retreat is for those who wish to explore the island’s vast array of flora and fauna.

What makes Jetwing Vil Uyana especially captivating is its ambitious attempt to introduce a wetland system on reclaimed agricultural lands – something truly unique. Every moment here exudes an authentic ‘back to nature’ experience that you will never forget.

There was a beautiful view from the room. I was impressed by their eco friendly policy and efforts. As soon as you enter, you feel connected to nature, and when you check out, you feel sad to leave it behind. With all the right and fresh ingredients, their Sri Lankan food was so delicious.

A true testament to how true eco tourism should be achieved was the property itself, which was an inspiration with its water features, chalets (jungle, rice, garden), architecture as a whole, and water features. It was a pleasure to stay in the jungle villa for three nights!

The villa structure, the private pool, the clean, tidy and safe rooms and surroundings, which are not easy to maintain in a dry zone jungle setting, were outstanding!

The food was simply excellent and hats off to the chef for a perfect selection and combination, be it Sri Lankan or Western. We were wowed at every meal. During the 7 course dinner, we loved it so much that we wondered why anyone would want a buffet.

Drinks were also fantastic, whether they were juices, mocktails, or wine selections from over 20 different countries.

An eco-friendly oasis in the cultural triangle with easy access to Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa.

This place proves that ‘eco’ does not mean lacking in comfort. We only heard birds singing! You cross over a walkway to the restaurant. The food is original, beautifully prepared and presented, and not too expensive. The wine cellar was a great place to visit and they sold some pretty good wines.

As well as water monitors, many birds, and even a resident crocodile, the hotel also has its own resident crocodile who occasionally poked his nose above water to see what was going on. In fact, all the staff were extremely pleasant and helpful.

We were assigned our own ‘butler;’ and even though we didn’t need to contact him much, he was always available to assist. Highly recommended.

All tents at this eco lodge look out onto mountains and valleys, and they have verandas where you can watch sunrises and sunsets.

The breakfast included was amazing, and the staff was polite and professional.

Dinner was also served here, as well as drinks by the pool in the afternoon.

Our stay was unlike any other; we walked around the tea plantations and enjoyed the mountain air.

We were excited to visit this lodge because of its breathtaking views.

In spite of the windy and long drive, our guide got us to the top, albeit late in the evening, so we didn’t get to see the views the first night.

Inquisitive monkeys might drop by for a visit, so lock your tent zip if you don’t want them to get in!

Jetwing Vil Uyana also places a lot of emphasis on being eco-friendly.

 

2. Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge 5* – Eco Lodge Sri Lanka

Located amidst rolling green hills and the Madulkelle Tea Estate, this property offers tents with a terrace, a seating area, and en suite bathroom with hot/cold water. Wired internet access is available.

The peaceful Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge offers a retreat away from the city. It is just a 15-minute walk to Hatale Waterfalls and a 40-minute drive to Knuckles Mountain Range, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Guests can soak up the sun or take a dip at the outdoor pool. The friendly staff at this Eco Lodge can organise a campfire or a visit to the tea factory.

On a lush tea plantation with views of the Knuckles Mountain Range, this refined hilltop hotel is 24 km from Pattam Paha Sub railway station.

Safari-style canvas lodges provide porches with mountain views, as well as rustic decor and en suite bathrooms. A suite adds free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen, an iPod dock and a mini fridge, plus a living area, a furnished patio and a soaking tub.

An airy, polished restaurant features a fireplace, a terrace and scenic views, and there’s an English-style bar. Other amenities include an infinity pool, gardens and a library.

The eco lodge is in a spectacular tea plantation, so high up that at times you feel like you’re in the clouds. It’s very isolated, but that’s what makes it so wonderful.

 

The tent/room itself was really cool, lovely decor, simple and good quality facilities – a touch more eco-friendly than the typical tent/room. Having our own, large veranda to sit on to look out at the view was a real treat!

With the lovely tea choices provided in the rooms, we awoke at 5am to watch the sunrise and on another occasion we watched the sunset with a bottle of red.

 

With a view of the Knuckles mountain range behind it, it is a very special place. We spent a lovely afternoon there reading with a bottle of wine, and it never gets crowded there.

