What We Learnt

The headsets on the plane are not great, so if you have your own earphones, they will fit in the sockets and make your movie viewing experience that little bit more enjoyable!

When travelling to Sri Lanka you will need to complete a form on the plane, which details your visit, so it’s useful to have a pen to hand. This form is to be handed in on arrival.

Everyone expects a tip and we suggest always trying to keep small denomination notes on you. You are expected to tip for a photo with an elephant, as you are expected to tip waiters, in fact pretty much everyone. If you only have large value notes it can become very expensive, or you feel bad for not giving anything. The bell boys who eagerly took our cases to the hotel room would expect about 100 rupees (50p). On the first night, the smallest money we had were 500 rupee notes, so our lucky bell boy received a £2.50 tip for his efforts!

All of the attractions are priced in American dollars and it is also worth also bearing in mind that Sri Lankan rupees are not always easy to obtain prior to travel. American dollars are widely accepted so make the most of the good current exchange rate and take some with you. For tipping, a selection of low denomination dollars on your person from the outset of your trip would be advisable.

Knowing how much to tip is difficult. We tipped our elephant ride guides 200 rupees each, perhaps as we felt we’d already paid plenty for the ride itself. On reflection, we realised that we had tipped the bell boy more at the Galidari Hotel, and consequently felt very guilty. For a guide who takes an hour to give you a good time, we later felt that the tip should be around the 1000 rupees (£5) mark. We followed this rule for the rest of the trip, and our conscience felt clearer...!

Tuk-Tuks are an easy form of transport, but do not pay too much. 200/300 rupees is normal for a 5 minute trip, but the cheeky drivers will always request more. Our first driver wanted 1000! Taxis would be a more advisable way to get from A to B, although we doubt it’s quite as much of an experience!

You will no doubt come across one or two check points as a result of the miltary presence currently in Sri Lanka, but this is not a cause for any concern. Generally once the guards saw that our car had Western tourists inside; we were waved through without question.

If you are going to utilise the cashpoints, be aware that you can only withdraw a maximum of 20,000 rupees in one day. You will also probably incur an additional charge. Each withdrawal we made cost £3.

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The Trip

Sri Lanka bound…

Making the 11-or-so hour outward journey from Heathrow to Colombo (via the Maldives) with Sri Lankan airlines was a very pleasant experience. With two tasty meals plus a snack, drinks on demand and an extensive selection of entertainment in the form of films, TV, music and games in the headset in front of you, the journey was very comfortable and as hassle-free a flight as you could hope to expect. An added bonus that Dave and I had never experienced before, was the option to view one of two on-board cameras (front and down facing) on your screen throughout the duration of the flight too - fascinating stuff!

Once we had landed, passed through passport control and collected our baggage, we were met by a representative of our partners in Sri Lanka, Sam, who was to be our guide for the duration of our trip. Extremely knowledgeable and friendly, Sam took us from the airport to the Galidari Hotel, pointing out landmarks and items of interest on the way. This was typical of our whole trip, and we were extremely grateful to have a guide with such enthusiasm and pride for his country, which shone through as he told us fascinating facts about the land formerly known as Ceylon.

We arrived at the Galidari Hotel, which was very nice, freshened up in our room, and prepared to head out for a bite to eat. The hotel is situated near the seafront in Colombo, and is a very clean, business-standard type hotel. A free safe is provided in the room for your valuables, as are tea and coffee making facilities, and the hotel itself has a nice bar area, two restaurants, and a foyer complete with fountain. It also even has a nightclub.

We were told by Sam that drinking and eating in the hotels was much more expensive than in local bars and restaurants, so we ventured out in search of a decent watering hole. Finding a Tuk-Tuk (three wheeled 2-stroke motorbike type-thing) we bartered the cost, and were taken to a lively little area, with a pub/restaurant called The Keg. Here, we had a meal - nothing traditional mind, a pork & noodles creation, plus a few pints of the local Lion beer. After eating our fill, and with the long journey catching up with us, we headed back to the hotel, again by Tuk-Tuk, to have a quick drink at the hotel bar (not actually that expensive - £2.50 for a double spirit), then headed to bed.

