Discover Sri Lanka, the teardrop in the Indian Ocean

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 88 reviews.

Sheila Oliver

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

Written August 2010
The whole trip was one non stop adventure and we experienced and learnt so much about Sri lanka in 2 incredible weeks. Every day was different - one day we were walking around temples and riding on an elephant and the next we were up in the hills on a plantation drinking tea and eating chocolate cake. Our guide was amazing so we soon knew everything would be perfectly organised wherever we went. We stayed in hotels in beautiful places - by the beach, in the jungle in an ex colonial club, overlooking Sri Lanka's famous Lion Rock,overlooking the beautiful city of Kandy and many others. The activities could not have been more varied - cycling, jungle walks, elephant rides, a train ride, white water rafting, a safari, a train ride to name about half of them!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were too may to choose just one
- The elephants bathing in the river
-The jungle walk
-The temple of the tooth
-The white water rafting
-Cycling along by the river and stopping for cocnut juice and a Sri lankan lunch
What did you think of your group leader?
He was absolutely great. He told us all we needed to know about Sri Lanka. We learnt about the people, the history, the politics, the wildlife and the food. He was incredibly well organised - our luggage was always taken to our rooms, we were always in the best places to see everything, he even manged to have an unscheduled train journey included in our trip. He was also very good to be with and managed the dynamics of the group so that everybody really enjoyed their holiday.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The holiday is very busy - especially when you are having such a good time you stay up socialising late every night - have a rest before you start and perhaps book a couple of extra nights at a beach resort to recover at the end. Learn to catch up on your sleep by cat napping on the bus!
Don't worry about anything - none of the activities are too difficult and if you don't want to do anything it won't matter
David Gookey

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

Written August 2010
A fantastic holiday with a good selection of different activities and visits to popular tourist sites and some more off the beaten track, like the lunch in the Tsunami house.
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Zareena Rafiq

YOU REALLY SHOULD DISCOVER SRI LANKA!!

Written April 2010
Not only was this my first trip with Exodus, it was my first trip doing anything like this and I was doing it as a solo traveller. I don't think I could've picked a better first trip! The hotels were mostly amazing, many with swimming pools offering a great view. I was fortunate to be travelling with a group made up of people travelling in pairs and people travelling alone so I didn't feel like a spare part. Between Sri Lanka just being a wonderful place to visit anyway, our fantastic tour guide and the lovely people on the trip, this was one of the best holidays I've ever had. There wasn't any part of the trip that I didn't enjoy.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Our tour guide told us that we might not think it at the time but afterwards we would say the cycle ride was a highlight and he's right! We cycled on an extremely hot day, with a clear blue sky so I'd be lying if I said it wasn't without challenge. However it was very much a leisurely pace with a support vehicle to carry water, cameras, bags etc trailing the convoy. It was wonderful to be cycling through villages with grown ups and children alike shouting hello at us and waving away. It sums up the people of Sri Lanka perfectly and their appreciation of tourists. The coconut break was a welcome opportunity to sit in the shade and see Roshan show off his cricket skills. And lunch cooked at a local farm house was a delicious way to sample genuine home cooked local dishes as opposed to yet another hotel meal.
I also really enjoyed the optional visit to the elephant orphanage, especially once the ethics of the orphanage were explained to the group. The chance to see 80 elephants of all ages wondering around in a river to do as they please does not come along often and should be made the most of. Took an extreme amount of pictures there and thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours we got to watch them.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader was every bit as good as everyone says! Roshan was very knowledgeable, friendly, approachable and most importantly honest. If Roshan didn't know something he would say so, but would also make a good effort to find out for us. He struck the perfect balance of being our tour guide (i.e. keeping us on track, dealing with any issues etc) and yet still mixing with the group as an equal.
There's been a lot said about his sense of humour. Well its not the sense of humour that you need to look out for, its his unique use of sayings and proverbs that will raise the most eyebrows! You will find yourself offering proverbs in return though despite your better judgement. When at a bat's party you might as well hang upside down after all.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
There is nothing to not like about this trip. We were spoilt with our hotels, the food was lovely, the people are so friendly, there's a good mix of religious sites, cultural aspects and wildlife on this trip. Its a very good way to see a lot of the country in a relaxed way and to learn a lot about it too (especially Buddhism).
I felt that I didn't make the most of the first couple of days due to the heat but soon got into the swing of things. If you don't do well with extreme heat and humidity then maybe consider going during one of the cooler months.
The most useful things you could take are insect repellant (and after care), sun screen (and after sun), dark socks and pens/pencils for giving out to the children that you will encounter along the way.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Have realistic expectations of the place you're visiting. Whilst the hotels do have spas, pools, buffets etc its still a developing country. The spa won't be up to the standard you get back here and you won't necessarily have your dinner served to you on a plate that has been heated up before hand but try to keep it in perspective of where you are and what challenges the country has faced. This will be drummed home when you travel the coastal road along the South where you will see evidence of the tsunami, people living in tents at the side of the beach and when you chat with locals in other areas who give you an idea of the realities of living with the threat of terrorism daily for so many years.
So long as you are grounded in reality, flexible in your approach and have realistic expecations you'll have a great time!
Heidi Kelly

