Sri Lanka Hotel Reviews

We would recommend anyone visiting Sri Lanka to stay somewhere near to Polonnaruwa as a visit to Sigiriya and the ancient cities is a must. We thought Sigiriya was spectacular and the climb to the top was not as difficult as expected (try to go at the end of the day when temperatures are cooler). Beware of guides who insist on helping you and then ask for a large fee 30 USD is not appropriate and somewhere around 500 rupees is all that is required. Polonnaruwa needs a minimum of 4 hours and the visit should commence with the excellent museum. We found a guide to be invaluable and very reasonable. Unless you have a second stop near to Anuradhapura we did not think sightseeing worth the long journey if you have already visited Polonnaruwa. We rented a micro bus and driver for our trip and found it both excellent value and a pleasurable way to see the country. Our guide spoke excellent English and directed us to various places to stop on route, including a pineapple farm and spice/herb garden. 12 days vehicle hire covering 1500km (Colombo-Polonnaruwa-Anaradhapura-Kandy-Bentota-Galle-Colombo) cost approximately 200GBP

Colombo - don''t drive!! take taxi''s! Must visit - Sigiriya and surrounding cultural triangle. Pinnawela Elephant orphanage. Shopping - some good stores for cheap good export quality clothes - Odel, Arena, House of Fashion Advice- leave early on tours, distance is not great but driving is hectic hence give enough time for the road. Don''t eat from dodgy road side outlets; take plenty of water, drink plenty of king coconut!!! Sri Lankan Papaya and pineapple is the best in the world!!!!

It is easy to go up and down Galle Road by public bus, instead of dealing with the insouciance of the three-wheeler drivers parked outside the hotel, who will overcharge for very short rides and often won''t accept reasonable offers. Just ask a friendly local at the bus stop opposite the hotel on Galle Road, if the bus goes down to wherever your destination is and hop on. A chap holding a bunch of tickets will come up to you and get your fare. Be ready with small change. The fare for a trip to where the Barefoot boutique is costs about Rs.5-8.

take a tuk tuk ride! In the city - Eat Lamprais! Don''t overkill on rice and curry, you will end up with indigestion due to the excessive use of chilli powder. Take gaviscon/digene :-) Don''t change currency at the hotel, rate is very low. Plenty of nice restuarant with great atmosphere to go to. Visit Galleria Paradise Road. Gay scene at Kolu''s! super! Shoppping - Odel, Arena, House of Fashion, Paradise Road

Sri Lanka is just gorgeous. Stunning beaches and clear blue warm water. Galle Fort is interesting for a day or so. We also did a safari in one of the National Parks, which was fantastic. Had a wonderful dinner in the Sun House in Galle. Food at the Amans is also good, though you need order well ahead of being hungry.

From this hotel we were close to the Pinnewala Elephant reserve, great for families to see these amazing creatures close up. Central Kandy was very accessible with lots of interesting sights and walks. We visited a tea plantation and factory nearby which was very informative and a Batik factory and shop. On the Kandy to Colombo road on the way back we stopped at one of the Spice plantations (no.100) which we toured with a Guide, had a complimentary massage with some of their products and obviously bombarded with sales talk to buy some (quite) expensive products.

Temple of the tooth and cultural show are worth visiting. Evening meal at Madame Helgas although fairly expensive is a must for ambience, fantastic food, and breathtaking views.

Just a short visit to Sri Lanka of 7 nights and although usually an independent traveller preferring to use local transport, we booked a very good holiday with Mr. Lindley who has a Tourist Office right near the Ist Class Booking Office at Colombo Fort Railway Station. For a modest fee two of us had our own use of a mini bus and driver with bed and breakfast at hotels in the Central Highlands. Sri Lanka is very cheap to travel in as is eating out. A good place to visit with friendly people.

The Devon restaurant was cheap and cheerful, the Rams restaurant tended to trade on its reputation within the Lonely Planet guide. Peradeniya Botanical Gardens were worth a visit along with elephant orphanage

From Colombo I took a tour of the highlands of Sri Lanka, before attempting the potentially difficult and emotional visit to the coastline devastated by the tsunami. Despite the obvious devastation, I found a warm welcome everywhere I went and a keen interest in wanting to invite tourists to the whole country. Sri Lanka is open for business, and wants to return to normality, and that means a return to the tourism industry. Travellers, please do not disappoint them.

Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) is the highlight, with great atmosphere created by the presence and murmur of many pilgrims praying. The Botanical Gardens are outstanding in a quite different way, allow two hours minimum, a day could easily be filled. We had a car with English speaking driver for six days of seeing the main sights of Sri Lanka at 30Rps per Km plus 300Rps for the driver''s per diem. We covered about 1200Kms.

Sigiriya was the highlight for us, and a jeep safari which enabled us to view many elephants and buffalo in the wild. We hired a car with English-speaking driver from Colombo for 30Rps per Km plus 300Rps per day per diem for the driver. A six day tour of the main sights was about 1200Kms.

House of Fashions is a couple blocks away from Havelock Place. It''s an outlet store for some of the garment manufacturers in Sri Lanka. We got brand-name items (Tommy Hilfigir, Nike, etc) for $2-$3 each.

I highly recommend JNW Lanka Tours, run by Mr. Wazeer. They are very reliable, very flexible, and have a good fleet of vans and excellent chauffers. Their package tour rates are competitive and I would choose them over any other tour company in Colombo because of their professionalism. One can also design one''s own itinerary and Mr. Wazeer will fine-tune it for you. Visit their website www.jnwtours.com

The 1000 year old remains of the old capital city in Polonnaruwa are certainly worth a visit. It is worth hiring a guide.

Kandy is a delightful town nestled in the rolling hills and with its serene lake. Heavy traffic in the center of town during week days is a bit unpleasant, but a stroll to the British cemetery or a visit to the Temple of the Tooth are most enjoyablee and rewarding.

Galerie Cafe and Paradise Road definitely impressed me. The former is probably one of the best and certainly the chic-est restaurants in Colombo. The latter is an excellent shop full of stylish Sri Lankan made items and a great place to buy gifts as well as housewares. A good cafe too. Odel''s is a great place to pick up some clothes especially if you''ve just all of yours in a tsunami. There are some western priced items but loads of attractive but very inexpensive buys to supplement your travelling wardrobe. Arena is also worth checking out for some smart well made fakes but also good original pieces too.

Kandy we were told needed only a few hours to tour, not the case. It''s a small town but a lot to do and see. The "Tooth temple" is great, make sure that you are there for the ''puja'' it''s a wonderful experience, happens twice a day the evening puja is at 7pm. Great walks in the area as well.

Beruwela was great for relaxing. A beautiful beach area with plenty of opportunity for those who are into water sports. Some local handicrafts available around the area. We were fortunate to be there during a "perahara" (a parade with dancers and elephants). Supposedly the second largest to the famous Kandy perahara. This was spetacular.

Beach Wadiya Seafood Restaurant - 2 Station Avenue Colombo 6. Very good sea food special place at the beach, romantic place. The staff is slow especially when you order the check.