General questions

Hi All,

My partner and I are flying into colombo this weekend. We already have a pretty set itinerary, but would be grateful for some advice. I have already received very helpful advice on this forum, but would be very grateful for suggestions on the following.

At the moment, we have planned to go to Kandy on morning of 24th, Polunnaruwa morning of 25th, then to Sigiriya that afternoon, staying at Sigiriyia Village hotel. 26th back to Kandy, via Dambulla. 27th train to Ella, then 28th to Galle. We could forego one night in Kandy by going straight to Cultural Triangle on 24th. Any thoughts?

I would very much like to go to Minneriya whilst in CT, but will be near Galle for 5 days from 28th, and hope to take a day-trip to Uda Walalwe. For scenery and animals, is there much to choose between Uda Walalwe and Minneriya at this time of year? We also plan to take a day-trip to Sinharaja from Galle.

Lastly, can anybody comment on any of the following attractions (i.e. accessibility from Galle or Bentota; current status; desirability of attraction?)

Rekawa beach for turtles

Mulgirigala Rock Temple

Pahiyangala

Bawa%26#39;s brief garden (perhaps as a stop on way from Airport to Bentota, although our flight arrives at the ungodly time of 2.55am).

Many thanks in advance for any help, and to the regular contributors to this forum who have already provided a wealth of information.

General questions

Hi there,

Yep - not much use in visiting Kandy twice. Better take the direct Colombo-Sigiriya route, e.g. along the Colombo-Kurunegala road.

Minneriya and Udu Walawe are more or less comparable, so simply take the one that fits best in your schedule.

Can%26#39;t help much with the three Galle-prone attractions, sorry.

All the best,

%26lt;Erik%26gt; %26amp; [Sandya]

General questions

Hi there

Well, I would certainly go straight to the cultural triangle if I were you .. it%26#39;s a pretty reasonable run from the airport in the main, compared with a lot of the roads in Sri Lanka and will take you about 3.5/4 hours by taxi.

Minneriya is an easy journey from Sigiriya Village Hotel - we did it ourselves whilst we were there, and the charge at the hotel includes being picked up by the jeep and driver that will take you around the park. Minneriya isn%26#39;t particularly exciting unless you are looking for elephants in particular. If it%26#39;s elephants that you want to see though, it is great. My friend at Sigiriya Village only e-mailed me today to say that he saw a huge herd of them there a day ago .. and the jeep was chased by one of them, which added to the excitement ....(?!) I cannot comment on Udawalawe - I have been to Yala, but not this one. Yala was far superior to Minneriya for the range of animals to be seen there, but that is out of bounds at the moment I think.

Personally, I would not want to spend 5 nights at Galle. I would rather stay elsewhere on the south coast, especially if you want to visit Rekawa or Mulgirigala. Both of these attractions are well worth seeing. There%26#39;s no guarantee of an egg-laying turtle on the beach at Rekawa right now .. the season is better in a month or so, but you might be lucky. Tangalle is a much better base for this. It is about a 20 minute night-time drive to Rekawa from here. Don%26#39;t bother arriving before about 8.30pm at the earliest, and you might still have a long wait for a turtle, but if you%26#39;re lucky, it is unforgettable. Just sitting there waiting, in pitch darkness with the fireflies dancing around, is quite enchanting.

Mulgirigala could be done from Galle .. we did it from Tangalle also, which is much nearer. I thought this was a wonderful place. The cave temples are outstanding, the rock setting is magnificent, as is the view from the top. And you will see few, if any, other western visitors, which adds to the appeal. It%26#39;s a very special place.

Sorry - don%26#39;t know the other place you mentioned and I am not too familiar with the west coast, but hope this helps!

All the best

Sue

Hi

Bawa%26#39;s Brief Garden is a 10-15 mins drive by tuk-tuk or taxi from Bentota.

When you are in the area, why not visit the other Bawa brother%26#39;s garden - called Lunagala - also just 10-15 mins away from Bentota, but on the south side of the river.

Hans

Hi,

Yes, I also personally beleives that staying 5 nights at galle is not worth.Rakawa and Mulkirigala both are located in hambantota district. So its worth staying somewhere like Tangalle for easy access. This whole trip including Udawalawe can be organized by an experienced tour company like Eco team.

Nishantha

Many thanks for all the help and advice.

Rather than 5 nights at Galle which is worth a day visit why not base yourself at Mirissa which is between Galle and the places you want to go to and a beautiful beach to relax at as well.

The other Bawa brother%26#39;s garden is called Lunuganga.

The was an interesting article in Sri Lanka Sunday Times on ';The Bawas%26#39; green mansions'; last Sunday.

sundaytimes.lk/081214/Plus/sundaytimesplus_0鈥?/a>

Hans