Hotels near Kumana National Park, Panama

Sooooo if you are looking for something authentic, cool, cozy, beach view, beautiful, sublime etc..this would definitely be the one! Wish we could stay longer..

Private location, extremely helpful and polite owner and staff, authentic Sri Lanka beach life vibe, everything was clean and tidy, Iroshana helped us with just about anything we could think off from arranging breakfast, barbeque dinner, recommending surf bays and trips to conversations about Sri Lanka ways of living. Thank you for everything, we will always remember and hope to come back one day.

Secret Paradise is a beautiful wooden cabin surrounded by nature right by the sea. Malika and her family make sure everything is perfect – from cleanliness and service to excellent local cuisine. It’s a very peaceful place to relax, yet close to more touristy areas like Arugam Bay (about 20 minutes by tuk-tuk). We’ll come back as soon as we can, it was amazing!!!

The owner was super friendly and an amazing cook! Everything was great — the place is quiet and relaxing, a perfect spot away from the busy Arugam bay. The only downside was that we had quite a lot of ants in the bathroom at night. Other than that, it was a lovely stay!

This is THE place to stay if you are interested in safaris within Kumana NP. We had an exceptional driver (as good an animal spotter as our guide!). We were lucky enough to have Sam as our guide. He is a BBC wildlife videographer and knew so much about the animals and their behaviours. It gave us the best chance of having so many great leopard/animal encounters. The food and hotel staff was also fantastic. If I come back to Sri Lanka I would skip Yala and come here for a few nights more. There is no mobile signal in Kumana to alert other drivers to where wildlife is so usually the leopard encounters are just yourself and no-one else. Just note - the national park is still about 45 min drive away from the hotel and Panama is a quiet place (more peaceful than Arugum Bay). Its def not a party place like Arugum bay. Safaris are from 5am until about 6.30pm. I would also recommend maybe bringing a neck buff and protection for expensive camera equipment (towel to cover). There is a lot of dust that kicks up off the road.

In our trip of 2 months in Sri Lanka and despite 5 days of straight rain, this was our favourite stay. The road to Panama was a safari in itself, with a 2.5 meter monitor lizard, crocodile ponds, scores of gray langurs and stunning views. We visited outside the tourist season so we were the only tourists in the village, which sports some lovely beaches, a lake with many crocodiles, charming rice fields and lagoons, friendly locals, affordable local restaurants and good access to the Kumana national park. The room is charming and clean and had everything we needed. What made the stay so special though was the wonderful family who manage it and the owner is a Doctor and he is very kind and helpful. Their hospitality is genuine and our walks in the neighbourhood and evening talks thought us so much. It is people who live from their heart like them that form the true treasure of Sri Lanka. This is the nearest hotel to the Kumana National Park, and they arrange the Safari for the lowest rate in Panama/Kumana/Arugambay city. You can experience the night safari also.