Thinking of taking a trip to Sri Lanka , can anyone tell me which is the best resort for restaurants?
Also any tips on good hotels, I overheard someone recently saying they had cancelled thier holiday there due to unrest, does anyone know about this?

thanks in advance , shirleyV

Hi all,

I am considering going to Sri Lanka at the end of this month, however I have got in my head that all of the hotels are going to be very remote with little to do outside in the resort.

We like to be able to walk around from the hotel to the resort town at night, eating at different restaurants, combined with a bit of shopping etc.

Can anybody tell me which resort in Sri Lanka this is possible and any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

We stayed at the Blue Water in June 05 and found that there was nothing to do in the immediate area. In hindsight, we think we would have been better off in Negombo as it appears to me more like a resort and is also near the airport. Hopefully someone else on here can corroborate my opinion!

We are staying at the Lighthouse hotel in Galle for two weeks in July.

If anyone has stayed here a few Questions for you :

What type plugs and votalge is electricity?
Is there a beach within walking distance from hotel that is safer for swimming than one the hotel is located at?
What weather can i expect at that time of year?
How expensive is eating out?
Are there nearby restraunts in walking distance at all or will we be confined to hotel?
I believe there are beach sellers , what do they sell?
HOw do people tend to dress for an evening ?

I know thats alot of questions - thanks in advance for any info.
Regards Rachel.

Hi
If you have recently been to Sri Lanka or you are planning to, it will be nice to hear from you and hear your thoughts.
Just a few questions if any one can help
How easy and cheap is it to get a taxi from the airport?
How easy and cheap are the trains?
Do you need to book up the hotels before hand or can you just turn up?
Any problems with insects?
Is the hygiene better than India?

Thanks

Nols

I am also considering Galle and have seen two lovely hotels so wondered if anyone had stayed at either of them? They are the GaleFort Hotel and The Fortress. Look forward to your comments. Cheers.

Hi Nols

I'm afraid I can't help on this occasion as we were on a tour and all hotels and transfers were organised for us. We didn't use the trains either. If you have any other questions then just let me know and I will try and help.

Hi
We are going on our honeymoon. We are booking a nice villa for 6 days called the Beach Hut in Unawatuna and then we have 6 days to visit parts of Sri Lanka on our own accord.
What is actually worth doing?
Is the safari any good?
Tea Plantations?
elephant orphanage?
What did you enjoy best?

Nols

Hi Nols

My Sri Lanka review starts at the bottom of the page on the following link:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4608&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=120

Hopefully it should give you a good idea of what to expect. In answer to your specific questions -

Any problems with insects? - a manic cockroach in one hotel bathroom and geckos coming through the air con in another and plenty of mossies, but we managed to keep them all away with DEET and room sprays.

Is the hygiene better than India? - never been to India so can't compare. We did both get upset stomachs but nothing serious.

What is actually worth doing? - My review should tell you that - but the elephant orphanage and the tea plantations are definitely worth seeing. We did so many great things that it would be hard to say what was best. We didn't do a safari.

Hope that helps!

Sri Lanka is India 'Lite'.

I have never been to Unawatuna but I have heard it's a wonderful place with a great beach. Also near Galle which is very nice town too.

Trains are a great and very cheap way to get around. The train station 2km from the airport doesnt go to Galle so you would have to get a train to Colombo which is in the opposite direction. May be worth getting a taxi for ease. You will have no problem getting one. I can't remember the price but I would say no more than £15.

Mozzies like to chew on me. Not a major problem apart from one hotel where they had a lagoon and fish ponds.

Have a look at seat61 dot com

The tea factories are OK

The Elephant Orphange is great

Spice gardens - ok for 20 minutes

If there is a turtle hatchery and you are there the right time of year they are good.

Kandy is a nice city/town. Just getting there through the hills is great. There is the botanical gardens, temple of the tooth, the elephant orphanage nearby, other temples. Lake, Gem shops and craft stalls so it's a good base for a few days. The World's End in Horton National Park is supposed to be well worth the climb.

Colombo is a nice city and well worth a day shopping / eating. Has very reasonably priced hotels and will get you back near to the airport.

Best bit? Just wondering around on foot.

