Sri Lanka...tell me...
Discussion
yammyfan said:
Im going to sri lanka mid June.
Any places I should visit?
Any places I should Avoid?
What jabs should i have?
Cheers kev
Kandy.Any places I should visit?
Any places I should Avoid?
What jabs should i have?
Cheers kev
Go there on the train from Fort. A brilliant journey.
Whilst there do the normal temple and elephant suff but also get to the botanical gardens. Even if you don't like plants much it is a magic place.
If you go walking through the rainforest keep away from the monkeys, also secure bedroom windows very securely at all times, monkeys are experts at getting into places and ransacking them.
Kandy is pretty cool, although I had an aruyvedic massage in one of the smarter hotels in the surrounding area, and my little Sri Lankan massage dude touched me where he shouldn't...but that's another story.
We went to Trincomolee in the north East - not sure if it's that safe at the momnet with all the Tamil Tiger bashing that's going on. I think it may have been whalloped by the Tsunami, so not sure what state it's in.
There's not a great deal in Colombo, apart from a couple of OK hotels. I stayed at the Galle Face Hotel which was nice: www.gallefacehotel.com
I mostly did it on a budget, and went with a driver for the 1st week - he picked us up at Colombo airport and took us all over the place. We saw shed laos of temples, buddhas, yaddah yaddah, then binned him for our final week on the beach nr Trincomolee.
Sigiriyah is amazing - I think it's one of the 7 wonders of the world. And make sure to go to the very top (up the terifying rickety steps), views are stunnign and there's all sorts up there. There are some famous ancient p0rn drawings halfway up the main steps, too. Get there early if I was you - it gets very busy. We were there when it opened at 7 or 8am, and were the first people to the top.
Get a good guide book, work out what you wnat to see, work out your route, work out how you do it. Taxis are cheap, trains are good, it's not that big a place, roads are (on the whole) pretty cr*p.
Have fun - it's a fabulous place. Don't have a curry in the Hilton, Colombo though. It was a little bit hotter than the sun.
We went to Trincomolee in the north East - not sure if it's that safe at the momnet with all the Tamil Tiger bashing that's going on. I think it may have been whalloped by the Tsunami, so not sure what state it's in.
There's not a great deal in Colombo, apart from a couple of OK hotels. I stayed at the Galle Face Hotel which was nice: www.gallefacehotel.com
I mostly did it on a budget, and went with a driver for the 1st week - he picked us up at Colombo airport and took us all over the place. We saw shed laos of temples, buddhas, yaddah yaddah, then binned him for our final week on the beach nr Trincomolee.
Sigiriyah is amazing - I think it's one of the 7 wonders of the world. And make sure to go to the very top (up the terifying rickety steps), views are stunnign and there's all sorts up there. There are some famous ancient p0rn drawings halfway up the main steps, too. Get there early if I was you - it gets very busy. We were there when it opened at 7 or 8am, and were the first people to the top.
Get a good guide book, work out what you wnat to see, work out your route, work out how you do it. Taxis are cheap, trains are good, it's not that big a place, roads are (on the whole) pretty cr*p.
Have fun - it's a fabulous place. Don't have a curry in the Hilton, Colombo though. It was a little bit hotter than the sun.
When I was up in the north east, there were quite a few military checkpoints, and fairly heavily armed soldiers - that was about 4 years ago, and I think it's a bit more tsaty over there now.
Everywhere else is pretty safe I think - but always worth checking on the Foreign Office site to see what their recommendations are. Bear in mind that some travel insurance won't cover you if you travel to a place that the FO says you should avoid.
Tamil Tigers don;t have a grudge against foreingers, only the Sri lankans. Like everywhere, it's had it's fair share of bomb attacks (Kandy, Colombo in last 5/6 years), but then again so has London. Would you avoid going to London on holiday?
Well, yes. Of course you would, but for other reasons, I'd hazard.
Everywhere else is pretty safe I think - but always worth checking on the Foreign Office site to see what their recommendations are. Bear in mind that some travel insurance won't cover you if you travel to a place that the FO says you should avoid.
Tamil Tigers don;t have a grudge against foreingers, only the Sri lankans. Like everywhere, it's had it's fair share of bomb attacks (Kandy, Colombo in last 5/6 years), but then again so has London. Would you avoid going to London on holiday?
Well, yes. Of course you would, but for other reasons, I'd hazard.
We went last year, two weeks to Beruwela- south west.
Yes there are bombs out there occasionally, but they don't target tourists, I'd say you are safe in the resorts, make sure your trips are well organised- if your guides think there is any risk they will not take you.
Jabs, think we had about three jabs and malaria tablets- which it turns out we did not need. Jabs were free- don't recall what they were but your doc will know.
Always carry your passport, if you come to check point they need it.
Places to see...
Kandy is a must, see some dancers, the temple, the views, the atmosphere...
Another vote for Elepant place and Botnical gardens, (that's Sri lankan pronunciation)
we also saw a tea plantation, pineapple plantation etc on route. Freshly cut warm sri lankan pineapple cannot be beaten.
(make sure you try red banana too- supposed to be the best banana ever)
think that's all
ETA, On the road to elepant place was an elepant ride place, DO it, it was funny.
Yes there are bombs out there occasionally, but they don't target tourists, I'd say you are safe in the resorts, make sure your trips are well organised- if your guides think there is any risk they will not take you.
