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Set amongst the golden dunes and the lush greenery in Yala Sri Lanka, Uga Chena Huts blends Sri Lanka’s most celebrated features – its tropical beaches and its exotic wildlife. Our Yala hotel has been designed with its surrounding tropical jungles and saline lake in mind. Enveloped in a world of scenic splendour and exotic fauna, our ‘huts’ are luxurious private cabins that offer awe-inspiring views of the surrounding wilderness and seascape.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Boutique
Location
Wildlife Tourism Zone, Palatupana, Yala National Park 82600 Sri Lanka
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Uga Chena Huts emerges as a luxurious oasis in the eyes of many guests, acclaimed for its serene atmosphere and thoughtfully designed spacious rooms. The hotel's blend of wilderness access, including safaris and a private beach, alongside opulent amenities like private plunge pools and high-end dining, makes it a standout experience, although opinions on its value for money do vary.
The exceptional service and cleanliness are frequently commended, with the attentive staff and pristine conditions contributing to the overall satisfaction of guests.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Luxurious
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Opulent
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Paradise. We stayed at Una Chena Huts for 8 nights and it was absolutely fabulous. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by smiling friendly staff and offered a beautiful welcome drink. I knew we were going to have an amazing holiday. One of the best holidays I have ever experienced. The huts are beautifully appointed villas with a large pool. The room is huge, with a fully stocked mini bar, a massive comfortable bed, The toiletries are plentiful and there is a separate very large toilet and separate shower. Our villa had a view of the lake where we would see our resident water buffalo who I named Bert every day just wallowing in the water keeping cool. Every evening at 6pm we were invited for drinks at the sundowner bar on the beach overlooking the beautiful ocean. The restaurant served amazing silver service breakfast, lunch and dinner. The choice of food was fabulous with a choice of 4 course European or Sri Lankan specialties. The chef would come and say hello during dinner to ensure the meal was satisfactory. During our stay we were visited by an elephant walking to reception, an elephant on the beach who made his way to the restaurant and reception. Monkey family enjoying the freedom of the resort. One particular evening on returning to the villa from a night enjoying fabulous food and drinks we were greeted by Bert our water buffalo on the porch of our villa munching on the greenery and when he was full he wandered behing our villa of our villa. Uga Chena Huts have a fabulous team of guides who arrange and take you on the safaris. We were lucky to be offered 2 safaris a day one early in the morning and one late afternoon. Our guide Kalihdu was absolutely fabulous, his knowledge was exceptional. He was super friendly and changed our route through the park every day. We were so lucky to watch a leopard just chilling in the bush who then decided to sit in front of our 4x4 just relaxing and cleaning herself for 5 minutes then we had the same experience with an elephant. It was surreal seeing these beautiful animals in the natural habitat. The animals we saw were leopards, elephants, water buffalo’s, monkeys, crocodiles, deer and an amazing array of birds. All the staff at Una Chena Huts are absolutely fabulous. Leezel Daniel The resident manager must be so proud of all her staff. They were exceptional, always had a beautiful smile and going above and beyond to ensure our stay was unforgettable. Una Chena Huts is paradise and we will definitely return.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I didn’t want to leave! There was an elephant on the beach when we arrived for drinks the late afternoon which was so cool!
Food & Drinks 10/10 – this was a la carte, absolutely delicious… it was like dining at a top tier restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Hotel 10/10 – you are wowed everywhere you turned
Room/ plunge pool 9.5/10 – The pool had leaves and some dirt in it but it was clean enough and refreshing – big enough to do a few laps. The veranda area was comfortable, we spent a lot of time here. The bed… I didn’t want to get out, it was so comfortable! The entire space was clean, smelt like you are in a spa and we were able to hook up our phones to play some music. The mini bar option were exceptional.
Safari 10/10 – The safari was fantastic, with certified rangers who were very knowledgeable. They brought food and refreshments, and I think the other cars around us were jealous of our morning feast!
The Team 10/10 – I have no words, they were exceptional! To customise your stay I think they ensure they have a member of the team that speaks the guest language, they do take a picture of you with your country flag (just for staff information), as far as I am aware it’s not share externally, but I thought this was a cute touch. They were so accommodating, and made you feel safe at all times – the resort was in the reserve and its open to all animals, so you can see what Yala National Park has install for you! I will definitely go back.
Negative Nothing… nothing at all and I am a fussy person!
