Sri Lanka Highlights tour + Blue Water Hotel, Kuoni, June 2005
We went to Sri Lanka for 2 weeks during June and July 2005. Here follows a rather lengthy account of our trip - hope it is useful!
The Journey
We flew with Sri Lankan direct from Heathrow to Colombo, which took about 10 hrs each way. On certain days of the week (Fri and Sat plus a weekday I think), this flight goes out via the Maldives so takes a couple of hours longer. We had a delay of 2 hrs on the way out and 1 hr on the way back, which was annoying but bearable. The planes both had a 2-4-2 seating plan so we had no problems sitting next to each other. The seats weren't very comfortable but they did provide pillows and blankets, which helped greatly. There were about 12 channels on the seatback TVs, plus music channels and games so we were able to keep ourselves occupied for most of the journey. Meals were served twice during each flight, with complimentary sandwiches and drinks available in between. The staff were very pleasant and helpful and we would be happy to fly with Sri Lankan again.
We flew with Sri Lankan direct from Heathrow to Colombo, which took about 10 hrs each way. On certain days of the week (Fri and Sat plus a weekday I think), this flight goes out via the Maldives so takes a couple of hours longer. We had a delay of 2 hrs on the way out and 1 hr on the way back, which was annoying but bearable. The planes both had a 2-4-2 seating plan so we had no problems sitting next to each other. The seats weren't very comfortable but they did provide pillows and blankets, which helped greatly. There were about 12 channels on the seatback TVs, plus music channels and games so we were able to keep ourselves occupied for most of the journey. Meals were served twice during each flight, with complimentary sandwiches and drinks available in between. The staff were very pleasant and helpful and we would be happy to fly with Sri Lankan again.
The Weather
We knew when we booked our holiday that we would be going during the southwest monsoon period, but were still a bit worried about what to expect from the weather. As it turned out we saw less than a couple of hours of rain during the time we were there - some short light showers when we were in Kandy and a 10 minute monsoonal downpour on our last day at the Blue Water. It was incredibly hot and humid though. While we were at Mount Lavinia, the humidity was so high that there was condensation trickling down the walls. Luckily, it was nowhere near as humid in the hill country plus we spent most of our time at the coast relaxing, so the humidity was bearable. The sun was very strong and, despite wearing factor 40, I burned myself very badly within the first few hours and spent the rest of the holiday wearing long sleeve shirts and tons of sun tan lotion/aftersun.
We knew when we booked our holiday that we would be going during the southwest monsoon period, but were still a bit worried about what to expect from the weather. As it turned out we saw less than a couple of hours of rain during the time we were there - some short light showers when we were in Kandy and a 10 minute monsoonal downpour on our last day at the Blue Water. It was incredibly hot and humid though. While we were at Mount Lavinia, the humidity was so high that there was condensation trickling down the walls. Luckily, it was nowhere near as humid in the hill country plus we spent most of our time at the coast relaxing, so the humidity was bearable. The sun was very strong and, despite wearing factor 40, I burned myself very badly within the first few hours and spent the rest of the holiday wearing long sleeve shirts and tons of sun tan lotion/aftersun.
The Hotels
Mount Lavinia Hotel, Mount Lavinia (INVALID URL
We stayed at the Mount Lavinia Hotel for 2 nights before beginning our 'Sri Lanka Highlights tour'. We really liked this hotel and were particularly impressed by the food, the service and the air conditioning. We went on half board and ate in the main air-conditioned restaurant for breakfast and dinner. The hotel has a rotating menu - while we were there we had a Sri Lankan night and a Vegetarian night. The food was beautifully cooked with a huge choice and the puddings were amazing. At lunchtime you could also pay to eat there but we decided to just get a snack from the pool bar, as it was much cheaper. You can rent safety deposit boxes from the cashier - they are in a small room just behind reception, next to the Business Centre (where you can use the internet). There wasn't much to do in the evening, but it was nice just to sit by the pool and see the lights of Colombo twinkling in the distance. The hotel itself looks very impressive from the outside and the staff dress in colonial style uniforms, which gives the place a lot of character. The staff were all very friendly and helpful and spoke good English.
The Tea Factory Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (http://www.aitkenspencehotels.com/teafactory/index.htm)
We stayed at the Tea Factory on the first night of our tour and absolutely loved it. It looks nice in the brochure but is 100 times better in reality. The views from our room and around the hotel were breathtaking and the interior of the hotel is very charming. Despite it being warm during the day, the temperature dropped dramatically at night and we had to make use of the heater in our room. It was also quite cold in the restaurant - so bear this in mind when you are deciding what to pack! We were on a full board basis and the food was very good. There is a small working tea factory in the grounds of the hotel and a spa (which was shut while we were there). We could quite happily have stayed here for a few more days and were very sorry to leave.
The Earl's Regency, Kandy (http://www.aitkenspencehotels.com/earls_regency/index.htm)
After the other two hotels that we had stayed at, the Earls' Regency was a real let down. It had very little character, although the pool and the views from our balcony were good. The main reason we didn't like it here was because of the noise. We were given a room on the ground floor and had a restless first night as you could clearly hear the conversations of passers-by, plus the fuse box gave off a constant electrical hum. On the afternoon of the second day, a large wedding party moved into the rooms on either side of us and their children spent most of the afternoon running up and down the corridor screaming and banging on people's doors. While we appreciate that the behaviour of guests is not the responsibility of the hotel, the lack of sound proofing in the rooms and decision to place us in a room in the middle of a large family group can only be blamed on the hotel management. To their credit, they did move us immediately to another room as soon as we reported our problems to them, but we were surprised and annoyed to find out that the new room had much better facilities than the previous one (including a fridge). If we had not complained then we would have been left in a sub standard room. Despite the convenient location close to Kandy, the food and overall service we did not feel that this hotel merited its 5* rating and we would not want to stay there ever again.
