Itinery

Dear All,

We are now reaching the end of our planning and would like to thank everybody who has helped us on our way especially Eric,Rod and Susie. I am now asking for more help and would be very grateful for advise on if our plans are doable and also would appreciate any suggestions or changes you think will improve things. The hill country section we are really unsure about,but I will go into that later.

Fly 21st February

Taxi to Negombo( how much should we pay? and any suggestions for clean guesthouse B/B reasonable cost for 2 nights.

Picked up by Lucky for 4night/5 Day Cultural triangle tour.

Arrive in Kandy.Plan to visit:

1.Lake

2.Temple of the tooth.

3.see Dancing

4.Museums and Royal Palace.

5.Elephant Orphanage

6.Botanical Gardens.

7.3 Temple Loop.

We are planning 5 nights,is this enough or too much as we will be doing some in one day? We also are thinking of staying at Glen 58.

We think we will do most of this ourselves by local transport.

We then want to go by train or bus to Haputale,which would you recommend please ?

The areas we have looked at to see are:

Dambatenne Tea Factory.

Liptons seat

Diyaluma Falls

Dowa Temple(bus to Bandarawela)

we would also like to see Ella Gap,

Rawana Ella Falls,

Little Adams Peak

I have also not mentioned Horton Plain or Worlds End,what do you think?

This section is very muddled and i really would appreciate some help.Also would it be better to have a car/driver for parts of it or do it ourselves?

We were thinking of staying 5 Nights in Haputale,but would we be better staying in Ella as well and if so what split. Are we seeing the same things and would we be better re looking at the whole section? please can you help?

We were then going to Tissamaharama ,BUT, as Yale is out of bounds for travel insurance we have decided to go to Katamagara for 1 night to see the Puja.

We are then going on to Unwatatuna for 8 nights and thinking of staying at the Nor Lanka.we will travel to the National park as a trip from here if we decide to go. Not sure as we have done national park and seen Rhino and elephants in another Country, may decide to visit Galle and then stay put and relax.

Is this OK or do you have any other advise? should we book or just arrive?

Finally on 19th March back to the airport. What should we expect to pay for a taxi?

Hope I have not asked for too much help and advise. We are really grateful and will post a full report after wards and try and help others.

Thank you we are very grateful

Finally what should we take as gifts for people ,just a small token..

Christine

Itinery

Hi again Christine,

Sounds like a good start. A few comments/replies:

* 5 nights (4 days) Kandy for this is plenty. For the temple loop it%26#39;s easiest to have transport for the day, car/tuktuk; the rest can be done with buses etc. Even Pinawela: take train to Rambukkana (very impressive route, similar to Haputale), tuktuk from there, and back by 2 buses. And you could even have a spare day for another car trip to e.g. Sigiriya or the Veddahs (%26#39;aboriginals%26#39;).

* Avoid buses if there is train esp. if you can reserve seats, a lot more crammed and not much luggage space. But the train ticket with seat reservation (2nd class) at first day of arriving in Kandy. The 1st class usually sells out 10 days before departure, when sale opens - 2nd class much more flexibility.

* No need to split Haputale/Ella. Both are quite comparable.

* World%26#39;s End does not add much to the views from Haputale, and is even worse in the sense of relatively frequent disturbance by fog (esp. after 9-10 AM). Horton Plains is a cold-tropical nature reserve and hence esp. interesting for naturalists, ourselves we find it nice but not extremely impressive.

* For this part your sights are more spread out than near Kandy, so might need a driver/car for 2 of the days or so.

* U%26#39;tuna plenty of accomodation, no real need to prebook.

* Taxi from U%26#39;tuna to airport will be at least Rs 9,000.

All the best,

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

Itinery

Hi Erik,

We really do seem to have been planning this a long time.

Thank you for your reply.

Please can you explain Veddah,s as I do not seem to be able to find it in my LP.

Also how else can we get back to the airport if we do not use a taxi.

Thank you

Christine

Hi again!

a) Veddahs must be somewhere in the LP but don%26#39;t have it at hand. These are the tribespeople that inhabited Lanka before the Sinhalese and Tamils %26#39;invaded%26#39; from various sections of India; some still live in reserves keeping part of their old customs like arching and firemaking. Similar to Aboriginals in Oz and native Indians in US of America. We visited a group in Mahayangana which is about 3-4 hours drive from Kandy, there are several other groups at similar distances.

b) Train Unawatuna - Colombo (not boarding same train at Galle as, though quicker, you have far less chance of getting a seat). After that express bus to airport from opposite Colombo Fort station. Total duration about 5.5-6 hours so slightly worse than by car, and lots cheaper..

