Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hotel with a view over a lake

Hi Everyone, I am hoping that the seasoned travellers among you have some suggestions for a hotel with %26#39;sweeping vistas%26#39; of a lake or %26#39;tank%26#39;. Ideally, the rooms should overlook the lake (and if there are balconies even better!)...





Tnanks in advance for your time





Jayaka



Hotel with a view over a lake


Hi Jayaka,





There are quite a few but not all of their rooms will have lake views. So a need to be specific in booking:



* Heritance Kandalama, Dambulla



* Royal Lotus, Deer Park hotel and Giritale hotel (all at Giritale)



* Seeduwa hotel P%26#39;ruwa (now under a new name? Ceylon Hotel Corporation and hence not to a high standard)



* Centauria hotel Embilipitiya





And no doubt others will find more....





All the best,





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



Hotel with a view over a lake


Thanks for your help Erik and Sandya. I finally decided on Deer Park Hotel for two nights (Dec 12/13.I have received mixed reviews of the place from recent visitors, so I am curious to see how the trip will turn out. Will post afterwards for everyone%26#39;s benefit.



cheers





Jayaka


  • revlon
  • Oryx lounge

    can anyone tell me how to book this as I can%26#39;t find it on the Qatar Website.





    Thanks



    Oryx lounge


    Hi





    try this link



    www.qatarairways.com/global/en/homepage.html





    Rebecca



    Oryx lounge


    thank you - am now booked in - approx £25 on today%26#39;s exchange rate for 6 hours.





    shower, food and drinks - looking forward to it!

    Which terminal at LGW?

    Hi All,





    Just wondering if anyone can confirm which terminal you fly out of at Gatwick when flying to Colombo with First Choice?





    I sure it%26#39;s North Terminal, but I just wanted to check prior to booking my parking and airport lounge.





    Cheers,







    A



    Which terminal at LGW?


    Hi Ali, we went with first choice last year and that was the north terminal. Off again in 4 weeks time cant wait.





    Have a good holiday





    maria



    Which terminal at LGW?


    Hi Maria,





    Thank you so much, I can start booking now :))





    Four weeks, lucky you - enjoy!! I go at the end of March, can%26#39;t wait either.





    Cheers,









    Ali




    Hi Ali





    Thanks im sure we will we always have a fantastic time there thats why we keep returnng. Im sure you will also have a gret time . You cant meet nicer people its such a beautiful island.





    Thanks again



    Maria

    6 night stop en route to Maldives trip options ?

    We are a family of four (teenage daughters) who are heading to the Maldives for a week at Christmas. To add some interest to an otherwise lazy beach holiday we have booked 6 nights in Sri Lanka.

    Our stay is at the Royal Palms in Kalatura but we don%26#39;t want just a beach holiday. We are generally an active bunch and not used to package holidays - like to do our own thing but we know very little about Sri Lanka.

    The girls HAVE TO visit the elephant orphanage. From reading through the forums it would seem that a 2 day / 1 night trip to Kandy would be our best option. Can any body give advice on arraging this trip - Best car/driver and hotel or guest house? Best to arrange it in advance or sort it when we get there in mid December?

    6 night stop en route to Maldives trip options ?

    Hi there,

    Yep seeing your stay this one main outing is best. Next to this you can make a day trip to Galle and include some other beach fun, like the Ambalangoda mask museum and a turtle hatchery, in that route.

    Better arrange locally once you%26#39;re there, also for the Kandy trip. In the FAQ there are guidelines on how to get the best price/quality balance. Generally the chosen driver/agency also has a list of hotels/GH%26#39;s to choose from.

    All the best,

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

    6 night stop en route to Maldives trip options ?

    If you go to Ambalangoda do not miss the Inoka bathic factory. There you can see how they work on bathics and buy them for good prices (for exemple for souvenirs).

    Pore


    HI

    I had a similar holiday with my husband and two teenage children (one boy and one girl) this summer. We were lucky enough to be recommended a tour guide/driver by another hotel guest who had used him twice before. Some of the other hotel guests arranged trips with the beach boys or tuk tuk drivers and unfortunately did not get all they wanted and ended up paying more. We had a fantastic trip with our guide who was great with the children.. Included in the trip was a visit to the elephant orphanage and also the millennium elephant experience where we were able to have elephant rides through the jungle. We stayed at the Palms in Beruwela. Send me a pm if you would like more details of our trip and details of our guide.

    Best wishes

  • cope with divorce
  • Wedding In Sri Lanka

    Hi





    We are thinking of getting married in Sri Lanka and we wanted to know where the best hotels are to get married in. I%26#39;ve looked at the Taj Exotica ,Mount Lavinia and the Eden Hotel. Has anybody stayed or got married in any of these hotels??





    My biggest concern at the moment are the transfer time from the airport, does anybody know the time and what the journey is like??





    Thanks very much





    Gemma



    Wedding In Sri Lanka


    Hi



    Weve just returned from The Club Palm Gardens Hotel in Beruwela.





