Sandy
Brunei Darussalam, December 2024
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
The opportunity to have incredibly close wild elephant sightings.
Viewing a wide variety of other birds and animals.
Seeing how much respect and interest safari jeep drivers have for wildlife.
The genuine kindness of almost all Sri Lankan people I met.
The picturesque countryside both on the way to the parks and inside the nature reserves.
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
The spiciness of the food (Ha ha!).
Yala NP safari jeep drivers’ tendency to text and talk on their mobile, even when driving on a busy main road at night in the rain! (not Ha Ha!). [This driving behaviour is not tolerated by us and we will feedback your concerns to our local safari provider.]
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
All the accommodation during my Tikalanka tour was great. [We are very pleased that you enjoyed your stays at the accommodation included in your itinerary.]
I especially liked Kithala Resort in Tissamaharama. Not only was the hotel friendly and comfortable, but it also showed some concern for the environment. The fact that they served guests water in refillable glass bottles, instead of in one-time-use plastic bottles, was a huge plus for me! [Kithala Resort is making a real effort to be as sustainable as possible as well as support local community initiatives. Your comment regarding the lack of non-plastic bottled water is a real concern to us as well and we are still trying to persuade guesthouses and hotels to make the change over to potable water filtration systems at their premises.]
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
Kapila was super attentive during game drives. He was always on the lookout for animals/birds to show me. I very much appreciated that part of his guiding.
Kapila’s driving felt tentative. He didn’t seem comfortable on the road, so I also didn’t feel at ease when he was driving.
Kapila’s inability (or perhaps unwillingness) to explain the itinerary in advance led to a bit of a communication breakdown.
[We apologise for the miscommunication with Kapila at the very beginning of your holiday and we are still unsure of the reasoning behind his rather bizarre behaviour, which is most unlike him. He has been working with us for more than 15 years and this is the first time he has behaved in such a manner to our knowledge. We are glad that at least he provided you with sound knowledge of the wildlife while he was with you!]
Nihal is an excellent chauffeur. He drives confidently and has a good feel for the vehicle and the road. I always felt comfortable with him at the wheel.
Nihal’s English is excellent. He willingly answered many of my questions about the itinerary, Sri Lanka, the wildlife we saw, etc. If ever he didn’t understand me, he asked for clarification.
In Galle, I would have appreciated some practical information, such as where to eat and a heads-up that most shops were going to close at 6.30 pm (It was a Friday). I didn’t enjoy just being dropped off at the hotel and left to my own devices. It was hot, and I needed to find lunch within a short period of time.
[Nihal is an excellent guide and communicator as you say. We are very pleased that he looked after you so well and imparted lots of useful information on your travels. We will feedback your disappointment at being left to your own devices on arrival in Galle, for which we apologise. This is not our usual modus operandi, we can assure you.]
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
Not applicable.
Any other comments?
Sri Lanka is a beautiful destination with genuinely friendly people and spectacular wildlife. I had a fabulous holiday with Tikalanka.
Still, I have two suggestions that might improve your wildlife expeditions even further:
- I would avoid booking safaris for clients in the main section of Yala National Park on a holiday weekend, like the Full Moon Puja. It was obvious that the volume of vehicles and exhaust from the jeeps really disturb wildlife. I honestly felt bad about being one of the many visitors that day, and hope that Yala NP starts limiting the number of jeeps per day, for the sake of the animals. [Your comments about Yala NP are similar to our feelings, too. The reserve is getting way too busy, especially over public holidays and during the peak tourist seasons, and there needs to be some system of controlling the number of jeeps allowed in the park at any one time. They should learn from other countries like Kenya and South Africa that have had restrictions in many of their wildlife sanctuaries for a long time. We will take your advice and recommend to future customers not to visit Yala over national holiday periods.]
- I didn’t care very much for the Galle boat safari at the end of my tour. I’d seen so much wildlife by that time, that the boat ride felt almost unnecessary. If you place Galle at the end of a tour that involves many safaris, perhaps you could offer the boat tour as an optional activity rather than an included one… [We will also bear in mind your comment about the Mahamodara river safari at the end of the wildlife tour. Your particular holiday included a lot more safaris than usual and many customers like the opportunity of a river trip at the end of their holiday. However, we may include it as an option in the future, as you suggest.]
