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Accommodation

Evolve Back Kuruba Safari Lodge

Nagarhole, India

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India

Accommodation

Evolve Back Kuruba Safari Lodge

Sitting in the southwestern corner of Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka, the individual lodges at Evolve Back Karuba are authentically designed using inspiration from the ‘hadis’ settlements of the indigenous Kadu Kurubas people.

Built with traditional materials and craftsmanship, the buildings blend seamlessly into the beauty of the landscape yet offer all the comforts of modern hotel rooms. The 20 lodges all boast a calming décor that reflects the earthy tones of the structural materials, adding colour and texture with traditional, tribally patterned furnishings. Four-poster beds, draped with the sheerest of white fabrics, set the tone throughout.

The lodges are bathed in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, while the bathrooms open onto small courtyards allowing you to bathe to the sound of the surrounding birdsong. A private outdoor courtyard and pool add to the sense of privacy and space here. The hotel has an onsite ayurvedic spa, two large outside pools, a sundowner deck and reading lounge, all taking advantage of the far-reaching views across the Kurubu backwaters. Both its restaurants sit riverside, making the most of the panoramic vistas and fabulous sunsets. The Honey Comb offers a broad range of regional and international dishes, while the Kuruba Grill specialises in kebabs and grills.

What we love

Floating in the infinity pool as the sun sets over the distant river is the perfect end to a day exploring the national park.
There is little more romantic that the private dining experience offered here: floating on the Kabini River on a candle-lit traditional boat while enjoying the highlights of the regional cuisine.
Vaidayasala is the hotel’s ayurvedic spa where ancient therapeutic treatments provided under the thatched roof, with doors open to the gentle background noises from the surrounding national park, offer a truly indulgent experience.

Whilst the hotel is child friendly, there are certain areas that are adults only, including the large infinity pool but there is a separate family pool where kids of all ages can relax and play The small plunge pools at the hotel are not heated year-round, in line with the environmentally friendly policies of the hotel

The hotel welcomes children and can offer additional beds and cots on request. There is a separate family pool, with specific child safe zones for toddlers. The chef is happy to provide bespoke meals for children, on request, to keep all younger guests happy. An onsite activity centre offers games and adventure ideas for children

Evolve Back is known for its blend of luxury with sustainable and eco-friendly practices. From the environmentally friendly design of its lodges to its energy efficiency and water conservation methods, it makes every effort to lead the way on sustainable luxury tourism. The hotel supports local communities by sourcing as much of the organic, locally grown kitchen produce as possible from local farms and investing in construction and décor materials from the surrounding region.

It is also invested in welfare programmes for the local tribal communities. The hotel collaborates with conservation programmes within the National Park and organises safaris by boat and vehicle to promote awareness about the wildlife preservation efforts in the region.

Sitting in the southwestern corner of this 664 sq km national park, the hotel is the perfect base for both boat and jeep safaris. The hotel is 90km (just under a two-hour drive) from the nearest airport at Mysore.

What our travellers say

If Red Dot ever ceased to exist and I wanted to return to Sri Lanka I would probably go somewhere else instead. They were, in every way shape and form, impeccable. From Samanthie who created the itinerary to Wicky who drove us here, there and everywhere I cannot imagine anybody doing it better. Impeccable. I need say no more except it doesn’t get any better.

Stuart (March 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

We chose this company as we wanted our money to benefit the people of Sri Lanka rather than international companies. Their work supports smaller businesses, projects and communities as well as the environment

Jessica E (August 2025) London, UK Read the whole review here Feefo

Our 11th visit to this magical Island with always something new to discover and see. This time we made it up north to Jaffna, via Mannar Island, after beginning in the tea country and acclimatising to the heat, after leaving a very cold UK in January. We had total confidence that RedDot would organise everything to perfection, having used them many times before

Roy L (March 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Feefo

We had a fantastic holiday. The itinerary and choice of hotels was spot on, and seamlessly organised.

Charlotte (August 2024) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

Exceptional tour of Sri Lanka with Dami. We cannot recommend Dami at Red dot tours highly enough. As our guide over 9 days he made sure that our trip to Sri Lanka was unforgettable- always going above & beyond to impart his knowledge, show us things off the beaten track, looking after us, getting us to try many local delicacies & making us laugh .. a LOT. Cannot imagine anyone doing a better job- if we could take him with us on every holiday we would!

Sarah (July 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Feefo

Dulmini did a great job listening to our wishes and arranged an itinerary that was very busy but met all our needs. Sisira, our guide, was outstanding, providing us with great local knowledge and suggesting other activities on our travels. He was a great driver on the busy Sri Lankan roads, was always punctual but above all added colour to the whole trip.

Malcolm (April 2024) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

I cannot recommend Red Dot Tours more highly. Thank you so much to Samanthie for her patience with me and all her hard work at putting together the perfect itinerary for my family. I had done a lot of research before I contacted Red Dot and Samanthie created a tour that fitted in all the activities we wanted to do and secured the hotels I told her we would like to stay in (not easy to do in high season).

Nina (July 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

Wow what can I say, from start to finish we have had a wonderful holiday with Red Dot Tours. Dulmini was so helpful in putting an itinerary together for us as a family of 6 and catering to all of our needs. We have ticked off so many of Sri Lanka’s beautiful sights during our trip. Dulmini and Dhanu were a great help to us while we were out on our travels too.

Anupa (July 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here TripAdvisor

We spent 13 days on a Bawa tour with wonderful driver and guide Manjula, including Kandalama Heritance, The Kandy House, The Last House, Jetwing Yala, Jetwing Lighthouse and Club Villa hotels. We are 3 friends, one of them in the wheelchair. Dulmini Ekanayake from Red Dot Tours was very helpful and very patient and found solutions to all our special demands.

Rene (March 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

The itinerary was absolutely perfect and the hotels wonderful, especially Thotalagala, The Warden’s House and 41 Lighthouse Street. Our driver, Indika, was a delight-charming, knowledgeable, considerate and always punctual; he showed us more of this amazing country than we could have hoped for!

Karen - United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

Wanted to take a moment to thank RedDot Tours, and specifically Jayandi for helping book a wonderful family vacation for my family and I. First time for my family and Jayandi took care of every detail, was so courteous and professional, and genuinely cared about our experience in SL. I would also like to mention Pradeep, our kind and understanding guide/chauffeur who took such good care of us while we were out and about. I cannot recommend RedDot enough!

Bob (November 2024) United States Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

We used Red Dot for the first time for our holiday in Sri Lanka. Dulmini put together such a wonderful experience for us, creating an itinerary she drew up after many discussions about what we like and also gave us suggestions for excursions and activities. It was totally bespoke and we were able to make changes throughout this process.

Gill (March 2025) Kent, United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

This is an excellent tour company. They planned our Sri Lankan holiday from start to finish. The trip was initially planned for 2022 but due to Covid and other issues we didn’t manage to undertake the trip until this year. Throughout all this time we had the same travel advisor Lahiru who responded quickly to my emails and rearranged and adjusted our holiday each year!

Anne (January 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

As a group of 8 we have had the most fabulous tour of Sri Lanka organised by Dulmini from RedDot who totally understood my brief of "some" culture, agriculture, nature, trekking and relaxation. The hotels chosen were a wonderful mixture of homestay, tented and pure luxury (Ceylon Tea Trails). The experiences to local villages, trekking the Pekoe Trail and climbing Pidurangala were memorable and our wonderful guide, Ananda, was so informative and knowledgeable and adapted to our needs admirable (not easy with a group of 8)

Anna (February 2025) United Kingdom Read the whole review here Tripadvisor

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