Val & Michael
England, January/February 2018
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
The lush vegetation, natural beauty and bird and animal life followed closely by the wonderfully friendly people.
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Nothing to dislike.
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
Casa Heliconia [Kaleliya] : fabulous place to recover from the flight; great food.
Hanthana House [Kandy] : very comfortable for a home stay! Good food and enjoyed the cookery lesson.
[Jetwing ] Warwick Gardens [Nuwara Eliya] : superb accommodation with great character; enjoyed the communal dining; food very good and excellent service.
[Ahaspokuna] Bush Walks Camp [Belihuloya] : excellent accommodation with masses of space. Disappointed to be the only guests as found the deference of so many staff a little uncomfortable.
Sinharaja Rest [Deniyaya] : peaceful chalet was a treat with the shower with a view of the sky; the tree house great for bird spotting and the good food. Our host could not have been friendlier or more interesting.
[Number One] Mirissa 1: we were a little concerned by the TripAdvisor reviews which criticised the beach bar noise. We could hear it but it was largely masked by the sound of the ocean and did not disturb us unduly. Our room and balcony were very comfortable and spacious. We found the restaurant good for lunch but less so for dinner. The situation and view of the beach and surfers was fabulous.
Apa Villa Illuketia [Galle] : a candidate for my favourite hotel in the world. Very relaxed atmosphere with superb food and accommodation. The garden and swimming pool were both wonderful and I could have happily stayed here a longer time.
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
Niroshan made our holiday. He was a very safe driver, calm and competent. His conversation was interesting and he had a good sense of humour. Most importantly he did not talk too much nor impose himself in any way. We grew to like him a lot. He was flexible and willing to fit in a couple of extra treats with enthusiasm. He was a knowledgeable bird spotter and our walk with him around Kandy Lake was a high spot for me.
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
Emirates were really excellent and the flights were smooth and on time. The schedule also worked well to minimise the problem of jet lag. [Economy Class – Manchester]
Any other comments?
This was definitely one of our best holidays. The pace was just right with a good balance between adventures and time to relax. Almost everything surpassed our expectations.
The one disappointment was the bush camp. The accommodation was excellent and our guide Avinka was very knowledgeable. Birding was good but we did not see a lot else and they had expected us to do a 6-7 hour walk on the full day. We preferred 3-4 hours which is what we did, but it was not all on paths and I felt anxious walking on stony ground which I could not see as we cut our way through the tall sharp grass. The pace was also more a hiking pace than a pace at which you could look out for birds etc. although there were some pauses for this. The food was of fair quality but three 5 course meals a day was too much and the distance from the kitchen meant the food was only ever lukewarm. The staff were pleasant and kind but we were uncomfortable as the sole guests. Far from being the hoped for high spot of the holiday, this is the one part we would not choose to do again. With other guests and the sight of elephants it could have been what we were hoping for but even so this would not have justified its very considerable cost.
With respect to Hathana House, I told Pathi that I would have preferred not to go to the second summit on his walk: the way was steep and hard and the barbed wire protected radio mast eventually reached was completely unrewarding. The lower parts of the walk had, however, been great.
The visit to Horton Plains was not entirely as expected! To make such an early start (5.30) but not to be able to start walking until 7.15 because of the queue for Park tickets was disappointing. The walk itself was just one circuit and quite congested, with noisy parties of Chinese reducing the chance of seeing the wildlife. The view of World’s End was shared with maybe 50 other people. Had we been warned, we would have done something else.
To end on a more positive note, the rainforest trek with Dilshan from Sinharaja Rest was particularly entertaining and informative. He knew where to look for all sorts of interesting creatures and we saw numerous lizards, the elusive blue magpie, rhino moths and a green snake. He was the most terrific guide and took very good care of us.
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