Julie & Gail
England & Australia, February 2025
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
The friendly people, the food, the culture and we were lucky to have perfect weather (apart from the last day).
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Mosquitoes!
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
The accommodation was great and exactly the sort of places I had asked for - small, family guest houses. The food provided by the hosts was excellent (if too much!). We especially liked Fort Bliss [Galle], Mailagama Cinnamon Residence [Kataragama] and AMBA [Estate, Ella] where we were upgraded to a deluxe room for all three nights.
It was also lovely to be able to spend the first night at the amazing Galle Face Hotel in Colombo as it gave us a chance to recover from the flight.
Our least favourite accommodation was Galkadawala Forest Lodge [Habarana] although we appreciated what they were trying to do there in terms of sustainability etc. and the food was probably the best we had. We found it quite uncomfortable and didn't feel very safe because of the possibility of monkeys and civet cats coming into the room. Other guests seem to have loved it though!
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
Nihal was an amazing guide and made a great holiday an exceptional one. He had a great sense of humour and we had a lot of fun and laughter with him. He was also very thoughtful and attentive and very punctual in picking us in the mornings. We learnt a lot from him because of his extensive knowledge and love of wildlife, especially birds. We were really lucky to have him as our guide. This was especially noticeable as we had to have a different guide on the last day, Nalaka, who while being friendly enough, didn't offer the same level of service.
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
I flew with Qatar Airways. The flight out was delayed and as a result I missed my connecting flight as the transfer time was too tight and I had to take a later one. I wish I had taken the direct flight with Sri Lankan Airlines but they were rumoured to be in financial difficulties and I didn't want to take the risk. [Arranged own flights]
Any other comments?
I was very impressed with the itinerary and the accommodation. Nihal was the icing on the cake!
Because we did the trip the "wrong way round" the only recommendation I would make is to have had a night in Nuwara Eliya before going to Kandy. The train left Ella at 3pm instead of 2.15 and meant we didn't get into Nuwara Eliya till 6.30 and consequently arrived in Kandy at 8pm. One advantage of taking the train from Ella is that our train was virtually empty unlike the train going the other way which was packed. [We are sorry that we were unable to purchase train tickets for the morning train at 09.30, which is our preference, but train tickets are in short supply and this train was not available. The morning train allows customers to enjoy the train ride as well as visiting Nuwara Eliya before arriving to Kandy in good time and in daylight.]
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