The Lodge, Habarana (http://www.johnkeellshotels.com/cultural_resorts/hotel_home.php?id=6)
We were originally due to stay at the Kandalama hotel for three nights but it was closed for refurbishment while we were there so we were moved to the Lodge instead. We were initially a bit disappointed about this as we were really looking forward to going to Kandalama, but when we arrived at the Lodge we were really impressed. The hotel is spread out through a large wooded area next to a lake and accommodation is mainly in blocks of eight rooms, or two storey two-room cottages. But by some stroke of good luck we ended up being given a deluxe room, which was a little individual bungalow. The room was lovely - light and airy with good air conditioning and a bathroom with separate bath and shower. The food in the restaurant was excellent - very varied with a separate air-conditioned 'pudding' room. The only small thing that irritated us about the hotel was that the staff kept on trying to get us to sit on the allocated 'Sri Lanka Highlights Tour' table. One of the reasons that we had booked a private tour was that we wanted to be by ourselves for most of the holiday. Given the amount of tables in the restaurant. It seemed silly to insist on putting us on a table with people we hardly knew. We had no complaints with anything else at this hotel thought and particularly enjoyed using the large swimming pool. While we were there, we also had the option to book a 2hr elephant ride for 30 dollars each. This was a fantastic experience and something that we would recommend to anyone - definitely one of our holiday highlights!
The Blue Water, Wadduwa (http://www.jetwing.net/bluewater/index.html)
Another lovely hotel, but in hindsight, probably not the best choice on our part. The hotel is well designed and very relaxing, but after 4 nights there we were a bit bored and looking forward to going home. There is very little to do at the hotel other than using the pool or paying for further excursions - perfect if you want to do nothing - but awful for people like us who like to be kept occupied. It would have been much better for us to have chosen a hotel in Negombo (i.e. nearer the airport) and stayed there for only 2 or 3 nights. But we must stress that it was our fault for choosing this hotel and not the fault of the hotel and staff. The food in the main restaurant was absolutely delicious and the pool bar also did good (and cheap) snacks. We were glad that we hadn't decided to go for full board, as we really couldn't eat very much at lunchtime after having such a big breakfast and knowing that a 5-course dinner was likely to follow. The staff were all very polite and helpful and the manager held a welcome cocktail party on our first evening, which was nice. The Kuoni rep, Kalim, was very also very helpful.
Mount Lavinia Hotel, Mount Lavinia (INVALID URL
We stayed at the Mount Lavinia Hotel for 2 nights before beginning our 'Sri Lanka Highlights tour'. We really liked this hotel and were particularly impressed by the food, the service and the air conditioning. We went on half board and ate in the main air-conditioned restaurant for breakfast and dinner. The hotel has a rotating menu - while we were there we had a Sri Lankan night and a Vegetarian night. The food was beautifully cooked with a huge choice and the puddings were amazing. At lunchtime you could also pay to eat there but we decided to just get a snack from the pool bar, as it was much cheaper. You can rent safety deposit boxes from the cashier - they are in a small room just behind reception, next to the Business Centre (where you can use the internet). There wasn't much to do in the evening, but it was nice just to sit by the pool and see the lights of Colombo twinkling in the distance. The hotel itself looks very impressive from the outside and the staff dress in colonial style uniforms, which gives the place a lot of character. The staff were all very friendly and helpful and spoke good English.
The Tea Factory Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (http://www.aitkenspencehotels.com/teafactory/index.htm)
We stayed at the Tea Factory on the first night of our tour and absolutely loved it. It looks nice in the brochure but is 100 times better in reality. The views from our room and around the hotel were breathtaking and the interior of the hotel is very charming. Despite it being warm during the day, the temperature dropped dramatically at night and we had to make use of the heater in our room. It was also quite cold in the restaurant - so bear this in mind when you are deciding what to pack! We were on a full board basis and the food was very good. There is a small working tea factory in the grounds of the hotel and a spa (which was shut while we were there). We could quite happily have stayed here for a few more days and were very sorry to leave.
The Earl's Regency, Kandy (http://www.aitkenspencehotels.com/earls_regency/index.htm)
After the other two hotels that we had stayed at, the Earls' Regency was a real let down. It had very little character, although the pool and the views from our balcony were good. The main reason we didn't like it here was because of the noise. We were given a room on the ground floor and had a restless first night as you could clearly hear the conversations of passers-by, plus the fuse box gave off a constant electrical hum. On the afternoon of the second day, a large wedding party moved into the rooms on either side of us and their children spent most of the afternoon running up and down the corridor screaming and banging on people's doors. While we appreciate that the behaviour of guests is not the responsibility of the hotel, the lack of sound proofing in the rooms and decision to place us in a room in the middle of a large family group can only be blamed on the hotel management. To their credit, they did move us immediately to another room as soon as we reported our problems to them, but we were surprised and annoyed to find out that the new room had much better facilities than the previous one (including a fridge). If we had not complained then we would have been left in a sub standard room. Despite the convenient location close to Kandy, the food and overall service we did not feel that this hotel merited its 5* rating and we would not want to stay there ever again.