    Whilst there an English couple were married.



    The wedding was beautiful, Sri Lankan Drummers and dancers, an elephant and glorious sunshine.



    After the wedding the couple rode the elephant down to the beach for more photos.



    They told me that the wedding, including wedding cake and a wonderful photo album cost them an extra 拢400 on top of the cost of their holiday.





    Also, there was three Sri Lankan couples married at the hotel and the ceremony was the same except that they did not have the elephant. It ws nice to know that the tourists do get a %26#39;real%26#39; Sri Lankan wedding.





    The club palm garden hotel is only a 3 star and you are probably looking for something a little better.



    Its sister hotel which is next door is the Hotel Riverina which is a 4 star hotel.





    The only downside to visiting this area is the 2 1/2 to 3 hour journey from the airport, after a long flight this journey was not very pleasant.



    Sri Lanka is definitely worth a visit though. Amazing Country with wonderful friendly people.



    Wedding In Sri Lanka


    thank you for replying so quickly, it really does sound fantastic and hopefully it is worth that journey from the airport Thanks x




    Hi there,





    If transfer time IS a big concern for you then two luxury hotels come to mind:



    a) The Beach, Negombo. Supposedly 5-star, and 20 mins from airport.



    b) Mount Lavinia, in your list already. For sure 4-star, 90 mins from airport. We had our copper wedding anniversary function there two years back, a well-organised reception with 125 guests. So they CAN organise well and should have no problem with a Westerner%26#39;s wedding too...





    All the best,





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




    Club Dolphin in Waikkal (about 30 min transfer) is also a possibility.





    Try a search in this forum on ';wedding'; and you will find hundreds of threads.




    my friend is looking for someone who would like to have a wedding or homecoming or what ever function that requires 275 guests at mount lavinia hotel.



    preferably for the 16th of may 2009, dinner.(night function)



    the package details are as follows..



    2450 per head plus another 5% off on the menu which makes it 2340 per head,



    plus 50% off on seat covers.



    its a pretty attractive rate and i assure u no one will get a rate like this from a hotel again :)



    if interested pls mail me.




    If you are going to get married in May I would be very tempted to look at one of the Hotels in the Cultural Triangle area. Either the Kandalama (Dambulla) or Cinnamon Lodge (Habarana) etc.





    The advantage of a hotel in this area is:-





    1. It%26#39;s in the dry zone so a good chance of better weather.



    2. There is a short cut from the Airport which completely avoids Colombo. Still probably 2.5-3 hours, but better.



    3. There is fantastic scenary, wildlife and sites around this whole area.





    The Kandalama might be a bit pricey but I%26#39;m told a weddings there are a wonderful experience. Might be worthwhile checking out the review on this site.





    Just a thought

    Kani Lanka Resort and Spa

    Hi,





    My partner and I are staying at the Kani Lanka Resort and Spa over Christmas and New Year. We were looking forward to it until some pretty dire reviews started appearing on this site recently.





    Has anyone stayed there, and has anyone stayed in a suite? We have booked a suite (through First Choice) and I%26#39;m hoping that they are 1st or 2nd floor as it seems the ground floor rooms have problems with damp etc. Is it worth emailing the hotel and asking to be in a specific part?





    Any advice much appreciated!





    Thanks



    Carla



    Kani Lanka Resort and Spa


    Hi Carla





    According to Kani Lanka Webpage suites have balconies, so I guuess they can not be on the ground floor.





    email: info@kanilanka.com





    Hans



    Kani Lanka Resort and Spa


    Hi, we have recently returned from Kani lanka on 6 aug. we too booked with first chioce. this was our 2nd visit and we loved it. as long as you keep the air con on you shouldnt have any probs with damp, there is a notice on the wall next to air con controls telling you not to alter them but it got pretty chilly with it blasting out during the night, so i upped the temp to 23 nad turned the fan speed down to low and np probs at all.we stayed in rm 444 which is a seaview room, very nice, clean which is what you want. are you going half board or all inc. we went half but you can upgrade to all inc when your there if you want( which is cheaper than first choice at 10pppn)our bill came to £400 for the 14days which included drinks,lunch and laundry (which is cheap) food was lovely loads of choice, must say though its never piping hot but we%26#39;ve found this even when eating out in sri lanka, we didn%26#39;t suffer with tummy bugs and didnt hear of anybody whilst we were there. beach boys ok for trips we found but only used them for day trips. they will take you to gem museum wether you like it or not to which is attached a large jewellers called aida which is at bentota the next town down the coast. we ended up buying 3 rings! we were told they are worth uo to 4 times more at home,so i am due to shortly get them valued to ease my mind that i havent been hoodwinked. have a fab trip im sure you will, the sea will be blue and calm then and the humidity ok. hope this is ok for you if you have anymore questions i%26#39;ll be more than happy to help.




