15 independent reviews for Sri Lanka holiday, island explorer
Reviews for Sri Lanka holiday, island explorer
Ian Robertson review 23 Jun 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
This was a superb tour, with the itinerary very thoughtfully crafted to include a wide variety of different locations, from temple complexes to elephant sanctuaries to beaches. The staff at the head office have an intimate knowledge of local conditions and gave excellent support. The tour was creative, fascinating, and very good value too. Highly recommended!Joanna Sykes review 30 Apr 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Early morning hikes to Horton Plains and Sigiriya2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Read the itinerary and take note of the fitness required ! There are some days that do require a fair amount of climbing, hiking etc . If you are can't keep up it actually affects the group as well as your own enjoyment. Wear socks when you need to walk barefoot on hot rocks around temples. Arrive a day early to get over jet lag. Be flexible and enjoy eating curry - Sri Lankan curry is quite different to Indian/ Bangaldeshi.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We ate a number of times in small places - roadside places, small restaurants, a traditional open fire home etc rather than western style places and we really liked this and were sure it benefitted the locals directly. The hotels we stayed in were fine (there was 1 in Kandy we didn't think was OK) and they almost always had Sri Lankans in, rather than being overrun with European tourists. Again we liked this. We also stayed in some really small places which were great. Some of these places were staffed by people who made us feel very welcome - as people not just hotel guests. The elephant orphanage we visited, while it was a spectacle, was a good choice for us. The elephants were not really interfered with by tourists and we understood that they only came for milk when they wished to : they were not locked up at night for example (in some other popular SL elephant attractions, this happens) ! They checked our bags for plastics at Horton Plains, which was nice to see. At the safari camp, there no plastics which was good. The 2 safaris we did were good though the pressure is always on for te guide to find some headliners. The artwork and background of temples and UNESCO sites we visited and the info from our tour leaderabout these and Sri Lankan history was always welcome.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We loved it. We really enjoyed the food, the place and the people and there was so much to see. It was a full and very enjoyable tour.Rachel Page review 11 Apr 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The temples, the people we met2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Buy a bottle of gin at duty free!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we even pulled out of one of the safari trips as we felt there were too many jeeps in the National Park4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Amazing, great guide & driverGillian Mackellar review 23 Feb 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The trip was so diverse - the areas of Sri Lanka varied greatly, each offering something different. The itinerary offered such variety from informative, cultural, food, hiking, bike rides, relaxation. It is hard to say as the whole trip was memorable and exciting. We embraced all that was offered. We enjoyed going around Sri Lanka anti clockwise ( all other trips go clockwise) as we had time to relax into the holiday at the beginning.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do your homework on what you want to get out of the holiday. We looked at a number of companies before settling with this tour operator and having done the trip and gone back and compared it with our other choices we are glad we chose them. Loved going over to Trincomalee to see a different side of Sri Lanka.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes! Our guide was very good at sourcing local places to eat and we could see how delighted the owners of the places were so happy to have our custom. Sri Lanka is very much in need of a tourist trade and hopefully we did our bit for them. We stayed on for a few extra days in Negombo and our hotel ( Ruvisha) was well placed for getting a true Sri Lanklan experience as we felt able to support the locals.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great variety, great guide and driver, amazing food, meet wonderful people.Kevin Cottrell review 21 Feb 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many, Sigirya, National Parks - Wilpattu was beautiful, Galle, Horton Plains, FOOD, PEOPLE, elephants, leopard, birds.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Enjoy, shop/eat local (meals with local families very good)3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, our guide took us to various local places for lunch/dinner which we enjoyed, guide and driver both had passion for wildlife and conservation.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent.Leenah Hsu review 29 Jan 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visit Sigiriya and see sunrise from the top of the rock.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be well-prepared and double check the program you booked with what is happening daily carefully.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Some benefit for local small restaurants. However, a lot of plastic single use bottles for water and the national park for elephant sighting was extremely crowded with >40 jeeps jogging for positions to view the elephants with some jeep carrying only 1 or 2 passengers thus creating a tremendous amount of carbon footprint for the natural environment: the noise of the jeeps, the noise of people, the gunning of the engines, the pollution from the diesel fuels - all shockingly bad.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
OK.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for your comments and we take the points you made very seriously. There is inevitably a problem with national parks and elephant sightings. Whilst we understand and sympathise with your concerns, it is not possible to see the elephants any other way - hiking would not be an option as they are wild elephants. Electric jeeps are not currently an option. The dichotomy is that the National Parks will not exist unless there is a financial come back from
people visiting and the National Parks keep the elephants safe and without them and without the tourists visiting, the fear would be that there might be a return to poaching. As you were obviously disappointed by the situation, we are sorry we didn't make the situation apparent to you and thank you for pointing this out for future travellers.
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.Holiday Reviews
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