The Lodge, Habarana (http://www.johnkeellshotels.com/cultural_resorts/hotel_home.php?id=6)
We were originally due to stay at the Kandalama hotel for three nights but it was closed for refurbishment while we were there so we were moved to the Lodge instead. We were initially a bit disappointed about this as we were really looking forward to going to Kandalama, but when we arrived at the Lodge we were really impressed. The hotel is spread out through a large wooded area next to a lake and accommodation is mainly in blocks of eight rooms, or two storey two-room cottages. But by some stroke of good luck we ended up being given a deluxe room, which was a little individual bungalow. The room was lovely - light and airy with good air conditioning and a bathroom with separate bath and shower. The food in the restaurant was excellent - very varied with a separate air-conditioned 'pudding' room. The only small thing that irritated us about the hotel was that the staff kept on trying to get us to sit on the allocated 'Sri Lanka Highlights Tour' table. One of the reasons that we had booked a private tour was that we wanted to be by ourselves for most of the holiday. Given the amount of tables in the restaurant. It seemed silly to insist on putting us on a table with people we hardly knew. We had no complaints with anything else at this hotel thought and particularly enjoyed using the large swimming pool. While we were there, we also had the option to book a 2hr elephant ride for 30 dollars each. This was a fantastic experience and something that we would recommend to anyone - definitely one of our holiday highlights!
The Blue Water, Wadduwa (http://www.jetwing.net/bluewater/index.html)
Another lovely hotel, but in hindsight, probably not the best choice on our part. The hotel is well designed and very relaxing, but after 4 nights there we were a bit bored and looking forward to going home. There is very little to do at the hotel other than using the pool or paying for further excursions - perfect if you want to do nothing - but awful for people like us who like to be kept occupied. It would have been much better for us to have chosen a hotel in Negombo (i.e. nearer the airport) and stayed there for only 2 or 3 nights. But we must stress that it was our fault for choosing this hotel and not the fault of the hotel and staff. The food in the main restaurant was absolutely delicious and the pool bar also did good (and cheap) snacks. We were glad that we hadn't decided to go for full board, as we really couldn't eat very much at lunchtime after having such a big breakfast and knowing that a 5-course dinner was likely to follow. The staff were all very polite and helpful and the manager held a welcome cocktail party on our first evening, which was nice. The Kuoni rep, Kalim, was very also very helpful.
The Food
Before we went, I was a little bit apprehensive about the food as I am not really a fan of spicy foods. And boy is the food spicy - even the mango chutney made my eyes water in some places! Luckily, all the hotels that we stayed in served a variety of Western, Eastern and Sri Lankan cuisine so we had plenty of choice every night - ranging from curry to fajitas to roast lamb. There were always salads and soups available and plenty of bread so I think that even the fussiest eater would be able to find something to eat. It was the puddings that really impressed us though - dark chocolate mousse, coconut cakes, jelly, gateaux and loads and loads of fresh fruit. We both ate like pigs while we were over there but amazingly didn't put on any weight - must have been all the walking we did on the tour! We mainly drank bottled water and other soft drinks while we were over there - even in a hotel, a litre of water won't set you back more than a pound. A 500ml bottle of the local beer normally cost 2 pounds which seemed reasonable, but the wine was very expensive - around 3 pounds for quite a small glass of wine. In all of the hotels we stayed in, we did not need to carry cash as bills for food and drink were signed for at the end of each meal and then paid on departure. Service charge and government tax were normally added on top, so you don't have to worry about tipping staff direct unless you particularly want to.
Before we went, I was a little bit apprehensive about the food as I am not really a fan of spicy foods. And boy is the food spicy - even the mango chutney made my eyes water in some places! Luckily, all the hotels that we stayed in served a variety of Western, Eastern and Sri Lankan cuisine so we had plenty of choice every night - ranging from curry to fajitas to roast lamb. There were always salads and soups available and plenty of bread so I think that even the fussiest eater would be able to find something to eat. It was the puddings that really impressed us though - dark chocolate mousse, coconut cakes, jelly, gateaux and loads and loads of fresh fruit. We both ate like pigs while we were over there but amazingly didn't put on any weight - must have been all the walking we did on the tour! We mainly drank bottled water and other soft drinks while we were over there - even in a hotel, a litre of water won't set you back more than a pound. A 500ml bottle of the local beer normally cost 2 pounds which seemed reasonable, but the wine was very expensive - around 3 pounds for quite a small glass of wine. In all of the hotels we stayed in, we did not need to carry cash as bills for food and drink were signed for at the end of each meal and then paid on departure. Service charge and government tax were normally added on top, so you don't have to worry about tipping staff direct unless you particularly want to.