    Thanks for your replies. We have booked all inclusive but we haven%26#39;t paid the full balance yet so I might try to swap to half board and then pay for the upgrade to AI out there - thanks for the tip. I feel reassured now that we will have a great time - thank you! Please let me know if your rings do turn out to be a bargain as I might buy some for myself when I%26#39;m there!





    Thanks again



    Carla




    hi there Carla,



    just read your message. if you do decide to change to all inclusive, check with first choice regarding their charges for changes to bookings, as we also made a change and we were charged £20 or £30 each for the pleasure!! worth a try though maybe.




    We returned from the Kani Lanka on the 22nd August. We found the all inclusive good value, though there is pressure on you to have wine at meals and take part in the %26#39;Fish buffets%26#39; which are both extra. Every room feels damp if the air con is turned off, its the humidity of the area. We had a lovely time at the hotel, and saw about 8 weddings which were all lovely. If you are having the elephant at the wedding please check, alot of the parties were having to pay for the elephant at the hotel when they thought they had paid in England. The weddings have a stunning back drop and having seen some of the wedding albums the photopgraphs were beautiful. You will have a brilliant time. I don%26#39;t think there are any suites on the ground floor. If you have any more questions please don%26#39;t hesitate to ask. I have some wedding photos I could email you as an example of what you will get.





    Debbie - Gloucester




    I am staying there from 25th Feb 09 for two weeks where I am getting married. Am I right in thinking that alcohol is not included in the all inclusive?




    Hi





    Usually local alcohol (beer, arrack, gin, brandy etc.) is included.





    Hans

    Mobile phone

    We are going to Sri Lanka in December and would like to know the best use of mobile phones. We are on contract with orange when I asked them the cost of using the mobile in SL they text back the amount £1.75 per minute to call from SL to UK, £1.00 per minute to receive and 50p per text. Does anyone know of a cheaper alternative. Any help appreciated.



    Thanks Jayne



    Mobile phone


    get a sim card in Lanka so cheap to phone home and localy. Make sure your phone has been unlocked for other sims at a phone unlocking place here.



    Mobile phone


    Do not forget, you need a copy of your passport




    Hi





    Better buy sri lankan free paid connection. sim card will be 4-5 us$ . you will have much more cheaper rate than the using uk one. Dialog having best coverage.





    Thanks,





    ind


  • revlon
  • Bentoto hotel

    Hi a few questions as this is our firt trip to Sri lanka .



    Has any one been to the hotel , whats the surounding area like , Can i go fishing if I take my travel gear , whats the weather going to be like from the 20th june to the 11th july , Is ter atrain close to the hotel and if so is it ok to use it . . in fact any advise would be great .

    LTTE activity

    I%26#39;ve hear that the north and east of the island should be avoided due to LTTE activity that has increased this year, and also the Yala National park. Also heard that bombs have been detonated in Colombo.

    Despite all this I%26#39;m still tempted to go over christmas.

    Is this a good idea or is it really hairy at the moment?

    I%26#39;m aware the Tigers don%26#39;t really target tourists and don%26#39;t have too much of a problem with westerners, but they have targeted civilian areas and transport.

    Any opinions and advice appreciated.

    LTTE activity

    I do not have the slightest fear about returning to Sri Lanka again in a few weeks. There is an outside risk of terrorist activity in Sri Lanka, but in most other places in the world these days it seems.

    Yes, don%26#39;t go to Yala at the moment, avoid the areas around military and government bases ... maybe avoid Colombo if you%26#39;re really worried, and don%26#39;t use public transport in certain areas, such as the cultural triangle and Colombo if you don%26#39;t want to take any risk, however small. Other than that, just forget it. We continue to go to Sri Lanka and see no evidence of any trouble. For most tourists, you really would not know there was any problem at all. Tourist areas are safe in our opinion. If you stick to the beach resorts, popular tourist attractions, mountains and rural areas, you will have a safe and wonderful holiday.

    Please go! You will be so glad you did.

    All the best

    Sue

  • Name for a new kitten
  • Club Hotel Dolphin, Waikkal

    Hiya Folks, does anyone know if Club Dolphin gets very busy at weekends?





    Club Hotel Dolphin, Waikkal


    Hi Mark





    Dolphin, like all Lankan hotels would sell off any empty rooms to locals at reduced prices at weekends to make money, so yep , likely to be busy at weekends, especially on Sundays when many locals tend to ';dine out'; at the Sunday lunch Buffets !





    Regards



    Dave



    Club Hotel Dolphin, Waikkal


    Cheer%26#39;s Dave




    Hi





    I agree with the last post. I have been to Club Dolphin twice now having just returned.



    Every weekend the hotel fills with locals who are staying on a cheap weekend break. Best idea%26#39;s are either go on your trips at this time or move to the quiet pool where peace and tranquility still exist. However please gto to dinner early on these days as the dining room becomes very busy





    Cinderella




    Thank%26#39;s for that, the Sri Lanka people are the nicest people in the world (except for the ones who come to your hotel at the weekend). That%26#39;s the time for a trip away.





