Hi,
Just got back from 2 1/2 weeks (September 2017) in Sri Lanka, just before monsoon started. We stayed in modest accommodations in Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya and Sigiriya that I can heartily recommend TODAY. However, you will be travelling in almost one year from now, and a lot can happen, i.e. whether the accommodations are still running or still as commendable .... But, for what it is worth, here are the details:
Anuradhapura should be on your travel itinerary!!!: homestay with Madame Lorenta, in Vila Lorenta. As the name implies, Lorenta Thisera is a native Singhala who lived in Italy for many years; she has returned and just (this summer) opened a lovely, quiet, clean, family-hospitable bed&breakfast in Anuradhapura. She runs it with a cook (Ajith) and general help (Priyantha) in a very personal, home atmosphere. Perfectly located. Email: vilalorenta@gmail.com, the website was nearing completion when we left.
Nuwara Eliya: a private villa turned bed&breakfast, perfectly located just minutes from the town center and the bus station. Grand Rest is the name, www.grandrestnuwaraeliya.com, Email grandresthotel@gmail.com.
Dambulla/Sigiriya, a truly amazing experience! The town was the most "western" we saw, lots of young people, bars/lounges, yippified. We stayed in a very quiet guest house a few kilometers away. The host was the director of the local school, his wife runs the B&B. From his "backyard" rock formation you have the chance at sundown to see wild elefants at a water hole a km away, and to see wild turkeys nesting in the evening in the trees. His German Shepherd dog is the perfect tour guide. From there you also have magnificent views of Sigiriya rock. There are rooms built entirely of polished mahagony wood, complete with natural cracks in the walls that let in the sun and star light. On our route there we passed by his town's cultivated fields bordered by trees on all sides. These were not only home to myriad wild monkeys, but they also harbored tree houses in which townsmen kept watch for wild elefants in order to (try to) scare them away from the fields. Take things (pencils, rulers, notebooks, erasers, colored pencils, balls, etc.) for the school children. On the road from the hotel to Sigiriya Rock, on the left-hand side, is a long street kitchen manned by local women, each of whom cooks/prepares one specialty. Delicious and cheap.
Sigiri Choona Lodge, www.sigirichoonalodge.com, choonalodge@gmail.com
All of these accommodations had "foreign" toilets, i.e. as you know them. The "hole-in-the-ground" variety you find everywhere, too. Take toilet paper with you, or get used to using the water hose!
We were disappointed with "corals" in Hikkaduwa, but our experience may not be exemplary. A good/economical place to stay - and to eat meals - is The Red Lobster. We have another address in Hikkaduwa for a small B&B, if you are interested.
If your children find the food too spicy, offer them kottu and hoppers. Be prepared to watch people eat with their fingers.
We had a fantastic driver and van from Colombo for most of the trip, but we rode local trains and buses (the latter not for sissys!!!). Trains and buses are cheap, cheap, cheap!!!
A Must-see: local train to or from Kandy/Nuwara Eliya, the blue tourist train (costs more). An adventure through gorgeous tea country.
We ate most often in small, dirty, local restaurants; take your own cutlery if you are squeamish. None of our group (6) ever got ill.
Something you might consider: a trip to the Singharaja Forest Reserve. Cabins with "foreign" toilets, the hotel serves fantastic food garnered from the rain forest, that is, vegetarian, i.e. lotus. Delicious. The chipmunks/squirrels and birds eat right along with you at their own "table". If you are interested, I can provide the name of the hotel. The drive there is an adventure, the guided tour through the forest to the water falls is an adventure (leeches are common, but the guide has the antidote!!!/lemons in salt).
A Must-See: Polonnaruva. This is actually a fantastic place to start your trip, because the ancient history of Sri Lanka gives you insights into what will follow! You can rent bikes to discover the sites, which are spread over the museum grounds.
We didn't do an elefant safari because of the expense and time involved (at least 4 hours in a jeep). We saw wild elefants literally on the road between Buttala and Sella Kataragama. Our driver called them "hobo" elefants, because they stand in the middle of the road "begging": they won't let you pass unless you give them something to eat (BUNCHES of bananas or melons!!!). We also viewed and touched a temple elefant lady being transported from one temple to another on a huge lorry - temple elefants, almost tamed, are used in numerous rituals.
Don't miss taking one of the hundred thousand tuk-tuks that are an adventurous solution to local public transportation. We travelled about 80 km in tuk-tuks - quite an experience! Settle the price before you get in.
Don't feed wild monkeys: they follow you!
The thousands of street dogs are all the same breed and all are very gentle, like the people.
It's an amazing country, especially if you can de-accelerate, join the flow and forget your "western" standards. We had our native driver and a guide with us at all times, and surely that made a difference. For example, some restaurants demand double the meal price from "white" people/tourists, which our driver/guide would not accept. Having said that, we are talking about $3-$4 max.
Enjoy!
Laura
P.S. Take socks to wear when you visit temples! You and the other thousands must take off shoes before entering, and in August the ground will be VERY hot for bare feet.
