Chaaya Wild Yala Lodge?!

Right now I’m staying at Chaaya Wild Yala Lodge, which borders Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park. The lodge is simply gorgeous and I do mean both simply and gorgeous. To minimize uninvited “guests” the individual lodge cabins are simply, but elegantly decorated. Even so, I am sharing my room with five very cute- and very fast- geckos.

The grounds are gorgeous, with a natural lake on one end and the Indian Ocean on the other. Crocodiles and any number of birds are visible from the reception area.

However, the park’s leopards, elephants, monkeys, wild boars and snakes regularly roam the premises at night, requiring guests to call for an escort when walking from their cottages to the restaurant, pool or reception areas at night. This sign clinches it for me.