Itinerary help

Hi

Doing scuba diving at hikkaduwa and unawatuna beaches in south cost will be ideal having beautiful dive sites. i would like to recommend few hotel within your budget range AMYAYA REFF at hikkaduwa and UBR (UNAWATUNA BEACH RESORT) at unawatuna you stay while doing diving.

Barberyn Beach Ayurveda Resorts at weligama and beruwela both hotel conducting yoga class and meditation. Also another place in kandy call WIPASSANA center having meditation class.

For trekking ella area is most suitable place surrounded by panoramic mountain and the tea estate .

All the best,

mawa

Hi napatraveller,
mawa has already siad about Unawatuna and Hikaduwa, trouble is , with your criteria, those two places are right in the middle of the beaten track.
For accomodation there, last time in Unawatuna, I stayed at .
The Flower Garden Hotel,,,,http://www.hotelflowergarden.com/
Excellent place which I'm sure to return to.
One that includes yoga teachings and practise as well as Ayurvedic is
http://www.pavanel.com/?id=70

There's one more place a little further along the coast that may suit you.
Thats at Polhenna.
Polhenna is like a suburb of Matara which is the next big place along the south coast. Matara is a busy town but Polhenna is a very quiet place with more of a village atmosphere.
It only has a small beach but thats surrounded by a reef where snorkelling is OK.
You don't get many travellers there, mainly local people using the beach . Not sure about hotels there, I know there's one over looking the beach but it's not intrusive . I usually stay in a small family guest house where you'r treated more as part of the family .
Sunil Rest,,, Guest House and Restaurant,
16/3A, 2nd Cross Roads,
Polhenna.........+94-(0)-41-2232164.
Rooms are excellent, all rebuilt since the tsunami and food is home cooked, with fresh ingredients from the market every day.
It wouldn't make much of a dent in your daily budget.

For a peaceful quiet beach with a great guest house, you could go a little further along the coast , just past Matara to a little place called Nilwella, between Dikwella and Tangalle.
The guest house,
The Kadolana Beach Resort,
Bandara Watta,,,Kemagoda,,,,Nilwella..Tel; +94-(0)-41-2256140
My favorite guest house on the coast.
Great beach which is usually empty. If you see anyone else on it, it's usually a few local kids.
I've not tried snorkelling there yet but there is a spot nearby which I'm gonna try in Feb. Walk along to the Blow Hole. As you walk along the footpath to the rock point, on the left there's two beaches, allways empty, which looks promising.

For trekking, from Polhenna into Matara, then a bus from Matara to Haputale or Ella, in the hill country, changing buses in Wellawaya.
Both Ella and Haputele are surrounded by mountains, tea plantations, water falls and forests. Fantastic walking country.
Plenty of places to stay around both of these .

Rod.

Good grief - I am hoping to keep my daily room rate below $10 when I go in January!

Hi,
Times are a changing Steve.
With the pound dropping through the floor and the rupee artifically high, I'll happily settle for 1500 for a double room. There are a few places still around below 1000 but not many.
I agree with the thought though. 100 dollars a night I'd want lots of luxury,
Rod.

I know, but I could not resist the comment! I will also settle for 1500 a night in lots of places! Once a cheapskate, always a cheapskate.

There are some great hikes around Adam's peak and of course Adam's peak should be on your list if you want to hike.
www.slightlychilled.tv has a hiking site that is worth checking out
Spunkywads

Actually you get more for your rupee/dollar at a 2500rupee place. They're not that much less luxurious that the $100 locations. Paying $100 doesn't really get you that much more luxury unless you get a deal. Paying $200, then you see some real fancy rooms and hotels.