1

dear friend

I must say it will be a wonderful relaxing plain. All things you mention are possible. It is nothing to suggest because you have cover up very fine.
Enjoy your holiday peacefully and good luck

MG

2

Are you using public transportation, or a driver?

Habarana seemed like a good base for the sights, and you could easily do all three with 2 days. Do Sigiriya in the morning, and then bus it (runs along Habarana road) to Polonnaruwa for an afternoon bike ride around the ruins. See Dambulla on your way south to Hill Country. These cultural sights were much better than Anuradhapura, so don't worry that you're missing out.

Nuwara Eliya for us was quite the let-down, especially on the accommodation front. Not much to do in town aside from visiting a tea factory, or the overpriced and underdeveloped Victoria Park. Ella at least has a view, and some of the better priced food in Sri Lanka.

6 days for Mirissa and Galle seems a bit overkill. Galle could be walked around in a whole day, and Unawatuna is a short 10 minute bus ride if you use it as base for a couple days. Tangalle would be a nice stopover, as it's less crowded than Mirissa, but not as much swimming available due to the surf.

Hope that helps!

3

Hi,

Thanks all for suggestions.

We are planning to use public transport. Are there any places from the ones I included in my itinerary that we won't be able to get to by public transport?

wanderlust_lizbef, thanks so much for your comments, very helpful. You said 6 days in the south (Galle, Mirissa) is a bit too much. Would you be able to suggest anything else that we might want to see in that region? Or anything else we should add to our itinerary?

Also, would you recommend booking accommodation in advance?

Thank you!!

4

We are thinking of doing much the same thing at much the same time. Jetwing tell me that the 25th will be too late for whales in Mirissa.:-( someone else said it might be ok. Can anyone help?

5

During the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year and there will be a difficulty in finding transport and accommodation.

This is completely wrong!!.

Don’t mislead people for your guerrilla marketing.

Sandra

6

We have booked accommodation for the first two nights 13 & 14.4.2013 but then I would prefer to get the accommodation once we get there. Maybe book the accommodation in Ella 17-20.4. as that's close to Nuwara Eliya where the locals concentrate to celebrate the New Year. Or do we not need to?
In regards to transport, we want to experience the local trains & buses and we will be travelling up north towards Habarana on the 14th, the bus journey is about 3 hours.

Is it just on the 13th April that the transportation timetable will be restricted?

I hope it won't be too late for whale watching in Mirissa around 20th April....:)

7

Hi
During this time of the year most locals are on vacation and therefore cannot depend on public transport to run on schedule.T4 the best is to organise on your own without without taking a risk and places like Nuwaraeliya gets jammed pack as its the season with crowds of local folk.Its for you to consider the ground situation in Sri Lanka and decide a better option.
Cheers
mark