The Tour (http://www.kuoni.co.uk/countryinformation/lk/htlw922005.shtml)
We booked the 6-night 'Sri Lankan Highlights' tour with Kuoni, spending 2 nights at Mount Lavinia beforehand and 4 nights at the Blue Water afterwards. We paid just over 100 pounds extra between us to have a private car and driver on the tour. This was well worth the money as it gave us more flexibility, more comfort whilst travelling and a guaranteed window seat each. The car was modern and in good condition (I think it was a Nissan Primera or similar) with good air conditioning. As you will probably have read elsewhere, Sri Lankan driving skills leave a lot to be desired, but we generally felt safe with our driver, particularly in comparison with some of the nutters that tried to overtake us. He had an extensive English vocabulary and knew a lot about Sri Lankan history and culture, but his accent and comprehension was not as good leading to small misunderstandings. However, not speaking a word of Sinhala, we were definitely grateful to have him there to translate for us and organise various aspects of our trip. He made a couple of small tweaks to the itinerary to make best use of our time, particularly in relation to the weather conditions, which we thought was really helpful. Before we left the UK, we bought the 'Insight Map of Sri Lanka' and the 'Rough Guide to Sri Lanka' both of which we found useful to refer to during the tour. In terms of distances - the max speed is 80 kph but, on some roads, I don't think we got above 30 kph. The best advice we can give is to estimate how long a similar journey would take at home and multiply this by 3 - if you're lucky it might take less!
Day One - Mount Lavinia to Kandapola, via Kitulgala and Nuwara Eliya
We left Mount Lavinia just after breakfast and started to head east into the hill country. The route to Kitulgala (where we were stopping for lunch) should have taken about 3 hrs, but we stopped quite a few times along the way to take photos etc, as the scenery was so amazing. The restaurant at Kitulgala was right by the side of the river and was cool and shady. The food was served as a buffet and was quite nice. We didn't go to the actual place where 'Bridge over the River Kwai' was filmed as our guide said that we were likely to get harassed by the locals, but we still took some pictures of it from the road. After lunch, we carried up into the hills and started seeing the tea plantations. We were really lucky as the weather was bright and clear so you could see for miles. The roads are very windy so progress was slow but it allowed us to see more of the area. We saw children on their way back from school and Tamil workers in the plantations along with waterfalls, monkeys and lots of birds. We only passed through Nuwara Eliya but thought that it looked very picturesque. Our final stop of the day was at the 'Pedro' tea factory where we were given a guided tour by a member of staff. It was very interesting to hear how the tea is actually made and then we were able to try some in the visitor's centre afterwards (which had toilets and wonderful views over a lake). Afterwards we went straight to the Tea Factory hotel, arriving just before dinner.
Day Two - Kandapola to Kandy
As we had visited the Pedro tea factory the previous day, we had a free morning to explore the area around the Tea Factory hotel. Luckily it was another clear, bright day so the views were fabulous. Lunch was a set menu with limited choice but was very nice. After lunch we headed north of Kandapola on the very windy local roads. Despite it being only 50 km to Kandy, the journey took 2 ½ hours. The scenery was amazing again though so the time went quite quickly. We arrived at the Earl's Regency at about 4 and then had some time to relax before being picked up again to go a cultural dance show in Kandy. The dance show was in a large theatre by the lake and lasted for an hour. We saw various different dances, but the best bit was definitely the fire walking at the end. They get you to come right down to the front so that you can appreciate how hot the coals really are - and they must have been roasting hot!
Day Three - Kandy
As the weather was good, our guide decided to change our itinerary and take us to the Botanical Gardens, rather than the Temple of the Tooth. On the way, he took us up into the hills overlooking Kandy lake so we could take photos and he could point out various places of interest. There were a lot of people trying to sell us souvenirs up there but they weren't too persistent. Then it was just a short drive out of town to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens are huge so we didn't have time to see everything but what we saw was amazing. There is such a huge variety of trees and flowers and everywhere looks so well kept. There is even a small pond built in the shape of Sri Lanka. We spent quite a bit of time in the herb garden where our guide was astounded that we could only name a few herbs. For some reason he was also quite surprised that we couldn't recognise the cocaine plant! The most interesting things we saw were huge groups of fruit bats clinging to the trees and flying around above our heads and some enormous 'coco de mer' fruits.
On the way back from the gardens, we were taken to a 'Gem Museum', which is basically a thinly disguised excuse to get you to spend money in a large jewellery shop. We watched a short video and then were shown some rocks and stones in their un-cut forms before making a short visit to see the gem-polishing workshop. And then it was back up to the showroom to encourage you to make a purchase. If you like expensive jewellery then I'm sure this would be a worthwhile visit, but the cheapest thing we saw was a 50 quid pair of earrings which is way outside of my normal budget. There was no hard sell but we came away feeling that it been a bit of a waste of time on both sides. We then went back to the Earl's Regency for lunch and spent the afternoon by the pool.
Day Four - Kandy to Habarana, via Dambulla
It was raining when we got up, and still raining when we finished breakfast. It looked like it was set in for the day so we got all togged up in our rain macs, only for the rain to stop by the time we got to the Temple of the Tooth! Security is quite tight at the temple so be prepared for a possible bag search when you get there. We had to leave our shoes by the entrance and walk around barefoot on the wet ground. I definitely wished I thought more about what I was going to wear, as my very long linen trousers were dragging in the dirt and I ended up having to roll them up to nearly knee height. We also saw some young female tourists being turned away for wearing short skirts. I would recommend wearing either a mid-calf skirt, ¾ length shorts or taking some hair clips to hold your trousers up to avoid these problems. The Temple complex itself is not that large so you shouldn't need to spend more than a couple of hours there unless you have a particular interest in Buddhism. We particularly liked the room with lots of different Buddhas and paintings depicting the history of the tooth, and the small museum which has photos of the restoration after the bomb in 1998 and examples of various gifts offered to the Tooth. Seeing the Tooth itself was a bit of an anti climax - you can only see the casket at certain times of the day and there is such a scrum that you literally just get pushed by the window for a 2 second glimpse. It was interesting to see how excited many people were just to be there though. We had lunch back at the Earl's Regency and then headed north out of Kandy. We had the option to visit a spice garden and batik factory en-route but we decided not to bother, as we had no intention of buying anything from them. This meant that we had time to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple later that day (rather than on our final day as per the itinerary).
