Most Inspirational Moment
I enjoyed all of it! However I particularly liked the Polonnaruwa ruins and loved our visit to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. The countryside was so colourful and lush, and we saw lots of animals and birds even outwith the parks. To my surprise I also enjoyed the white water rafting which I had never done before.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sujan Weerakoon was an excellent tour leader. He knows the country inside out and was a mine of interesting information but delivered in small digestible chunks. He was very well organised and gave us lot of helpful advice re what to take/wear/expect each day. Everything was taken care of for us and we were able to relax. He was friendly with everyone and had a good sense of humour. He judged the mood of the group well and on one memorable occasion was able to conjure up tea and chocolate cake just when we were all running out of energy.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Do take up the offer of the leader to organise the tipping kitty. Everyone expects a tip in Sri Lanka and it would have been a complete nightmare to manage this ourselves. Sujan did this for us and kept meticulous records and it smoothed our path through the country. Many of the activities are optional and opting out does not cause a problem. I did not do the cycling and was able to follow the group in the support vehicle.