Will be going to Sri Lanka in a couple of weeks but still have no itinerary. Can anyone recommend a good one for one week of sight seeing and then one week of beach relax? Also, were thinking of using Adventure Lanka Tours for driver and guide. Has anyone used them? Are they good?
Thanks
Hi!
the usual itinerary is few days in the cultural triangle, few days in the mountains and after the rest on the south beach... for the details, it's depend on what you like, where you like to spend more of your time (cultural or mountains,...). Your guide will organise that for you... i don't know Adventure Lanka Tours.
Have a nice holiday,
Severine
Hi,
An itinery that would probably suit you,
If you arrive mid-afternoon onwards, first night in Negombo. A nearby beach town. Plenty of accomodation of all types.
If you arrive earlier and are being met by a car and driver, head from the airport to Sigirya.
Great pace to stay,
The Grand Tourist Holiday resort, ,,Sigirya Road,,,Galakotuwa Pothana,,,Kimbissa...
Tel; +94-(0)-77-7049116
lovely guest house. Excellent restaurant and rooms. Rooms are set in a garden all looking out over fields and woodlands. Occasionally you'll wake in the moring to find the odd elephant or two rambling around with the room boys trying to keep them out of the flower beds.
Based there for a couple of days,,,
visit Mihintale, probably the best Temple site on the island ( 1800 steps to get up to it ) not much visited by tourists .
Visit Ritigala.. another ancient site where you rarely see tourists.. Ruins of an ancient monastry and hospital complex reached by trekking through jungle up a mountain side.
Visit Aukana... Probably the best rock carved Budha in Sri Lanka. perhaps anywhere.
Next day.
Climb Sigirya Rock. Ancient frescoe paintings of the Sigirya maidens , ruins of an ancient fortress / palace on the top. Sun comes up in the east you climb the west face so before 10 AM, is reasonably shaded.
Visit the ancient city of Polonorua.
If you wanted to ride an elephant you could fit that in the same day at Habarana. Bit expensive but an experience.
Next day, head south, visit the cave temples at Dambulla/
Drive on into Kandy and,, evening there's a cultural show starts about 6 pm in a small theatre along the lake side behind the temple. Again very touristy but displays of Kandian costume and mask dancing and fire walking.
Immediately the show finishes walk to the temple and go straight upstairs. At that time the golden casket that is supposed to hold the Budha's tooth, is on display. Soon after , they'll close the steel security shutters so you won't see the casket any more but then have as much time as you want to explore the rest of the temple complex . All with the drums and flutes playing it's quite spiritual
Couple of suggetstions to stay.
The Kandy View Hotel......Ampitya Road,...Tel; +94-(0)-81-4481300 ... good budget hotel, great roof top restaurant, small splash pool and good rooms.
Or,
If you want somewhere with atmosphere,,,
The Old Empire Inn,...21 Temple Street....Tel; +94-(0)-81-2224284
Real old colonial place, only two rooms are ensuite at 1300 rupees a double or shared bathroom about 600 rupees for a double. there's a fantsastic old wooden balcony looking out over the temple garden approach and the lake. A cold beer and a sunny day there's no better place for watching life go by.
Next day,
Morning, make time to wander around Kandy for a few hours. Visit the markets and generally just soak it all in. There are 4 markets that I know of two are inside on corners by the clock tower, one is a street market running from the clock tower down towards the railway station and the other, the best for photo,s is an indoor vegetable market at the back of the prison. All the locals bring their produce in to sell in here and its fantastic with the smells, noise and colour.
afternoon, get your self a picnic lunch and visit the Botanical rgardens. Giant Bamboos, huge range of tree ferns, just about every kind of tree you could possibly grow including things like the canon Ball tree, the sausage tree, huge mahogonies, etc, plus a big colony of fruit bats and there's always the odd one or two flying around even in the day time.
next morning, if you wanna see a huge herd of elephants, visit Pinawella Elephant Orphanage,, about 1 hour drive from Kandy.
Go early and then when you've had your fill of elephants, drive south to Haputale or Ella, in the hill country.
Both are fabulous places. Haputale a busy little mountain town and Ella a sleepy mountyain village.
Haputale,
Place to stay, The Sri Lak View Holiday Inn,.... Sherwood Road,,,,Tel; +94-(0)-57-2268125
visit the Liptons Seat, and / or The Diyulama Falls.
in Ella,
Places to stay,
The Sun Top Inn...18 Police Station Road,....Te; +94-(0)-57-2228673
OR// The Tea Garden Holiday Inn,......Tel; +94-)9)-57-2228860
Both lovely guest houses...
Walks from the village to Little Adams peak ,, and,, Ella Rock.
With your time limits you'll probably have to choose one or the other of these two places but both are surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery so either is good.
Next day,, head for the coast.
All along the south coast there'sm lots of beautiful places but very quiet. Usually just you and the local kids , which I think is great.
I regularly stay at,
The Kadolana Beach Resort,.... Kemagoda,,, Nilwella,,,,Tel; +94-(0)-41-2256140.. mid way between Tangalle and Dikwella.
Lovely place , huge spotless beach surrounded by palms but very quiet.
If you want life go a little further to Mirissa,,, Unawatuna,,, or Hikkaduwa...
Thank your driver and say goodbye. When you finish with the coast you can get the train back to Colombo and a bus from there to the airport.
Sorry, don't know anything about " Adventure Lanka Tours " but if you want contact info for a couple of drivers so you can compare rates, etc, let me know and I'll post them in a PM to you.
Rod.