Most Inspirational Moment
Definitely the cycling through villages and the walk in Horton Plaines National Park.
The cycling allowed us to see a glimpse of real Sri Lanka. People were bathing and swimming in the canals, and everyone was so friendly. They all waved at us and said hello as we went past. We then stopped to have fresh coconut water and then rice & curry in a jungle restaurant. Be warned, make sure you take plenty of water and sunscreen or a hat. The sun was beating down and there were a few people who got burned. There was also an incident where someones pedal came off and another lady fell off her bike. In both instances the follow-up crew in the van did not have any tools or a first aid kit (I do not know if this is the norm, or there was a lapse), luckily someone in the group came prepared.
The walk at Horton Plains was also amazing. Though there a lot of cloud cover, so no view, it was still very atmospheric and an invigorating walk. There are some steep, rocky climbs which gets your heart rate going, but nothing too strenuous. You do leave early from The Hill Club (5:30am) and the bus journey is quite bumpy, but they do this so that it's not too hot, and you hopefully get the best view. The journey in vans to the national park was a treat in itself. The scenery reminded us all of places in the UK.
An honourable mention would be the boat trip on Koggala lake to the cinnamon island. Definitely worth the £10. It's a very tranquil catamaran-style boat and you get to see areas relatively untouched by tourists. Also, you witness the cinnamon farmers drying the cinnamon, and can purchase it much cheaper than in certain shops and the spice garden.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Roshan did a wonderful job. He was very informative, friendly and a good laugh. He gave us plenty of information about Sri Lanka, the culture, people, history and places we were visiting. You could always ask him questions and he also suggested a lot of stuff to do on our days off.
We're both interested in art and asked if there were any galleries. He said modern art isn't really a big thing in Sri Lanka, but there was a hotel called Helga's Folly that we may like. The Victorian style house is owned by Madam Helga, who has decorated each room, hallway, passage and ceiling in the most eccentric art, photos and designs. Apparently the locals are scared to go there because they believe she is a witch in an old haunted house on the hill, but we went for dinner in the evening and truly loved the place. Very vibrant and such a great recommendation from Roshan.
Advice for Potential Travellers
- Take anti-histamines, LOTS of DEET, itch relief cream and plenty of sun lotion. Though we took some, we didn't pack enough. Also carry a small pack of tissues and hand gel as a lot of toilets did not have toilet paper.
- You have 3 days in Kandy so you can wash some clothes on your first day, and can pick up any necessary items in the city.
- The gem museums was the worst experience on the whole trip. Neither of us are interested in gems or jewellery and knew going in that we did not want to buy anything. The museum aspect was interesting and you got to see how they farm the minerals and see the men working on the jewels, however we were rushed through that part and were taken to the shop were the gentlemen all harassed us to buy something. Even when we said over and over that we did not want to buy they would say 'okay, only look' and as soon as you did they would whip out their calculators. If you know that you do not want to buy jewellery then I would skip this part entirely and get a tuk-tuk back to the hotel, or explore the city for an hour or so.
- The kitty that we paid for at the start of the trip did not cover the guide, the driver plus the helper. We individually left tips but put them in a group envelope at the end. (We left 15000 rupees for the guide, driver and helper, though do not know what is the recommended amount as Exodus did not say in the trip notes).
- If you do not like curry, or get a bit bored of it, all the hotels we stayed at offered alternatives, even the restaurants that we went to alone had a few options. The only times we did not have choice was when we visited the jungle restaurant during the cycle, and also at the Tsunami house. Though those were the best curries on the whole trip! (The food you have at the buffets was pretty much the same from hotel to hotel. If you order your food, be prepared for a long wait. If you only have 30minutes before you have to leave then you will not get your food in time.) The service in Sri Lanka is so friendly and polite, but the speed can be a bit slow at times...however this isn't a problem when you have great hotel to relax in with a cold beer.
