Scrase/Allott family
England, July/August 2016
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
It is hard to know where to start! We loved the culture, the food, the scenery, the beaches and the wildlife – the diversity of experiences was great. Most of all we were overwhelmed by the friendliness and charm of the Sri Lankan people.
Every part of our itinerary was great, but particular stand-outs would be the Esala Perahera festival in Kandy (an amazing experience – we were fortunate to be there for the finale); Wilpattu national park (our impression was that this is much less busy than many others); Sigiriya rock; Mihintale (a really beautiful temple in a dramatic location)
In the small village near Galkadawala we really enjoyed meeting + cooking with a family on their smallholding and also the massage at the Ayurvedic centre there too.
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Durian fruit – though really glad we tried it and all the other fruits were fabulous.and the kids weren’t too keen on the leeches on the way up on our trek in the Knuckles range but were quite blasé by the time we were coming down!
We were underwhelmed by Nuwara Eliya (pretty cold, wet and misty and too “English”) and the visit to the tea factory (too busy, not that interesting) – although the journey on the train to get there was great fun.
Otherwise, there was almost nothing we didn’t like. However we did have some concern (possibly informed more by second-hand comments from other people we met) that parts of Sri Lanka may becoming a bit overwhelmed by foreign visitors. We were generally insulated from this, as John had recommended an itinerary that was fairly off the beaten track. But we found that the tea factory (for example) was very busy – as was Pigeon Island [Nilaveli] where – sadly – we saw people standing on the coral and we also heard that some nature reserves (e.g. Yala) and other places in the south of the island were extremely busy.
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
All of the accommodation was very good, and many places were outstanding. Sri Lankan people seem to make the most excellent hosts – attentive and efficient but not at all smarmy – even in very smart places
Palagama Beach in the Kalpitiya peninsula is a lovely, chilled and small-scale hotel. The staff were lovely, and the food was great. Our only negative comment would be that the sea was not good for swimming or activities at this time of year (July) as the water was a bit dirty and currents were too strong. Also the beach had a lot of plastic washed up on it. Our impression was that this may be a better place to visit in the winter months.
The Big Game Camp at Wilpatu was great fun. The tents were rather less “boutique” than the website photos suggested, but the whole experience was great – Sagantha (the naturalist at the site) was really friendly and informative, and took us for a great walking safari on our first evening.
Galkadawala [Habarana] was one of our favourite places to stay – the kids loved the cool, open design and the setting among the trees. Be prepared for some wildlife to share your room, but as long as you don’t mind that then this is a very special place. It is in a good location for trips out to the cultural triangle.
The Nilaveli Beach Hotel [Nilaveli] was very nice, although the least distinctively Sri Lanka of the places we stayed. As a chill-out spot for a few days on the beach it was fine, although the food in the hotel restaurant and pool bar was expensive by Sri Lankan standards and there were few alternatives nearby.
(NB: Our lovely driver, Anura, was planning to take us to other places in the area to eat which would have been more Sri Lankan and no doubt cheaper too but due to a mix-up - which was entirely our mistake – we had not realised this).
The eco-lodge at Madulkelle [Tea & Eco Lodge, Knuckles] was gorgeous and in an amazing location. The tented lodge rooms were simply beautiful, and the main lodge building/restaurant was delightful. A full size pool table, croquet lawn and infinity pool looking to the mountains made this hotel feel even more luxurious. Staff here were extremely friendly and good fun.
Finally, we stayed with Pathi at Hanthana House [Kandy]. Pathi and Suba were lovely and attentive hosts, and the food was some of the best we ate during our holiday. Hanthana House is a great place to stay, lovely views and very spacious and relaxed accommodation. Pathi took us out on a walk with great views before breakfast – great way to start the day. Highly recommended.
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
Anura was a lovely guide – friendly and charming company, with a great sense of humour. He was also very informative, both on the history and culture and on the wildlife. Anura was always open to adapt the plan for the day, and made some excellent suggestions for us to add to the itinerary. It was also great when he joined in (including in the white-water rafting, which made things even more enjoyable).
We felt bad that Anura ended up staying in Nilaveli waiting to see if we needed him for any trips, when he could easily have returned to stay with his family for a few days. We couldn’t get our mobiles to work, so there was a communications misunderstanding!
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
Very efficient. We were pleased to take direct flights, and the timings worked very well to minimize jet lag at either end.
SriLankan Airlines [Economy Class] provide a very good level of service.
Any other comments?
Huge thanks to John and Pathi of Tikalanka, and to Anura our chauffeur, for giving us the most wonderful and memorable experience!
We were very impressed by the way that John understood our family’s needs and approach, and he came up with holiday plan which worked perfectly. We are already recommending you to lots of people!
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