Reply With QuoteMy daughter and her boyfriend went there last year. They travelled all over and absolutely loved the place.
Sri Lanka - what a beautiful Country!
I just got back from a 2 week break there and would heartily recommend it. :) Amazing variety of countryside/ beaches and Wildlife parks to explore.
Stunning scenery and great food too.
Anyone else been?
My daughter and her boyfriend went there last year. They travelled all over and absolutely loved the place.
We were in Negombo for a week in May. Some of the most friendly people we have ever met and absolute top notch food.
Did Kalutara and Kandy a few years back for a couple of days each before on to the Maldives, would definitely go back to spend more time. Tamil Tigers had just car bombed the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, so we didn't get to go.
Sri-Lankans are some of the nicest people, if you mention cricket, you will strike up an immediate rapport.
Food was great, especially the hoppers they sell in the street markets, best savoury pancakes I've ever had.
I’m travelling round the country for a couple of weeks in December. Very excited!
I went there for a few weeks back in the 80s. Loved the place.
I remember having a great time there, Went to Negombo? Kandy, and a fair few other places too.
Tried out scuba diving there for the first time too... i think that was at a place called "Pigeon Island"
The planks held in place by rusty Colonial fixings to create a ‘path’ to the top of Sigaria still gives me nightmares!
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The terrifying bit for me was being at the top knowing had to go back down - did this in 2003 hopefully has been strengthened since then !Originally Posted by T1ckT0ck
Be careful in the bars ...
I ended up with a wife and 4 children after my trip !
The wife and I are thinking of going there next July. Our neighbours are Sri Lankan and we did think of asking them for hints and tips but they are such miserable @@@@ers that we then thought better of it.
I was on an expedition to Sri Lanka once, never got there due to the monsoon season in India. Lovely country to visit by all accounts. 🙂
Thought it interesting and the food excellent.
Was disappointed by the poor state of many older buildings, including those from the colonial eras, and associated histories that are often rather 'ideological' in content and tenor.
Another matter was the price for locals and price for tourists for historical sites: the latter were expensive and the costs quickly mounted in a day.
Although the funds are supposed to go towards supporting the monuments there are doubts about this and corruption is well known in that regard.
Not a few locals were very kind and warm, but a not insignificant number appeared to treat tourists as cash machines, to put not too fine a point on it.
Compared with persons who visited in the early 2000s whom I've discussed it with, it's increasingly difficult to find really good and fair value.
In sum, I thought some other destinations in Asia more friendly, charming and, appealing, however, it's a place that I'm very glad to have visited and explored as it's distinctive in various positive ways. I'm very unsure if I'd return, except for a specific event or place where there is something very special
In terms of highlights:
Sigaria was stand-out.
Galle gets very busy in season and can be expensive for what you get (e.g. accommodation, food) but look hard enough and book ahead and reasonable value can be found.
Colombo is hectic, and there are more than 10 mega hotels being put up with Chinese and Indian funding: alarm bells.
Kandy is also hectic, and some other areas in the highlands were more relaxed and picturesque.
HTH and cheerio,
AP.
For me the stand-out location without doubt was the rolling valleys and hills covered with tea plantations in the centre of the country - near Ella (but basically all the way south from Kandy). I was lucky enough to stay at the '98 Acres Resort' with absolutely stunning views from the large balconies of the luxury lodges.
I didn't even bother with any urban areas - apart from one night in Kandy as a stopover from the north of the country. The beaches on the south coast are lovely - although rough seas this time of year. I hired a driver who was with us 24/7
Agree, the plantations were stunning. We got the train from Ella to Kandy I think.
Open carriages, few beers in the carry on bags and some food from street vendors.
7hrs I could do again easily.
I travelled around quite extensively backpacking for three weeks about 12 years ago.
Tremendously beautiful country.
It was like an 'easier' version of India. Slightly more expensive, a pain in the neck to travel around (the buses were a chore), and the food not very inspiring.
I did consider going back for the November Test matches in Kandy and Galle but I've booked to go elsewhere instead. The way they're squeezing foreigners until the pips squeak as far as ticket prices go was one of the things that swayed me.
https://www.barmyarmy.com/news-engli...et-prices.html
We went in 2002 and I agree, it's stunningly beautiful. We were in a resort but went "native" for a couple of days; took the national train out for day trips, that's not for the faint hearted but was hugely exciting! The people are very friendly, one taxi driver let me have a go in his tuk-tuk, but agree with the earlier comment about tourists being cash machines. Visited Galle, recommend that. The highlight for my wife was feeding a baby elephant at the elephant orphanage. We exchanged postcards with the barman (not much more than a kid really) from the pool bar for a couple of years, but tragically he died in the 2004 tsunami.
By the way, I think they filmed Bridge on the River Kwai in Sri Lanka (or Ceylon as it was then) as a stand in for Burma.
My mum was in Kandy during ww2. Loved it.
Have they got over the mess of that long civil war?
Was there back in 1993 and absolutely loved it.
We travelled by car with a local guide who was great and helped put many things into context. Saw a lot of the sights already mentioned, and likewise for me the highlight was the tea plantations.
Have thought about going back but wonder how different things would be after 25 years. Can't stop progress though!
A thread about such a beautiful country needs pics!!! So here are some of mine
Lets start with Sigaria....
We have to mention elephants....
One of my favourite hotels, the Kandalama
Somewhere up in tea country -
And lastly my personal favourite -
A few more in my album here for anyone interested - https://www.flickr.com/photos/125049...h/24926051316/
Lovely photos. You certainly stayed in better accommodation than I did, though I did spend a couple of night in the Galle Face in Colombo. Looking at the photos I've just realised that my trip was 2004.
Lovely photos. You certainly stayed in better accommodation than I did, though I did spend a couple of night in the Galle Face in Colombo. Looking at the photos I've just realised that my trip was 2004.
Ah that is a lovely photo! The accommodation was much higher than my normal standards. My brother married in Columbo and the whole affair though lovely was terribly exhausting (like 8 days of events....). So I decided to treat my parents to a few better hotels as we travelled around the country afterwards. The Kandalama was certainly a highlight as a hotel, though the staff were a bit rude.
We went for 10 years on the trot until my son started secondary school, used to go for 5 weeks at a time, early December come back January 10-12th. Used to do a deal direct with the hotel, Royal palms, rooms and breakfast for all of us $20 a day, cheaper going away than staying at home. Travelled all over the Island, even up to Trincomalee, Nilaveli beach during the civil war. Sri Lankan rupee varied in value over the years, from 90 rupees /£1 up to 150rupees / £1. Lost some good friends when the tsunami hit. Best beach was Unawatuna, just past Gaul, it was completely unspoilt, coral reefs just off the golden beach. Since the tsunami the beach has become very commercialised and now ruined.
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