When you arrive at Dambulla, the first thing you see is an enormous gold Buddha sat on top of the Buddhist Museum - it's tacky but still impressive. Then it was a fairly hot and steep climb up to the cave temples (which are at the top of the hill), trying to avoid souvenir sellers and thieving monkeys on the way. As it is a temple, we had to leave our shoes outside the door again - the sand and rock was rather hot under our feet so some might prefer to keep their socks on. The temple is built under a large overhanging rock and has fabulous views over the area - you can even see Sigiriya in the distance. The temple itself is comprised of 5 caves, each filled with many Buddhas of various shapes and sizes - we were amazed at the skill that must have been needed to carve some of the statues, but couldn't help wondering exactly why there were so many that looked exactly the same. Afterwards, it was just a short drive to Habarana Lodge and its lovely cool swimming pool.
Day Five - Avukana, Anuradhapura and Mihintale
We left Habarana at about 8am and went straight to Avukana to see the Buddha statue there. It is about 30 feet tall and carved out of solid rock - very impressive in itself, but there's not much else to see there. We then headed to the ancient city of Anuradhapura and spent the rest of the morning touring the main sites. We saw a number of temples, Buddhas and dagobas along with the 'Sacred Bo' tree and other remains of the city. We had to take our shoes off before entering most places - you leave them with an attendant and then pay him at the end - so make sure you have some small change with you. The most interesting things we saw were the dagobas that haven't been fully restored yet, as they gave you a really good idea of what the city must have looked like when it was rediscovered by the British. After lunch, we went to Mihintale, which is the place where Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka. This involved another long climb up a steep hill, the end part without shoes, but it was worth it for the views and to see the strange souvenirs that were being sold (such as pictures of Chinese babies). We enjoyed Mihintale more than Anuradhapura, but were starting to get a bit sick of Buddhas and dagobas etc by the end of the day.
Day Six - Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa
Another early start so that we could climb Sigiriya while the temperature was still relatively low. Before we got there, our guide also warned us that the local villagers would try and escort us up the rock as well in the hope of a tip. We decided that we didn't need more than one guide so politely told the villagers this when they tried to accompany us. Other tourists did make use of their services - we found it very amusing to see them literally pushing an elderly French gentleman up the stairs. I was a bit nervous when we actually got there and saw how high the rock was as I'm not particularly fit and suffer from mild vertigo. Luckily, the climb is broken up into stages and wasn't as bad as I had feared, although the final section was pretty hairy. The frescos of the Sigiriya maidens were good, but the Mirror Wall was disappointing. The view from the top was definitely the best bit, as was wondering how on earth they managed to build a palace up there. After lunch we headed for Polonnaruwa. By this point we were very tired and I had blisters, so I don't think that we were able to give it all our full attention. The ruins are much better preserved than Anuradhapura, but we didn't see inside any of them as we made a decision to keep our shoes on for the rest of the day. On the way back we saw a herd of wild elephants by the road, which really made our day.
Day Seven - Habarana to Wadduwa, via Pinnawela
We got up very early this morning so that we could go on an elephant ride. This was optional and organised direct with the hotel and took place round the lake, which was just a short walk away. This was a great experience and we were very glad that we had decided to do it. The ride took 2 hrs and we even took turns to ride on the elephant's neck - fantastic. Make sure you take some small change to tip the mahouts and buy the elephant some bananas. We left the hotel at about 10 and then began the drive to Pinnawela, which took about 2 ½ hours. It was well worth the long drive though when we arrived at the orphanage and saw all the elephants standing there in front of us. The babies were so cute but my favourite was the poor three legged one - I just wanted to take him home with me! We arrived not long before feeding time, which is held in a large shed near the entrance. The mahouts were very keen to help take photos of us with the elephants, in the hope of getting a tip (but we didn't mind too much). After the feeding, we went for lunch at a restaurant by the river. When we arrived at 1:30pm it was obvious that the buffet food had been sat around for a couple of hours. Both of us ate very little but still came down with food poisoning the next day. This experience was redeemed though by the fantastic view from the restaurant terrace of the elephants bathing in the river so I guess we couldn't complain too much. We then had a further 3 hours in the car before we finally arrived at the Blue Water and said goodbye to our driver. By that point we were exhausted but were glad that we had done the tour, as it was definitely the best way to see a lot of Sri Lanka in such a short period of time. We won't go back to Sri Lanka again as there are so many other places that we want to visit - but I would really encourage anyone to go there - you'll have a fantastic time and also help to put much needed money back into Sri Lanka's Tourist Industry. Go on - what's stopping you?
