Anne & Nick
England, February 2017
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
People, scenery, culture, food.
We enjoyed all the sights on the itinerary – hard to choose a favourite as they all had their own charm. Sigiriya of course was brilliant and the Temple of The Tooth [Kandy]. Also the tea plantations and going up to Lipton’s Seat [Haputale]. Sometimes it was the smaller temples and sights that had a special feel. On the road to our first hotel we saw an elephant being transported on a flat back truck – only in Asia!
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Traffic!!
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
Horathapola Estate Hotel [Airport] - Comfortable first night. Food and service very nice. Lovely setting but we were happy to be moving on.
Lake Lodge Kandalama [Dambulla] - Excellent. Lovely setting. We were upgraded so had a room overlooking the tree canopy. Although the buildings do lack character from the outside they were very well fitted out and everything worked very well. The staff were great and we enjoyed the rather eccentric manager who kept everything up to scratch. Food was excellent.
Hanthana House [Kandy] - Really enjoyed this chance to sample family living - including the moody 14 year old daughter! Enjoyed mixing in and eating in the kitchen. Mrs P taught me to make egg hoppers. Enjoyed a glass of whisky with Pathi on our last night. Although the rooms were quite basic they were very comfortable and would certainly recommend. Glad we weren’t staying in Kandy.
Jetwing Warwick Gardens [Nuwara Eliya] - the road in was something of an adventure which probably added to our sense of having gone back nearly a century. Stunning views. Fabulous experience. Enjoyed the wonderful dining room and food. Gather the road is being made up next year which may be a pity!
Zion View Ella - Our only disappointment .The room and facilities felt the most basic of all. That would not have mattered except for all the other downsides: the staff were the least friendly of anywhere, breakfast not well cooked and rather stale, the worst was the noise - prayers before sunrise are one thing but combined with the noise of the lorries and other traffic form the road led to 2 very poor nights’ sleep. Fortunately Ravi had suggested somewhere else for dinner on the first night and we found a brilliant tapas bar for the second. However it was fun to be able to go into town at night and mingle with all the young backpackers!
We wouldn’t have wanted to spend every night in upmarket places but this one did fall short.
Kalu's Hideaway [Uda Walawe] - Comfortable. Lovely setting. Nice to have pool and gardens. Perfectly placed for the Park. Buffet not usually my favourite but the curry and rice were very good and the chef keen to make sure everything OK
The Last House (Cinnamon Suite) [Tangalle] - Stunning suite of course and we were very pleased to have had 2 nights in it!
The Last House (Na Suite) - Room ok but bathroom tiny and water went everywhere.
The Last House was a beautiful place to stay and we loved it. The beach was practically deserted which added to the sense of being in our own private house! Staff were first class. Food was fabulous. Brilliant end to our trip.
The Wallawwa [Airport] - we didn’t arrive till 6.00pm and left at 3.30am. As a last night bed it was fine although had the least character of all. The food was OK but comparatively expensive.
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
Ravi was excellent.
He made some sensible adjustments to our timings so not only did we get a welcome rest day at Kandalama but we visited Sigiriya at the end of the day which meant no people coming in as we came out/went down which added to the fab experience.
He had a great sense of humour and we enjoyed his company.
He also organised me with a Doctor to sort out my blocked ear and Nick a physio for his back.
Very careful driver and at no time did we feel unsafe despite some of the roads and the local driving!
A shame that he was whisked away at the end, so whilst we knew Ravi would not be around at Tangalle we were disappointed to have another driver for the final journeys to hotel and Airport. Nice enough chap (sorry can’t remember his name) but glad we hadn’t had him the whole time.
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
Better than expected. Good leg room and very good service. [SriLankan Airlines – Economy Class]
Food indifferent but that doesn’t matter to us when flying.
No one’s fault and we had been warned but still a pity we coincided with Airport upgrade which made the outward journey rather long and the check in so early and rather a long time (we allowed 3.5 hours rather the specified 5!).
Any other comments?
We had a brilliant time. Well planned itinerary and we enjoyed the variety of accommodation and left with the sense of having seen something of the real Sri Lanka. Thank you and the team so much for a lovely experience.
« All feedback