    Mark




    hi mark,



    Thanks for the comments that sri lankans are the nicest people in the world....



    but in the dolpin in the week ends there may lot of locals....so be prepared for that...




    I don’t like crowds of any nationality when I’m on holiday, I’ll spend the weekends village side.





    ~Budusaranai~




    I have just got back from the Dolphin and can say that Saturdays are very busy - I think some people come on day passes. We had BBQ type things outside of our room and lots of people in the big pool. We escaped by going to the quiet pool and on both Sundays we went on trips.

    elephants

    can anybody tell me,how much the elephant trips are without using tour operater reps and who is the best?



    thank.



    elephants


    Hi,



    Best places for elephants?



    Best place that I know for riding them is at Habarana. You just walk in, pay your money and wait til your elephant is ready for you.



    Best place to see lots of elaphants is the elephant orphanage at Pinawella. But here you can%26#39;t ride them and unless you want to pay out lots of bribe money you won%26#39;t get close to them in the water either.



    Next door to Pinawella elephant orphanage, is another place called the Millennium Elehant Foundation. Here you can more familier with the few elephants they have there and enjoy a short ride.





    To get to them, you can employ a driver/guide directly, you don%26#39;t have to use a tour operator.



    Or, you can travel on public transport.



    From Colombo, get the Kandy train and get off at Rambukkana... From there you can get a local bus or a tuk tuk for the short distance to the orphanage.



    For Habarana,, you can get the Trincomalee train from Colombo and get off at Palugaswewa. Again a local bus or tuk tuk into Habarana.



    Or you could get to Kandy, either bus or train and then a bus from there but if you can, you%26#39;ll find it much better to hire a car and driver. If you%26#39;re travelling from the coast, then best to make it a two day trip and also visit Sigirya, Dambulla and maybe Polonorua. They%26#39;re all clse together in the Habarana area.





    Don%26#39;t forget, when you book holiday rep. trips, you pay by the person. When you hire a car and driver, you pay for the vehicle so the cost is spread around . Make a car and driver hire much cheaper than the rep organised trips.







    Rod.





    elephants


    We dropped in at the Millenium Foundation on our way to Pinawella Orphanage, it is only short distance before you reach Pinawella.





    Last July it was about 20000 rupees for a ride. Then $20 Aus, now $26 Aus. My daughter thought the ride time was adequate and the guide will photograph you with your own camera as he takes you on the walk.





    Chris




    hi





    To see the wild elephant in sri lanka in this time of year udawalawa national park is best palce. As rod mentioned habarana area having lot of riding place , you need to have book them advance. It will cost you between 20-25 us $ per person fro one hour ride.





    Chris has paid 20000 RS fro his first ride which is extremely too much. Better consult local driver/guide to organize your trip to visit those ,will be lot cheaper than travel agent.





    Thanks you,





    ind




    20 Aussie-Dollar are about 2000 Rupies !




    Hi there....





    Actual cost now for ride, and river bath ect at Millenium Foundation is 3000 Rupees for 45 minute ride, then bath with ';jumbos'; in river afterwards, as mentioned before, the staff there will use your camera to take photos during your rides,and river baths too, for a small tip, around 300 to 500 Rupees would be good, but in my opinion the MF is best for ';jumbos'; , had fab time there recently !, with some VERY memorable photos !!



    Don%26#39;t forget to take towel and swim suit tho, you will get VERY wet !, great fun.





    Regards



    Dave



    On duty still at Heritance Ahungalla, today VERY hot and sunny !!




    please help booked honeymoon here %26amp; am petrified of snakes...is it easy to avoid them or are they everywhere.




    Hi there,





    Easy to avoid them. They are frequent inside the jungle and the open fields, and at odd moments in far corners of hotel gardens. Never inside hotel buildings and never close to rooms and paved roads, so just stick to those areas (and in cars for the excursions) and you should be quite safe! And yes, of course avoid the fakirs with their snakes-in-pots which you find in the area of some attractions, like the Kandy temple.





    All the best,





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




    Im such a wimp I know but I cant even look at one on the telly... I work myself up so much... Thank you for your advise I do want to go on an elephant ride though.. is there any one youd suggest would be the best where I wont find them in baskets etc.




    Hi again,





    Both the Habarana elephant rides and that in Pinawela (Millennium Foundation) don%26#39;t have crowded entrances so also probably no snake charmers with baskets. This unlike places like nearby Pinawela elephant orphanage, Sigiriya Rock and Kandy tooth temple.





    But probably better to visit even THOSE places and send your other half ahead to %26#39;clear the road%26#39; if there happens to be one; always possible to find a different route towards an entrance...





