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This holiday met my expectations and more,
It really does live up to its title of ‘Discover Sri Lanka’.
The itinerary is comprehensive and varied. In two weeks it looks at the culture and history of this truly beautiful island as well as there being many opportunities to observe its bird and wild life,
The hotels on this trip are comfortable and it was good to have a number of stays lasting more than one day.
Although I was unable to take part in some of the activities, thiose who did thoroughly enjoyed them.
The tour leader was excellent.
Visiting Polonnaruwa, the Martin Wickramasinghe Museum and the Game Drives. But it’s hard to close as I enjoyed the whole trip.
Neelaker, our group leader, was excellent. He is warm, caring, considerate and very knowledgeable.
Be aware that the walk on Day 10 on Horton Plain is approximately 9km.
Two weeks packed with variety of scenery, wildlife, culture on this beautiful island. The itinerary is well balanced to enable you to experience so many highlights yet still have relaxation time. The hotels, apart from the Orient, were a very high standard and in great locations. I travelled on my own yet always had an enormous double/twin room and felt safe. Our guide Nala and the driving crew were superb, everything was well organised yet flexible enough to allow us to enjoy “local experiences” which added to our fun. You will return from this trip with so many happy memories.
Difficult to choose from so many highlights - on wildlife has to be seeing a leopard so close up in Yala national park as well as elephants passing so near to the jeep. On scenery, the far-reaching views from Lions Rock and watching the sunrise from Adams Peak (after 2.5 hours of effort climbing up steps with hundreds of others). Patiently queuing to view the casket in the Temple of the Tooth was a humbling experience. The trip was full of other enjoyable experiences - biking, rafting, canoeing - where we were so warmly welcomed by the locals. Their smiles were simply heart-warming!
Nala was a key factor in the success of this trip. He was an excellent guide, working very hard behind the scenes to offer us "local experiences" such as lunch in a traditional village, a spontaneous game of cricket or a stop at a roadside fruit stall. He was keen to impart knowledge about Sri Lankan life to us, was extremely well organised (giving us verbal then written details about the day's plans!), unfailingly calm and pleasant. An absolute delight to know! Nala worked well with our driver Dinesh and assistant Clement - they were a very competent team giving us excellent service (those cold flannels on returning to the minibus to escape the heat were bliss!).
Dinners were mostly eaten in the hotels for convenience but if you don't want the buffet, you can choose a la carte, just order well in advance! Lunchtime was when we tended to experience locally prepared food. When you visit the national parks they do bag checks so make sure you don't take any plastics in. Have a pair of socks handy for temple visits, saves burning feet on hot stones!
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with very friendly people. We experienced so many different things and visited so many places that gave us an insight into life in Sri Lanka. It was very well organised and it would be hard to see as much as we did without such a tour
So many inspirational moments it is hard to decide. Probably seeing blue whales and dolphins on a boat trip from Mirissa. Seeing the wildlife in Yala National Park including a leopard.
Dileepa was a brilliant tour leader, very knowledgeable and approachable with a great sense of humour. There were personal touches that made the holiday extra special including playing traditional games in a village and watching Dileepa and some of the young men in the village play cricket. The driver and assistant were also extremely helpful.
Very much recommend this trip to people who like a huge variety of experiences on holidays. The trip notes are very accurate and you will travel through, walk through and stay in many different scenic places ranging from small villages, paddy fields, national parks, hill plantations and beach locations. You have opportunities to see and get close to a range of wild animals, bird life and to have contact with local people and their lives during walks and other activities. There are UNESCO world heritage sites and a range of towns to explore. Above all, there are the lovely, smiley Sri Lankan people to meet.
Difficult to choose one. I loved all the world heritage sites (especially Sigiriya) and the game drives (although there is a bit of an issue with the optional elephant game drive ...more later) Others in the group would identify the white water rafting or whale watching so it depends on individual choices.
Ruwan was the best tour leader I've travelled with on my many Exodus (and similar companies) holidays. Well organised, personable, knowledgeable and with a passion for his country but also willing to discuss its difficulties. On long journeys he would give us a 'talk' on a particular subject be it Buddhism, history of the country etc. He had a lovely sense of humour which encouraged all of us to participate in activities and there is no doubt that his leadership and good relationship with the coach driver and co-driver helped everyone feel comfortable throughout the trip.
