I booked mahoora with half day safari for the only reason to have a safari experience. We travelled a long ( and out of the way) to get to Yala and for the price, in the end it wasn't worth it.
We found out a few days before, through local sri lankans, that yala park was actually closed and there was very little chance to see any animals. To explain it clearly, the camp is next to site 1 ( the main site for leopards and other highlights of yala park). However all sites were closed except site 5, which is technically not part of Yala park and it takes 45 mins extra to drive there. The reasons for this was unclear whether it was draught or maintainance, but from a management perspective, it was very clear that they knew in advance. The safari team did not notify us, and in fact lied to us. ( they told us only 1 part is closed..) there isnt much else around the camp other than the safari. so no safari no point to book mahoora
We tried to contact the hotel directly, which was a nightmare and we spent a lot of international calls, as they would keep asking us to speak to another number and in the end was totally redundant. However, the campsite was very nice, cosy and clean. Staff were attentive and professional- they made the experience better. ( But you could see the service was different between us and the other guest staying) Tip: Check the seasons your going yourself and try to get updates on the safari as soon as you can.