    All the best,





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




    thank you so much for all your advise... it has helped (a little) the idea of sending my husband 1st is quite appealing to me...dont tell him though

    cost of excursions



    can anyone tell us what we should be paying for excursions from dolphin hotel ?



    cost of excursions


    Hi there,





    It depends a bit on the excursion ;-) and whether it includes or excludes entrance fees etc. As distances in Lanka are %26#39;long%26#39; (the slow speed on roads prohibits real long journeys) use a rule-of-thumb that the transportation part of the excursion, upto 150 km both ways, won%26#39;t be more than Rs 7,000-8,000.





    All the best,





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



    cost of excursions


    FC overnight tours cost 80 pounds each. harald and asda do them for 75 each. day trips are about 30 through FC and 25 through harald and asda

    Club Hotel Dolphin - Cottage or Deluxe Room

    Which is best?





    What do you get in each of these rooms?





    Club Hotel Dolphin - Cottage or Deluxe Room


    hi holtommo having just returned from H C Dolphin, we had a cottage room as these are all indvidual,you wouldnt be to disturbed during the night, frinds had a hotel room no different in contents tea%26amp; coffee fac, hairdryer,tv dvd player. i think slightly bigger. the cottages are more than adequate air con was quiet BONUS!!!! GO FOR IT jude60x



    Club Hotel Dolphin - Cottage or Deluxe Room


    We had a cottage and upgraded to deluxe on the day we arrived. The bathroom in the cottage was boiling hot and part was exposed, i.e. no cieling. there was shubbery and rocks. the deluxe rooms are bigger but being by the pool can be noisy. if you get a deluxe room ask for the one furthest away from the pool by the cottages.


  • revlon
  • horse riding

    ive heard there is horse riding at the dolphin has anybody got any more info on this or anywhere else it is possible to ride?

    thanks

    horse riding

    Hi,

    Don%26#39;t know about the Dolphin. I was offered a chance to go horse riding up in the hills at Newara Eliya, but declined ( it was raining heavily ) so I don%26#39;t know what the terrain or the horses are like.

    There is a race course there though so I suspect it was something to do with that.

    Rod.

    horse riding

    There are two horse at the dolphin - there are stable hands who ride them and there are pictures at the hotel of people riding them.

  • multiple tables
  • advice please

    Hi every one.





    I will travel next week to sri lanka and will stay there fro 14 days.1st week I have booked bentota beach hotel, next week free to travel around other places withinthe country . can anyone advice me what are the most beautiful attraction in sri lanka I must see. What is easier way to getting around there.





    Thanks ,





    mark



    advice please


    Hi Mark,





    For one week we%26#39;d recommend to choose: Northern Loop or Southern Loop. Doing all of these would cost at least 10 days to do it decently.



    North = Kandy (and Pinawela jumbo orphanage) plus Cultural Triangle. Which has famous old temples, a magnificent rock fortress and safari parks.



    South = Kandy plus Hill Country. Tea plantations, waterfalls, lovely vistas and a combination with the south coast safari parks.





    Some %26#39;half combinations%26#39; are possible: e.g. in North near Matale there are some lower waterfalls and tea plantations, and in South there are some lovely (but less famous) old temples too.





    As for getting around: train (and express bus in case you travel light) can bring you to quite some places but not fast and not flexible. So generally car with driver is recommended; average price for a day is Rs 6,000-7,000 (around 40 euro).





    All the best,





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



    advice please


    Hi mark……….





    As you got spare 7 days you can have round trip covering most of main attraction in sri lanka.





    Day01- bentotoa –pinnawala –sigiriya (over night)



    Day02-polonnarura – minneriya national park (over night sigiriya)



    Day03- kandy (over night)



    Day04-nuwaraeliya (over night)



    Day05-ella- tissamaharama –katharagama ( over night at tissamaharama)



    Day06- hikaduwa (over night )



    Day07- negombo-air port





    Better hire the car to drive around it will cost you between 6500-7000 RS per day including drive unlimited km , fuel, driver’s accommodation.. always try to get service of approved tour guide of Ceylon tourist board.





    Thaks you,





    ind




    Hi Mark,





    I agree with the point Erik makes, that a full tour would need at least ten days but if I%26#39;d not seen the interior of Sri Lanka and had a week , I%26#39;d want split my time between the cultural side of things and the hill country.



    I%26#39;d see Polonorua, Sigirya and Dambulla cave temples and then Kandy. In Kandy, the Temple of the Tooth , The cultural show which runs every evening in a small theatre along the lake side and the Botanical gardens. If you wanted to visit the Pinawella elephant orphanage you could do that as a trip out from Kandy or when en-route from you coastal base to the Polonorua area.



    Then head south through the hill country. I like the first section, from Kandy to Newara Eliya by road, stopping at the Rambukana Falls for lunch and also visiting a tea factory on the way.



    Then get your driver to drop you at Nanu Oya station and take the train to either Haputale or Ella.



    Haputale is a really busy, bustling , small mountain town, set on a ridge , so fantastic views in every direction and surrounded by tea covered hills and mountains.