 

We enjoyed our stay overall due to the incredible location, our tent, and the pool

 

On top of a ridge overlooking the Knuckles mountain range, the Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge is located after a winding drive up from Kandy. Each tent has a private balcony with an incredible view, making it luxurious and comfortable.

 

They offer a variety of excursions (bird watching, tea plantation tours, waterfall tours, etc.) that are carefully planned and enriching.

 

It lies in the south of Sri Lanka, near the scenic Enselwatte Tea Estate and borders the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains one of the world’s last remaining rain forests.

Our 16 innovative chalets are built out of repurposed shipping containers and sit high off the estate ground, giving our guests a panoramic view of the forest from their own terrace. Approximately four and a half hours from Colombo city, Rainforest Ecolodge is a short drive.

 

An amazing place facing the Sinharaja rainforest. It was a simple and cosy atmosphere. The food was excellent and there were many varieties of Sri Lankan dishes. Mr. Rohan looked after all our needs in the restaurant. He was very friendly and helpful from the beginning. Nimesh, our tracking guide, led us on a 3 hour adventure into the Sinharaja Forest. The last 10 km to the eco lodge was challenging but well worth the effort.

Thank you to everyone at Madulkelle for taking such good care of us.

How much does a room costs at Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge?

Prices start 495$/night for Deluxe Tent with Mountain view. The Honeymoon Suite with Mountain View is 585$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for couples.

Stilt house built over paddy field features a private plunge pool. It features teak flooring and a balcony, with both fan and air-conditioning provided. Video games, a DVD player and radio are available.

Where to book online– Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge – Eco Lodges Sri Lanka – you can find the best eco friendly hotels deals in Sri Lanka during Vel Festival which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Sri Lanka on Booking.com  or Hotelscombined.com or Agoda.com or Hotelscombined.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.

3. The Rainforest Ecolodge – Sinharaja 3* – Eco Friendly Hotels Sri Lanka

Located on a division of the Enselwatte Tea Estate, The Rainforest Ecolodge offers accommodation with a private bathroom surrounded by a forest habitat. It features an observation desk, lounge and restaurant.

The tea estate borders the South-eastern side of the Sinharaja Rainforest. Matara city is a 1.5-hour drive away while Colombo city is a 4.5-hour from the Southern Expressway. It takes 5.5 hours to travel from Bandaranaike International Airport.

Boasting a balcony with mountain views, each bungalow includes a sofa, safe and tea/coffee making facilities. Private bathroom comes with a hot and cold shower and hairdryer.

Within the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, this remote ecolodge surrounded by verdant rainforest and tea fields is 42 km from Maduwanwela Walawwa, a historical house.

Overlooking the forest canopy, the clever chalets are made from recycled shipping containers and are set on stilts. All come with en suites facilities, as well as tea and coffee making facilities, living areas and private decks. There are no TVs.

Breakfast is complimentary. Metal walkways connect the refined, open-air restaurant to a lobby bar, a lounge and a reading room. Activities include hiking and bird-watching.

4. Habarana Village by Cinnamon 4*– Eco Friendly Hotels Sri Lanka

Offering bungalow-style rooms surrounded by greenery, Chaaya Village Habarana is a 15-minute drive from Minneriya National Park. The hotel features an outdoor pool and facilities for tennis, volleyball and badminton.

Chaaya Village Habarana is an hour’s drive from Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. Driving from Bandaranaike International Airport takes 6 hours.

Featuring wooden furniture, the air-conditioned rooms at Chaaya Village Habarana come with private terraces. Each room has a TV with cable channels, a safety deposit box, and tea/coffee making facilities.

Set amid lush forest off the A6 highway, this relaxed, rural resort on Habarana Lake is 18 km from Sigiriya Lion Rock, the ruins of a 5th-century city.

Warmly decorated rooms with wood accents offer patios, free Wi-Fi and cable TV, as well as minibars, and tea and coffee making facilities. Suites add lake views, 4-poster beds, living areas, and open-air bathrooms with soaking tubs.

A casual buffet restaurant with a terrace serves international cuisine. There’s also a cafe, and a bar with garden views. Other amenities include a spa, a triangle-shaped outdoor pool, and a cricket pitch, as well as tennis, badminton and volleyball courts.

