A friendly family hotel in Kataragama with air-conditioned rooms for up to six, an Asian restaurant, garden, free parking and the sacred city close by.
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Hotel Senora is a family-friendly hotel on Pussadewa Mawatha in Kataragama, the pilgrimage town in the south-east of Sri Lanka revered by Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims alike. The great Kataragama shrine and the Menik Ganga are within easy reach, and the Katagamuwa side of Yala National Park is a short drive away, which makes the hotel a practical base for both temple visits and safaris.
Every room is a family room, sleeping four or, in the Family Room, six guests. All come with air conditioning and a fan, a private bathroom with shower and bidet, a balcony and terrace with garden and city views, a mosquito net, a desk and a small dining area.
The restaurant cooks Asian dishes with vegetarian options, served indoors or in the outdoor dining area, and breakfast can be brought to your room. Guests also have a shared kitchen, a garden with barbecue facilities, badminton equipment, bicycle rental and free private parking on site.
Hotel Senora offers four types of family room, each measuring around 18 m² and sleeping four, or six in the Family Room. They share the essentials: air conditioning and a fan, a private bathroom with shower, bidet and free toiletries, a balcony and terrace looking over the garden and the town, a mosquito net, a sofa, a desk and a dining table.
What sets them apart is the detail. The Deluxe and Standard rooms are on the ground floor, the Superior adds a fridge, a kettle and extra-long beds, and the Family Room adds a third bed for larger groups.
Hotel Senora keeps things practical and relaxed. The restaurant serves Asian cuisine with vegetarian options, special diet menus are available on request, and packed lunches can be prepared for early safaris or long temple days. Breakfast can also be served in your room, and room service is available.
Outside there is a garden and terrace with barbecue facilities, badminton equipment and bicycles for hire, plus a shared kitchen and a lounge with TV. Check-in can be private or express, luggage can be stored, and the hotel can arrange car hire. Parking on site is free, and Wi-Fi is free in the public areas.
Hotel Senora stands on Pussadewa Mawatha in Kataragama, within walking distance of the sacred precinct, roughly a quarter of an hour on foot. The Katagamuwa entrance to Yala National Park is about 6 km away.
The nearest international gateway is Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, about 35 km away and under an hour by car; the small Weerawila airport is closer, around 20 km away and about half an hour by car. From Colombo, the Southern Expressway now runs all the way to Mattala, and the drive takes about four hours; allow extra time from Bandaranaike International Airport. Direct buses leave Colombo's Bastian Mawatha terminal for Kataragama, but the journey is long, and rail travellers usually take the train to Beliatta and continue by road. Tissamaharama lies about 19 km away, towards the coast. If you drive, parking at the hotel is free, and the staff can help with car hire.
The heart of town is the Kataragama shrine, dedicated to the god Skanda and shared by Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Cross the Menik Ganga, visit the shrine at one of the daily pujas, when offerings are made to the god, then walk about 800 m north to Kiri Vehera, the great white stupa. The Sivan and Valli Amman kovils, the mosque and the archaeological museum sit close by, and Sella Kataragama, with its cluster of shrines, is a short ride away. The Esala festival, in July and August, brings processions, fire-walking and the water-cutting ceremony, and the town fills with pilgrims. For wildlife, book an early-morning jeep into Yala; the driest months, roughly February to July, are best for sightings, while Blocks I and II close each year from mid-September for a rest period. Heavier rain usually falls from October to January.