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

Written April 2010
A very enjoyable and varied trip that lets you see the best that Sri Lanka and its people have to offer.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Climbing Adam's peak, a unique if strange experience. Climbing up the peak in the middle of the night only to find about a hundred local people asleep at the top was somewhat strange ! We all thought we had achieved something by getting to the top, but did not realise it was at least as challenging to get down. You could always try doing it the local way either barefoot or in flip flops - but we reccomend walking shoes.
The trip now includes a ride on a local train, a unique opportunity to meet and chat with local Sri Lankans going about their daily lives. You can also do all the things that are considered to dangerous in the UK, e.g. hanging out the open doors and windows.
What did you think of your group leader?
Roshan what can you say except 'When at a bat party, then hang upside down' !
Roshan managed to get the balance between being a tour guide and being one of the group just right.
Be prepared to listen to lots of proverbs and sayings, some you will know, many you will not. We had fun in the bar making our own up and then saying them as much as possible the next day.
Roshan will certainly help to make the trip very enjoyable.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take part in the optional activities and tours e.g. climb Adam's peak, go for an elephant ride and play cricket with Roshan and the coach drivers (very competative).
If you want a relaxing holiday then there is plenty of time to just sit by the pool with a beer !
Go for the Arrack cocktails at the beach hotel - cheapest and strongest.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Sri Lankan local food (rice and curry) is excellent - very good if you like curry as we did. Some of the international food is not that wonderful, the buffets usually had soemthing to most peoples taste, so noone starved. Surprisingly for a hot tropical country some very good desserts were on offer.
Sri Lanka does not have many restaurants, even in the main tourist area of Kandy. Thus eating in hotels is the norm.
Local food on the cycling day was excellent, as was the whole day.
Hotels are generally of a very good standard. Some have better rooms and facilities, but others have stunning beachside locations.
Go for it, you will have a great time !
emma james