A calm and a quiet place to chill in the evening with a drink and a sandwich in an awesome weather adding up to the best service from Hansaka, Abhishek and Shizuka.

As an eco-friendly place, you can do your stress-filled workload without any disturbance with an amazing view while doing it in a serene and cheerful manner.

This eco hotel is one of the best I’ve visited, a mere 4-5 hour drive from Colombo. The roads are well constructed making the 90 km journey to Anuradhapura just 2 hours. Polonnaruwa is even closer at 30 km away and there are places like Ritigala, Kaudulla and Minneriya Forest in close proximity for exploration.

The hotel garden is vast with plenty of old trees providing fresh air and tranquility. At the backside of the premises, there’s a lake where you can take a ‘paaru’ ride. The staff are incredibly friendly and supportive whilst rooms provide all that’s required for a pleasant stay. Sri Lankan diets can be experienced too. The Cinnamon Lodge and Village are both onsite as well.

It is an ideal place to relax after visiting historical sites such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, and Sigiriya.

There were spacious apartments with beautiful public areas and all the amenities a resort needs.

There was a wide variety of delicious and perfect food.

The Eco Park is nearby for jeep safaris to see elephants; we loved seeing them and their babies close up in the wild, but were concerned about crowding.

The hotel rooms are clean and basically furnished (Cinnamon Lodge has more furniture, but is more expensive!). It’s not entirely clear what drinks, etc, are included in the All Inclusive package, but if you want something, just ask nicely and they’ll do their best to accommodate you. We had a wonderful time.

Restaurant buffet food is good quality and generally good choice, with a mix of Western and Sri Lankan options, but some Sri Lankan curries (and the Poppadum) are very hot – so watch out! It was quiet during some lunchtimes and there wasn’t much choice on the buffet, but staff were eager to prepare something for us (no charge).

In addition to solar energy for powering the retreat, a backup generator is also provided. Hot water is also provided by solar energy. A biogas generator is installed to convert kitchen waste into biogas for cooking.

Featuring coconut thatch roofing, wooden floors, and folding bamboo tats, all tree houses and boulder cottages at this retreat are designed to feel very close to nature. Featuring fans, mosquito nets, and modern toilets, each lodge maintains high standards of comfort.

Each of the two tree houses and four boulder cottages at the eco-retreat is tastefully furnished to maximize the impact of the surroundings. To ensure maximum privacy for guests, there are separate reception areas, living and dining areas, as well as staff and driver quarters.

Birds, smaller mammals, and larger mammals like deer, sambhurs and elephants inhabit the surrounding forest.

Waking up to the sound of birds in the morning instead of traffic is an experience you won’t forget. This eco retreat has no phone signal or wifi – a welcome blessing away from technology. Refresh yourself in the stream where tiny fish will cleanse and exfoliate your skin.

The staff are passionate about preserving the environment, so there’s a limit on the number of guests at any one time. From your tree house, you’ll be visited by squirrels and a range of birds, lizards and insects including lightning bugs which glow beautifully in the night sky.

The staff are extremely knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna, so ask to go on a nature walk. Make sure to bring cash since credit cards are not accepted.

5. Back of Beyond – Dehigaha Ela 3* – Eco Friendly Hotels Sri Lanka

Set amidst a natural landscape, Back of Beyond – Pidurangala offers a peaceful getaway in Sigiriya. Just 1 km from Sigiriya Rock, this property features free Wi-Fi, free parking and a natural setting in the middle of a forest.

Rooms come with traditional interiors and wooden furnishings. A private bathroom comes with hot and cold shower facilities.

A fine selection of local and Western dishes are served at the restaurant.

Located in the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka and within 30 minutes from Sigiriya World Heritage Site, Back of Beyond Dehigaha ela is situated in a circular clearing at the base of a hill, ringed in by the thick forest on the sweeping curve of the two streams.

It is a small secret place for all forms of wildlife – elephants, sambhur, deer, birds, butterflies – to visit. It is an ideal location for those who dream of sleeping under the stars, of exploring the jungle and streams on foot with all its joys and little discomforts. We have of course, added the comforts and care.