Discover Sri Lanka

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...

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  Susan Williams

  DISCOVER SRI LANKA

  

  Written August 2012

  This was a fantastic holiday which exceeded my expectations. It included a variety of activities as well as relaxation time. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  There were many inspirational moments during the trip. I especially enjoyed the white water rafting, the inpromptu games of cricket, the cycling and the visit to the elephant orphanage!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Roshan was a fantastic tour leader. He was professional, organised, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour!!!

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Consider taking probiotic tablets to help keep a settled stomach. 

  Your camera, or other electrical equipment, will not continue to charge if the fob is removed from the wall power unit in the hotel rooms!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and this trip provides an opportunity to see the island's diversity. Although there are opportunities to relax, you do need to be relatively fit to complete all the activities.

   
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  Martin Hole

  DISCOVER SRI LANKA

  

  Written August 2012

  It was the best holiday.  The people on our trip were a fantastic group, which helped to make the holiday memorable.  The organisation was great from start to finish and of course Sri Lanka is a beautiful island. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I enjoyed something every day.  I suppose the elephants were a highlight.  Both the elephant ride and the elephant orphanage.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our group leader was the best.  He organised everything and was always willing to help that extra bit if needed.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Take a mosquito net or an electric mosquito repellent machine as not all hotels provided this.  Take a tie to the Hill Club Hotel if you are a man!  They don't take up much space!

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I would recommend Exodus Holidays if you are looking to travel with other like minded people and don't want the hassel of organising it yourself.

   
• 

  Ian Peterson

  DISCOVER SRI LANKA

  

  Written August 2012

  A wonderful tour - outstanding tour leader in Sujan, varied tour content covering historical, cultural, scenic and physical aspects. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Seeing wild elephants with their babies in the Yala National Park.

  The white water rafting was lots of fun. 

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Sujan was fantastic.  A great person, professional, knowledgeable, well organised and able to pace each day and the tour overall. 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  The optional activities -  elephant riding, white water rafting and small boat trip - are really worth doing. Small gifts such as pencils and pens for children you meet as part of the tour are really well received.

  Take lots of Deet based insect repellant (didn't get bitten once), especially for the boat trip. Sun cream is important - you can burn easily and we saw several lobsters around the hotel pools.  Folding umbrellas are much better than rain jackets.  Power points in hotels are of varying types but a universal adapter plus a power board does the trick.

  There's some very good shopping for casual winter recreation clothes such as gortex jackets, hiking pants, fleecy tops etc in Nurawa Eliya.

  If you are looking to unwind for a day or two after the trip in Colombo I'd recommend the CASA Colombo Hotel. 

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  This was our first trip with Exodus and we would certainly travel again with them.

   
• 

  Elizabeth Pettit

  DISCOVER SRI LANKA

  

  Written August 2012

  This was my first trip with Exodus and I had a wonderful time, thanks to Sujan, the varied action-packed itinerary, and the people I travelled with. Sri Lanka is a beautiful island and its people are incredibly warm, relaxed and hospitable. Sri Lanka is one of the places which I would love to re-visit in the future - again with Exodus. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  There were many moments of the holiday I enjoyed so here are a handful...

  The walk to the top of Lions Rock in Sigirya, seeing the wall-frescoes of the Cloud Maidens, and having a panoramic view of the landscape was well worth it. The scenery of Sri Lanka is beautiful, and breathtaking; I really enjoyed the jungle walk in Kitulgala, the walk on Horton Plains, and the game drive in Yala National Park. Also, while I can't say I loved the hairpin bends on the roads (got a bit travel-sick!) away from the cities and towns, watching the scenery evolve from neatly tended fields, to gentle sloping hills and then to majestic rugged mountains draped with lush forest and long waterfalls, was worth the drive, and I'm really glad I chose this tour.

  Walking around the the well-preserved and beautiful ruins in Polonnaruwa. Galle was another really interesting place due to its history involving foreign colonies.

  I'm don't have green fingers, nor am I enamoured with plants, but I really enjoyed the walk around the herb and spice garden near Matale, as well as the beautifully tended Peradeniya Botanical Garden in Kandy.

  Also, the wildlife in Sri Lanka was a real pleasure and highlight of the trip (both in and outside of Yala National Park); in particular, seeing the huge fruit bats take into the early evening skies in Kandy was a wonderful sight. Sadly, our group didn't bag a leopard on the game-drive, but we saw plenty of other animals, such as crocodiles, elephants, jackals, raptors and wild boars, to make the tour a wonderful experience.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Sujan is one of the best tour leaders I've met. He's warm, knowledgeable, patient, professional and has a great sense of humour. Also, he went out of his way to help us (in one way or another, whether it concerned acquiring more Sri Lankan currency, going to a nice toilet or seeing a doctor), and made sure we were looked after, i.e. prioritising safety over cutting costs, when we took three small vans instead of two, to take on the narrow (and sometimes hair-raising) hill roads. Sujan is also a great communicator, as he articulated exactly what was on the agenda, as well as what to expect.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  As other reviewers have mentioned, this tour has something for everyone, and you should try to go with an open mind. I was unsure whether or not I'd enjoy the botanical aspect (such as the herb garden and the Peradeniya gardens), and I loved it.

  In regard to the above about having an open mind, go wild with the food; I'm not a vegetarian, however the vegetarian food such as the banana flower curry was delicious, and I went back for more. The seafood meals in Ahangama were also a major highlight, thanks to the skill of the chefs.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Despite some of the hotels being of Standard quality, they really were lovely (as well as the Comfortable accomodation) and I'd happily stay at those places again.

