Chena Huts

Safari luxe, rustic, earthy

Palatupana Yala sri lanka

94-47-226-7100

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At a Glance

This set of domed, thatch-roof bungalows offers a high-end African-style safari experience on Sri Lanka’s south coast beaches.

Indagare Loves

  • The natural wood, contemporary-style décor in each hut
  • The delicious international and local cuisine
  • The property’s nearly 180-degree Indian Ocean views
  • Wildlife viewing at the nearby national park

Review

Chena Huts opened in late 2015 just south of Yala National Park, a 240,000**-**acre wildlife reserve on the country’s southeast coast that is known for its populations of leopards and sloth bears. The hotel is a part of Uga Escapes, a chain of design-oriented, contemporary boutique properties in Sri Lanka.

The dramatically domed and thatched glass-walled bungalows—modeled on traditional lodgings once used by farmers in the area—provide a more comfortable, cossetting and air-conditioned alternative to the other staying options at Yala National Park.

Bordered by the blue-green Indian Ocean, golden sand dunes and verdant bushland, Chena’s seven acres host 14 bungalows, each of them more than 1,000 square feet in size. The soaring, cross-vaulted huts center on floating platform beds with tall headboards made of tree trunks rounds; these divide the spacious living and sleeping areas from the bathing area’s double sinks, soaking tub and enclosed shower. Each bungalow is equipped with a large flat-screen TV, as well as a built-in desk and minibar. Outside, each hut has a large deck with chaise lounges and a refreshing, pale-blue plunge pool.

At the front of the property, the hotel’s indoor-outdoor reception area leads into a glass-enclosed (and air-conditioned) restaurant whose Sri Lankan-born chef recently returned home after cooking for a decade at high-end hotels in Abu Dhabi. At the wooden tables and on the wrap-around porch, the restaurant serves four-course menus that change daily with a mix of Sri Lankan and international influences. While enjoying the ocean views, diners are likely to spot water buffalo and wild boar, or even elephants, grazing nearby.

While the hotel’s dining and design are similar in quality to high-end African safari stays, the service at Chena Huts has yet to achieve the same sophistication. This is especially true of the property’s safari experience. For example, room rates include one game drive a day, either at dawn or dusk (not the two per day rate that most travelers who’ve been to Africa would expect). The vehicles themselves, snacks and sundowner drinks are also underwhelming. Guests on morning drives should expect to wait up to fifteen minutes in a line of other safari vehicles to enter the park once it opens at 5:30 am, and several jeeps may congregate around a spotting of a leopard or bear. Our safari guide, one of Chena’s in-house naturalists, was well-meaning and knowledgeable, but not quite as personable and engaged as he might have been.

Who Should Stay

Wildlife enthusiasts and safari-lovers. Visitors should be sure to manage their expectations as this experience is not as fine-tuned those at other properties.

Ideal Length of Stay

Two nights, most likely as part of an itinerary between stops on the east and south coasts.

Getting There

A daily commercial flight on a Cinnamon Air sea plane brings guests from the airport in Colombo to a water landing in the South Coast town of Dickwella, which is a three hour drive from Chena. Depending on other passengers, the seaplane may make stops along the way, so the trip can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. Flights can also be chartered, and an increasing number of scheduled flights are coming into Hambantota, which is a 1-hour drive from Chena. The drive to the resort from Colombo, while on good roads, takes at 3.5 hours, and can be longer in traffic.

Written by Andrew Sessa

What's Nearby
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