We booked the 6-night 'Sri Lankan Highlights' tour with Kuoni, spending 2 nights at Mount Lavinia beforehand and 4 nights at the Blue Water afterwards. We paid just over 100 pounds extra between us to have a private car and driver on the tour. This was well worth the money as it gave us more flexibility, more comfort whilst travelling and a guaranteed window seat each. The car was modern and in good condition (I think it was a Nissan Primera or similar) with good air conditioning. As you will probably have read elsewhere, Sri Lankan driving skills leave a lot to be desired, but we generally felt safe with our driver, particularly in comparison with some of the nutters that tried to overtake us. He had an extensive English vocabulary and knew a lot about Sri Lankan history and culture, but his accent and comprehension was not as good leading to small misunderstandings. However, not speaking a word of Sinhala, we were definitely grateful to have him there to translate for us and organise various aspects of our trip. He made a couple of small tweaks to the itinerary to make best use of our time, particularly in relation to the weather conditions, which we thought was really helpful. Before we left the UK, we bought the 'Insight Map of Sri Lanka' and the 'Rough Guide to Sri Lanka' both of which we found useful to refer to during the tour. In terms of distances - the max speed is 80 kph but, on some roads, I don't think we got above 30 kph. The best advice we can give is to estimate how long a similar journey would take at home and multiply this by 3 - if you're lucky it might take less!
Day One - Mount Lavinia to Kandapola, via Kitulgala and Nuwara Eliya
We left Mount Lavinia just after breakfast and started to head east into the hill country. The route to Kitulgala (where we were stopping for lunch) should have taken about 3 hrs, but we stopped quite a few times along the way to take photos etc, as the scenery was so amazing. The restaurant at Kitulgala was right by the side of the river and was cool and shady. The food was served as a buffet and was quite nice. We didn't go to the actual place where 'Bridge over the River Kwai' was filmed as our guide said that we were likely to get harassed by the locals, but we still took some pictures of it from the road. After lunch, we carried up into the hills and started seeing the tea plantations. We were really lucky as the weather was bright and clear so you could see for miles. The roads are very windy so progress was slow but it allowed us to see more of the area. We saw children on their way back from school and Tamil workers in the plantations along with waterfalls, monkeys and lots of birds. We only passed through Nuwara Eliya but thought that it looked very picturesque. Our final stop of the day was at the 'Pedro' tea factory where we were given a guided tour by a member of staff. It was very interesting to hear how the tea is actually made and then we were able to try some in the visitor's centre afterwards (which had toilets and wonderful views over a lake). Afterwards we went straight to the Tea Factory hotel, arriving just before dinner.
Day Two - Kandapola to Kandy
As we had visited the Pedro tea factory the previous day, we had a free morning to explore the area around the Tea Factory hotel. Luckily it was another clear, bright day so the views were fabulous. Lunch was a set menu with limited choice but was very nice. After lunch we headed north of Kandapola on the very windy local roads. Despite it being only 50 km to Kandy, the journey took 2 ½ hours. The scenery was amazing again though so the time went quite quickly. We arrived at the Earl's Regency at about 4 and then had some time to relax before being picked up again to go a cultural dance show in Kandy. The dance show was in a large theatre by the lake and lasted for an hour. We saw various different dances, but the best bit was definitely the fire walking at the end. They get you to come right down to the front so that you can appreciate how hot the coals really are - and they must have been roasting hot!
Day Three - Kandy
As the weather was good, our guide decided to change our itinerary and take us to the Botanical Gardens, rather than the Temple of the Tooth. On the way, he took us up into the hills overlooking Kandy lake so we could take photos and he could point out various places of interest. There were a lot of people trying to sell us souvenirs up there but they weren't too persistent. Then it was just a short drive out of town to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens are huge so we didn't have time to see everything but what we saw was amazing. There is such a huge variety of trees and flowers and everywhere looks so well kept. There is even a small pond built in the shape of Sri Lanka. We spent quite a bit of time in the herb garden where our guide was astounded that we could only name a few herbs. For some reason he was also quite surprised that we couldn't recognise the cocaine plant! The most interesting things we saw were huge groups of fruit bats clinging to the trees and flying around above our heads and some enormous 'coco de mer' fruits.
On the way back from the gardens, we were taken to a 'Gem Museum', which is basically a thinly disguised excuse to get you to spend money in a large jewellery shop. We watched a short video and then were shown some rocks and stones in their un-cut forms before making a short visit to see the gem-polishing workshop. And then it was back up to the showroom to encourage you to make a purchase. If you like expensive jewellery then I'm sure this would be a worthwhile visit, but the cheapest thing we saw was a 50 quid pair of earrings which is way outside of my normal budget. There was no hard sell but we came away feeling that it been a bit of a waste of time on both sides. We then went back to the Earl's Regency for lunch and spent the afternoon by the pool.
Day Four - Kandy to Habarana, via Dambulla
It was raining when we got up, and still raining when we finished breakfast. It looked like it was set in for the day so we got all togged up in our rain macs, only for the rain to stop by the time we got to the Temple of the Tooth! Security is quite tight at the temple so be prepared for a possible bag search when you get there. We had to leave our shoes by the entrance and walk around barefoot on the wet ground. I definitely wished I thought more about what I was going to wear, as my very long linen trousers were dragging in the dirt and I ended up having to roll them up to nearly knee height. We also saw some young female tourists being turned away for wearing short skirts. I would recommend wearing either a mid-calf skirt, ¾ length shorts or taking some hair clips to hold your trousers up to avoid these problems. The Temple complex itself is not that large so you shouldn't need to spend more than a couple of hours there unless you have a particular interest in Buddhism. We particularly liked the room with lots of different Buddhas and paintings depicting the history of the tooth, and the small museum which has photos of the restoration after the bomb in 1998 and examples of various gifts offered to the Tooth. Seeing the Tooth itself was a bit of an anti climax - you can only see the casket at certain times of the day and there is such a scrum that you literally just get pushed by the window for a 2 second glimpse. It was interesting to see how excited many people were just to be there though. We had lunch back at the Earl's Regency and then headed north out of Kandy. We had the option to visit a spice garden and batik factory en-route but we decided not to bother, as we had no intention of buying anything from them. This meant that we had time to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple later that day (rather than on our final day as per the itinerary).
