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Discover Sri Lanka

Tripcode: AIL

Countries visited: Sri Lanka

Adult Group Holidays Leisurely Get Involved Holidays Wildlife Culture Solo Departures Available Premium Departure
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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: 4.5 from 88 reviews.

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  • DISCOVER SRI LANKA

    Very goodVery goodVery goodVery goodVery good

    Written

    Fantasic food and lots to see. A very full itinery, but just enough time to relax by the pool when it's most needed. 

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    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    My favourites included:

    - Cycling around the local villages and meeting local people (take some pencils for the children)

    - Climbing Lion's rock - great views and a sense of achievement

    - Paddling down the river on a raft watching people playing and washing up!

    - Watching the women pick the tea on the plantations

    What did you think of your group leader?
    Roshan is excellent. Always accommodating and very knowledgeable. 
    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    Take lots of wet-wipes - it's humid on the coast and dusty on the game drive.

    You need to like rice and curry - some are mild so no problems there. The food is delicious.

    Most hotels have a pool, so don't forget your swimming gear.

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    Notes for Exodus: For me there were a few points which were a little touristy rather than in the traveller spirit that Exodus normally portrays - these included visits to the spice gardens, gem factory and wood carving workshop - there was no pressure to buy anything, but when the intinery is tight I would have preferred to spend the time at local sites. Also, why go to a small turtle hatchery and the elephant orphanage, when you could visit the real thing on the beach and at Yala?

     

    Travellers - You only have an hour at the most at these, don't let it put you off - the trip is great! 

     
  • DISCOVER SRI LANKA

    Very goodVery goodVery goodVery goodVery good

    Written

    A 2 week intensive introduction to the culture, sights, people and wildlife of the beautiful Sri Lanka. 

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    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    Cycling around Giritale tank in the scorching heat being greeted and high-fived by locals coming out of their houses to see 15 madly grinning tourists.  Finishing the cycle with an incredible curry and rice lunch in a local house whilst enjoying an ice cold sprite.  One of those rare moments when you no longer feel like a tourist looking in and begin to feel part of the fabric of a place.  An incredible day that will stay in my mind forever.

    The Sri Lankan people in general - they often don't have a huge amount when compared to their Western counterparts but they are so happy, welcoming and proud of their country - you can't help but feel uplifted.  

    What did you think of your group leader?
    Sujan was a legend.  I don't think I have met a more organised, accomodating person - every transfer was seamless, every question answered.  A vertitable treasure trove of knowledge whether it be the local wildlife, local traditions, religion, where to shop.  Genuine, passionate and friendly - a great person - ISTUTI!
    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    This is an intensive holiday - you go to a lot of places so there is a lot of travelling on buses and you have to stick to a pretty rigid timetable.  This can be quite tiring and occassionally frustrating - especially when you visit somewhere that you fall in love with but only get a couple of hours there :(

    Accommodation is highly variable - there are some relatively decent hotels and some ... less decent hotels - dirty sheets, poor facilities, unpleasant bathrooms.  Regardless of the standard hotel also prepare yourself for occassionl bugs in the room - cockroaches, termites, ants, spiders, beetles, mozzies.  And you'll always have geckos in your room sitting on the ceiling :) 

    Is there anything else you would like to add?
    A really memorable holiday with some breathtaking highlights.  If you want an intensive tour of a large swathe of Sri Lankas highlights this is a great option.
     
  • DISCOVER SRI LANKA

    GoodGoodGoodGoodGood

    Written

     Intensive holiday lots to do and see. Loved Sri lanka - Hated the Hotels. 

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    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
    • White water rafting was brilliant. 
    • Cycling around Giritale. Take pencils for the local children.
    • Elephant ride and the Elephant orphanage.
    • The walk on Horton plains to see World's End.
    What did you think of your group leader?
    Sujan was great very helpful and Knowledgable.
    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

     

    • It was a great trip but I felt let down and cheated by the standard of the hotels provided. Before each one Sujan warned us how bad it would be and what to expect. I just wish this was told to us before we booked.
    • 8/10 hotels were shockingly bad - dirty sheets, dirty towels, dirty bathrooms - plus loads of little crawly friends to keep you company in the room. Geckos come as standard. 
    • A lot of time is spent on the bus - take travel sickness pills.
    • Expect curry and rice for breakfast lunch and dinner.
    • Do all of the extra activities not only because they are worth it and fun but also because the alternative option is staying behind doing nothing at one of those awful hotels.
    • Take loads of insect repellent and sun screen. Don't forget Afterbite.

