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Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

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276 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Reviews

Sri Lanka open for tourists

The discover Sri Lanka trip allowed us to see the highlights of the centre and South of the country with a well thought out itinerary. Some days are full on, with early starts and reasonably energetic walks or cycles, the activities are punctuated by two night stops at some hotels, allowing recuperation.

Most Inspirational Moment

The trip had everything from Bhudist temples and ancient forts to nature reserves. For us seeing elephants, a leopard and two blue whales would have to be the highlights of the trip. On a more human dimension though the traditional games organised by our group leader Roshan were brilliant, getting everyone involved, even the driver and assistant joined in!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan did an excellent job with a diverse bunch. His good sense of humour and organisational skills meant that things ran smoothly, even though there were a range of optional trips that were not taken up by eveyone.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Sri Lanka is ready for and needs tourists! We did not experience any disruption or see any protests during the trip. The hotels and local restaurants/cafes all provided varied menus (especially if you enjoy a curry).

Beautiful Land of Sarandib

Perhaps the greatest holiday I’ve ever been on. From safaris in beautiful national parks in search of elephants, to visiting fascinating ancient cities, to eating amazing food, all of it was top notch. I really cannot fault the guide (Roshan) at all. He was informative, and taught us all a thing or two about the country, it’s culture, wildlife, etc.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing elephants for the first time at the Hurulu Eco Park, and continuing to see them even after leaving the reserve. Also being lucky enough to see Golden Jackals by pure chance on the root back to the hotel from the reserve.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant. Very friendly and knowledgeable, taught us all a lot and had a sense of humour as well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I highly recommend this tour. Eat out at restaurants recommended by the guide, you won’t regret it.

Sri Lanka

The trip involved truly discovering the wildlife, geography, culture, history, religion and entertainment of Sri Lanka and its people. We saw temples, religious ceremonies, games, wildlife, markets, spice farms, tea plantations and dancing; we tasted some wonderful local food; we heard their amazing morning bird choruses, as well as amazing tales by Roshan, our guide; we travelled by bus, boat, tuktuk, bicycle and train, and stayed in some amazing hotels. Travelling with Exodus and having a local guide made the whole experience easy – everything is organised for you. The balance of activity and rest is really well thought out so it keeps you busy, but with rest breaks to enjoy the sun, the pool or simply explore a little more. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone.

Most Inspirational Moment

Joining in the pilgrimage to the top of Adam's Peak, a 1000m climb of 5,500 steps over 7km done overnight to reach Sri Lanka's fourth highest peak for sunrise. It was superb to experience what the locals put themselves through, with everyone from infants to the elderly making their way up past all the tea houses. It is really strenuous, but a great personal achievement too. The wildlife park at Yala, the Sri Lankan games, bicycle ride and farmer's lunch, and cinnamon farm were other highlights among many.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was great - attentive to all our needs, ensuring we were looked after well and keeping us organised; he has great skills in providing story-like tales of the history, politics, religion and cultural habits, using wit and personal stories to bring it to life and keep it interesting. His English was excellent and he made liaising with locals so much easier.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Have access to a good amount of cash, as the optional tours and activities all need payment in Rupees or Pounds. You can pay for meals and drinks in the hotels by cash, or simply use a card/mobile. All the hotels had English style sockets, so no adapters were needed. Be prepared for mosquitos - take repellent such as Aloe Vera or citronella. Be prepared for some early starts, but there's plenty of time to snooze on the bus. Water for drinking bottles is provided. Having a group tipping kitty saves a lot of hassle. Share photos on a WhatsApp group.

Discover Sri Lanka November 2022

A well oiled but flexible trip around central and southern Sri Lanka. Especially enjoyed the rail journey, cycling and meeting the local people. We got to see most of the animal highlights and enjoyed the beach hotel. The additional excursions means that it is a full on tour. Suggest adding on an additional two or three days to wind down.