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

Written April 2010
A great trip-wonderful sights, wonderful people-smiley, a great variety of activities (walking, climbing, trekking, cycling, sunbathing, safari, etc) and fab tour guide and group. Being quite active I was intitially dubious about doing a 'leisure' tour however this was great as we were still really active however also had some time to chill by the pool and sunbathe. Thus enabling me to return home with great experiences as well as feeling energised!!   Accomodation was much better than i expected having been on other adventure tours. Don't think about it -book it now-you will not regret it!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There are too many to list, but i will tell you about a few:
One of the best days was the cycling day - The route was great-off road through local villages, nice and flat. It was great to be out and seeing things first hand, for example, the local children returning from school, locals using the lake to wash themselves and clothes. The local kids really loved to run out to greet us when they knew we were passing so we could wave to them and say hello. Some liked to do high fives!! I can still see the image of a tiny child about 2 who run out front and then said "hi"to us-bless. You'd often be riding and then hear a tiny voice say hi-it wasn't always easy to ride and look out for kids and wildlife though!! The lunch we had at a local farmer's house was one of the best on the trip.
The elephant orphanage was also fab- waiting at the top of the road while the doors to the orphanage open and approx 70 elephants then walk past you down the street in a line was very surreal. Then we had a few hours to watch the elephants interacting (they are so tactile with each other) and also having the opportunity to stroke or feed them.
Climbing Adam's peak was a great experience- this was very different to other climbs i have done as the journey was not very touristy and so we shared this journey mainly with locals making the pilgramage. From the bottom it did feel a little nerve racking as our eyes followed the blaring street lights as they followed the route to the top (a little like christmas tree lights)-ok-so we are going up there!! The guides were really patient and completly followed our pace. The contrast of the religious elements of this walk and the blaring music coming from the frequent coffee shops was also unique. The decent was very exciting as it was now daylight and so we could see the pictoresque views around and the monkeys!!
Ok, there were many more inspirational moments- i loved the cheeky monkeys-they were much more accessible than i'd expected and always made us laugh-for example, we had a personal monkey show on the balcony of our hotel in Kandy, in Sigria I would go for an early morning swim and watch the monkey families interacting with each others. The swimming pools were all situated in the most stunning locations- i have been spoilt for life now!!
What did you think of your group leader?
Roshan was great and helped to make the trip such a wonderful experience. On one hand he was very entertaining and funny (he had humourous sayings for nearly everything) however he was also very responsible and informative. He is very passionate about his job and Sri Lanka and taught me a lot about the country by many informative talks on the bus. If anyone had a problem he would sort it out immediatley. I feel he helped the group gel and was responsible for a large group of 16 people feeling much smaller and intimate.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Bring goggles if you like swimming as there are many opportunities for this.
You don't need malaria tablets.
Bring tops that cover you shoulders and bottoms to cover your legs as in the first few days you visit a number of temples (I ran out of bottoms).
Go on the optional trips- the elephant orphange is more than worth it. Even if you do all the extras there is still time to relax.
Do Adam's peak- it is tiring and you do miss out on some sleep but it is pretty doable and you get time to sleep on the long journey the next day. I had an early night the next day and was fine (and i need my sleep or get grumpy).
Jungle formula did not work on keeping the mosquitoes away from me!!
The shops at Galle are fab and provide opportunities to buy some nice sounvenirs for yourselves.
Bring baby wipes to use to clean yourself after the safari as you will get fithy.
With hindsight I would have brought some light weight gifts for the local chidren to give out on the cycling trip.
Do the elephant ride as it is really relaxing (unlike my experiences in Thailand) -I even rode on his kneck- the locals are great at spotting photo opportunities and would take photos with your cameras providing you with great documentation of your adventures!!
If you get the option of having a group kitty for tips and water then do this as it made everything so much easier. It also meant that it was so much easier to stay hydrated as water was freely available in the coach-a very good idea!!!
Go for a trip around the town in Kandy- this enabled us to get out into the country and brought its own adventures with the locals!!
Always have the name of your hotel written somewhere so you can always ask a tuk tuk driver to take you back incase you get lost (shared from experience!!)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Don't hesitate-just book the trip! The country is not ruined by tourism just yet- it was great to only see one american fast food chain!! The tourist market with regards to souvenirs has not yet been developed (which I guess on one hand means you can save money!!). There tends to be very expensive shops or very cheap shops and nothing in between. Most meals are had in hotels as there isn't a great eatting out culture in Sri Lanka-but take every opportunity you can to eat out band have authentic rice and curry as the vegetables are great (i don't normally eat veg in the uk) but the flavours are so yummy. Also if you get the option to have a cookery demonstration when you stay by the beach at the end then do so as it was a great opportunity to see how our rice and curry was made-the smells were also so yummy!
Aileen Powis