     

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

     

    • I believe most of the extra activities should have been included in the holiday price. 
    • Much longer time needed at Galle - 90 minutes is not enough time.

     

     

    Exodus Response

    I thank Samira for her review of this trip but am obviously dissapointed that she was unhappy with the hotels that we use on this very popular trip.

    Most of our clients find the level of hotels on this trip very good, which I think other reviews reflect, we are very open about what standard of accommodation we use in our brochure and trip notes. I am constantly looking at client feedback to make sure the standards that I expect are being met, I will continue to do this and change the hotels used if needed.

    Feedback is always welcome so again I thank Samira for her views.

    Katherine Tory - Sri Lanka Product Manager


     
  • DISCOVER SRI LANKA

    ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

    Written

    We had a wonderful trip travelling for the first time with Exodus. Everything ran like clockwork and was very well organised. The group of people we were travelling with were very friendly, funny and excellent company throughout the holiday.  

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    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
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    What did you think of your group leader?
    Our group leader Roshan was wonderful. His knowledge about his country added greatly to our experience. He was always helpful, polite and was very funny too. During the trip there was Tsunami alarm triggered when we were in Yala National Park but he handled the situation brilliantly. He was calm, told us everything that was going on and kept us informed. 
    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
    Try everything and make the most of it, you'll proboably only do this once! 
    Is there anything else you would like to add?
    Thank you to our fellow travellers and Roshan for making it such a wonderful holiday. 
     
  • DISCOVER SRI LANKA

    ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

    Written

    This was my second exodus trip, the first one being only the month before where I went to India. I was a little apprehensive as to whether or not I would enjoy myself and I have to admit that all my worries quickly vanished after the first night we spend in Colombo. I came to Sri Lanka looking for an adventure which is exactly what I got! 

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    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    There are so many to choose from, but here are a few that still stand out in my minds eye clearly:

    * Seeing the famous Sigiriya rock, the hotel we stayed in had stunning views of it and the climb up was fun with breath taking views of the surrounding areas. As it was the school holidays we had families on days out climbing the rock as well which added to the adventure.

    *  Visiting the Pinnawala elephant orphanage, where we watched herds of elephants run down the street at 10am for their daily 2 hour river bath. It was amazing to see so many elephants together and lots of baby elephants too. It really is an extra-ordinary sight to see them playing in the water as normal families would on holiday in the swimming pool!

    * I did the optional white water rafting, well worth doing as it's so much fun and we laughed so hard during the time spent there as no one escaped out of the waters dry!

    * Walking to the Worlds End at Horton Plains was really enjoyable and a real treat, as en route you see the beautiful Baker Falls and when you reach the worlds end point - the view below is just absolutely astonishing. I won't say anymore - you'll see for yourself!

    * The optional whale watching was also very worthwhile and we saw a whale as well as hundreds of dolphins playfully splashing alongside our boat and showing off their talent by spinning out of the water.

    * Having lunch at the Tsunami house was a real treat and it was the best lunch I had the whole time I was there, even thinking about it now i'm getting hungry.. 

    * Kandy is a very hip and happening place, perhaps the soul of the party for me. We had dinner at this hotel/restaurant called 'Helgas Folly' look it up, it's a very strange and 'barking mad' place due to decor - but worth a visit if only for the experience of feeling like you have crossed over to another dimension!!

     

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Isanka was very cheerful and patient throughout the whole trip. She was always very attentive to everyone's needs and made it a constant priority to ensure we were having fun and understood all that we were doing. She gave us manageable history lessons , and if like me you didn't hear her the first time she was more than happy to repeat herself. 

    Isanka was always very open to all the curious questions the group asked her, and we learnt alot about sri lankan marriage ceremonies and the culture from her! (There were 5 girls on the trip!) 

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    You don't need to take malaria tablets, which I found out after the first day. So even if your nurse insists that you do, like mine did, you don't!

    What you do need though is plenty of insect (mosquito) repellant (a few people ran out on the trip and you can't get the good stuff there) and also the after bite care.

    Also I would advise taking a travel sunblock to keep with you at all times as due to humidity you do tend to sweat it off and often need to top up whilst outside.

