Banyan Camp
Families,
Couples
Located on the edge of Uda Walawe National Park, Banyan Camp is a small, characterful eco-lodge for travellers who want to get close to Sri Lanka’s wildlife.
The national park itself is one of the island’s best for elephant sightings, and the land surrounding the camp — peaceful, largely untouched, and dotted with birdlife — sets the tone from the moment you arrive.
The camp sits beside a lake in open countryside, with a handful of temples and historical sites nearby but little else to distract from the natural surroundings. Axis deer, wild boar and elephants move through the national park, and there’s plenty to see before you even get there; a morning walk or an hour by the water’s edge will often turn up birds and animals without any effort at all.
This is a place for travellers who want to a few days off-grid. If you’re after proper comfort, it may not be the right fit — it’s rustic rather than polished.
As a true eco-lodge, the structures at Banyan Camp are made from local materials, from reclaimed doors to driftwood furniture and recycled bottle décor. One of the four lodges even uses a repurposed old truck as a bedroom!
It’s inventive, and the result is a place that feels genuinely at one with its surroundings. Come prepared, though: open-sided rooms, no air conditioning and limited internet are part of the experience, not an oversight.
The Rooms
There are just four lodges in total, each distinct in character and built from reclaimed materials.
The Banyan Lodge is the largest, sleeping up to six across two rooms and working particularly well for a group of friends.
The Champagne and Wine Lodges each sleep up to four across two floors, with en suite bathrooms, and suit couples or small families equally well.
Then there’s the Mercedes Lodge — the repurposed truck reimagined as a private retreat for two, with its own en suite. It’s a genuine one-off.
What You'll Find:
Why You'll Love It:
Explore ETG's Sample Itineraries in Sri Lanka
A few of our favourite routes – hand-picked by the team and ripe for tweaking.
Think of them as conversation starters. Curiosity sparkers. Not fixed plans – just ideas for what your holiday could look like, shaped by years of local know-how and the kind of immersive experiences that live long in the memory
Banyan Camp on the map
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The Curious Traveller’s Guide to Sri Lanka
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