Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the elephant ride - I would advise everyone to take the opportunity to ride on the head of the elephant as that is brilliant fun. Make sure you buy bananas to feed it while you are on there!The bike ride was great - a fabulous opportunity to see the non-touristy side of the country and the lunch was the best of the whole trip.I also loved the traditional Sri Lankan games we played at the farm - although I'm still not sure if they really were traditional games or if Roshan just wanted to get us doing silly things so he could laugh at us

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was great. This was his 177th trip but he still seemed very enthusiastic and proud of his country. His depth of knowledge was amazing and he gave a great insight into both the history and the current situation in the country. He was great fun but at the same time very organised and professional. I will warn future travellers - he is very competitive at cricket!

Advice for Potential Travellers

I did Adam's Peak which I am glad to have done as it was an interesting experience climbing up with all the pilgrims. I was very disappointed at the top though as it is small, built up and very crowded so I didn't get to see much of the famous sunrise so beware this is the case, but it is still worth doing. You also do need to be fit to do it as it takes at least 3 hours to climb up and there are over 5,200 steps. I am fairly fit but my legs were still very very sore for the next 2 days.

Most Inspirational Moment

The whole trip was inspirational so much to see and do - still trying to take it all in. Coming down from Lions Rock in a tropical storm soaked to the skin but warm; being brave enough to do white water rafting - only grade 3 but  enough for me! Riding an elephant , seeing crocodiles in Yala, friendly locals waving as we drove past, the excitement of seeing the golden casket in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and so much more.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan was an excellent leader - very knowledgeable, friendly and kept us in order!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take plenty of loose cotton clothing. There's only one cool night and the hotel offer you hot water bottles. Insects weren't a major problem at least not with 50% Deet insect repellent. Some of the coach journeys are long and winding so take travel sickness tablets if you need them.I changed £160 at the airport and a further £60 in Kandy - that was plenty unless you want to buy jewellery in the gem factory! Do as many of the optional extras as possible and have fun.

Most Inspirational Moment

A Little Doggerel on the Occasion of the return of the Sixteen from Sri Lanka. (With apologies to J. Milton Hayes, Rudyard Kipling etc.) There's at least a hundred Buddhas on the road to Kandy Town, Where the locals all smile broadly as they wish us ayubowan. Yes! Welcome to Sri Lanka! We're here to see the sights! Just sixteen cheery travellers for sixteen days and nights. There's Graham, Neil and Jason, Big Andy, Jo and Steve - Two Lindas, Charlie, Rob and Kevin make a move to leave - Two Alisons and David, Ron and Anna swell the throng And Sujan takes us all in hand to jolly us along. We clamber over boulders, we march through Horton Plain, We trudge up dusty mountains and scramble for the train, We bounce through raging waters and creep through temple prayers And ride upon the elephants and sweat up rocky stairs. We cycle by the river, we wonder in the caves, We gaze at tea plantations and gambol in the waves, We picnic in the jungle and sample Sujan's fare And watch the whales and fruit bats (and the leopards - if they're there). We see the sea, the waterfalls, the forests and the plains, The pools and 'tanks' and rivers, the sun and (sometime) rains, The trees and crops, the flowers, the birds, the turtles and the crocs And thirty dusty elephants who bathe amongst the rocks. There's at least a hundred Buddhas on the way back home through Galle - Some are very short and fat and some extremely tall, But when we all wend homewards we won't forget this isle - 'A Land of Milk and Honey' - an island with a SMILE. (But what will we all really remember - ancient cities - distant views? No - Charlie dancing frantically in his hotel room in his sexy mankini ……)

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the shadow of Adams Peak form on the clouds behind the peak.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Good, helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. The Adams Peak walk was tough, only 1100m of ascent but >5000 concrete steps. Is this one of the longest staircases in the world? It took 5 days after the hike before I could stride normally. My preparation with 600m of steps twice a week for 6 months wasn't enough preparation. We rushed up in 3hr15min; down in 2hr 15. Would advise taking it more slowly and resting more. It is difficult to gauge how far you have ascended when walking on a well lit staircase surrounded by darkness. There were 2 x WCs about half way up. So if you reach that point in under 2 hrs, you deserve a rest! Take your time and don't rush!2. Mosquitoes. Plenty about in Jan/Feb. We did use insect repellant and, at night, permethrin impregnated mosquito nets. We only got one bite each.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching elephants in the river below where we were having lunch, whale watching though I did that with mySri Lankan friend, not with the group

