Irwin & Pat
Scotland, February 2018
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
The people were gentle and friendly. The historical sites and temples were fascinating and the animal national parks very well run. The scenery was very different even compared with Scotland.
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Nothing, all was good.
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
All the accommodation was good with the following comments which could be taken into consideration.
Zinc Journey Sigiriya - Lovely hotel in good situation with very friendly staff.
Hanthana Hills [House], Kandy – Just fantastic, Pathi and family could not be better hosts.
The Planter’s Bungalow, Ella – Good rooms but the set menu for dinner was very limited and repeated a couple of courses on the second night.
Hibiscus Garden [Hotel], Tissa – The room was quite basic which was fine but the bed was hard and pillows small thin & hard. Also it was the only place where we had to tip individually rather than a common tip box which I think is better.
Buckingham Place, Tangalle – Luxury, pure luxury with a larger than life owner Nick. Pat’s favourite. Everything from the welcome to the personalised cake on the evening before departure was tip-top.
Villa Hundira [Negombo] – Fascinating place with lovely owner (wife). Perhaps we could have had one night less in the Buckingham Place especially as we could have investigated the Christian community in which it was situated.
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
Anura was just the best. Very considerate and very knowledgeable stopping to tell us about the flora and fauna. A bit of an expert on birds. He looked after us really well and was a credit to your company. He has sent us an email to make sure we got home safely.
The second guide was nice but we only had the drive from Tangalle to the Villa Hundira and in the morning to the airport so I would not comment further.
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
All were on time and comfortable enough. However, the staff on the Dubai to Glasgow flight were not as professional as I would have expected. On a couple of occasions they rushed past the row we were sitting in and had to be called back. When they distributed water and juice did not even bother to serve our row whilst all the other rows in front of us were served. We had to go up and ask for a couple of glasses of water. [Emirates – Economy Class]
Any other comments?
Firstly can I congratulate you in producing such a great holiday for Pat and myself. You have a unique offering which was appreciated by everybody we met who had travelled with your company. The staff and hotel owners, who spoke to us, praised you for the way in which you deal with them and issues that may arise. In your case service is not dead which unfortunately has been lost by many of the larger and distant companies.
Tikalanka were absolutely great. I would recommend them to all our friends and family.
All the sites in the itinerary exceeded our expectations. We did not utilize the options on whale watching and turtle watching at Buckingham Place. We already had been whale watching in Canada but also we were put off by reports of boats chasing the whales rather than watching. Also, several people commented to us that the turtle watch was a bit of a scrum which we felt was not beneficial to the animal.
« All feedback