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

Written March 2010
Normally being independent travellers we were delighted to realise how much we covered in 15 days, and how well the logistics had been planned.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Meeting and eating within the villages, train ride to Bandarawela, climbing Adams Peak and Sigirya Rock.
What did you think of your group leader?
Sujan was intelligent, kind and hugely knowledgeable. He catered well for all our needs but could perhaps impart information for the moment and day in question rather than days ahead!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Pack light but remember Adams Peak is cold at night - fleecy & ski hat! It can rain so a light waterproof is useful.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We felt that we had been away for months and could not have planned it all ourselves within the timespan.
Emma Shubrook
DISCOVER SRI LANKA

Written March 2010
An amazing trip! You feel like you've really seen the highlights of Sri Lanka but not in an exhausting way, the balance of travel and activity is just right, I can't recommend this trip enough!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Watching the elephants playing in the river at the Pinnewala elephant orphanage for 2 hours, I was captivated and could have watched them all day (as my fellow travellers will attest to!).
Standing by the sea at Yala where the tsunami came in - you can just picture it, eerily captivating.
Seeing leopards at Yala - lucky but worth a try definitely!
The train trip - not on our original trip notes but something that was added in. Really enjoyed this, got to see how the locals travel and saw loads of scenery from up high, don't miss it! Be prepared to stand!
What did you think of your group leader?
Many people have written about Roshan in the reviews of this holiday and I have to say that every word is true! Nothing is too much trouble for this man, he is friendly, approachable and very knowledgeable and above all is so enthusiastic about his country, inspiring. He is laid back to the extent of being almost horizontal, very well organised and makes sure that everyone gets the most out of their holiday. A true gem!
Our driver, Garminy, and his assistant, Nisha, were a great team and got us from A to B to C without problems and always with a smile on their faces - even when the coach started to overheat half way up a steep hill!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The Pinnawella elephant orphanage trip was a highlight for me, most people go and there is a reason for this, so don't miss it!
The elephant ride at Harabana was lovely, beautiful place and as ever very friendly staff (as you can probably tell i'm an elephant fan!). You can buy bananas from the locals at the lake to feed to the elephants.
The whale watching trip was well worth doing on the free day by the beach.
Quite a lot of time is spent travelling on the bus on this trip, ipod / mp3 player is a must.
Don't forget your camera, there is loads and loads to see and photograph!
Sweets for the bus!
The people that did the Adams Peak walk were absolutely wiped out the following day. Unless you're pretty fit (definitely don't do it if you have any knee problems as it's all steps apparently) and really want to do this I wouldn't recommend it as the next day or two is a write off due to lack of sleep.
The T-shirt shop / money exchange on the way back from Pinnewala is the best place to buy cheap T-shirts.
There is a shopping centre / art centre place near the cultural centre in Kandy which is good for souvenirs.
Be prepared for service to take a long time, that's just how they do things in Sri Lanka, you'll have to order dinner a couple of hours before you want it. Just go with it.
Try the banana milkshakes at the beach hotel, they're lovely!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I absolutely loved this trip and would go back tomorrow! We were the first solos trip to Sri Lanka and our group worked really well. Real mixture of people from different backgrounds but everyone was very friendly and we all got on well. I'd definitely do another solos trip having been on this one, the beauty of a solos trip is that there is always someone else who wants to go whale watching / to see more elephants or whatever it is you fancy doing.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country. The people are very friendly and call out hello everywhere you go. The bike riding day was great fun, much better than i had expected! I was tempted to skip the bikes but don't, you see so much that day and the lunch in the forest is brilliant! Follow the colour code for food, the hotter (redder) it looks, the hotter it will be! Fantastic vegetable curries, beetroot was a particular favourite.
If you are intending to do souvenir shopping don't leave it until the end. The only places you really go where there are shops are Kandy (and you do get hassled a lot by people selling stuff there, they know how to spot a tourist!), the T shirt place on the way back from Pinnewala and Galle towards the end of the trip.
Just go and do everything, it's a beautiful country with lovely food and friendly people, you won't regret it and will realise just how grumpy and closed off people in the UK have become when you get back! Enjoy!

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Discover Sri Lanka

Our Clients’ Reviews

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

YOU REALLY SHOULD DISCOVER SRI LANKA!!

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

DISCOVER SRI LANKA

DISCOVER SRI LANKA