When you arrive at Dambulla, the first thing you see is an enormous gold Buddha sat on top of the Buddhist Museum - it's tacky but still impressive. Then it was a fairly hot and steep climb up to the cave temples (which are at the top of the hill), trying to avoid souvenir sellers and thieving monkeys on the way. As it is a temple, we had to leave our shoes outside the door again - the sand and rock was rather hot under our feet so some might prefer to keep their socks on. The temple is built under a large overhanging rock and has fabulous views over the area - you can even see Sigiriya in the distance. The temple itself is comprised of 5 caves, each filled with many Buddhas of various shapes and sizes - we were amazed at the skill that must have been needed to carve some of the statues, but couldn't help wondering exactly why there were so many that looked exactly the same. Afterwards, it was just a short drive to Habarana Lodge and its lovely cool swimming pool.
Day Five - Avukana, Anuradhapura and Mihintale
We left Habarana at about 8am and went straight to Avukana to see the Buddha statue there. It is about 30 feet tall and carved out of solid rock - very impressive in itself, but there's not much else to see there. We then headed to the ancient city of Anuradhapura and spent the rest of the morning touring the main sites. We saw a number of temples, Buddhas and dagobas along with the 'Sacred Bo' tree and other remains of the city. We had to take our shoes off before entering most places - you leave them with an attendant and then pay him at the end - so make sure you have some small change with you. The most interesting things we saw were the dagobas that haven't been fully restored yet, as they gave you a really good idea of what the city must have looked like when it was rediscovered by the British. After lunch, we went to Mihintale, which is the place where Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka. This involved another long climb up a steep hill, the end part without shoes, but it was worth it for the views and to see the strange souvenirs that were being sold (such as pictures of Chinese babies). We enjoyed Mihintale more than Anuradhapura, but were starting to get a bit sick of Buddhas and dagobas etc by the end of the day.
Day Six - Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa
Another early start so that we could climb Sigiriya while the temperature was still relatively low. Before we got there, our guide also warned us that the local villagers would try and escort us up the rock as well in the hope of a tip. We decided that we didn't need more than one guide so politely told the villagers this when they tried to accompany us. Other tourists did make use of their services - we found it very amusing to see them literally pushing an elderly French gentleman up the stairs. I was a bit nervous when we actually got there and saw how high the rock was as I'm not particularly fit and suffer from mild vertigo. Luckily, the climb is broken up into stages and wasn't as bad as I had feared, although the final section was pretty hairy. The frescos of the Sigiriya maidens were good, but the Mirror Wall was disappointing. The view from the top was definitely the best bit, as was wondering how on earth they managed to build a palace up there. After lunch we headed for Polonnaruwa. By this point we were very tired and I had blisters, so I don't think that we were able to give it all our full attention. The ruins are much better preserved than Anuradhapura, but we didn't see inside any of them as we made a decision to keep our shoes on for the rest of the day. On the way back we saw a herd of wild elephants by the road, which really made our day.
Day Seven - Habarana to Wadduwa, via Pinnawela
We got up very early this morning so that we could go on an elephant ride. This was optional and organised direct with the hotel and took place round the lake, which was just a short walk away. This was a great experience and we were very glad that we had decided to do it. The ride took 2 hrs and we even took turns to ride on the elephant's neck - fantastic. Make sure you take some small change to tip the mahouts and buy the elephant some bananas. We left the hotel at about 10 and then began the drive to Pinnawela, which took about 2 ½ hours. It was well worth the long drive though when we arrived at the orphanage and saw all the elephants standing there in front of us. The babies were so cute but my favourite was the poor three legged one - I just wanted to take him home with me! We arrived not long before feeding time, which is held in a large shed near the entrance. The mahouts were very keen to help take photos of us with the elephants, in the hope of getting a tip (but we didn't mind too much). After the feeding, we went for lunch at a restaurant by the river. When we arrived at 1:30pm it was obvious that the buffet food had been sat around for a couple of hours. Both of us ate very little but still came down with food poisoning the next day. This experience was redeemed though by the fantastic view from the restaurant terrace of the elephants bathing in the river so I guess we couldn't complain too much. We then had a further 3 hours in the car before we finally arrived at the Blue Water and said goodbye to our driver. By that point we were exhausted but were glad that we had done the tour, as it was definitely the best way to see a lot of Sri Lanka in such a short period of time. We won't go back to Sri Lanka again as there are so many other places that we want to visit - but I would really encourage anyone to go there - you'll have a fantastic time and also help to put much needed money back into Sri Lanka's Tourist Industry. Go on - what's stopping you?
Hi
I went to Sri Lanka in June and we didnt take any Malaria tablets. A couple we met out there did and they were both feeling pretty bad. Of course seek your doctors advice, and maybe check the region you are going to, but we went to The BlueWater resort in Wadduwa and we didnt even get bitten by one mosquito.
Beth
I went to Sri Lanka in June and we didnt take any Malaria tablets. A couple we met out there did and they were both feeling pretty bad. Of course seek your doctors advice, and maybe check the region you are going to, but we went to The BlueWater resort in Wadduwa and we didnt even get bitten by one mosquito.