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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What an experience. Arrived to a personal welcome - placing flag of UK on the board to see the International appeal. The room was beautiful and very spacious - one of the 4 new rooms with own pool. Golf buggies whisk you from room to reception although it’s fine to walk during the daytime. We were assigned a butler who was always on hand and couldn’t do enough for us - the mini bar miniature wines didn’t quite cut it and appreciated the full size bottle exchange! The chef needs special mention. Incredible food and very grateful to him for the curry cooking lesson. The blackened curries are superb. Drinks on the beach were a special treat at sunset (although a wandering elephant prevented this on night 2!) Special mention also for grilled lobster dish The general manager always attentive and friendly making sure everything just right. Rangers are very knowledgeable - ours qualified in S Africa The safari drive also very well organised in excellent Toyota go anywhere vehicle - leopard eventually seen after much deep jungle road exploring ! The hotel even pays for “fast track” Any criticism ? Only one very minor- the all inclusive wine only just acceptable. For an extra £5-£10 a bottle purchase price could improve this as did let down the meal slightly. Think cloudy bay standard to really up the game Not a complaint but hope this helps. Thanks for everyone.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel is sympathetically built to fit in with the surrounding area. It is very close to Yala national park so easy access for safaris. The team are welcoming and will do everything to make sure your stay is exceptional. The food is of the highest quality and demonstrates the Executive chef's skills to produce fine dining. The food is seasonal and fresh. The rooms are very large and can easily accompdate a family. The mini bar and 6 laundry items a day are included in the price. The minibar is restocked twice a day. The seevice was attentive but not intrusive. The safari guides were knowledgeable and clearly knew where to look for animals. We saw a leopard on two or our three safaris. I can highly recommend this hotel. The staff team are exceptional.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Try an early morning as well as evening safair
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Unique property with beach and wilderness feels. Spacious well lit , clean and well furbished rooms. Would have given 5 stars had the food been slightly better. The chef did his best to accommodate our food requests but for a property charging as much as they do our food expectations were more and i think they can improve on that. Apart from that cannot fault the service , the location , the naturalists who accompanied us for the safaris. Would recommend this property and if you are a vegetarian give your food preferences before visiting to have a better overall experience.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
One of the most luxurious bush lodges we've ever experienced. Absolutely fabulous. Our room was a stunning oasis of calm but provided an outlook over the grounds which facilitated sightings of monkeys (50+ in adjacent treetops) and a family of wild boar. All staff were attentive and knowledgeable and we were well and truly looked after. The food was of Michelin* quality, a real achievement in a location so remote. Our game guide took every opportunity to share his knowledge and we often compared safari experiences (ours in Africa, his in Sri Lanka). The one drawback has nothing to do with Chena Huts. Access to Yala National Park seems unrationed with upwards of 100 4WD vehicles seen on one outing, a density which inhibits sightings, especially of secretive animals like leopard, and is potentially high risk with either the animal's or the vehicles' escape routes compromised. Access needs to be limited, even if that means visits are rendered unaffordable to most, if this conservation initiative is to succeed.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chena Huts was PHENOMINAL. The online pictures simply don’t do it justice. You check in at an outdoor lobby built above a massive Koi pond with tons of lotus plants. Apparently if our trip had been a week earlier, we would have witnessed nightly visits from wild elephants who occasionally stop by for a drink on their way through. And as pretty as the rooms look online, they’re even more lush in person—there was a gorgeous big bed in the center, tons of space with a sitting area/tv with books about Sri Lankan animals, mini-bar and table, with bathroom, tub, and rainhead shower behind the bed, and a completely lovely plunge pool in the back. We’re huge fans of plunge pools, and this one was a really nice size, looking into the brush with good bird watching opportunities. It’s amazing on its own, and then you add in the safaris. Our ranger, Gayan, was FANTASTIC. So knowledgeable. We got lucky enough to see a leopard (thanks to our intrepid driver) as well as elephants (including two babies), hornbills, monkeys, water buffalo, mongooses, peacocks, and much more. We were also extremely well fed. In addition to a la carte breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a glass walled restaurant overlooking the beach, Gayan always brought snacks for the safaris. And after the evening trips to Yala, there were sundown cocktails served on the beach with grilled prawns and calamari. My wife is a vegetarian, and they were wonderful about accommodating that. The service was next level. All of the staff were simply amazing. One morning we didn’t have hot water, and we mentioned it at the front desk, and they were there and had it fixed before we even got back to the hut. This is truly a world-class resort. It was the perfect start to our Sri Lankan adventure.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed here as part of a special trip for my birthday & our anniversary. This was our first safari experience and seeing leopards was amazing and just as memorable as the team at Chena.