Some of the days involve long coach journeys but each of these were broken up by stopping at interesting spots or having breaks for tea or lunch. There was much more eating in hotels than I've ever experienced on previous Exodus trips. In some cases this was necessary as the hotel was 'out of the way' with little opportunities for cafes/restaurants around , but in other cases you could choose to not eat with the group and search out alternatives (which would be cheaper) locally. Be aware that in all hotels and some restaurants there are taxes to add onto your meal and drinks which increase the cost by 25% The hotels were of a much higher standard than I expected. You don't need to bring a hairdryer or shampoo/conditioner as all provide ...except one. The cottage hotel in Nuwara Ellya had an issue with hot water in some rooms and food service was painfully slow but this hotel only stood out as the others were so great.
Whilst I enjoyed seeing Asian elephants in the wild on the optional game drive near Sigiriya, be aware that currently there are no licenses granted or restrictions put on the number of people who can take tourists in jeeps. This of course leads to far too many vehicles being in the park at any one time. There seems little thought given to the welfare of the elephants as jeeps were allowed to get too close to them surrounding them at certain points. It felt uncomfortable. The game drive in Yala National Park seemed better managed with fewer jeeps and much greater distance kept back from the animals in the main.
The holiday was an excellent mix of activities – walking, cycling, exploring wildlife and looking at cultural sights. The hotels, with the exception of the Sevonra Garden, were excellent with good service and helpful staff. The food was great across the hotels, again with the exception of the Savonra Garden, with plenty of Sri Lankan dishes to explore.
The changes I would make would be to have longer in Galle as it was such an interesting town and we only had a couple of hours there which was not long enough. Also to factor in less time in the woodcarving shop.
The day spent cycling as it was well organised and lovely to have time exploring along the watercourses with all the sights and sounds.
Suneth was an exceptional leader - he was full of information about Sri Lanka and all the wildlife but more importantly he was a very kind caring man who went out of his way to make our trip special - introducing us to different foods, buying fruit for us to try, taking us out on birdwatching trips in his own time. He was very careful for our safety and was always available if we needed him. It was very sad that he had to leave early for family reasons but he handled what must have been a very difficult and emotional time for him in an extremely professional way.
To add in a few days at the end to relax as the trip was very full on in the best way. it would have been great to have a few days at the end to relax and mull over the experience and to explore Columbo as a city.
This was my first Exodus trip and was booked to celebrate a big birthday and make wonderful memories and I certainly did that! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as a single traveller but the holiday was fantastic, I needn’t have worried – I was in safe hands with our wonderful guide Ruwan and surrounded by a lovely group of friendly travellers. We did such a lot! Everyday was packed with new experiences from climbing Lion’s Rock to whitewater rafting to watching a snake try to eat a bat!
There were so many great moments. I enjoyed visiting Kandy and attending the Tooth Ceremony with the smell of the beautiful flower offerings and the colours! . The thrills and spills of whitewater rafting! The lunches prepared by the village ladies, so many different dishes, all tasting wonderful, with some even cooked in front of us! Cycling beside the beautiful waterways was very special with all the children coming out to greet us! And the wildlife was amazing, from elephants to monitor lizards to hornbills to crocodiles!
Ruwan was well organised and had a great sense of humour. He took time to explain the history and customs of the island as well as the geography and language. He took care of everyone. Any problems were quickly sorted out calmly and efficiently He gave us great tips on where to visit in our free time. We couldn’t have had a better group leader!
Take insect repellant and don’t forget to use it! Take a camera with a large memory card! There is lots to photograph! Enjoy every minute as it goes too fast!
I appreciated the opportunity of visiting one of the Exodus tsunami houses for lunch. Discover Sri Lanka is a holiday packed with different experiences, sights and smells. Don’t wait -GO! I’ll be booking another Exodus holiday!
