Did you notice the pictures of a cute tree house in Sri Lanka on our Instagram page? Well, it’s time to share more details. We couldn’t stop raving about it because this tree house is seriously the most adventurous place where we ever stayed the night – we were in the middle of the forest!

If you have visited Sri Lanka or have seen pictures, we’re sure by now you know how amazing the forest area is! Well, we wanted to experience it firsthand and wanted to stay in the middle of the jungle. After days of searching for the perfect place, we eventually found it on a website called Glamping Hub. Wait, what is Glamping Hub?

About Glamping Hub

Glamping Hub is a website that has a collection of thousands of tree houses, tipis, caravans, luxury tents and unique outdoor accommodations all over the world! In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this website also has luxurious forest stays near my own Delhi!

If you’re looking for a tree house too, you can visit this website and click on “Collections” and put your country of preference in location section to see a collection. I found 65 in India; let me know how many you find in your country of preference.

About Back of Beyond, Dehigaha Ela

The name of the place where we stayed is Back of Beyond, Dehigaha Ela and it’s near Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. Sigiriya is perhaps one of the most famous destinations of Sri Lanka. An image of Sigiriya Rock is used as a cover page of most of the travel books and articles about Sri Lanka. Sigiriya is famous for its ruins that are on top of a massive “Lion Rock” with lion like paws at the base.

If you’re visiting Sri Lanka, chances are you’re going to want to visit Sigiriya. If you do, I strongly suggest you stay at Back of Beyond, Dehigaha Ela because there is a lot to do here and you will not want to get out. It’s a nature retreat that’s secluded with unspoilt wilderness around. Yes, it’s completely off the grid!

Read: 13 Essential Travel Tips for Sri Lanka

The Forest around Back of Beyond, Dehigaha Ela

Honestly, I have seen many places that claim to be in forest but are just jungle themed resorts. I was so happy to see that the area around Back of Beyond Dehigaha Ela is a real forest. Its 30 minutes drive away from main Sigiriya and on our way here, we spotted a few wild elephants because it’s in the middle of dense rainforest. The drive from Sigiriya town to this place felt like a jungle safari.

Inside Back of Beyond, Dehigaha Ela

I have never seen a property that’s as big as this. They have 7 acres of land in the middle of the forest and they have barely utilized 1 acre. Its very beautiful because inside there are a few ponds with lotus flowers, two streams, little waterfalls and a few huge boulders that are so big that you can climb them like hills. If you hike around the streams, you can also see calcium deposits.

Needless to say, we did spot a few exotic birds, colorful butterflies, and iguanas inside. Oh and don’t forget that we saw elephants just right outside while we were on our way here! We did however see fresh elephant footprints here but never saw them inside during the day.

Our Tree house in Back of Beyond Dehigaha Ela, Sri Lanka

Nothing can compare to the experience of sleeping in a tree house in the middle of a jungle. We could hear the sounds of the forest at night and wished we could record those. In fact, what’s even better is waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and singing their sweet songs.

We stayed in the oldest tree house at this property – the Kon tree house. It was build by the locals many years back when they wanted to sleep safely and away from the path of wild elephants. This tree house is very cute, cozy and romantic. We had to climb three flights of wooden stairs to reach it. Inside this tree house, was a large bed with mosquito net, bedside drawer and electricity plug socket.

Yes, its open from all the sides which made the experience of sleeping here truly memorable. The only thing that was protecting us from the wilderness was the height of this tree house and the mosquito net around our bed.

Right under this tree house was our massive room with a sitting area and an open-air bathroom. While the tree house had a very simple and “real forest” feel; the room under it was elaborate and luxurious. We were only two, but an entire family of 5 – 6 people can stay here considering the size of our tree house and attached room.

The tree houses at Back of Beyond, Dehigaha Ela are sturdy and were built way before “tree house themed resorts” became a fad. All the tree houses here appeared to be different and we even saw one that had their own living room.