    Ella is a small sleepy village , again with mountainous scenery all around . Plenty of top quality guest houses to stay in.



    I%26#39;d spend a day at one or the other of these. If, Haputale, take the walk up to Liptons seat. If Ella, then walk to Little Adams peak or Ella Rock.



    The hill country, without doubt, is the most beautiful part of Sri lanka .



    If you preferred, you could take the train all the way south through the hill country , then hire a car/taxi van locally to return for your flight.



    If you do go train then as Erik has said, light



    luggage.



    Car is much easier but the train is an experience.



    Rod.




    I think Rod means Ramboda Falls.





    Hans




    Hi Hans,



    Thanks,, you%26#39;re right again. Ramboda Falls it is.



    Rambukkana was in my head because I%26#39;d just answered someone regaring the nearest train station for the elephant orphanage.





    The restaurant there, at the Ramboda Falls hotel, is , in my opinion, the best lunch stop anywhere in Sri Lanka.



    The views of the hills and water falls from the restaurant terrace is fantatstic plus, if you%26#39;re feeling sprightly, the hotel has cleared a track down the hillside so you can walk to the bottom of the nearest water fall and bathe there if you want to experience what it feels like to shower in a water fall.



    Rod.




    Hi again……





    Thanks every body who dedicated their valuable time for answer me. If you got any contact information of good driver in sri lanka will be really appreciated.





    Thanks ,





    mark




    Ramboda Falls Hotel is a bit expensive, but definitely a good place to have your lunch. Only slight problem when they don%26#39;t have a vehicle to transport you down and esp. up after lunch. Road from the main rod is quite steep.





    Hans




    You%26#39;re absolutely right Hans, the road is steep.



    Still, it%26#39;s only about 50 metres which I have actually walked up even though every time I%26#39;ve been there, probably 5 or 6 times, there%26#39;s allways been a four wheel drive vehicle there to take customers up and down as a free service.



    Although I don%26#39;t usually eat in places like that, I usually prefer a couple of spicy roti,s from a local shop, I didn%26#39;t find lunch there any more expensive than the normal tourist restaurants.



    With the location and the views I do reckon it%26#39;s well worth stopping . After all, when you%26#39;re there for just a couple of weeks and for many people , perhaps the only time they%26#39;ll ever pass that way, it%26#39;s an unforgetable location



    Rod.




    Hi





    Ramboda Falls is worth a visit, see my Sri Lanka video at tripadvisor.co.uk/members-videos/Barkingcreek





    It will give you an idea of what the trips about. When we were there we stayed overnight and our room overlooked the falls.





    Beautiful !!!





    BC

    phobias

    please help... I have booked this trip for my honeymoon and am going in january. after looking at peoples pictures I see snakes... i am petrified of snakes please help me.how can I avoid them where and when would I expect to see them.. will i need to stay in my room for 2 wks or can they be avoided.. seriously I am petrified.. please please advise..





    i dont want my honeymoon ruined by an unwelcomed brief encounter.. we are desperate to go on an elephant ride but will it be ok for me... can anyone help... thanks



    phobias


    Hi there,





    This is indeed a better way to ask the question. My initial answer is under your earlier post,





    tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g499080-i9703-k238…





    And the answer is that you CAN avoid them and can do plenty outside your room!





    All the best,





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



    phobias


    I have just got back and did not see a single snake except the snake charmer on the beach one day. You will have no problems




    I have only seen 2 wild snakes in Sri lanka in the last three visits . But there are the beach boys who do have snakes in a bag to atract people but you dont need to go near




    hi faymond,



    Don%26#39;t worry dear...you%26#39;ll never ruined your honeymoon ..you can freely visited any famaous area where tourists visists without any problem.....you no need to stay on your room for two wekks you can enjoy your visit.....Even I am a srilankan..but I have only seen the snakes in the Zoo and gypsy people who carrys snakes to show and collect money.



    yse you can have a elephant ride...in pinnawala you can do so...even some hotels they could arrange so....

    Possible ?

    Having never visited the Island could someone tell me if $u.s. 500 per month would cover my daily costs: I would be happy with a simple beach hut (month stay) and when travelling (week - two in each place) a small guest house or Hotel. Also any other usefull advice, im a pensioner. Cheers.





    Possible ?


    You could stay in Negombo after arrival. It%26#39;s not very good for swimming but close to the airport. There are Hotels and Guesthouses of different levels available there. Put Negombo in the search machine and you will find review of many places. Negombo is also a good place for excursions to the cultural triangle.



    Good beaches are around Unnawattuna (put Unnawattuna in the search machine andyou will find many of them).



    If you eat Sri Lankan food and if you do not need imported drinks, life in Sri Lanka can be cheap. We count more the USD 500 for our living costs in Sri Lanka.



    Pore



    Possible ?


    Hi





    USD 500 (LKR 53000) for a month is bit tight in my opinion.





