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It's rare for camping to be thought of as luxurious. Many people associate it with uncomfortable, cramped, aggy-walled tents that are a hassle to put up, and then fill with a plethora of buzzing insects. They also envisage simplistic meals, poor hygiene, communal (cold) showers, and scary walks into the jungle to go to the loo. But it's an adventure, and most people will agree that camping in seclusion under a starry night sky is exhilarating and incredibly rewarding.
With this in mind Eco Team, one of Sri Lanka's best adventure tour operators, have created Mahoora, a camping experience on par with the award-winning tented safaris in Kenya's Masai Mara (Maasai Mara), and Tanzania's Serengeti plains.
'Maha Hoora' literally means "the Great One", and as you step into one of these highly organized 'super luxury' campsites, you'll understand what it means to be treated like a VIP;spacious tents arranged with every modern five-star convenience await your arrival.
Sri Lanka's land area is relatively small - less than 66,000 sq km - but its varied topography and climate means that it packs a surprising diversity of flora and fauna within its coastal borders. Nearly 14% of the island is protected by law. Mahoora offers camping inside or near many of the island's national parks and reserves,
of which Yala is the most famous because it offers visitors some of the best opportunities in the world for sighting wild leopards. Uda Walawe, Minneriya, and Gal Oya national parks are great for elephant watching, while the Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a botanical wonderland excellent for all things small birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
Our campsite was in Bundala - a national park famed for its bio-diversity and profusion of aquatic resident and migratory birdlife. Greater Flamingoes have been known to visit in their hundreds. Situated in the southeastern dry zone, Bundala is characterised by brackish lagoons, salt pans, intertidal mud flats, thorny scrub jungle, and expansive sand dunes that roll onto deserted beaches washed by the Indian Ocean. Elephants, primates, nesting turtles, and crocodiles - both estuarine and mugger - are particular attractions.
Campsites are chosen by Eco Team for their beauty and isolation, allowing you to get much closer to wildlife than you would on a standard day safari. The team arrives several days before you to set up the campsite with individual en suite bedrooms, a kitchen, and dining area.Hammocks are strung up between the trees,
and essentials such as septic tanks, hot water showers, and electricity connections are installed. It's very eco-friendly - everything is packed up on your departure and no evidence left of your stay.
We were warmly greeted at the park's entrance by Eco Team, who sorted out all the necessary paperwork for our stay in the park. Upon our arrival, we could see that a lot of thought and effort had gone into its creation. Our tents sat on cleared sandy ground in the shade of towering palu trees and looked out upon expansive salt pans that mirrored the ever-changing colours of the sky. Just 200m away, crashing Indian Ocean waves played a harmonious melody to the gentle accompaniment of birdcall.
Mahoora's tents have been exclusively designed and handmade in Sri Lanka.While other camping specialists in Sri Lanka exist, Mahoora's tents are the only ones to have en suite bathrooms with standing showers, hot water, and flushable toilets; no need to rush anywhere in the middle of the night! The canvas tents have a high ceiling and comprise a sleeping area featuring beautifully dressed beds and a living room with cosy canvas armchairs, a baggage rack, and brightly-coloured floor cushions.Tents are designed with wall-to-wall carpets and have thick, floor-length patchwork curtains, which cover 'windows' and 'doors'.Little touches such as torches (flashlights),toiletries, towels, candles, and oil lamps are provided as well as a huge welcoming basket of fruit. A generator provides power at dusk, while tents have an outside porch area from where you can sip your morning tea before heading out on safari or peacefully read by candlelight before you drop off to sleep.
Having a hot shower after a dusty safari is a real luxury, while electricity in the evening is an added bonus for charging camera batteries. We had a very comfortable night's sleep, and while the mosquito-proof mesh on the windows protected us from being bitten, breezes were still able to infiltrate the tent and keep us cool. As far as I could see, not even one insect (or animal) had found its way inside although I had been worried that something would make a beeline for the fruit basket.There weren't even any frogs in the sink!
Over the course of our stay, every meal time was enhanced by a different al fresco dining location that made the most of the isolation and atmosphere. Lunch was a delicious rice and curry spread rightin the heart of the campsite. Dinner beside the saltern was magical; our table was romantically illuminated by candles, hurricane lamps, and moonlight, which enhanced our enjoyment of a delicious and well-presented seven-course meal.Breakfast, cooked on our return from safari, brimmed with every available offering - sago, fruit, cereal, toast, eggs, sausage, and roti - accompanied by plenty of tea. At night a bright campfire was lit and drinks served from a makeshift bar featuring a varied selection of international liquor, wine, and the ubiquitous chilled beer.
The safari is a prime part of the experience, and Mahoora makes sure that guests are able to enjoy this in as much comfort as possible. A refurbished Toyota Land Cruiser fitted with elevated cosy seating served as our transportation. Being opensided, it afforded us the advantage of quickly observing all around the vehicle. Eco Team's naturalists and park trackers enhanced the experience with their quick eyes and detailed knowledge of the flora and fauna of the parks as the perfect companion.
Safaris can be conducted for as long as you like at any time of the day or night, although the early mornings and evenings are best. Not having to worry about opening hours or the time it would take to get from hotel to park entrance are real bonuses to staying inside the park. You can even 'safari' at night. Waking up at the crack of dawn to go on safari before the sun has had a chance to peep out from beyond the horizon is certainly an exciting and invigorating experience.
On our safaris we were rewarded with sightings of elephants, open-mouthed crocodiles, troops of playful grey langur and toque macaque monkeys, a few star tortoises, black-naped hares,spotted deer, wild boar, and buffalo. Although our visit was outside the migratory season - when up to 10,000 birds may be present at one time - we still saw many exciting species including the rare green pigeon, endemic jungle fowl, white bellied sea eagle, painted stork, heron, spoonbill, and many tiny green bee-eaters.
The real luxury of Mahoora is the attention to detail and high level of personalised service. For breakfast and dinner, most of our meals were cooked in the open air by Roy, immaculately kitted out in his chef's whites. Looking after us was the ever-smiling Jay, whose courtesy and dedication in delivering an impeccable service was immediately endearing. Nothing was too much trouble.A snack and refreshment basket was packed for each safari while chilled towels and warm smiles greeted us on our every arrival back at the campsite. Flip-flops (rubber thongs, or sandals) and an umbrella in case of monsoonal downpours were thoughtfully provided in each tent.Certainly, this is camping at its very best! |
