Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge

Liked: In the middle of a tea plantation, as promised - Very clean, nice staff, beautiful swimming pool, cool nights (no need for air condition), food was good (at a high price point for Sri Lanka but still affordable). Tea at the arrival and in the afternoon is a nice moment

Disliked: This felt closer to a glamping experience than a traditional hotel stay. The bedrooms are actually tents, which we were not aware of when booking. There is also very little natural light inside the rooms. When the weather is nice, this isn’t much of an issue, as you can spend most of your time on the terrace or by the swimming pool. However, when it rains, the rooms can feel quite small and dark. The hotel is also rather isolated and not particularly easy to reach, which means you are more or less dependent on having lunch and dinner there. Although the food is good, after a while this started to feel a little restrictive. Overall, we enjoyed some aspects of the stay, but considering that the experience is essentially glamping, we found it quite expensive for what it offers.

Liked: Location, people and food

Disliked: Damp room, dogs were barking all night around our tent, very little sleep

Liked: Great view

Disliked: Reaching the hotel is a bumpy road

Liked: The location is very remote and not easily accessible. The journey was stressful with very narrow roads.The staff at check in were very laid back and we were tired they took long to do the process. The location is nice and the main reception area as well as pool area is very nice with good food at the restaurant.

Disliked: There was no wifi in the tents and also there was no way to communicate with reception from the tents. It felt very unsettling that there was no communication with the staff and anyone from the facilities. The alley lights were also not all working and that felt aslo dark at night when walking back to the tents.

We paid a very high amount of money thinking we would have a luxury experience but it was exactly the opposite. The tent we originally received had no glass sliding door, unlike the other tents they had, and we had to force them to switch it for us. That took a lot of time. They then put us in one which had multiple holes which were never fixed and during the night many mice got inside. There is a lot of weirdness at this hotel, and it takes a lot of effort to reach the hotel, too. We were expecting so much more, and we can’t help thinking we were scammed. Don’t trust what you see on YouTube! And to the madulkele staff, please do better and dont treat guests like fools for expecting such things. You are charging for something much more. Your actual hardworking staff deserve to not have their livelihoods at risk due to dumb mistakes.

Liked: This is my 2nd visit here, we booked the superior suite to make it more special but I actually preferred the smaller tents with the balcony. Our suite didn’t feel very private as it was on the footpath. The electric kept going off too. Other than this I wouldn’t let it put you off booking here. The place is truly magical. Great service, good food and amazing views

Disliked: Wasn’t impressed with the superior suite

Liked: The setting, the atmosphere, the staff were all wonderful. The food presentation was good. Our guide Kumar was fantastic and I had a lovely massage

Disliked: There was no information about the history of the plantation available or how it currently operates. Too much white bread and pastries. Coffee was disappointing. The tent needed a bit of repair but was great overall

I wanted to love this place but unfortunately there were enough issues that offset the opportunity this place has. First, the setting of the hotel is beautiful and there are lovely walks and hikes you can do from the main lodge, but the location is very remote and an hour down a bumpy road from Kandy which made it hard to explore much. Second, the quality of the rooms has clearly deteriorated in recent years. They are expensive for a “glamping” tent that was in bad need of repair (hole in window net, bottom zipper was missing altogether, straps to roll up the sides were all broken, etc). Lastly, the food is mostly western food (and is mediocre), which is fine to have some but I would have appreciated a mix of local flavors as well, especially at breakfast.. The prices are seemingly not bad (slightly above other comparable places) but they add a 10% “service charge” and 20% “tax” to everything, making it all quite expensive on a relative and absolute basis in the end. The guide for the hike was excellent and did a good job. All in all I was disappointed in my stay and would recommend staying elsewhere in the valley.