Aerial top-down view of four Cocoon tents aligned along the main pavilion and watering hole at Wild Coast Tented Lodge

Wild Coast Tented Lodge

Palatupana, Yala · Sri Lanka

Availability

Year-round

Per unit

28 tents · 2–5 guests

Region

Yala

Price range

$$$$

Price range

$$$$

Per unit

2–5 guests

Type

Lodge

Exterior of a Cocoon Pool Suite with its private plunge pool and deck in the scrub
Wider view of a Cocoon Suite bedroom with vaulted ribbed canopy, porthole windows and a four-poster bed
Two grey langur monkeys on a wooden deck at the edge of a Cocoon tent
Aerial view of a Cocoon Pool Suite, its plunge pool and the path leading through the scrub
Cocoon Suite bathroom with a copper bathtub and twin copper basins, open to the jungle
Two guests on bean bags watching the sunset over a Yala lagoon
The open-air restaurant under a woven bamboo vault, with the pool seen through the arches
Pool and lounge of the main pavilion under a woven bamboo vault and shingle dome
The pool bar under the woven bamboo vault, with leather safari chairs at the bar
Wide aerial view of Wild Coast Tented Lodge between the dunes, beach and Indian Ocean
Infinity pool reaching the Indian Ocean, with the woven bamboo and shingle main pavilion on the right
Aerial top-down view of a single Cocoon tent and its private plunge pool surrounded by vegetation
Wilderness dining set up at night by the rocks at the edge of the Indian Ocean
The bamboo and shingle pavilions lit at dusk, with the watering hole in the foreground
The Quarry Gym interior in teak panelling, with treadmills and free weights

Wild Coast Tented Lodge

Palatupana, Yala

Lodge · $$$$

28 tents · Year-round

  • Wildlife corridor, no perimeter fence
  • Elephant dung walls, reclaimed teak, woven bamboo
  • Built by 80 villagers trained on site
  • Greywater to watering holes, food waste to biogas
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Welcome to Wild Coast Tented Lodge

Dutch studio Nomadic Resorts designed the 28 Cocoon tents to sit between the dunes and the scrub, raised on stilts so the land beneath stays untouched. 80 villagers from neighbouring Kirinda were trained on site and became the construction crew.

Three tent categories sit across the property, all facing either the Indian Ocean, the dunes or one of the five watering holes. The Cocoon Suite (55 m²) has a king bed, vaulted ceilings and a private outdoor viewing deck. Cocoon Pool Suites add a private plunge pool. Family Cocoon Pool Suites (75 m²) join the 55 m² king bedroom to an adjoining 20 m² twin room, sleeping up to 5 guests.

The main pavilion holds the open-air restaurant (winner of the UNESCO Prix Versailles 2018 for World's Best Restaurant Design), a library and the Trunk Boutique stocking locally made products. The Sanctuary Spa has four treatment rooms in elephant-shaped pods, where treatments draw on Ceylon cinnamon and tea. The site also includes an infinity pool with jacuzzi alcoves, a gym, a lounge bar for sundowners and a kids' club.

The lodge is part of Resplendent Ceylon, the boutique arm of the Dilmah family business, and a member of Relais & Châteaux. In 2025 it became the only Sri Lankan property to hold two Michelin Keys.

On the southeast coast of Sri Lanka, at the edge of Yala National Park in Palatupana. Five clay-lined watering holes, fed by recycled greywater, draw wildlife close enough to be observed from tents and communal areas.

Solar poweredReclaimed materialsSustainable architecture

Accommodation

28 tents

Capacity

2–5 guests per unit

Availability

Year-round

Price range

$$$$

Amenities

Pool · Spa · Restaurant · Wi-Fi · No pets

Included

All meals and drinks included · Two daily safaris with the lodge's expert rangers · Guided nature walks around the property · Bundala National Park birding excursion

Good to know

  • A kids' club runs in the Fossil Room. Couples seeking a quiet atmosphere may prefer to avoid Sri Lankan school holidays.

  • Yala National Park typically closes in September for infrastructure rehabilitation. During that window safaris run in neighbouring parks.

  • The Indian Ocean off this stretch is rough, suited to walks rather than swims.

  • Tents sit on stilts and are reached via steps. The terrain isn't suited to reduced mobility.

Why it's a Positive Escape

A tented lodge between the Indian Ocean and Yala National Park, built without a perimeter fence so elephants, leopards and birds can pass through the site.

Wildlife

  • No perimeter fence

    deliberately unfenced so wildlife can pass through. Elephants, leopards and birds cross the site

  • Observation-only safaris

    game drives follow park rules. The rangers actively avoid jeep clusters in Block 1

  • Five wildlife watering holes

    five clay-lined tiered ponds fed by recycled greywater. Boar, elephants and buffalo come down to drink

Community

  • Kirinda fishermen trained as construction crew

    80 villagers with no construction experience trained on site

  • Local craftsmen on the tents

    tents, bamboo bar and restaurant built by local craftsmen and Kirinda fishermen

  • Merrill J. Fernando Foundation funding

    a minimum 15% of Dilmah and Resplendent Ceylon pre-tax profits fund the foundation's work in education, vocational training and women and youth programmes

Energy

  • Rooftop solar

    solar offsets one-third of the grid electricity. Back-of-house solar panels produce around 40% of those buildings' energy

  • Solar water heating

    hot water is generated by solar

  • Passive cooling

    vaulted bamboo grid shells with concentric arches allow natural cross-ventilation

Water

  • Seawater desalination

    seawater desalination plant for resort use, in a dry zone where freshwater is scarce

  • Greywater into wildlife ponds

    shower and basin run-off feeds the five clay-lined ponds across the property

  • On-site sewage treatment

    sewage treatment plant recycles wastewater on the property

Waste

  • Food-waste biogas digester

    kitchen food waste is converted into biogas that fuels the staff kitchen

Materials & Construction

  • Reclaimed teak and woven bamboo

    domed pavilions of reclaimed teak shingles over a woven bamboo grid, one of the fastest-growing renewable building materials

  • Mud-brick from quarry residue

    seating and feature walls of locally quarried quartz residue, clay and elephant dung

  • Cocoons raised on stilts, prefabricated off-site

    the Cocoons were prefabricated off-site and raised on stilts to minimise ground disturbance during construction and operation

Transparency

  • Group ESG framework

    Resplendent Ceylon publishes a group-wide ESG Policy (2024) and Sustainability Commitments (2025)

  • Group Impact Map

    Resplendent Ceylon publishes an annual Impact Map (2025) detailing the group's sustainability outcomes

Travel mindfully

  • Reaching Wild Coast takes 5 to 6 hours by road from Colombo. A longer stay amortises the carbon cost of the journey.

  • Yala National Park sees heavy jeep traffic in Block 1. The lodge's rangers actively keep away from the clusters, but the park itself is under heavy structural pressure.

Getting there

Bus station · 25 km

Tissamaharama

Nearest town, around 25 km by road.

Airport · 51 km

Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI)

Closest international airport, around 1 hour by road from the lodge.

Airport · 303 km

Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)

Around 5 to 6 hours by road via the southern expressway. The lodge arranges a private car and driver.

Photos · © Resplendent Ceylon

Last verified: June 2026

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