    You can rent a bungalow for about LKR 25000/month, but staying in even the simplest guesthouses is about LKR 2000/night. All depending on when you intend to visit. May to October may be a bit cheaper as it is not the peak season, but December to April prices tend to be a bit more.





    Travel in Sri Lanka is extremely cheap by public transport (trains and buses), but also extremely crowded. Trains are less than LKR 1/km. AC intercity buses are about LKR 2/km, slower non-ac buses cheaper.





    Local meals (rice %26amp; curry etc.) can be bought from small shops called ';hotels'; for about LKR 120-150/meal. Bottled drinking water is about LKR 30/500 ml.





    The visa you will get free on arrival at the airport is valid for 30 days. If you intend to stay longer, apply for visa from the Sri Lankan Embassy closest to you or extend your arrival visa at Immigration Department in Colombo (Punchi Borella).





    Hans




    Hi,



    i think as a pensioner you can enjoy the relax and can manage the things with your budget....for that you can get small house near to beach as u wish for rent ...there are lot of small houses u can rent it bargained prices...(will not cost some where 25000/=) you can manage more lesser price.....



    And public transport mean buses and trains are not crowded if you avoide the office hours(morning 6-8.30 and evening 4.30- 6.30) ..so you can manage your transport very cheaply by using those.....hope you will have a nice time and with in your budget too....




    Hi,



    There are still a few small, clean guesthouses southern end of Hikkaduwa for around 800 to 1000 per night.



    Eat in local cafes, as Hans said, called '; hotels'; and you could manage on that budget.



    Rod.




    If you base your holiday inland, it will be cheaper ... guesthouses are really cheap here, whereas on the coast you will pay considerably more.





    If you want a beach stay, we found things cheaper on the south coast than on the west ... Negombo%26#39;s proximity to the airport means the people are used to tourists who are prepared to pay that little bit more for everything, whether it be three-wheelers, food or accommodation. And the resorts further down the west coast are generally more expensive than those on the south ... looking to an up-market, western clientele once again.





    And if you are prepared to use public transport to get around ... train or bus, it will cost you next to nothing!





    All the best



    Sue




    Many thanks to all you gave advice. Im going for one last long haul trip (Kandy to Kathmandu) whilst im still capable. Once again many thanks. Cheers




    P.S. rod b: re travel pins, am i following you or are you ............

    safety and surf in SRI LANKA

    hi

    im planning on heading on down in a few weeks, and find it hard to get a clear picture on the safety issue at the moment. i am flying into colombo aned will head south straight away, but....how safe is the public transport down towards Hikkadawa or Galle? also, i arrive at 320am and wonder if i should spend one day in colombo, or if it is possible to get out same day with no reservations. i don%26#39;t want to break the bank, but mioght hire a private car/driver. any idea how much?? cheers.

    safety and surf in SRI LANKA

    We always use the A/c buses smaller than the public bus and much quicker . I think there should be busses at around 0500 so you will be ok by the time you get your bags. from Bentota to galle is 110rs so you should more or less be able to guess the price. It is a long way down 3- 4 hrs from the airport to bentota . Bentota to galle 1.4 hrs this depends on traffic and time of day.

    safety and surf in SRI LANKA

    Hi

    If you arrive after a long flight it%26#39;s a good idea to stay a day or so in Negombo. Silversands is fairly cheap. Taxi from airport is around LKR 1200.

    Next day you can go to Hikkaduwa by train or bus. By train you will have to change at Colombo Fort Station. By bus you will have to change at Pettah Bus Station. There are no AC buses to Hikkaduwa, but just take AC bus to Galle or Matara and tell the conductor that you want to go to Hikkaduwa. Large baggage and bus travel in Sri Lanka is really not so good an idea. In most cases the conductor will charge you for an extra seat for your baggage.

    Travel by bus and trains has been safe for a while now. The latest bomb attack on a bus was in early June.

    If you want to hire a vehicle with driver straight from the Airport to Hikkaduwa, expect to pay minimum LKR 9000. Distance is about 125 km. PM me if you need contact for a reliable driver.

    Enjoy your stay in Sri Lanka.

    Hans

    P.t. in HOT and SUNNY Sri Lanka

  • revlon
  • email
  • Back on duty again !!



    Hi everyone....





    So.... Back in dreary and cold UK now, after another fabulous holiday to my favourite destination for me, yes i really did have a great time down in Sri Lanka once again, as many of you would expect !, AND arrived back rather early too, hmmm, now maybe Sri Lankan Airlines have shed that “Usually Late” name at last??, flight departed Colombo bang on time, and arrived at Heathrow 45 minutes EARLY !!, despite some rather bumpy moments over the Middle East and Turkey !, good job seat next to me was empty so one of the crew on board could sit down and strap in, or heaven knows what would have happened to that poor girl (Rochelle) in a VERY bumpy moment, VERY worried look on her face i can tell you!,





    Of course more than a little sad to be leaving behind so many great friends down there, but as i am sure you will know it won’t be long before i am back down there once more, hmmm, to be honest already there are dates in my mind when i will be winging my way back down there again, and i do hope to be there for the Sinhalese/ Tamil New Year celebrations, so maybe a little pointer for all of you who know when this would be?