Our trip started after quite a long drive from the airport in Colombo. We had the most amazing welcome with the team conducting a ceremony where we placed our country flag into a space on the wall. We had a welcome drink and private check in before being shown to our hut.
The accommodation is stunning. Huge and expansive but yet it was cosy and has character. It was so clean and I was worried it would be hard to keep bugs out but it wasn’t. Our pool was great and we actually had a wild boar come near our hut grazing for food as well as monkeys in our path with the longest tails. The whole area feels like you are close to the game reserve and when you go out on safari you realise why.
There are two safari’s one in the morning and one in the evening. Both offer something different. Both are stunning and we were lucky to have Johnny as an incredible knowledgeable guide. We saw a male and a female leopard as well as elephants (and much much more) which were the main things we wanted to see.
The grounds are well maintained and due to guest numbers no where is crowded it feels so exclusive and when we went over to the main pool we noticed the staff causally come over and switch on the waterfall feature. It’s all inclusive so grabbing a drink by the pool or by the bar which is on the beach was all effortless. The mini bar is well stocked and you even received these delicious biscuits which I had with the alcohol provided in the room. It’s not room service but the team even offered to bring drinks to us.
The team are amazing! The chef even made us lobster off the menu, he just came over to us started chatting and then offered to make us anything we wanted! Talk about service! By the end of our stay it felt like leaving family! We took pictures together and laughed about how much food we had eaten! The food was amazing, so well cooked full of flavour a fusion of Sri Lanka meeting the west.
Tiny improvement would be more premium brands of alcohol but the local spirits are definitely worth a try. Honestly the entire experience was such a highlight of a life-time. You have to come and we will be back!
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I just currently stayed at Uga Chena Huts to celebrate his birthday and to scout the property for future clients.
This beach waterfront property is located near the entrance of Yala National Park, and the minute you arrive you feel immediately relaxed and welcomed. The minute we walked in we were greeted by Shazna, she is the kindest human being and she'll make sure that you are well taken care of.
We choose the all-inclusive stay, which included all meals, game drive, laundry, premium drinks, and an unforgettable sundowner at the beach. All the huts have a plunge pool and a deck where you can relax, read a book and go for a swim.
Our stay at Uga Chena Hut was above every expectation we had, the service is impeccable, the huts are spacious, modern, well decorated and has all the amenities you could possibly want or need. A true luxury stay.
The property is well maintained, clean, the staff are very kind and attentive to your every need, our guide was very passionate and knowledgeable about Yala National Park and the animals.
As Travel agents we’ve stayed in our fair share of hotels around the world, but this was the first time we did not want to leave!
Everything was perfect, showers have good water pressure, beds are comfortable, soft and clean, bath towel are fluffy and absorbing. Every amenity in the hut is of good quality, from the toiletries to the hair dryer, from the coffee machine to the almond butter cookies.
We recommend it 100%. A very pleasurable and unforgettable stay!
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The 'hut' is enormous, extremely comfortable, private, and very well fitted. It was cleaned to a high standard every day including the private pool and replenishment of the tea/coffee/alcoholic and soft drinks. Without exception the staff are cheerful and efficient with some of the widest smiles you will see! The food is excellent as evidenced by my expanding waistline, with a good choice on the menu. The safaris were really enjoyable even though we did not see a leopard, but the elephants and birdlife more than made up for it, and the ranger was very knowledgable and clearly knows the Park intimately. In short we thoroughly enjoyed our 6 night stay and heartily recommend it.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:No sea swimming but good pools.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there - Uga Chenna Huts is about 4 1/2 hours from the Bandaranaike International Airport. You will need to arrange a taxi (available @ the airport) to get to the hotel.
Our driver had a special licence re tourism to jump the fuel queues but it was not as bad as now and we came back a couple of weeks before the FCO advice.
They will ask that you put the tip on at the end of your stay to be split among all employees. We also did tip the bartender and a couple other separately and then gave the tip at the end. We had a driver for 10 days so he got a big trip, which we screwed up and had to end up Western Union him the money. Hubs thought I did it, I thought he did.
If you want to stop at roadside things you will need to go to an ATM to get money - get the conversion before you go. We took out like a few hundred and could only buy 1 water - had to go back! Everything is very cheap compared to the US. But they want THEIR money, not yours. Only big stores take credit cards and the resorts.
Hope this helps.
There are more places to choose from in the Palatupana area.
PRICE RANGE
RM 3,533 - RM 5,817 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Sri LankaYala National ParkPalatupana
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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