We stayed here 3 nights. There are positive points here, but the negative aspects probably won’t be unique to us. The property is owned by the same owners as the Peacock Beach Hotel. The feeling is very much “set it and forget it”, using the “eco” as more gimmick than ethos to lure in tourist dollars (plenty here that is not “eco”). The positives: set on a stunning lake, looking out across the water to the mountains in the distance, the sounds of the birds and the wind in the trees is sublime. The pool is great. The tents are nice, with some issues. People have mentioned noise from the road but we didn’t find it objectionable. Most of the staff is charming, kind and concerned about the experience. We did 2 safaris, organised with Flamingo, both excellent. The Sri Lankan curry is fantastic, but the breakfast is forgettable, many other menu options unavailable. Overall the property feels a bit neglected. The tent is quite small (queen beds not king), cramped and over stuffed with furniture. The electrical outlets on pillars don’t function. One design flaw is the air con box, much too big for the space, is set right next to the bed with bright operating lights, it’s nearly impossible to sleep comfortably with it on or off. The floor fan doesn’t combat the humidity. Housekeeping was uneven and incomplete. There are plumbing and other sanitary issues. An item of value disappeared from our room. The massage was inappropriate in several ways, but one is not allowed to go into detail here. An adjacent brand name hotel creates noise long into the night. We were informed by a formal card that there would be a “community event” that would impact our sleep. The Hilton event in question was loud partying and karaoke until 4am. The permanent nature of the card indicates that this a regular occurrence. I asked how often this happened was told “once a year”, but the name on the card was that of the previous manager who left ages ago, probably after reading the writing on the wall. Insult to injury was the work that began at 6am with staff shovelling gravel into a wheelbarrow outside the tent right at our heads. All in all poor value for the money. Sadly, we left feeling exhausted, but we sympathize with the kind staff, as they really are making do with a problematic situation mostly beyond their control. …
This was our first night in Sri Lanka after a long trip and it was extraordinary. We were warmly welcomed, the tent is beautifully located in front of the lake. It is furnished with style, is very clean and most of all comfortable. The diner was also a wonderful experience, not only all dishes were very tasty (excellent barracuda fish !) but they were decorated with style. Congratulations to the chef ! To wake up with the song of the birds was very nice and the breakfast in the middle of nature was excellent and relaxing. Thank you very much to the manager and the whole team who made our stay so unique, particularly when the country is facing a severe crisis. It was a pity to stay for one night only because there is much to do at the hotel and in the surroundings.
My wife and I booked Flameback on a whim, without any great expectations. Suffice to say, it may be one of the best decisions we’ve ever taken. The main reason for this is the service provided by the Assistant Manager, Mr Sampath. He made us feel as though we were close friends visiting him after many years, and not simply guests at a hotel. No request was too great, from specially requested dining, to excursions, to us having an authentic experience of the local culture (curd making with Farmer Thushara, and boating on Lake Weerawila). When I think back on this trip, I’ll mostly remember Sampath’s cheerful nature and beyond any expectation service. I must also mention that the General Manager Mr Waruna went the extra mile to ensure that we were comfortable and in want of nothing. The lodge itself somehow manages to minimally impact nature but is luxurious and supremely comfortable. Don’t be misled by the fact that you’re staying in a tent, its as luxurious as any 5-star hotel room. Situated just on the banks of Lake Weerawila it is as serene a place as you could imagine, with innumerable species of beautiful birds giving you company. It was often difficult to get out of the hammocks on the banks :) Dining consists of 5 course set menus that wouldn’t be out of place at any fine-dining restaurant anywhere in the world. There’s so many things to do from Safari in the national parks to bird watching to massages at the spa (which were given to us complimentary) that you’ll have enough options to choose from. Of course perhaps the best option is just lazing by the lake. Overall, perhaps the single best experience we’ve ever had. …
Flameback touched our hearts. We werent prepared for what we found here - all was excellently organized and communicated, wonderful location by the lake and personnel who thought about every detail for us. The tent itself looked brand new, it was very comfortable and had a wonderful view. Breakfast and dinner were delicious, one of the best meals we tasted during 14 days of our travel. We didnt have a chance to enjoy a longer massage as we could stay only one night. The place itself is peacuful and everything is made to make guests feel relaxed and pampered. WIsh we could stay longer! Fully recommended. We are grateful to have experienced such an exceptional place.
