Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many exciting events to limit, two or three, at least, each day. Seeing so many wild animals and beautiful birds up close. We saw wild leopards three times and so close up that I am surprised we didn't become their next meal. Also saw wild elephants, wild boars, flying squirrels, a variety of comical monkeys and crocodiles several times, though a giant fresh water otter stole the show as he seemed to be giving us a personal performance, a bit like a seal!!Also loved the cycling and what we saw on the way to a 'jungle' village by bike where we  joined a family in their garden for a superb meal.White water rafting was extra special on this holiday because the group got on so well and had a great laugh adding extra challenges to the experience!! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Have met many fantastic Exodus leaders but Sujan is second to none. Kind, knowlegable in cultural, wildlife, birds, plants(and everything!!) and great fun. So hard working.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't miss this trip! The age group of the group ranged from about 35 years to 64 years and everyone had a fantastic time.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the villages, meeting the people.Listening to children chanting their morning assembly in Pali, the language of the Buddha.An open-air disco by the beach, with lightning flashes over the sea and a stray dog asleep by the dance floor. Acting like school-kids on the white-water rafting trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A top guy. Meticulous planning and a warm, friendly approach. He was keen for us to learn about his country.

Most Inspirational Moment

Many highlights: seeing TWO leopards at Yala National Park, visiting Buddhist temples, white water rafting, the beach, climbing Lions Rock, rice and curry...the list goes on!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Roshan, was great. A good laugh (and totally understood the British sense of humour), extensive knowledge of the country, fabulous organisational skills. He looked after the group wonderfully.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Note that the brochure rates the trip 'leisurely'. However, we did have one fairly lengthy walk at Horton Plains which involved many steep steps at altitude. Combined with the heat, it was pretty tiring. Make sure you take decent walking footwear. There were also over 1000 steps to reach the top of Lions Rock, but it was well worth the effort for the amazing views.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed the Horton Plains walk - we didn't get to see off World's End due to the fog, unfortunately, but the entire walk was lovely. Climbing Lions Rock was also brilliant - I'm glad I made it to the top, despite finding the walk up a little tiring!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan is a great leader - always ready with a joke (which may or may not be a 'good' joke), and clearly passionate about his job and the country. He was able to answer pretty much all of the questions we threw at him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Other reviews have said this already, but there are an awful lot of buffet restaurants during this trip, as most of the hotels are located away from cities/towns and there aren't any other options. This was totally fine for me, and the buffet food is great, but be aware that most of the time the only option is to eat with the group. Remember to change money early on during the free day in Kandy - we left it too late and the banks/money exchanges had shut for the day. ATMS are plentiful, but banks don't seem to be at the half way point of the holiday (e.g. when I was running out of currency).

Most Inspirational Moment

The walk on Horton Plains, and the view from Worlds End. Simply sensational views and a lovely walk.  The walk up Lions Rock and the Elephant orphange was always great  

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was fantastic, passionate about his country but always balanced with his views. He blended well with the group and was very open about answering questions

Advice for Potential Travellers

Decent insect repellant, sunblock, patience, and if you are taking the optional whale watching trip make sure you get information about the sea conditions !! Qulaity of hotel and food can vary but if you bear this in mind you will have a wonderful holiday

Most Inspirational Moment

The time, effort and kind-heartedness that Roshan has invested in trying to help some of the people effected by the tsunami and the poverty (caused by years of war) is truly inspirational stuff and a lesson to us all. His informative morning talks really gave us a different perspective on the struggles of his people and being able to meet many locals on the trip felt very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan is a truly exceptional group leader and deservedly won the Exodus leader of the year in 2010. The fact that he has done this trip 195 times now and still has the boundless enthusiasm, passion and humour of a newby is quite incredible. He also plays a mean game of cricket which (as a cricketer myself) I really appreciated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't have any pre-conceived ideas on what you do or don't want to do before you leave, or how much money you are willing to spend. The options are all worth doing for different reasons - but worth deciding how you feel on the day and after they are explained fully. Don't necessarily expect to see leopards or whales and you won't get too disappointed if you don't end up seeing any (as happeend for our group). And regarding the money - it's very easy to be persuaded into buying gifts and souvenirs - most of us came back with gems of some description. But that ensures that money does end up trickling down to the people who need it. Sri Lanka is still suffering from the years of war and political mismangement and the people need all the help they can get from tourism.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling through the countryside, seeing how people really live and sharing a home-cooked meal in banana plantation.  Kandy August festival was a unique experience, extremely colourful and skilful.  Huge number of elephants dressed in their regalia being paraded accompanied by the beat of drums,  dancers dressed in wonderful costumes all lit up by flares (no health and safety measures!) must not be missed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very knowledgeable, good sense of humour, always helpful and professional.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I was told that meals were not included because there was a huge choice of restaurants to chose from and that people liked that freedom.  This information was incorrect.  All the hotels were set in magic settings but there were on a limb and the only place to eat was in the hotels which provided good food, buffet or a la carte at reasonable prices by our standard.  I think that in all fairness this needs to be pointed out.  A shame that we could not go out and experiment a bit with authentic non hotel food.

