Our Story
A hidden village
in the paddies
GagaBees began as a quiet dream — to build a place that borrows nothing from nature it can't return. Each chalet at Yala is built by local hands, from local earth, with a promise to tread lightly on the land that hosts us.
We're a family-run boutique retreat, part of the GagaBees Hotels collection across Sri Lanka. Here in Yala, our chalets sit between the paddies and the wild — a place to slow down and remember what stillness sounds like.
What guides us
Four small promises
Rooted in Earth
Every wall is hand-shaped from local mud and thatched palm.
Warm Hospitality
Small, thoughtful hands look after every corner of your stay.
Guided by Land
Our rhythms follow the paddies, the monsoon and the wildlife.
Community First
We employ, learn from and give back to villages around Yala.
Timeline
From an idea to a home.
2019
A patch of paddy field is bought back from a developer.
2021
First mud chalet raised — by hand, by neighbours.
2023
GagaBees Yala opens its doors to twelve guests at a time.
2026
Solar-powered, zero single-use plastics, and still growing slowly.
