Sri Lanka report
We have seen a huge increase in interest in our trips to Sri Lanka in recent months and it’s not hard to understand why. With its gorgeous beaches, fascinating culture, lush scenery and varied wildlife there is a little bit of everything to appeal to any traveller. Alex Burgess from our Sales team took a holiday there last October joining our Circle Sri Lanka trip and by the sounds of it, it won’t be his last visit there.
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were so many great moments on this trip - from biking around the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa to going on an elephant safari in an ancient jeep to climbing Sigiriya early in the morning. For me Sri Lanka has such variety, I was constantly being surprised.
What were the highlights?
Trekking through tea plantations in the Bandarawela Highlands and giving treats to local school children whose classroom had been washed away by flooding. Oh and seeing cows sun bathing in the beach in Weligama!
What did you think of your tour leader?
Our tour leader was called Priyantha Balakrishaan or "Bala" to us. He came from Trincomalee on the North East coast of Sri Lanka and was a Tamil. He was a gentle, proud man and very passionate about his country and wanted us to see the best of it. He always had time to answer any questions we had and even joined in with our singing and dancing at the tea plantation manager's bungalow one night.
What was the accommodation like?
Very good. I was very impressed by how good the hotels were and how good the service was. We had swimming pools in several of the hotels we stayed at and they were all really well located.
What types of transport did you use on the tour?
We used all sorts of transport including mini buses, coaches, trains, tuk tuks, bicycles and foot. I like the variety especially the cycling which I always feel is unobtrusive and simple but great fun! You get to hear, see and smell everything going on around you.
Do you feel the tour was value for money?
I thought the tour was excellent value for money. It encompassed what I really wanted to see in Sri Lanka, we had a great guide and stayed in some fantastic places so I would really rank it highly.
What was the food like? The places you ate at?
The food was really good. Lots of rice and curry and the local Lion beer was really good. We ate at some really nice restaurants and I didn't get ill once! The first night we ate a meal on the beach in Negombo and next to us was a big screen showing the world cup cricket so every now and then we'd hear a cheer. Unfortunately Sri Lanka didn't win!
What were the local people like?
Very friendly, helpful and wanted to know where we were all from and what we did. I felt they were genuinely warm and welcoming with beautiful smiles. Everyone seemed pretty happy and whilst a lot of the places we visited were on the tourist trail I got a good feeling for the country.
Do you feel your holiday was responsible and got under the skin of the country?
I think tourism is generally a good thing for countries as long as it is sustainable and doesn't change local people's way of life too much. We ate in local restaurants, shopped in local shops and visited an elephant transit home. The cycling in particular was great - we include cycle tours on a lot of our trips and it really is an excellent way to enjoy the local’s perspective.
What was the atmosphere of the country/the place(s) you visited?
Very relaxed and easy going. Everywhere that is apart from Colombo which I found a bit overwhelming after experiencing rural Sri Lanka and small towns for two weeks.
What rating would you give the tour?
I'd rank it as one of the best group trips I've done.
What advice would you give to other potential travellers?
Go now while the number of tourists is still very low! It's fantastic. It’s particularly easy to get to from the UK and you can purchase your e-visa within 24 hours. And the temperatures are always good!
Sum your trip up in once sentence.
Once surprise after another - from fantastic beaches to jungle and mountains and everything in between. A very easy, relaxed place to visit made even better by the fantastic bunch of people and guides I travelled with!
Tour price from USD 1763 for 15 days.
Visiting: Sri Lanka
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