Most Inspirational Moment

Not sure what inspirational moments were on the trip as it was exciting and informative . Meeting and moving amongst the locals was great. It reminds us what we have and what you really do need. The only real inspiration was to make sure that we repeat the holiday trips regularly.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was great, he got to know us and allowed the trip to develop, it never feeling too much of a rush or exercise to be completed. His talks on the general history were pitched just right and were informative and interesting. The issues and political landscape since independence were well explained and informative. He made an effort to understand and nurture the group

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring plenty of insect repellant. Clothes can be laundered at a reasonable cost at the hotels so not some may clothes need be brought resulting in a lower weight suitcase to lug around.

Sri Lankan selection box!

Firstly just to say how amazing it was to travel long haul again! Every day was a highlight!
It was great to use the first day on arrival to chill and get to know the group round the pool of the hotel then the next day we were off on our adventure.
The Cave temples were fascinating then we were climbing Lion’s rock, looking for elephants and cycling. Not a dull moment! Lots of interesting UNESCO heritage sites to visit .Even the long drives were punctuated with interesting stops eg Spice garden
The Sri Lankan food and hospitality was excellent and there was a good variety of Western food for a change if you wanted it. Loved the fresh pineapple and the bananas.
A well balanced trip with culture, nature and activities but enough time to chill by the pool or book a massage in the hotel spa. Loved seeing the tea plantations and getting a really good cuppa on holiday!
A holiday full of experiences!

Most Inspirational Moment

So many to choose from. I loved cycling through the villages stopping for coconut water ( I didn’t even know I liked it!) and then having a delicious home cooked lunch at a family home. Seeing lots of healthy wild elephants roaming the Nature reserves with their young and having a leopard cross the track in front of our jeep at Yala. The white water river rafting was such fun and I definitely recommend doing that option.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan provided us with great commentary throughout the tour especially on the bus. He had fabulous organisational skills and made sure our tour continued to plan despite the civil unrest and diesel shortage. He didn’t let those troubles get in the way of our holiday. By the second week we had all bonded into a lovely group which he was very much part of.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take socks for the temple visits- you could fry an egg on the ground. UK sockets are in all the hotels we stayed in so no need to bring adaptors. It’s colder in the tea plantations area so take long Pajama bottoms if you feel the cold ( or just put the heater on!) and a fleece for evening. Definitely take a waterproof! I took a small over body bag when cycling that fitted my phone so I could take photos. You can pay optional trips in £ so I’d take extra for that other than the £150 to change into SR at the airport. I paid hotel bills with credit cards. On your free day in Nuwara Eliya I recommend afternoon tea at “The Grand” at 2.30pm . It’s about £6. Also beforehand go for a tour of “The Hill Club” . It’s 200SR to be a member for the day ( 50p) and have drinks on the lawn. Take insect repellent and a torch and a plastic bag to put your wet clothes in after rafting ( you will get wet) Good idea to wear the clothes you went cycling in with swimwear underneath and change after. Swim in the Indian Ocean at the beach resort. The water is warm and the swimming pool is like a hot bath. The group kitty idea is much easier and it’s one less thing to think about!

Most amazing trip to the Isle of Serendipity

I am so glad I decided to book this tour to Sri Lanka, I had the most amazing holiday! What a beautiful, wonderful, welcoming country this is, I cannot recommend it enough. I usually travel along, but decided to join a group for the first time so I didn’t have to organise everything myself, and the trip exceeded expectations.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed everything, the variety of the different visits and activities was really appreciated. I loved learning more about the history of Sri Lanka and visiting archaeological sites and temples. Visiting caves that contained giant prehistoric Buddhas cut into the rock was mind blowing! Cycling along the canals (Sri Lankan canals are much more beautiful than British ones) and drinking freshly picked coconuts was also very special.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Roshan was a fantastic and very experienced, patient leader . He organised everything so we could focus on enjoyed the trip and activities and was as incredibly knowledgeable and supportive and kind to everybody in the group. He also took us to some great restaurants that we would never have found without his local knowledge. Roshan ensured the trip went without a hitch and made it a really special holiday for us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The facilities were great, if you forget to take anything you won't have a problem. The hotels were all very accommodating. The bus we traveled on was very well kitted out (air conditioning, limitless water). I felt safe at all times as a female traveler. The food is absolutely incredible, the best cuisine I've had on a holiday by a long shot.

