12 independent reviews for Sri Lanka holiday, island explorer
Reviews for Sri Lanka holiday, island explorer
Roger Fayle review 8 Mar 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Climbing Lion Rock.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Try and learn even a few words of the local language and talk to the people. They love it and give you back the widest smiles.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes to the first but generally no to the others. Although the exception is that wildlife conservation is improving.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent guide, lovely people and perfect blend of hotels.Sheridan Dalton review 29 Jan 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The elephant transit camp2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Temple visits require covered shoulders and knees so pack accordingly3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we often are at local restaurants. Horton Plains Park is a plastic-free area, well done to Sri Lanka.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good. Beautiful country, charming people, an interesting itinerary brought to life by Rumania, our guideMaggie Price review 26 Jan 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Too many to choose just one element, but the guide, Ruwan, was knowledgeable about both the history (ancient as well as modern) and the wildlife of Sri Lanka. He ensured we had a genuine experience of the country, including many small extras not included in the itinerary. The driver, Saranga, was skilled at safely navigating the congested city roads, ably supported by his assistant Indika who did everything with a smile on his face2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Laundry facilities are not the best in hotels so take enough clothes for the whole trip (everything is washed on hot and no regard taken of colours/lights). Don’t forget some socks for temple visits as the floor can be quite hot. Changing currency at the airport is very easy and you may need less than you think as prices are very reasonable. Make sure you have decent (lightweight) walking shoes.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hopefully it did. Sri Lanka is suffering from a great reduction in visitors after the Easter bombings. When there, try to support local traders. Meals were sometimes in small local cafes and a wide range of accommodation was used. Hotels really need to use refillable bottles for toiletries and purify the water supply as an alternative to bottled water.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. Varied activities and a good pace. Lots of different locations (this does involve a fair amount of time in the mini-bus but is unavoidable)Liz Lodder review 23 Feb 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I am a frequent traveller on group holidays, but this tour company were exceptional. This independent family run company is able to operate with a flare and flexibility that would not be possible with the larger, more conventional travel organisations. The richness of Sri Lanka's wildlife, natural environment and culture have been rightly praised by travellers to this lovely island. The tour company allows its small groups to enjoy all these aspects in a special way: always ready to respond to the particular interests of the group, and with the imagination to look beyond the usual tourist hotspots. The hotels we stayed in were varied, each with their own character and charm. Our knowedgeable guide drew our attention to so many birds, animals, trees and plants that we would otherwise never have noticed. Refreshingly there was also enough leisure time, amidst all the exciting activities, to relax and thoroughly absorb the atmosphere of the place.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you have one, bring your best camera. There are so many oppotunities for taking really memorable photos on this trip. For the same reason a pair of binoculars would also be useful. This is a moderately active holiday and you need to be prepared for different terrains from wildlife parks, to rocks, temples, beaches etc.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. The hotels we stayed in were generally run by local people rather than large chains and we ate many delicious meals at local restaurants. In the wildlife parks the public are made aware of the dangers of plastic waste and the need to care for the environment. We were accompanied by 3 local people on our trip: a guide, a driver and assistant.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
This was a very special holiday. A big thanks to the tour company for making it possible. This is the first time I have travelled with this company, but it will certainly not be the last. Their intimate knowlege and affection for this part of Asia shines through, and enriches the experience for its customers.Sheila Nash review 18 Feb 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I loved the two safaris- cleverly programmed for different times of the day to afford maximum variety. Our tour leader was a superb birder which added value.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Arrive a day early to get acclimatised and to get maximum benefit from the hotel facilities - it was right on the beach and the 2 swimming pools were very good. If you are very unfit you might struggle.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I think that tourist always bring revenue to the local community.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very well planned and constantly under review to bring maximum benefit and enjoyment to the group. Expectations should of course be commensurate with the very reasonable cost of this holiday.Dara Morefield review 6 Feb 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Eating the local food, often with local people. Holiday was so exceptional overall that it really is difficult to pick just one highlight!It felt like a two week immersion course in Sri Lanka, rather than a sequence of “tourist” activities.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Pack as lightly as possible (you will get hot and sweaty,but it’s possible to have laundry done fairly cheaply on the 2 night stops) don’t forget flipflops and shorts/skirts which cover the knees for temple visits. Research ahead and if you are keen on birds (or even if not!) check out Buddhi’s Eco birdwatching trip at Kalamatiya, near Tangalle. Do eat as much of the lovely local food as you can. Try Lime juice with salt rather than sugar.(honest) Consider having a few extra days at the end, just to flop. (Ging Oya Lodge nr Negombo suited us admirably)3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely, especially eating out in local restaurants rather than in the hotels (spending money in small, non-chain hotels also benefits local people too, of course) . Hopefully, Sri Lanka will one day be able to provide drinking water points in hotels, so that plastic water bottle use can be avoided.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Ooooooooooh! This was the perfect holiday for us, comfortable, reasonable hotels, right balance between travelling time in the bus, visits to sights, freee time. Group size ideal, even smaller could also be good, but you might then be stuck with just one or two people who irked! We saw much, much more of SL than we ever could have done on our own, in the given time. We have returned feeling that we really did see some of the “real” SL.Bryan East review 2 Mar 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Getting up early to climb Sigiriya and the visits to the national parks.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Some longish days in the minibus but worth it to see a variety of places, experiences and give a good introduction to the Southern part of the country3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes generally, although that wasn't the main purpose of the trip.