All the best,

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

Hi Erik,

Thank you

Christine

Hi Christine,

Just a little to add although Erik has sorted it pretty well.

The trip from Kandy to Haputale... If you do it in one run, which most people would, then the train is the best, especially taking luggage into accoutn.

I quite like to do this trip in two seperate sections.

I like the views from the road on the Kandy to Newara Eliya bit and the train from Newara Eliya to Haputale. But, I wouldn%26#39;t advocate a bus for that road bit but if you have plenty of time and fancy using a car and driver for the kandy/ Newara Eliya bit, it gives you a chance to stop off at the Ramboda falls, a really beautiful place, stop off at one of the Tea factories which abound just before you get to Newara Eliya, the Glen Loch is a good one to visit and also , you can take an hour or so to wander around the markets in Newara Eliya before getting the train to Haputale. Train doesn%26#39;t actually go to Newara Eliya but to Nanu Oya a few kilometres outside.

If you do the first bit in a car he%26#39;d drop you there.

Sorry if thats muddled things even more, if it does that just ignore it and take the train from Kandy to Haputale.

Haputale and or Ella.

They are both completely different types of place.

Haputale is a busy, bustling small mountain town.

Ella is a slow pace, small sleepy mountain village.

Although a village, Ella has an abundance of places to stay. Really excellent guest houses which are great value.

Whether to spend time at both,,, If you can, and that%26#39;d probably depend on how much luggage you%26#39;re carrying around, then I%26#39;d say, tes . go for the two.

You%26#39;ve mentioned a couple of places to visit from Haputale and also in Ella. The Ella visits would be much easier if in situ there than commuting from Haputale.

Lots of places in Ella have fantastic views from the guest house but there%26#39;s one in particular,

The Tea Garden Holiday Inn, Tel; +94-(0)-57-2228860

I don%26#39;t have the full address but from the station, walkout of the station approac to the main village street, Turn left and walk to the bottom end of the village.At the bottom, there%26#39;s a junction going left, ignore that , then the main road curvers to the right. Just around the corner, the Tea Garden sits high up the bank on the right side of the road.

Pre-book this one to make sure you get a top room.

Right at the top, there%26#39;s two rooms with a huge 270 degrees wrap around balcony. Loads of room to sit out, wander around , etc up there.

The rooms are excellent and the views are spectacular.

Looking from the balcony, ( or even from your bed ) Little Adams peak fills the sky to the left. Ella rock, another mountain fills the right and the centre is a wonderful view striaght down through Ella gap to the dry zone plains below.

Like Erik, I%26#39;m not over impressed by Hortons Plains. The views at the Worlds End are similar to those at Haputale and Ella but cost a lot more as it%26#39;s a national park. Haputale and Ella , they are free.

I can send you contact for a reasonably local driver who will be happy to quote you from Unawatuna to the airport area.

Rod.

Rod,

hi

Thanks for all your help.

Just before we completely finalize could we just have a professional opinion on whether we are attempting too much and will need a holiday on our return,

We have taken Erik and Rod advise,for which we are very grateful, here goes;

2 Days Negombo

4 nights/5 days with Lucky Cultural tour

.

5 days Kandy

Driver for temple loop.

Other sights ourselves.

Driver to Nuwara Eliya, then train on to Haputale for 2 days

2 Days Ella

Bus to Katamagara for 1 Night

Then off to Unwatatuna for 7-8 nights

Back to Airport

Hi Christine,

It all looks fine to me, with one small exception.

Thats the bus from Ella down to Kataragama. That route can be very crowded with the buses packed so full it%26#39;s almost impossible to move at all. Plus, you might get a straight through bus but may have to change at Wellawaya and getting the second bus there can be a nightmare.

I reckon you%26#39;d be easier to get a local car and driver from Ella to take you to Kataragama and then after Kataragama , get buses long the south coast where you can usually time it so you don%26#39;t go at peak times so can usually get seats with no problem.

As I said, apart from that little detail it all looks fine to me,

Rod.

Hi Rod,

Thank you,how much should we expect to psay gor a car to Katamagara?

Christine

According to distance finder it%26#39;s 110 km. Multiply by 55-60 rupee (one-way rate) and that%26#39;s Rs 6,000-6,500.

At your service,

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

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