Jabs, think we had about three jabs and malaria tablets- which it turns out we did not need. Jabs were free- don't recall what they were but your doc will know.
Always carry your passport, if you come to check point they need it.
Places to see...
Kandy is a must, see some dancers, the temple, the views, the atmosphere...
Another vote for Elepant place and Botnical gardens, (that's Sri lankan pronunciation)
we also saw a tea plantation, pineapple plantation etc on route. Freshly cut warm sri lankan pineapple cannot be beaten.
(make sure you try red banana too- supposed to be the best banana ever)
think that's all
ETA, On the road to elepant place was an elepant ride place, DO it, it was funny.
Edited by missdiane on Wednesday 15th April 18:24
yammyfan said:
Matt172 said:
where abouts are you staying?
also worth checking if there will be a full moon when you are out there, they don't sell/serve any alcohol on those days
Not a worry anyway as im only 20 not going to be able to drink also worth checking if there will be a full moon when you are out there, they don't sell/serve any alcohol on those days
yammyfan said:
travel agent lady told me it was 21
going from this, it's 18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age
on an aside, it's well worth signing up on tripadvisor, we got good advice on what trips to do, and which were the best guides to use
Matt172 said:
yammyfan said:
travel agent lady told me it was 21
going from this, it's 18http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age
on an aside, it's well worth signing up on tripadvisor, we got good advice on what trips to do, and which were the best guides to use
As your young would also suggest doing Adam's peak; 2243 meters (7359 feet) high , but it's fairly easy climb only 5200 steps ; but it's an early start as you wouldn't want to do this climb in the midday sun. I managed it and I'm a not very fit 44 year old, so you should have no trouble.
Holiday snaps
Adams Peak
; but it's an early start as you wouldn't want to do this climb in the midday sun. I managed it and I'm a not very fit 44 year old, so you should have no trouble.Holiday snaps
Adams Peak
plover said:
As your young would also suggest doing Adam's peak; 2243 meters (7359 feet) high , but it's fairly easy climb only 5200 steps ; but it's an early start as you wouldn't want to do this climb in the midday sun. I managed it and I'm a not very fit 44 year old, so you should have no trouble.
Holiday snaps
Adams Peak
thanks for the info guys...great photos! ; but it's an early start as you wouldn't want to do this climb in the midday sun. I managed it and I'm a not very fit 44 year old, so you should have no trouble.Holiday snaps
Adams Peak
plover said:
As your young would also suggest doing Adam's peak; 2243 meters (7359 feet) high , but it's fairly easy climb only 5200 steps ; but it's an early start as you wouldn't want to do this climb in the midday sun. I managed it and I'm a not very fit 44 year old, so you should have no trouble.
Holiday snaps
Adams Peak
I think we must have stayed in the same hotel as you in Kandy ; but it's an early start as you wouldn't want to do this climb in the midday sun. I managed it and I'm a not very fit 44 year old, so you should have no trouble.Holiday snaps
Adams Peak
your pic
our pic
We went to Sri Lanka a few years ago and absolutely loved it!! Like yours, my OH was a bit wary about the civil war stuff but it was fine. Stay away from Colombo, that's where the majority of atacks are. Foreign Office advise against crossing the road which splits the island from NW to SE, but the majority of sights are on the safer side. Found it quite exciting when we visited the centre of the island, never been on a holiday where you see UN troops before! We also visited 6 months after the Tsunami, and saw a lot of the UNICEF camps, and the train that 300 odd people died on - very sobering. Places to visit, The Elephant orphanage, Kandy temple, Galle fort, Botanical gardens, and Sigirya (amazing place!!, I popped the question to Mrs D atop it).
Whereabouts in Beruwela are you staying? If it's Neptune, don't use the rep/guides from the hotel. Go onto the beach out the back of the hotel and ask for Bob. You won't miss him! Tell him what you want to see and over how many days and he'll sort it. Hotel was All Inc, I only spent money with Bob. You need to go to bank, he'll take you on his TukTuk, you want a boat trip through the mangroves, he's got a mate with a boat. We did a 2 day trip with him and another couple from the hotel, including an overnight in Kandy. Bob and his driver picked us up at 4.30am from the hotel in AC minibus, took us round all the places we wanted to visit. He knows everyone, and gets you front row seats at every place. The number of times we saw the organised group from our hotel waiting for each other, or their coach, or sitting at the back at the cultural shows, while we had our own local tour guide and chauffer, at a cheaper price!
One more thing, you WILL be scared on the roads, but you get used to it!!
Whereabouts in Beruwela are you staying? If it's Neptune, don't use the rep/guides from the hotel. Go onto the beach out the back of the hotel and ask for Bob. You won't miss him! Tell him what you want to see and over how many days and he'll sort it. Hotel was All Inc, I only spent money with Bob. You need to go to bank, he'll take you on his TukTuk, you want a boat trip through the mangroves, he's got a mate with a boat. We did a 2 day trip with him and another couple from the hotel, including an overnight in Kandy. Bob and his driver picked us up at 4.30am from the hotel in AC minibus, took us round all the places we wanted to visit. He knows everyone, and gets you front row seats at every place. The number of times we saw the organised group from our hotel waiting for each other, or their coach, or sitting at the back at the cultural shows, while we had our own local tour guide and chauffer, at a cheaper price!
One more thing, you WILL be scared on the roads, but you get used to it!!
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