Beth
We took Proguanil and Chloroquine tablets while we were there on the advice of our doctor and didn't have any problems with side effects. We have always taken the view that it is better to be safe than sorry with these things - if you do get bitten then you don't want to spend your whole holiday worrying about it. There are definitely mosquitos around in Sri Lanka - while we were at Mount Lavinia we saw two girls with bites all over their legs plus we had some buzzing around us when we were eating in the restaurant at Habarana lodge. Luckily the Avon Woodland Fresh oil stopped them from biting us, as did using mosquito coils in the room at night. We got our malaria tablets for 17 quid a box (a 7 week course) from our local pharmacy but you can also get them from Boots. Only got 10 days worth left to take now!
HTH!
HTH!
My wife and I visited the Blue Water a couple of years ago - and loved it. Open plan style hotel and is very airy which helps create that cool atmosphere. Excellent staff, top class food, huge pool and nice grounds. The rooms look out through the coconut trees to the sea and sunsets are wonderful. We had no trouble from beach sellers there either. I'd love to go back anytime.
Hi All!
As part of our Honeymoon, myself and my partner have booked a 6 day "Tour of Sri Lanka" with Thomas Cook Signature.
Can anyone throw any light on whether this has been a good choice!!!! I'm am finding it difficult to find any reviews on the tour anywhere!
We are finishing it up with 10 nights in the Maldives, perfect way to finish I say!!
Cheers
Simmo
As part of our Honeymoon, myself and my partner have booked a 6 day "Tour of Sri Lanka" with Thomas Cook Signature.
Can anyone throw any light on whether this has been a good choice!!!! I'm am finding it difficult to find any reviews on the tour anywhere!
We are finishing it up with 10 nights in the Maldives, perfect way to finish I say!!
Cheers
Simmo
Hi Simmo
We went on a similar tour with Kuoni in June of this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. From what we could tell, most of the British tour companies follow similar itineraries so I'm sure you'll be fine. You can read all about our trip in the 'sticky' Sri Lanka topic in the forum.
Any other questions - just ask!
We went on a similar tour with Kuoni in June of this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. From what we could tell, most of the British tour companies follow similar itineraries so I'm sure you'll be fine. You can read all about our trip in the 'sticky' Sri Lanka topic in the forum.
Any other questions - just ask!
Thanks for that, I will check it out! 
Most of the tours in Sri Lanka follow very similar itineraries. I would thoroghly recommend not only the tour but the twin centre option that you have booked. You will find the tour tiring and have the perfect opportunity to relax during your second week. Enjoy! 
I visited Sri Lanka in 03 and had a great time. I found a fantastic deal for £550 for 10 days over Xmas. Booking with world vacations direct. We stayed in Nebombo at an extremely BASIC hotel called 'The Windmill Hotel'. If you are not particularly bothered by standards of service and cleanliness and don't mind doing battle with the insects invading the bathroom every morning it was well worth the money. We used the facilities of the surrounding 'posher' hotels everyday. We also booked locally to do the sites and spent 2 days travelling with a taxi driver which worked out much cheaper than an organised trip. Can throughly recommend doing this because as mentioned by earlier posters what you see is amazing - can't wait to go back.
Hi all,
looking to book a trip next year with the wife.
I wanna do some diving so am after a decent reef, and the wife wants to do some serious wind down.
We always book AI as we enjoy it, and like a good standard hotel (stuff to do and different food as I get bored of the same food all the time).
If anyone has any suggestions I would be very gratefull
all the best
looking to book a trip next year with the wife.
I wanna do some diving so am after a decent reef, and the wife wants to do some serious wind down.
We always book AI as we enjoy it, and like a good standard hotel (stuff to do and different food as I get bored of the same food all the time).
If anyone has any suggestions I would be very gratefull
all the best
I'm travelling in asia from December to May. we are doing a two week tour in Srilanka on 29/01 then leave Sri Lanka and go to Thailand for 4 weeks, then return to Sri Lanka for a further 2 weeks with no accom or anything can anyone recomend a budget guesthouse,hotel,hostel etc.
Thanks
Thanks
Hello There
i am visiting Sri Lanka for Christmas, and we currently have a place booked in Galle for the first week but we are stuggling to find guest houses or even reviews on guest houses to see if they are any good.
we are looking to stay a few nights in Kandy also the cultural triangle.
i would be very grateful if you could let me know of any good guest houses that you have visited in these areas
thanks you
i am visiting Sri Lanka for Christmas, and we currently have a place booked in Galle for the first week but we are stuggling to find guest houses or even reviews on guest houses to see if they are any good.
we are looking to stay a few nights in Kandy also the cultural triangle.
i would be very grateful if you could let me know of any good guest houses that you have visited in these areas
thanks you
Hi,
One of my clients,son has a villa with quite a few bedrooms in Unawatuna,he has shown me lots of pictures ,and it looks beautiful, http://www.villa-in -paradise.com.
Hope this might be of some help to you,
sue
One of my clients,son has a villa with quite a few bedrooms in Unawatuna,he has shown me lots of pictures ,and it looks beautiful, http://www.villa-in -paradise.com.
Hope this might be of some help to you,
sue
What is the best back up currency to take to Sri Lanka pounds, dollars or euros.
Couldn't tell you what is best but we took sterling travellers cheques and sterling cash and had no problem exchanging both at the airport.
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