Day One: Colombo - Pinnawela - Giritale

After a very nice breakfast at the Galidari - an extensive choice of continental, Sri Lankan, freshly cooked omelettes, fruit and cereals, we were picked up by Sam, who preceded to give us a whistle-stop tour of Colombo before heading of to the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela. Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, and a busy and bustling city, with lots to see. The English influence is clearly seen everywhere, with traditional Sri Lankan street names interspersed with the likes of ‘York Street’. Just down the road, along the coast from the Galidari, is the oldest colonial hotel in Sri Lanka - the beautiful Galle Face Hotel. Nearby here are also a couple of recommenced watering holes and restaurants, including the Inn on the Green - a traditional English bar which offers the only draught bitter in town as well as an impressive selection of imported beers. After taking a few photos of Buddhas, temples and local kids playing crickets (everywhere!) we made the 1 ½ hour journey North East to Pinnewela. On route, Sam told us about the local specialist trades as we passed through towns, pointed out different types of plants, and we stopped to sample some fresh mango, mangosteen and passion fruit from a roadside seller, which was some of the nicest fruit we’d ever eaten.

The elephant orphanage itself is amazing. Costing us 1000 rupees (£5) for entry, we were able to view around 70 orphaned elephants roaming around, bathing and having fun. We even saw some smaller elephants being hand fed by the keepers. Some great photo opportunities and you can simply mingle amongst them as they wonder around the park. A truly humbling and wonderful experience that we will treasure memories of, for the rest of our lives. We also ate our lunch - a superb Sri Lankan curry, at the restaurant overlooking the river here. Fascinating animals, fantastic views and great food - what more could you want?

Upon leaving Pinnawela, we headed towards Giritale, via Habarana, for a ride on an elephant. Her name was Erica, and she treated us to an hour of entertainment, trudging through rivers, dusty paths, and, to the amusement of passing vehicles, along the side of the main road. Our guides here were great, and upon leaving we felt as though we should have tipped them more than we did. It’s a tricky experience this tipping business, you know! Costing us 4000 rupees each (£20), it was not cheap, although Sam did inform us that the majority of that money goes on looking after Erica, so we did not mind too much.

After the ride, we made the short trip down the road to Sam’s friend’s Sri Lankan Herbal Massage parlour. Mr D.R. Udawatte is a prominent local politician and a very pleasant man indeed. After treating ourselves to a wonderfully relaxing hour-long full body massage, and sauna for 3500 rupees (£17), we sat down with Sam and his friend and the four of us drank a bottle of the local spirit, Arrack, which is best drunk with cola. We talked about cricket, sport in general and learned more interesting facts about the island. One thing we always noticed is the immense pride that Sri Lankans have for their country - it is truly overwhelming, and they are keen to get tourists visiting in larger numbers to experience it. We promised that we will do our bit to help them!

Feeling weary after a busy day, we headed to Giritale, narrowly avoiding an elephant crossing the road on route, and arrived at the very nice Royal Lotus Hotel to find we were the only guests! After a quick beer we headed to our room, and settled down for a well-earned sleep.

Day Two: Giritale - Polonnaruwa - Dambulla - Habarana - Giritale

We awoke at the Royal Lotus Hotel, and realised the immense beauty of this hotel and its location. Lake views, very contemporary décor, and a relaxed atmosphere make this a really lovely place to stay. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to take a dip in the inviting pool!

After a nice breakfast of eggs (made to order, how you wish), fruit, toast and pastries, we made our way to Polonnaruwa, the second capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries. Statues, relics, ruins and Buddhas galore greet you here, and we spent a very hot, but fascinating couple of hours learning about the ancient city. Beware of the gift-sellers here! They follow you around in areas they are allowed to, and a firm “no” is required to fend off these shoddy-goods sellersf. Polonnaruwa cost us 2200 rupees (£11) for entry.