Thoughts on Group Leader

Extremely over anxious, but appearred to know his stuff

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you do Adams peak don't rush; it is easily 'doable' in 3-4 hours sitting on the top getting cold waiting for dawn really left some of our party frozen. I was a bit slower so did less sitting around and did not get so cold but was able to easily keep up going down in the light- I had struggled to see my way at night the trail lights cast more shadows than light, I also recovered faster than those who rushed.

Most Inspirational Moment

The bike ride was a highlight, as it gave us a chance to get close to the locals. The train journey was great fun, the elephant ride was worth every penny but the most inspiring was seeing an elephant in the wild, not even in a park, just ambling across the road, it was very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sujan was fantastic with "maximum tolerance"! He was very patient, helpful and knowledgeable, with a great sense of humour, which he needed, with 16 of us!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Missing a night's sleep to climb Adam's Peak was hard but well worth it. However, it's very cold at the top, so wear trousers and take a fleece... or two!Mosi repellant is definitely needed, especially by the coast.I think it's important to know that the Whale watching costs an extra £50.00. Perhaps a little pricey but I was glad went, I got to see humpback whales and dolphins.  

Most Inspirational Moment

For me the most inspirational moment of the trip was climbing Adam's peak. Absolutely fantastic experience walking in the dark with all the incense smells and watching the sunrise amongst people for whom it obviously had a deeper meaning than just the breath taking beauty. However it is really hard to pin point just one inspirational moment. For me what made this trip was the perfect combination of activity, culture and wildlife. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was absolutely superb. Everything went so smoothly and it was mostly I'm sure, down to his leadership. His knowledge was amazing, ethusiasm insparational and organisation superb.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The only thing that could have made this trip even better than it was for me would have been if I'd got to have gone whale watching. It's an optional activity but as it says in the trip notes, only at certain times of the year. Our leader went and spoke to local people about the last sighting and informed us that the liklihood of seeing one was minimal. So I'd check it's the right time of year for this if you're interested.

Most Inspirational Moment

It was amazing to see the elephants bathing in the river at Pinnewala.  We had a brilliant view from the terrace of the restaurant where we had lunch and were able to go down to the water to get a closer view... a little too close in my case when a tiny baby elephant decided to head-butt me.  It's certainly an experience I will never forget!

Thoughts on Group Leader

I couldn't have had a better group leader.  He made sure we had all the information we required for each day and answered any questions we had both about the country and the activities we were doing.  He even managed to get us lunch when there were a cyclone in the area we were staying and the hotel had lost all power and part of their restaurant's roof.  He always made us feel safe and at ease during the whole trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

All the activities I did, both those as part of the trip and the optional ones, were really good so I would definitely recommend making the most of every opportunity when you're out there.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were quite a few. Achievement and reward - climbing Adam's peak (5,500 steps) and seeing the sun rise across the mountains and the shadow cast across the landscape behind - just magical.Scenery - from the walk to Worlds End and the view from the train journey were all awesomeEnjoyment - watching the elephants at the orphanage play, bath and interact so gently with each other it made you marvel at the sensitivities and humility of these fine large animals

Thoughts on Group Leader

Faultless. He was well organised, calm, polite, knowledgable, humorous and good fun. He also cared a great deal about his county, its people, history, culture and its future so you empathised much more with the country through his knowledge, passion and balanced observations. He joined in with the group and at the end he said "he felt he was on holiday with us". I think that is a great compliment to him and the group that went.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go.

Most Inspirational Moment

Whitewater rafting (on a very gentle river) watching the world go by and the locals bathing in the early evening.  The Sri Lankans were amazing friendly and hospitable.  I have never been to a country where so many locals waved spontaneously as we passed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was outstanding.  He's the best tour leader I've ever travelled with.  It is no surprise that he won Exodus tour leader of the year.  He was incredibly insightful on Sri Lankan history and culture and gave us a perfect level of detail.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take lots of mosquito repellant.