Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing elephants and leopards (and other animals) close up from a jeep in Yala and Minneriya. The ceremony at The Temple of the Tooth. Climbing Lion Rock. On the cycling day we enjoyed seeing the countryside, wildlife, and the local people, also having an amazing collection of curries cooked on a farm for lunch. Paul and I don’t cycle but tuc tucs were hired for the non cyclists so that we could still enjoy the day to the full.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan was an amazing tour leader. There are some long journeys on this trip but they didn’t seem long as he made them very interesting with his informative talks on the history and culture of Sri Lanka and by regular stops for treats like bananas and Jack fruit, view points and waterfalls. He was very calm and well organised, warm and friendly and a good sense of humour. We were always well informed on where we were going, timings and what to take etc. Nothing was too much trouble for Ruwan and it was a pleasure to have him as our tour guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel light, the hotel laundry service was excellent, good value, and in most cases same day service. Leave some room in your suitcase for purchases, I.e. tea. It was very hot and humid during our stay (March) so you’ll need loose cool casual clothing. It’s probably best if you like curry, there’s the most amazing selection at the buffets, and a lot are vegetarian. However, it’s usually possible to order a la carte, just remember to do so at least half an hour in advance! Binoculars were useful, especially in the game parks. Walking trainers best for Horton Plains. We changed some money at the airport on arrival but all the hotels took credit cards.

Most Inspirational Moment

The people. The demure attentive school parties studying their history. The simple delight of the toddlers waving at "funny people" wobbling past on bikes. The sheer scale of the monuments and the civil works built centuries ago. The cleanliness of a poor but proud community. The tolerance of the traffic simply weaving its way all over the roads even if they start from the left! Hardly a horn to be heard

Thoughts on Group Leader

Neelaka twice joint runner up in Exodus's leader poles was the finest guide we have experienced, absolutely on top of his job, and obviously enjoying it! Nothing left to chance based on years of experience and practice and a genuine love of people, fine ambassador for his country. Very touched to be introduced to his wife on the last night, a first for her and us, thank you!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go and embrace this wonderful place, and do the optional extras too!

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Polonnaruwa, the Martin Wickramasinghe Museum and the Game Drives. But it’s hard to close as I enjoyed the whole trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Neelaker, our group leader, was excellent. He is warm, caring, considerate and very knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that the walk on Day 10 on Horton Plain is approximately 9km.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to choose from so many highlights - on wildlife has to be seeing a leopard so close up in Yala national park as well as elephants passing so near to the jeep. On scenery, the far-reaching views from Lions Rock and watching the sunrise from Adams Peak (after 2.5 hours of effort climbing up steps with hundreds of others). Patiently queuing to view the casket in the Temple of the Tooth was a humbling experience. The trip was full of other enjoyable experiences - biking, rafting, canoeing - where we were so warmly welcomed by the locals. Their smiles were simply heart-warming!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nala was a key factor in the success of this trip. He was an excellent guide, working very hard behind the scenes to offer us "local experiences" such as lunch in a traditional village, a spontaneous game of cricket or a stop at a roadside fruit stall. He was keen to impart knowledge about Sri Lankan life to us, was extremely well organised (giving us verbal then written details about the day's plans!), unfailingly calm and pleasant. An absolute delight to know! Nala worked well with our driver Dinesh and assistant Clement - they were a very competent team giving us excellent service (those cold flannels on returning to the minibus to escape the heat were bliss!).

Advice for Potential Travellers

Dinners were mostly eaten in the hotels for convenience but if you don't want the buffet, you can choose a la carte, just order well in advance! Lunchtime was when we tended to experience locally prepared food. When you visit the national parks they do bag checks so make sure you don't take any plastics in. Have a pair of socks handy for temple visits, saves burning feet on hot stones!

Most Inspirational Moment

So many inspirational moments it is hard to decide. Probably seeing blue whales and dolphins on a boat trip from Mirissa. Seeing the wildlife in Yala National Park including a leopard.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dileepa was a brilliant tour leader, very knowledgeable and approachable with a great sense of humour. There were personal touches that made the holiday extra special including playing traditional games in a village and watching Dileepa and some of the young men in the village play cricket. The driver and assistant were also extremely helpful.