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good, itinerary was varied and interesting with a few early mornings to make the most of some of the places visited and avoiding worst of the crowds and the heat of the day. Guide was excellent, very good at sorting things out (including retrieving lost/left items) and willing to change itinerary where it made sense as well as being fairly open about the history of the country and the issues is currently faces.Phil Walker review 23 Feb 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Too many to mention. Apart from all the amazing places we visited, we had some very interesting evening discussions with our tour leader which further enhanced our understanding of Sri Lanka and its people2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go for it; there is something for everyone on this trip - Culture, beautiful natural features; a great variety of wildlife and of course excellent food.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our leader fully endorsed the idea of responsible travel; avoiding several tourist hotspots and occasionally taking us to eat at "ethnic" restaurants off the beaten track. However, the jeep tour in Yala Nat Park whilst in general well handled, produced almighty traffic jams when animals such as leopards were sighted. Not sure how that could be managed differently, but eco-tourism went out of the window in the 4WD scrum !!4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. Very varied and well organised with a charismatic and informative tour leaderAndrew Fowler review 19 Feb 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The people :-) Especially our fantastic tour guide Indika who went beyond the call of duty and made Sri Lanka come alive. Our driver Anil and helper Hermanda were also extremely conscientious in keeping us safe and happy. Too many highlights to mention!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take some good binoculars to magnify the stunning scenery, animals and birds. Don't miss the Temple of the Tooth at Kandy but try to avoid a Poya (Moon day) if you don't like crowds.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Definitely. The elephant transit home at Uda Walawe is well worth a visit and deserves donations above and beyond the small entrance fee.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Apart from one hotel that fell below par all our accommodation and food was excellent. The best run tour we have ever been on.Amanda Law review 3 Feb 2015
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Sri Lanka had everything we love in a holiday, Culture, Wildlife, lush contryside and beautiful beaches. The forest lodge in Habarana was excellent off the beaten track with wonderful hosts. Seeing the baby turtles hatching at Rekawa and the leopard at Yala was also an exciting experience.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Some of the details regarding the accomodation differed from what was written on the itinerary and although we dont have any issues with the places we stayed we thought it would be better to leave the details off the itinerary rather than get peoples expectations up. For example the Hotel on kandy was not set in a quiet and secluded location and the guest house in Nuwara Eliya, was not mock Tudor-style and didnt have a bar with snooker table (it didnt have any alcohol).3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Most of the places we stayed were run by locals. The tracking down of the leopard and the turtles did feel a bit stressful for us so I am not sure how this would effect the animals. Lots of people crowded round for photos.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The trip was excellent I would recommend it to anyone.Read the operator's response here:
We are so please Amanda enjoyed Sri Lanka and her experience of travelling with us. We
wholly agree with her comments concerning the details of certain hotels and we will be
amending the itineraries within the next couple of days to avoid disappointment.
Barbara Essam review 18 Mar 2014
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The variety of landscape in Sri Lanka, the cave temple at Damballa, the train journey from Kandy, the views from Ella, the night stay in the tree house camp in Yala national park and seeing leopards, elephants and beautiful birds on safari in the park.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure they check the details of the itinerary with the guide and check the accommodation is correct with the company before the tour starts. Make suggestions for extra visits/changes to the itinerary if they have a particular interest as the guide may not be forthcoming with ideas.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not particularly. Local guides were not used; the tour guide covered all site visits. Apart from the use of a safari camp in the national park, which was also supporting tree planting, there were no off the beaten track visits to local projects etc.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very enjoyable and Sri Lanka is a beautiful, friendly and fascinating country, but the tour guide needed more training in leading a small group and some improvements are needed to the itinerary and choice of certain accommodation/resorts.Read the operator's response here:
We thank Barbara for her comments on the tour and are so pleased she enjoyed the variety that the itinerary offers. It was good to know that the tree houses which was an alternative to the camping on the itinerary proved to be a high point (literally).
We are sorry however that Barbara felt that the guiding fell below our high standards. The tour was escorted throughout by a Sri Lankan national who is, of course, a local guide and use National Park guides whenever we are visiting the National Parks. We have a number of Sri Lankan guides working for us and this guide has proved popular on previous tours, we are looking into why he was not at his best on this occasion.
As part of our Company's commitment to responsible tourism, we keep small groups (max 12 and on this occasion 5) which enable us to eat in local restaurants, stay in locally run hotels and reduce environmental impact on places we visit.
We will be using Barbara's comments as part of a review of the tour and also looking at accommodation used to keep the itinerary exciting and fresh. We will be happy to highlight any changes made with anyone wishing to join one of these tours.
jude parsons review 18 Nov 2013
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sri Lanka and the tour aspect was well organised. We particularly enjoyed the variety of activities and accommodation. Best bits were the trip to the rock fortress and Yala where we saw leopards and a big black bear which apparently was very rare. The train journey was iconic and breath taking.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for the cultural diversity with this country and keep humour and kindness when dealing with local demands. Accept that the people are by nature friendly and are not always trying to fiddle you. However be aware that some of the locals are strapped economically and are trying their best for themselves and their families. Be prepared for sometimes not getting straight answers to political questions you may ask, there is some anxiety and fear experienced by people who are undergoing transitions in political management. Be prepared for the heat and how it tires you out, watch the bottom of your feet they get burnt if you are a temple seeker, take an old pair of socks .3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, although at times I felt I didn't get the tips right, either too much or too little. The issues regarding tourist build up and the effects on local population was a concern at times. I felt the country needed to tidy up a bit with rubbish on streets and awareness of litter, this was particular noticeable in the built up areas. I don't want to sound a prig but honestly some of this was not nice.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent fantastic guide [Oscar] who we really liked and respected, very erudite and balanced, he felt like a member of the family when we finished our tour. We were only 3 people on our tour and some people may be disappointed with this if they joined a trip to make mates and the social aspect. We got on very well and it was not a problem, however it could have been if the dynamics were different.Holiday Reviews
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