Following this, we headed for Dambulla, but not before stopping at the Rukmali Restaurant where we ate a Sri Lankan banquet of 16 dishes, all of them extremely tasty and most filling! A very reasonable price too - no more than a few quid each. Completely stuffed, we headed to the Dambulla Rock Temple (entry 500 rupees - £2.50), a world heritage site - a complex of five caves of Buddhas and paintings, which was extremely fascinating. Some interesting notices here too!

After Dambulla, next stop was Sigiriya - a magnificent landmark in Sri Lanka - a 5th century, 200 m high rock fortress. The Sri Lankans suggest it should be recognised as the ‘Eight wonder of the World”, and we understood why. It cost us 2200 rupees (£11) to climb the 1200 steps to the top, but the views of Sri Lanka you experience here make it very much worthwhile. Greeted by monkeys as you make the steep climb, this is a must-do attraction, and a highlight of our trip. We also had the added fun of a storm descending upon us as we reached the top, which made the climb back down very interesting! We arrived back into Sam’s car just as the rain started!

Tired, dusty and aching, we headed back for another massage (and a shower!) at Habarana, then back to the Royal Lotus Hotel where we reflected on another excellent day.

Day Three: Giritale - Matale - Kandy

After another nice breakfast at the Royal Lotus, we headed to Kandy, on route stopping at a Spice Garden in Matale, where we were shown various plants such at nutmeg and cocoa, and also treated to another massage, using medicinal treatments developed at the Spice Garden. We treated ourselves to some goodies - herbal wine, spices and medicines, and set of for Kandy feeling revitalised and smelling very interesting.

After lunch in Kandy with Sanjaya, another of our partners in Sri Lanka, we had a quick tour around the busy city of Kandy taking in the Botanical Gardens (600 rupees - £3) which were very impressive. We only had half and hour there but could have spent a whole afternoon there! After a quick trip to a gem store and a silk merchant, we attended a cultural show that featured various traditional Sri Lankan dances, and was a very reasonable 300 rupees (£1.50). Great value! This was followed by some fire walking and juggling, which is always impressive to see. Kandy really is a fascinating place, set in the hills, and with plenty of things to keep you entertained and fascinated.

Our final attraction of this busy day was to visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic (500 rupees - £2.50) which was very busy, but fascinating. If you get a good guide, there is lots to learn and appreciate about the prestigious history here. By the end of walking round the temple, we were well and truly exhausted, so we set off up to the Hotel Topaz to spend out last night in Sri Lanka.

The hotel is situated on top of a hill with fantastic views over the city of Kandy. The rooms were clean and the staff very pleasant. We enjoyed a relaxing evening, socialising in the bar with some locals, and with fond reflection, chatted about the amazing things we had experienced over the last 3 days.

Going home

Breakfast at the Hotel Topaz was served in the dining area, with views over the city. Freshly cooked eggs were followed by fresh fruit and tea and coffee. As we checked out and Sam drove us away from the hotel, we felt disappointed that although we had crammed a lot into 3 days, we felt as though we hadn’t even scratched the surface of what Sri Lanka has to offer. Our journey back the airport was about three hours long, but never dull. As Sam told us more about his island, we were also entertained by the crazy driving habits of the locals. It seems that the horn is useful to convey many an expression! Driving back in England was going to be a very civilised experience after seeing Sam and his compatriots in action!

Sam dropped us at the airport, and we thanked him for showing us such a fantastic time. With no delay on our flight home, we entertained ourselves with some duty free shopping at the airport (Dollars are the currency here - not Rupees!) and boarded the plane.

Goodbye, Sri Lanka. We’ll be back soon!!

Find out more about our tour to Sri Lanka - Bookings Being Taken!

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