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to choose one. I loved all the world heritage sites (especially Sigiriya) and the game drives (although there is a bit of an issue with the optional elephant game drive ...more later) Others in the group would identify the white water rafting or whale watching so it depends on individual choices.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan was the best tour leader I've travelled with on my many Exodus (and similar companies) holidays. Well organised, personable, knowledgeable and with a passion for his country but also willing to discuss its difficulties. On long journeys he would give us a 'talk' on a particular subject be it Buddhism, history of the country etc. He had a lovely sense of humour which encouraged all of us to participate in activities and there is no doubt that his leadership and good relationship with the coach driver and co-driver helped everyone feel comfortable throughout the trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the days involve long coach journeys but each of these were broken up by stopping at interesting spots or having breaks for tea or lunch. There was much more eating in hotels than I've ever experienced on previous Exodus trips. In some cases this was necessary as the hotel was 'out of the way' with little opportunities for cafes/restaurants around , but in other cases you could choose to not eat with the group and search out alternatives (which would be cheaper) locally. Be aware that in all hotels and some restaurants there are taxes to add onto your meal and drinks which increase the cost by 25% The hotels were of a much higher standard than I expected. You don't need to bring a hairdryer or shampoo/conditioner as all provide ...except one. The cottage hotel in Nuwara Ellya had an issue with hot water in some rooms and food service was painfully slow but this hotel only stood out as the others were so great.

Most Inspirational Moment

The day spent cycling as it was well organised and lovely to have time exploring along the watercourses with all the sights and sounds.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Suneth was an exceptional leader - he was full of information about Sri Lanka and all the wildlife but more importantly he was a very kind caring man who went out of his way to make our trip special - introducing us to different foods, buying fruit for us to try, taking us out on birdwatching trips in his own time. He was very careful for our safety and was always available if we needed him. It was very sad that he had to leave early for family reasons but he handled what must have been a very difficult and emotional time for him in an extremely professional way.

Advice for Potential Travellers

To add in a few days at the end to relax as the trip was very full on in the best way. it would have been great to have a few days at the end to relax and mull over the experience and to explore Columbo as a city.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many great moments. I enjoyed visiting Kandy and attending the Tooth Ceremony with the smell of the beautiful flower offerings and the colours! . The thrills and spills of whitewater rafting! The lunches prepared by the village ladies, so many different dishes, all tasting wonderful, with some even cooked in front of us! Cycling beside the beautiful waterways was very special with all the children coming out to greet us! And the wildlife was amazing, from elephants to monitor lizards to hornbills to crocodiles!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan was well organised and had a great sense of humour. He took time to explain the history and customs of the island as well as the geography and language. He took care of everyone. Any problems were quickly sorted out calmly and efficiently He gave us great tips on where to visit in our free time. We couldn’t have had a better group leader!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take insect repellant and don’t forget to use it! Take a camera with a large memory card! There is lots to photograph! Enjoy every minute as it goes too fast!

Most Inspirational Moment

cycling through villages and learning all about coconut farming, and being served a local Sri Lankan buffet in one of the settlements we cycled through. going to Yala national park seeing elephants and a leopard playing Sri Lankan games with our tour leader and fellow group. learning all about Sri Lankan history from our amazing tour leader Ruwan Exodus supporting local community projects and taking us to non touristy places. Visiting the tea plantations and learning all about the tea growing process was brilliant walking to World's End was awesome with incredible breathtaking views. Environmental issues remained a top priority with Exodus with water being supplied on the tour bus for us to fill up our own bottles

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ruwan definitely defined the holiday and made it one of the best holidays I have ever had! He was witty, very knowledgeable about the wildlife, history of the country and it's people. He made every effort to ensure that everybody was happy and fully participated in our tours, activities and meals. He also bound the group together, we arrived as strangers and we were friends when we departed! The Sri Lankan games we played towards the end of the holiday were hilarious.. All thanks to Ruwan and also the driver and his helper. I cannot recommend him highly enough. Thank you Ruwan!

Advice for Potential Travellers

go with room in your suitcase for Sri Lankan clothes, tea and spices!

Most Inspirational Moment

Particularly enjoyable memories include: Climbing Lions Rock, Hortons Plain walk (even though Worlds End view was misty), white water rafting, hot water bottle at night at the Hill Club, bike ride/local lunch, playing Sri Lankan games, train ride, wandering round Galle, and still some time to relax by the pool and have a swim.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was an excellent guide, our tour was very well managed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Whale watching – I did it, and we did see blue whales (and a pod of dolphins). But, with hindsight, I would not have done it, as it takes around 7.5 hours, and you only see a few glimpses of the whales, and I think I could have made better use of my time by the local beach and doing perhaps the afternoon mangrove tour. Oh well, you live and learn. Sigiriya – do the optional game drive, we saw loads of elephants, and we only caught a glimpse of one on the included Yala drive. Take insect repellant.