  Also, while there's no real pressure to buy items at the wood-carving factory or any other of the other places we visited (such as the gem-factory and herb/spice garden), you're highly likely to get the same item, or similar, from your average gift shop (even in the highly touristic areas), and the seller is more flexible to further negotiation about the price. The stocked items at the places we visited were still, even after the discount, overpriced. Visiting the aforementioned places is worth it and I found them interesting (except maybe the gem factory), but it goes to show that patience is, indeed, a virtue! It also depends on what you're happy and willing to pay, but I think in terms of wood-carvings, most people would agree that the bigger and more intricate the item (and depending on the material used), the more it should cost. ;)

   
• 

  Chris Denham

  DISCOVER SRI LANKA

  

  Written August 2012

  We selected this trip for its variety both in activities and landscapes and we were not disappointed.  Sri Lanka is a wonderfully diverse country with beautiful vistas, rich culture and some of the friendliest people we have met. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Cycling through the countryside, meeting local people and sharing a home cooked meal, beautifully prepared in the middle of a forest has to be one of the high points of the trip.  There were other opportunities to connect with the 'real' Sri Lanka and these are what made this particular tour so special. We also had the opportunity to witness the Kandy Festival and the colours, costumes and sheer energy of the evening will stay with us for many years.

  We shared the holiday with a healthy mix of different characters who came together to help make this an unforgettable trip.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  What can we say that has not been said before?  Roshan is such an experienced and enthusiastic guide who made everything seem so easy and yet the detail of his planning and organisation was clear.  His stories of Sri Lanka and its people conjured up such clear images and gave us all a real understanding of the country's history. The original itinerary of our trip would have meant that we were unable to witness the Kandy Festival and possibly miss the elephant rides, but Roshan reorganised things so that we could do both.  This involved some tough negotiating in Kandy at one point but throughout he remained good-humoured and kept a cool head.

  Roshan has an uncanny ability of balancing a professional approach with sincere warmth and a wicked sense of humour. 

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Listen to Roshan! He really does know what he is doing and you will enjoy the trip so much more if you follow his advice.  Take the opportunity of shopping whilst visiting the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela.  The prices seemed more reasonable than in Kandy and the selection more varied.  We stayed in some beautiful hotels and it is worth taking at least one or two outfits to dress up accordingly.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  This was our first adventure holiday and we were very impressed with the service that Exodus provided.  We received personal replies to any questions we posed before our departure and this enabled us to feel well prepared.  Their approach to responsible tourism is to be applauded and it was clear from our experiences in Sri Lanka that they are making a really positive impact on the country.

   
• 

  Barbara Davison

  DISCOVER SRI LANKA

  

  Written July 2012

  This was a busy trip but all well thought out & Sujan was a great tour leader.We saw the best of everything and it was a great adventure which is exactly what I wanted.  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I enjoyed the whole trip, so it's difficult to pinpoint.

  I did the optional white water rafting, well worth doing we laughed so much.

  Walking to the Worlds End at Horton Plains you see the beautiful Baker Falls and when you reach the worlds end point the view is breathtaking.

  So many to choose from I enjoyed the walking and Cycling was a hi-light for me, I hadn't been on a bike for some time so I was a little worried, but you know what they sat...........We saw plenty of wildlife along the way & had a great lunch ccoked by Sujan, great cook & great food.

   

   

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Sujan was fantastic, he was happy and always had answers to our many questions.

  Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for him.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  This is a wonderful all round trip, busy and early morning's but well worth it.

  Don't forget to take long trousers girls, you will need to cover up for the temple days.

  Other than that enjoy & experience what Sri Lanka has to offer, it's a fabulous trip.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I did notice a couple of commenst about the hotels not being up to scratch, but honestly they were great.

  No dirty sheets, maybe a few bugs here and there, but hey that's to be expected.

  I would highly recommend this trip, one of my best holidays to date & I've traveled a fair bit.

  Exodus are a great company and always help with any last minute questions you may have.

  Enjoy.

   

   
• 

  Julie Furze

  DISCOVER SRI LANKA

  

  Written April 2012

  This was a truly wonderful trip with a great deal of variety. A lot of thought has gone into creating the itinerary which has something for everyone. There was a great mix of culture, wildlife with also a taste of Sri Lankan village life, but there was also time to chill poolside.  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  My first blue whale was probably the highlight for me but there were quite a few memorable moments on this fabulous trip that I shall remember.

  The walk on Horton plains to see World's End was spectacular as was climbing Sigirya. The cycle ride in Giratale where one got a feel for village life in Sri Lanka, was also really enjoyable.

   

   

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Well no wonder Roshan has won awards for guiding these tours, he was great and a true professional. All the information and history lessons he gave us were in manageble bite size portions, always managing to throw in a cliche or three! He got people involved in the Sri Lankan games and his enthusiasm for his country was infectious.

   

   

  
  

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Liking curries (they were VERY good) is helpful, although there are alternatives but hey, when in Rome! Take plenty of light loose fitting clothes, I found ordinary T-shirts too hot.

  Watchout for the sun when whale watching, we all came back looking like lobsters .

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  An additional game drive in Yala would have been great as it would have been nice to know that you had a second chance of seeing anything you missed and to see the wildlife at a more leisurely pace. Our group was lucky as we saw a magnificent leopard.

   

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