    Girls - for the temple days if you have a sarong to cover below your knees is fine, and you can show your arms so short sleeved t-shirts is actually acceptable too- just not low cut though!

    Is there anything else you would like to add?
    Sri Lanka is such a beautiful Island - I can now see why it is called The Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It has so much to offer and the people there are so friendly and happy to have us as tourists in their country - so what are you waiting for ... book the trip that will ensure you have an adventure of a lifetime!! My review has not done any justice to how amazing my trip really was. Oh and you get to go to the gem factory - wow! Girls get ready to sparkle and boys get your wallets out! Book this trip .. now! :-)
     
  • DISCOVER SRI LANKA

    ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

    Written

    An amazing and varied trip that I would definitely recommend.  

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    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    I loved the elephant ride - I would advise everyone to take the opportunity to ride on the head of the elephant as that is brilliant fun. Make sure you buy bananas to feed it while you are on there!

    The bike ride was great - a fabulous opportunity to see the non-touristy side of the country and the lunch was the best of the whole trip.

    I also loved the traditional Sri Lankan games we played at the farm - although I'm still not sure if they really were traditional games or if Roshan just wanted to get us doing silly things so he could laugh at us

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Roshan was great. This was his 177th trip but he still seemed very enthusiastic and proud of his country. His depth of knowledge was amazing and he gave a great insight into both the history and the current situation in the country. He was great fun but at the same time very organised and professional. I will warn future travellers - he is very competitive at cricket!

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
    I did Adam's Peak which I am glad to have done as it was an interesting experience climbing up with all the pilgrims. I was very disappointed at the top though as it is small, built up and very crowded so I didn't get to see much of the famous sunrise so beware this is the case, but it is still worth doing. You also do need to be fit to do it as it takes at least 3 hours to climb up and there are over 5,200 steps. I am fairly fit but my legs were still very very sore for the next 2 days.
    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    Definitely do this trip. It is a beautiful country, the activities are all very varied, the people are lovely. Although you do a lot of activities it is not as tiring as some other trips I have done as most days you get a bit of a chance to relax by the pool if you wish to, particularly at the end of the holiday at Ahangama.  

    The hotels are all good, although some are better than others, in particular I loved the hotel in Sigiriya, and although a lot of the meals are buffet there is a great variety and it is all delicious - and there is usually the opportunity to eat a la carte if you really want to.

     
  • DISCOVER SRI LANKA

    ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

    Written

    This was the best trip I have done with any travel company in the 10 years I have been travelling. The trip encompassed a fair amount of varied activities from climbing fortresses to rafting in the jungle during our time in Srilanka but also had some chill out time factored in. 

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    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    There were quite a few highlights -for me climbing Sirigiya Rock Fortress and seeing the amazing unspoilt views all around - well worth the climb. I really also enjoyed the cycle ride in Giritale where village life continues at a leisurely place where we had one of the best lunch buffets meal of the trip. The walk in Horton Plains to See World's End - that was pretty spectacular sight when the clouds lifted like magic and you could see the very large drop!I was actually a bit speechless with the sheer beauty of the place !

    I really enjoyed the village games we played in the middle of a banana plantation.It was very fun but boy was Roshan competitive!

     

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Roshan - he is an exceptionally great leader. He was always cheerful and had a quotation or cliche for every occasion! He made the trip from a very good one to an exceptional one with his banter. He always gave clear and concise information as well as mini history lessons in manageable portions. He was good in getting everyone involved in  the village games as well as in the cricket matches.Roshan works hard but plays cricket harder!

     

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
    I would recommend the flight out with Emirates as you essentially can gain half a day on the beach on arrival. I flew from Manchester so got to the hotel at 10.30am whereas the group flight gets in about 5.30pm. The half a day enabled me to get over the jet lag  quicker and enjoy the ocean! Plus you get 30kg luggage allowance so if you don't have to worry if you end up buying lots of pressies like tea, tea and more tea !
    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    I think that it would be nice to have been able to do a morning safari drive as well as the afternoon one in Yalla. It would have been nice to have another day at Ahangama which was a lovely hotel , to enable us to  recover from our disco dancing the night before!

     I would recommend this holiday to everyone - from beaches to hill tops, eating fantastic  lunches in the jungle to eating at The Hill Club!

     
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