We had a marvellous two nights glamping with our kids who are below 8 . The property is very thoughtfully designed to make your stay comfortable at utmost best which indulges your children’s well-being and safety as well. It’s perfect glamping for families with children As they could enjoy the nature worry free of the kids ,there activities such as a wonderful bird watching trail along with a ranger for details and guidance and can have a spectacular fishing sessions in the evening where the kids could do fishing and enjoy an adventurous moment within the premises. The kids do have a special certificates for their participations in the activities. The entire flame back team works tirelessly to give us the best of its services to make our stay a memorable one. Hats off for the chef and his team The dinner was a highlight and has the taste buds stunned with each dish.special meals catered for children to bring a big glee on the cheeks.breakfast has both options Sri Lankan cuisine and the English breakfast which were freshly made. Dinner is worth every penny. There is a outdoor pool and cozy deck to relax. Kudos to the entire flame black eco lodge team. Our special thanks to Mr Varun . Additionally there is a complimentary 10min foot massage and in house cocktail or a mocktail . Clean cozy room and beds. All amenities for the room is very well provided. We advice to have a good maintainer and a regular checking procedure to keep the good name of it for further by updating and refurbishing the tents and it’s amenities. We hope they keep it up forever and have bright future ahead. We enjoyed our stay and would love to return soon!…
We were not sure what to expect never having stayed in a tent before, but we had one of the best experiences there. The tents are really well appointed and have every mod con you need. The staff are wonderful and can't do enough for you, even getting up at 4.30am to bring us coffee and guide us to the gate to pick up our jeep. The food is sublime and we even had a cooking lesson from the chef, Sameera. Prashath is a great manager and Washantha couldn't have been more helpful. we even had a private bird watching tour, which was complimentary. Can't recommend this hotel highly enough.
From start to finish the guys at flameback embraced our experience , we were based here for Yala , and it was perfect -do not be put off by the 45 min drive to Yala it is worth it to get away from the larger hotel chains. During our stay we had a lovely time by the pool , so warm , and managed to fit in a local bird watching , fishing from the lakeside and a cookery lesson. The lodges are excellent comfortable and everything you need just like being in a hotel. The food was outstanding one of the other major highlights of Flameback along with the service . We highly recommend staying here , but book early to avoid disappointment as it is getting popular +++++
A really beautiful place to stay, overlooking a lake where you can watch the birds, or the monkeys going for a swim, or even a buffalo taking a dip! The tented rooms are really comfortable, the pool is great and the setting for restaurant and spa, up in the tree tops, is really fantastic. The thing that made our stay truly special though was the staff. Nothing was too much trouble for Sampath and his team, they were so incredibly friendly and helpful, and made us feel truly welcome. The food was delicious, with excellent vegetarian options. We had a great safari experience with the hotel’s friendly and knowledgeable guide, Chami, who took us to nearby Yala National park where we were lucky enough to see a leopard and her cub!
We stayed for 2 memorable nights just before Christmas. The setting is incredible with the ‘tents’ opening out onto a beautiful lake (although hardly any mosquitoes). Tents does them a dis-service as it is high quality glamping with toilets and hot showers in each one, a super comfortable bed and fans and an A/C unit. The manager and all the staff could not have done any more to make our stay perfect. As well as a trip Yala, they arranged lots of activities - a local farm/village visit, breakfast curry cooking demonstration, some basic fishing on the edge of the lake which the kids (teenage) enjoyed and a bird watching walk with local expert. The infinity pool is lovely with monkeys and plenty of wildlife in the trees around. Food was incredibly high quality with a 5 course dinner both nights with the best puddings we had in Sri Lanka! All in all, a great place and a wonderful experience that the children loved and I couldn’t recommend more highly. Thank you to the Flameback team.…
One of my most memorable stays in any place in Sri Lanka, though having a glamping like experience it is suitable for all types of stays and people. My most memorable parts of this trip would be the hospitality of the staff along with the stunning food that was served, both sri Lankan and other international foods were a superb dining experience, definitely come again
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