Hygiene. No worse or better than India. Drink bottled water, watch the ice and any fruit / veg that may have been washed in tap water.

The only problem you may have with finding hotels will be in Kandy if there is a festival on. It may be worth checking expedia etc., for an idea of prices and then finding a travel agent in Galle to see what they can do. You can always book somewhere online whilst you are there. You will have no trouble getting a driver - they all know what tourists want to see. Find one that speaks good English, tell him where you want to go, ask him for sight seeing suggestions and fix a price. All hotels can get drivers no problems.

I am going back Nov or Dec this year!!

Enjoy

Thinking of going to Sri Lanka next August, can anyone recommend a good hotel in Negombo (suitable for families) we have two boys aged 12 and 9. We have been to Goa several times, and Sri Lanka really appeals. The Weather for August is supposedly good (not too much rainfall!) but any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

does anyone know what the weather is like in september? we will probably go a/i but does anyone know the prices to eat and drink out? we always like to go out a few times for a meal and also to a bar at night sometimes.i've been looking at a few a/i hotels and none seem to include wine in the package-is this because its expensive. wine is considered dear in goa but local is around 450r.also as the a/i usually finishes at midnight i'd like an idea of the drinks in the hotels.
thanks a lot
sue

just returned from two weeks in sri lanka at club palm garden with first choice first class holiday people are fantastic . only down side was reps told us not to go out at night or do any trips only with them but we found a guy named anura who in his early forties had been doing the job 20 years he new every one ntook us to a rock concert free font row seats and a three day tour to galle yal national park little england kandy elephant orphanage where we fed the elephants although the rep said we wouldnot be able to get there soon as its a great place and has great people
EDIT: Transferred from First Choice Airlines Q&As thread
David HT Mod

We go DIY nowadays but even if we did a package I would not book through a rep. You did the right thing with a driver/guide. The other bonus is that you will probably find that you learn much more about local life if you have a good driver.
We have nearly gone to Sri Lanka but I have always been put off by safety worries( there always seems to be something hitting the headlines as we are deciding!). Did you feel completely safe travelling around?
Would you be able to write a short review for us? It will help others( as well as me, when I am looking ) The hotel review page is here

Thanks for the comments we are going to the Club Palm Garden for two weeks in August can anyone recommend trips which are worth going on or places that are a must see.
Cheers Martin.

Hi Martin

My review of our trip 3 yrs ago starts at the bottom of this post:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4608&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=120

Any specific questions - just ask!

One thing that does concern me is the Elephant orphanage, is it above board and in the best interests of the Elephants (I HOPE SO) or is it more of a tourist attraction to make a profit.

Cheers Martin.

Hi Martin

You can read more about it here

http://www.tourism-srilanka.com/pinnawela-elephant-orphanage.html

As it says, some of the elephants are injured and cannot look after themselves so would be dead if it wasn't for the orphanage. I also understand that young elephants whose mothers are killed (by poaching etc) stand no chance of survival in the wild so are brought to the orphanage instead. You will find that the mahouts will want to take pictures of you with the elephants in exchange for a tip, but Sri Lanka is a poor country so it's not surprising that people try to make a little money on the side.

I think I heard that the government is also planning to build another orphanage where they will try and release elephants back into the wild. The Pinnawela ones are too used to humans to be released. They did look happy though - particularly when we saw them bathing in the river. We've been to a few wildlife parks where we have been concerned about the conditions that the animals were living in but this wasn't one of them. It was definitely one of the highlights of our holiday. The one with 3 legs was my favourite - he seemed so cheerful despite his disability. I just wanted to take him home with me!

Hope that helps!

Hi my family and I went to Club Palm Bay in June 2005 and although we had 2 children (8 and 11) they still talk about it as being their best holiday ever; and we have been to many places round the world. If you do go, try booking through Mercury Direct as they seem to have the best prices etc; and do DO go on the excursions...though not via the rep as there is a courier just o/side the complex which is a fraction of the price quoted to us by the rep for the same excursions...the ppl are genuinely friendly....the flights there and back were first class (we went on Emirates) and you get the opportunity of a look at Dubai airport during transit. Overall it will be a holiday youll never forget!!!