Most Inspirational Moment

There are so many inspirational moments of the trip; climbing Lion Rock, the bike ride through villages (having not been on a bike since I was a child, this was a personal achievement), the walk through a forest and eating fruit that seconds earlier we had seen being picked from a tree are just a few that come to mind.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Sujan, was exceptional. His knowledge, passion and fun shone through and I have him to thank for making the trip so enjoyable.

Most Inspirational Moment

I particularly enjoyed the pleasant walk around Horton Plains, followed by one of the best meals of the holiday - beautiful freshly prepared curries and side dishes served in a "local" style roadside hut, way different from the typical tourist restaurants and hotels we'd been eating in up until then. Made a nice change from the endless buffets!I was among 4 more serious photographers who also managed to organise a second game drive around Yala National Park, which despite the 4am alarm call was well worth it. Although no leopard were sighted, we did spot the shy and rarely seen sloth bear digging up ants in some bushes. Despite some frantic jockeying for position between the 3 or so jeeps that were in the vacinity we all managed to get a worthwhile shot or two before the bear shuffled off out of view. Back to the hotel in time for breakfast!I also enjoyed the free time we had in Galle Fort, just wandering around the narrow streets taking in the views. There was a very relaxed, slightly hippy feel to this place with less hassle than some of the towns we'd visited, or perhaps it was just that there were fewer people around being the Sri Lankan New Year. Either way its a lovely place to visit, and a shame we couldn't have stayed longer. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujee is a very accomplished and competent group leader. He managed to pull strings and do a lot of organising behind the scenes in order to make sure that most of the groups' expectations were fully met, while keeping in line one particular member of the group who seemed to want the entire itinerary to be tailored to their particular requirements!Sujee clearly loves his home country and wants everyone to feel the same way, whilst his strong Buddhist beliefs keep him calm and assured.Well done and many thanks to Sujee, and his back-up team of Chmi who always made sure the coach was clean and tidy with plenty of cool drinking water always available, and Lasa for driving such long distances safely and comfortably.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The formal evening meal at The Hill Club in Nuwara Eliya was all a bit of a joke really, and not worth the effort. After dressing up in shirt, tie and trousers and borrowing a jacket (which I was told to put back on having found it too warm and uncomfortable to wear), the food and service were just not very good. Never mind, the surroundings and quirky hotel made up for it.April in Sri Lanka was hotter than I expected it to be, but plenty of water was at hand and all but 1 of the hotels were A/C and most had swimming pools. Plenty of sun screen and insect repellent required!The tip kitty organised by Sujee worked really well for us and took the pressure off individuals having to tip guides, restaurant and hotel staff, porters etc. A full account of expenditure was presented to the group for audit on the last day of the trip! Well worth paying into if you get the option.Meals are relatively cheap and sometimes the buffets are good value, especially if you are short of time and feeling hungry. If not then go a la carte but expect a long wait! Even when ordering meals 2 hours in advance there can be a bit of a wait, but that's why beer was invented! Beers are around £2 a bottle, Three Coins being my favourite. Change about £150 at the airport and you'll be OK for the first week or more. I took £500 spending money with me, did most of the optional activities, bought a few souvenirs, ate and drank well and came back with £150 unspent. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing Adams peak in the dark and seeing the sun rise was memorable as was the trip to the elephant sanctuary. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujee was a fantastic group leader. He was very personable and organised and could not have been more helpful. He dealt with everything very efficiently and with a sense of humour. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

The trip does involve a number of hours travelling between the various sights and activities but the coach was comfortable and the travelling to me was all a part of the experience.