Most Inspirational Moment
There were many moments of the holiday I enjoyed so here are a handful... The walk to the top of Lions Rock in Sigirya, seeing the wall-frescoes of the Cloud Maidens, and having a panoramic view of the landscape was well worth it. The scenery of Sri Lanka is beautiful, and breathtaking; I really enjoyed the jungle walk in Kitulgala, the walk on Horton Plains, and the game drive in Yala National Park. Also, while I can't say I loved the hairpin bends on the roads (got a bit travel-sick!) away from the cities and towns, watching the scenery evolve from neatly tended fields, to gentle sloping hills and then to majestic rugged mountains draped with lush forest and long waterfalls, was worth the drive, and I'm really glad I chose this tour.Walking around the the well-preserved and beautiful ruins in Polonnaruwa. Galle was another really interesting place due to its history involving foreign colonies.I'm don't have green fingers, nor am I enamoured with plants, but I really enjoyed the walk around the herb and spice garden near Matale, as well as the beautifully tended Peradeniya Botanical Garden in Kandy. Also, the wildlife in Sri Lanka was a real pleasure and highlight of the trip (both in and outside of Yala National Park); in particular, seeing the huge fruit bats take into the early evening skies in Kandy was a wonderful sight. Sadly, our group didn't bag a leopard on the game-drive, but we saw plenty of other animals, such as crocodiles, elephants, jackals, raptors and wild boars, to make the tour a wonderful experience.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sujan is one of the best tour leaders I've met. He's warm, knowledgeable, patient, professional and has a great sense of humour. Also, he went out of his way to help us (in one way or another, whether it concerned acquiring more Sri Lankan currency, going to a nice toilet or seeing a doctor), and made sure we were looked after, i.e. prioritising safety over cutting costs, when we took three small vans instead of two, to take on the narrow (and sometimes hair-raising) hill roads. Sujan is also a great communicator, as he articulated exactly what was on the agenda, as well as what to expect.
Advice for Potential Travellers
As other reviewers have mentioned, this tour has something for everyone, and you should try to go with an open mind. I was unsure whether or not I'd enjoy the botanical aspect (such as the herb garden and the Peradeniya gardens), and I loved it.In regard to the above about having an open mind, go wild with the food; I'm not a vegetarian, however the vegetarian food such as the banana flower curry was delicious, and I went back for more. The seafood meals in Ahangama were also a major highlight, thanks to the skill of the chefs.
Suggestions
Despite some of the hotels being of Standard quality, they really were lovely (as well as the Comfortable accomodation) and I'd happily stay at those places again. Also, while there's no real pressure to buy items at the wood-carving factory or any other of the other places we visited (such as the gem-factory and herb/spice garden), you're highly likely to get the same item, or similar, from your average gift shop (even in the highly touristic areas), and the seller is more flexible to further negotiation about the price. The stocked items at the places we visited were still, even after the discount, overpriced. Visiting the aforementioned places is worth it and I found them interesting (except maybe the gem factory), but it goes to show that patience is, indeed, a virtue! It also depends on what you're happy and willing to pay, but I think in terms of wood-carvings, most people would agree that the bigger and more intricate the item (and depending on the material used), the more it should cost. ;)