    Great to meat as usual some TA members down there during my stay, including Andy and his wife Lorraine, who seemed to have brought some rather lousy weather with them from the UK !!, well come on it did seem to rain at some time or other everyday during your stay at Heritance Ahungalla right, including your first night’s Special Dinner on the beach to celebrate Lorraine’s birthday !!!, also of course a great pleasure to meet up with Hans too, and share a Lion beer one afternoon, nice to meet you at last Hans, and hope you are enjoying your long stay !, hope to share another Lion or three soon.



    Andy, Lorraine, you will of course be happy to know that the weather really did turn for the worst an hour after you left HA, even the boss there was heard to say “maybe it wasn’t them after all “, all of course due to Cyclone Nisha that went into the east coast of India, so apologies from me and everyone who blamed you ok !



    Another TA couple i met during breakfast one morning too, sorry but right now your names escape me, but do remember well our little chat over breakfast, and sorry that Sumali did not bring yours to the table like mine, but the girls in restaurant at Heritance Ahungalla do seem to know my regular habits some what !!, but great to meet with you and have a chat anyway., hope you enjoyed your stay like i did.





    Very sad of course to see that tourist arrivals were WELL down, in this Sri Lanka’s peak season, and if it were not for large groups from Russia, Poland and Lithuania then this will surely have spelt disaster for tourism in Sri Lanka, the next few months, as i am sure you will all be aware will be very crucial due to the financial situation here in UK and other European countries not being good, hopefully of course it won’t last, but right now things are not looking good for these people, so come on, let’s all jump on planes and get down there to Sri Lanka, the land of GENUINE smiles and welcomes too, they will be VERY happy to see us all.





    Regards as usual......





    Dave



    Back on duty again !!


    Hi Dave,





    It was indeed nice to meet you and Treshi. I also hope we can repeat it.





    Another cyclone has been building up east of SL, so weather has been pretty overcast and the sea rough for the last couple of days, but only little rain compared to cyclone Nisha. This morning it has changing from blue sky to total overcast with dark clouds, but so far no rain. Right now the sun is shining.





    Going on a 5 day trip to Mahiyangana tomorrow morning. Let%26#39;s see if I can find a computer up there.





    Hans



    Back on duty again !!


    Hi Dave, good to hear you got back OK. We really enjoyed your company during our stay and it was good to meet Treshi as well. Yeah sorry about the weather, it did get a bit damp on occasions. At least it was warm rain and cold beer! The girls at the Heritance certainly spoil you (and us!) , rumour has it the wing on the third floor is going to be renamed the Stockwell wing and the bar will be known as Dave%26#39;s corner. :-)



    We are also thinking of going back for Sri Lankan new year so better pack your waterproofs and brollie just in case.



    Totally agree with you that we should all be encouraging tourists to try Sri Lanka. It%26#39;s a wonderful country with great people and is somewhere everyone should try at least once.





    Thanks again for your company and advice.







    Andy and Lorraine




    Hi Andy %26amp; Lorraine





    Glad you both enjoyed your stay at my ';second home'; down there in Sri Lanka, and yes was a pleasure to have met you both too.



    Not got round to downloading photos from cameras yet (600 plus of them!), but will do so in couple of days time and send you the ones of ';Cheeky %26amp; Dancing Queen'; Chathuri and Ayesha in thier gorgeous Saris, also have Cheeky Chat%26#39;s e-mail address too, so will forward that to you at same time ok, she was still missing her ';Chef Andy'; when i left !!, must have been your coaching that made her do so well in Flambe competition!, she still has that VERY wide smile after that, and everyone at hotel is soooo proud of her too.





    Not sure about hotel renaming the 3rd floor tho, although quite possible about the bar tho !, have requested room change from 333 next time, and look forward to testing out 305 !





    Hope to see you again down there of course, but PLEASE leave rain behind next time ok !! ha ha.





    Regards



    Dave




    Hi Dave,





    Welcome back to the Forum!!!! I m sure most of them missed your advises here .... and sure most people back here miss you already....specially all your lovely angels at Heritance....





    Hi Hans, Andy %26amp; Lorraine,





    It was great meeting all of you at the hotel and hope to meet up with you people once again sometime....





    Well, the weather hasnt been all that great since of late...it rains most evenings but lovely christmas breeze althrought the day..specially the mornings...





    Regards,





    Treshi, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

    anyone else flying 05.01.09

    Anyone else flying Qatar on the 05.01.09 from gatwick.





    anyone else flying 05.01.09


    No but we will be in Beruwela then, at the Neptune. Why?



    anyone else flying 05.01.09


    was just looking to see if anyone else we have met previous years will be out there again.