This was an awesome trip from start to finish. Great way to see a lot of the country, people, wildlife, culture, history whilst taking on board some really fun activities such as white water rafting, walking to World’s End at Horton Plains, cycling through villages and paddy fields, looking at amazing views on a train journey seeing elephants, monkeys, boar, deer, crocodiles, many types of birds and even a leopard!
cycling through villages and learning all about coconut farming, and being served a local Sri Lankan buffet in one of the settlements we cycled through. going to Yala national park seeing elephants and a leopard playing Sri Lankan games with our tour leader and fellow group. learning all about Sri Lankan history from our amazing tour leader Ruwan Exodus supporting local community projects and taking us to non touristy places. Visiting the tea plantations and learning all about the tea growing process was brilliant walking to World's End was awesome with incredible breathtaking views. Environmental issues remained a top priority with Exodus with water being supplied on the tour bus for us to fill up our own bottles
Ruwan definitely defined the holiday and made it one of the best holidays I have ever had! He was witty, very knowledgeable about the wildlife, history of the country and it's people. He made every effort to ensure that everybody was happy and fully participated in our tours, activities and meals. He also bound the group together, we arrived as strangers and we were friends when we departed! The Sri Lankan games we played towards the end of the holiday were hilarious.. All thanks to Ruwan and also the driver and his helper. I cannot recommend him highly enough. Thank you Ruwan!
go with room in your suitcase for Sri Lankan clothes, tea and spices!
I can't wait until I go on another Exodus holiday again!
Great holiday with varied activities.
Particularly enjoyable memories include: Climbing Lions Rock, Hortons Plain walk (even though Worlds End view was misty), white water rafting, hot water bottle at night at the Hill Club, bike ride/local lunch, playing Sri Lankan games, train ride, wandering round Galle, and still some time to relax by the pool and have a swim.
Roshan was an excellent guide, our tour was very well managed.
Whale watching – I did it, and we did see blue whales (and a pod of dolphins). But, with hindsight, I would not have done it, as it takes around 7.5 hours, and you only see a few glimpses of the whales, and I think I could have made better use of my time by the local beach and doing perhaps the afternoon mangrove tour. Oh well, you live and learn. Sigiriya – do the optional game drive, we saw loads of elephants, and we only caught a glimpse of one on the included Yala drive. Take insect repellant.
Galle - If you arent in a rush to get home, stop off in Galle for a day or two, it’s a nice town, and would be good to see sunset/rise there. Colombo – I did walk round it, as I had a late flight. I wouldn’t worry if you don’t have time though, basically, you’ve seen better elsewhere on the trip. Don’t be put off by the amount of nights you will be eating hotel food – the rice & curry buffets are lovely (I don’t normally go for hotel food, especially when it’s a buffet). You will put on weight though!
Full of wonderful experiences made even better by our Tour Guide – Sujee. Rice & Curry is delish!
Lion's Rock was amazing. Little England is a gem and their tea is delightful.
Spot on. He made the holiday special and I believe the group of 18 felt the same.
You must like Curry & Rice.
A wonderful 15 day trip which matched/exceeded all our hopes & expectations. It was a very full itinerary but well worth the effort. We have always been independent travellers & this was our first ‘group experience’, one which we thoroughly enjoyed – the mixed group added to enjoyment. The trip was helped by the lovely leader Samith (see our comments below) and having such a stunning island to explore. The history, culture , scenery & diversity of Sri Lanka was well showcased by the structure of the tour.
It is not possible to select one moment as there were many! The top of Sigiriya has to be up there, with the safaris highlighted by a leopard casually wandering in front of the jeep! Equally memorable was interacting with the villagers.
Samith was simply great. His knowledge of all places we visited, the history, the religions and culture enriched the trip more than we could have hoped,. However, just as important was his care for all members of our group, ensuring that everybody was happy with each day’s agenda. He was approachable with individual questions, patient with his responses and a lovely sense of humour! His relationship with the driver Dana (what a star!) and the assistant Sachin also put us all at ease. Top marks
It was our first Exodus trip & full on, as we have said above - & we loved it. However, we are regular walkers & pretty fit, but we wouldn't wanted it have to have been any more intense without some clearer indication. There fac we took 3 days R&R on the beach at the end of the trip added to the positive experience
It was well organised and gave us a good overview of Sri Lanka. We have already given our comments on the hotels at the time. Thanks very much Exodus
