Dave & Chris
England, January/February 2025
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
Everybody we met was always really friendly and helpful.
Amazing wildlife.
Stunning and varied scenery.
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Being driven through the towns and cities can feel like a bit of a white-knuckle ride at first but is all part of the experience that you soon get used to. Not a problem when you have an experienced guide as we did.
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
We visited Sri Lanka in early 2024 and returned again this year to spent three weeks touring around the country, staying in 10 different and varied styles of hotel. Everyone could not be faulted for the standard of the room, the level of service we received, the friendliness of the staff and the quality of the food provided. Each hotel had its own individual qualities which added to our holiday experience. There was nowhere that we wouldn’t be happy to stay again.
Villa Hundira, Negombo. Just stayed one night following our flight from the UK as we did last year – even stayed in the same room! Nice convenient hotel not far from the airport so perfect following a long flight. Great service, food provided when we wanted it, both for our evening meal and breakfast before our departure the following morning. Must stay longer next time! Good value for money.
Wilpattu Tree House, Wilpattu. Wilpattu National Park was an area we really wanted to visit, and the Treehouse was a stone’s throw from the entrance. A very unique place to stay with our room being a first-floor room with balcony views over the paddy fields. Clean, tidy and comfortable and definitely what you would describe as rustic! We were asked to preorder food at the restaurant as on the first day of our stay we were the only people there but plenty to choose from. Easy to go for a stroll around the nearby water tank that separated the hotel from the national park, great for birding.
[The] Palmyrah House, Mannar. Really liked this place! Lovely, large comfortable room opening onto a small garden area that was full of birds during the day and frogs at night. Excellent food served in the restaurant, comfortably catering for my vegetarian wife. The hotel also has its own boardwalk and hides for birding. Unfortunately, heavy rains over the previous couple of weeks had led to partial flooding of some of the paths (and some of Mannar Island) – ironically, we had to paddle to get to the swimming pool! Would definitely come back here again.
The Deer Park Hotel, Polonnaruwa. The only large hotel we stayed at that catered for tour groups but very convenient for the temples at Polonnaruwa, Minneriya National Park and the compulsory trip to Sigiriya! Great two-story accommodation, with a large upstairs bedroom then a lounge area and open roofed bathroom downstairs. Extensive buffet at mealtimes including Western and Sri Lankan food, as well as several chefs preparing fresh dishes on request. Due to the large groups being out all day we had the pool to ourselves one afternoon. Next to Giritale Lake which was perfect for a late afternoon stroll.
The Ellerton Bungalow, Kandy. Superb accommodation with amazing views. Could not have been made more welcome by the owner Luca and his staff. A very relaxed atmosphere. On the first night we were treated to a local flautist playing as the sun set and the fruit bats started to fly over. Lovely large comfortable room and great food. About 30 mins drive to get into Kandy itself.
Oliphant Boutique Hotel, Nuwara Eliya. Just when we thought the rooms we were staying in couldn’t get any larger we came here - huge room with a huge bed! Had the same old colonial feel as the Ellerton, as do many places in Nuwara Eliya. Very well-kept grounds which were perfect for finding a shady spot and have some afternoon tea. Needed a short ride to get into Nuwara Eliya itself but the newly opened Eagle’s Viewpoint is a comfortable 20-minute walk from the hotel.
98 Acres Resort [& Spa], Ella. Having stayed here for one night in 2024 this was somewhere we really wanted to visit again and stay longer. Every room looks out onto Litte Adam’s Peak and the surrounding area. Had a full rest day here, just chilling by the pool and on our balcony. Once again great for bird watching (I saw several species that I did not see anywhere else) without having to leave your balcony, we were even joined by a pair of mynah birds that came and sat on our spare sunbed! One thing we remembered from last time was the food here and once again it did not disappoint!
Kalu’s Hideaway, Udawalawe. Our favourite place we stayed last time and our favourite again this year. The sunset views from our top floor balcony were simply incredible. Again, a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, never seemed busy despite every room being full. Beautiful gardens, growing their own fruit and veg for the evening meal, a river to sit next to and watch the world go by and only a few minutes from the elephants in Udawalawe National Park. Perfect.
Boulder Garden, Sinharaja. A late switch from our originally planned accommodation but what an interesting place to stay with the rooms build in and amongst a boulder strewn hill side. The room had a definite rustic feel to it again but high up amongst the canopy gave you a great view of the birds, squirrels and monkeys that were around all the time. The real highlight was the restaurant with the tables under a large rock overhang. A tasty 7 course meal was provided for us (we were the only people there) with all of the tables candle lit and just the sounds of the surrounding forest to go with it.
The Villa Bentota, Bentota. The perfect way to end the holiday with a few days at this beautiful beachside hotel. Another well-equipped large room, lots of comfortable shady areas to sit and only a 2-minute walk (across the railway line) to get to the beach for your sundowner cocktail. The passing train every 30 mins or so, with the passengers waving from the open doors and windows, quickly became part of the charm of this place. As always great food but also within an easy walk of Bentota town and numerous other seaside bars and restaurants.
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
One thing that made our previous visit to Sri Lanka so enjoyable was the standard of our guide Nihal and so it was great to meet up with him again on this trip. Full of knowledge about the history, culture and wildlife of Sri Lanka always made spending time with Nihal such a pleasure. His experience as a guide was always obvious as he suggested extra places that may interest us and places to eat, whether it was a local bakery for a lunchtime snack or where to have the best traditional rice and curry! Always going above and beyond, our enjoyment of the trip was always his priority often joining us for things such as a walk round Giritale Lake, bringing his expert bird spotting skills. Once again, we were sad to say goodbye at the end of the trip. I cannot recommend Nihal highly enough.
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
Emirates from Manchester via Dubai. All flights on time and very smooth, one of the largest selections of inflight entertainment ever!
Dubai airport is large but well signposted. Getting off the first plane and travelling to the gate ready for the second flight took about 30 mins which wasn’t a problem.
Any other comments?
Spending at least 2 nights at each location, ensuring we had some down time, really added to the overall enjoyment of the trip.
Make sure you go somewhere for a traditional rice and curry.
Visited Dambulla Cave temples which we missed last time - an incredible place and well worth a visit.
The newly opened Eagle’s Viewpoint near Nuwara Eliya is worth a visit. Claimed to be the highest viewpoint in Sri Lanka, only cost 600 rupees each to enter. Great views and a nice little café also.
If you are a birder then Mannar Island and Sinharaja Forest should both definitely be on your list of places to visit.
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