Natural Fish Spa in the River – free!

Ever tried a fish spa? If you have tried one in Thailand where you have to put your feet in the middle of a tub full of hungry fishes, then I bet you would have hated it. I did too! Trust me when I say this but the experience is very different and pleasant when the process is natural. In Back of Beyond, they have several streams and there are spots where you can sit and put your feet in water while these “spa fishes” gently nib your skin!

At first I couldn’t stop giggling because it was ticklish but soon I relaxed and let myself get lost in the beauty of nature. San and I ended up sitting here for hours watching the waterfall, trees and everything around. Never in my life I thought something like a foot spa could be a romantic experience, but it was. Needless to say, our feet were looking very pretty by the end of our stay, haha.

Nature Trail Hike

I can’t stress enough how big this property is and there is a lot do here that will keep you busy and you will not want to get out. We did multiple hikes on our own along the stream but decided to do a nature trail hike on one of the mornings. The hike started at 7:30 am and was led by Kasun.

He told us a lot of history about the area and Back of beyond. We were amazed to know that Back of Beyond has taken an initiative for reforestation in Sri Lanka. Their conservation efforts are outstanding and in all of their properties, they take great care to learn the ways of the land before they start building cottages and tree houses to minimize disruption to any of the existing natural patterns of the land and its life. They also practice rainwater collection and have created mini lakes for storing excess rainwater that provides water to the wildlife during dry seasons. They also have solar powered electricity for each cottage at the property. Moreover, they really know the area well and have also published a book called “Sigiriya and Beyond” with pictures and information of places in and around Sigiriya that no guidebook will tell you about.

We were also amazed to know that in this same property, a few things of archeological importance were found that are currently in Sigiriya museum. In fact, at the end of the hike we climbed on a boulder and saw markings of treasure that was hidden here but was dug out many years back. From this boulder, we also saw an amazing bird’s eye view of the forest around us. San and I jokingly called it “Mini World’s End”.

Apart from learning about the history and the environment, we also got to see many interesting species of insects, birds and trees which made our hike both fun and educational at the same time.

Other Activities in Dehigaha Ela, Sri Lanka

There is so much to do in and around this property, that you can easily spend a week here without getting bored. We hiked along the stream, swam in the water, saw calcium deposits, spotted a massive water monitor lizard and ended up reaching an open field with peacocks!

Sadly we were not at this place for as long as we wanted and couldn’t be a part of every single activities that they offer. You can also hike through a nearby village where you eat with the locals. Moreover, they can also arrange bird watching trips and cycling trips to the main Sigiriya city where you can visit the famous Sigiriya Rock and Pidurangala rock.

Delicious Food

Back of Beyond may be in the middle of the forest, but is a luxurious retreat. They have a massive dining area that overlooks the ponds. We have memories of spending hours here and eating delicious meals. The quantity is surely more than we could handle but San took it as a challenge to finish everything on his plate, haha!

For our first breakfast, we had an elaborate fruit salad, eggs, toast and sausages. On our second day, we got to eat South Indian breakfast of Dosa and sambar. Of course the meals were served with coffee and tea. I really like the Sri Lankan coffee here, which reminded me of Turkish coffee. Our dinner was excellent too and the portions were massive. We ate curry, rice, dal, chicken, fried rice and a unique dessert that was a mix of yogurt and a maple syrup kind of a liquid.

The staff is very attentive and sweet. They really pampered us and made us feel like royalty.

If you’re visiting Sri Lanka, then please do yourself a place and spend a few days at Back of Beyond Dehigaha Ela. To know more or to book your own tree house, you can click on the link. If you’re lucky, you may just spot a few elephants and won’t have to spend on expensive national park entry fee plus the jeep safari costs. You can get a lot of Sri Lankan bucket list activities checked off by just staying here!

So, have you stayed in a tree house too? Let me know in comments!

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