Stunning trip

I was well impressed with Sri Lanka – charming people, friendly and calm perhaps due to the widespread effect of Buddhism. Our well planned route took us inland, through the mountains and round the south coast with expert guide Nalaka, so we got a great overview of the island. Lovely hotels, most with pools, and superb food – buffets with the chance to try everything mixed with home cooking on banana leaves. We had the opportunity to travel in different ways – rafts, bikes, jeeps and trains; we saw wildlife close up, especially elephants of course, crocodiles, monkeys and a wide range of birds; and we explored some incredible historic sites. A very memorable and fun trip with a lovely group.

Most Inspirational Moment

I was particularly inspired by the view from the top of Sigiriya rock in the early morning mist, the folk museum and the life of Martin Wickramasinghe and the cheek of the monkeys!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Nalaka was an excellent tour guide - charming, well organised, informative and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

No real need for adaptors - most hotels have sockets which take UK plugs. Walking boots are pretty useful - the Horton Plains track in particular is rough. And 'temple clothes' are needed - even just a sarong which can cover the legs or shoulders and old socks to wear on the hot rocks.

Would I go again? Yes I would.

From tropical beaches, through steaming jungles to Scottish moorlands Sri Lanka has it all. Where else can you grow where they grow pineapples, coconuts and cashew nuts a few miles down the road from tea, potatoes and leeks? Fantastic scenery, great food and wonderful people.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing a 5ft water lizard at our first road side stop after leaving the airport. Just a taste of what was to come.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader had a great sense of humour and loved his country. Standard answer to any question was usually "90 minutes" and he wasn't far wrong.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with the flow. Sri Lankans don't like to hurry and preparing fresh food takes time.

We scratched the surface

We were a mixed bunch of travellers from mainly the UK, aged from 24 to 76, single and partnered. Roshan was our tour guide – he’d been doing it for over 10 years, so there was a certain repetition in his recommendations. Sometimes we were simply let loose to explore without guidance. We enjoyed his descriptions about social life in Sri Lanka and his take on politics but he was reticent about the current situation and we learned little about his private life. He was very helpful at all times.
Some days were full of activity and others were more relaxed. Sigirya was my favourite hotel. We were there over the New Year’s holiday so some activities such as the Tea factory visit, were not as illuminating as they would otherwise be.
The buffet food was excellent and the hotels left little to complain about.
Unfortunately our trip ended on Easter Sunday, when over 250 people were killed in Colombo. Exodus were very good at organising transport to the airport despite the curfew.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visit to the Tsunami house.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As above. Roshan is, I felt, naturally reserved. Apart from learning our names, he seemed disinterested in who we were and where we had come from. He delivered his messages as required but I felt he was sometimes bored. He rarely asked us how we were and did not fully engage with us. (I went on an Exodus Rajasthan trip last year and had an excellent guide, Ayjay, so I had high expectations). Occasionally, towards the end of the trip, he spent more time with us at our evening meal. I foolishly left my camera behind at the Tea factory and he was very good at recovering it. I wish him well for the future.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Relax. Sri Lanka is not Europe. Go with the flow. Service can sometimes be slow and unresponsive. This was my third trip to Sri Lanka. The people you will meet are kind and helpful. Health and safety warnings can be excessive. I had no insect bites and was never exposed to danger. Lions Rock, Adams Peak and the walk to Worlds End can be hot and challenging.

Amazing tour

A tour to be thoroughly recommended, covering all aspects of Sri Lanka and it’s lovely people. Busy, lots of early starts and some long journeys but so worth it. The trip notes were accurate and we were also able to see sights at their most opportune moments, I.e. climbing Lion Rock before breakfast and before the crowds, Temple of the Tooth while a ceremony with drumming was on, Horton Plains early before the heat and the mists descended. Having lunches cooked by villagers and our guide stopping and buying us bananas, watching curd (yogurt) making and tasting it, eating freshly sliced Jack fruit at the roadside. We enjoyed every minute.

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.