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Sri Lanka versus .......

40

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 16 January 2011 - 20:27

Can you advise the best place to go for a 3 to 4 night stay
would Sri Lanka be a good destination and if so any advise on
whether its better to book this through UK company or do it direct
If so any advise on good hotels/flight etc

Would like to go away at Easter somewhere nice so would love all your advise

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870

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 19 January 2011 - 11:51

we were recently at the taj exotica and can say thats it not well maintained and is quite run down. everyone of all nationalities and from lots of different countries complained about the accomodation and hotel generally as it was tatty/ poor. its more a poor 3 star than the 5 it advertises. yes the views are lovely for sure ( depending on which room you have of course ) you are up on a slight hill but i wouldnt swim in the sea and you do get hassled loads if you try to walk on the beach ( they just dont take no for an answer ), the food was good especially the egg hoppers with sambals for breakfast, but repetetive after a few days at the buffet restaurant and the stand alone restaurants were very expensive, but i would recommend the outside seafood restaurant for lovely fish and shell fish. its about 3 half hours - 4 hours drive from airport depending on traffic and weather. we went for a week and for us it was far tooooo long, there was nothing to do there especially if it rains, so boring and dismal in the rain. we even considered going back to colombo and staying at the cinnamon grand for the remainder of our hols.( now thats a lovely hotel.) i do appreciate and recognise that sri lanka has had a bad time .of things over the last few years with the war, tsunami and now the dreadful floods. i still wouldnt go back even tho so many people tell us they love it. for me i would choose thailand ( not pattaya ) over sri lanka.

LucyMcMurray33422

5

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 17:51

We flew with Sri Lanka Air for AED 1200 and the flight was comfortable and short and very well priced. There was no entertainment on our flight but the food was not bad. If you want an even cheaper flight then you can go with FlyDubai or Mihin Lanka (http://www.mihinlanka.com/) for even cheaper. My experience was nothing like Fairwater's although I can see how it would be easy to get stuck in substandard hotels. Dubai is on another level with regards to luxury and some of the 5* hotels in Sri Lanka do not measure up. However, there are a number of hotels that do compare. You just have to choose very carefully and check the reviews on Trip Advisor. In answer to Long's post, we went at the start of sept (end of rainy season) and the weather was lovely all over. We travelled from Negombo to central Sri Lanka (Sigiriya & Kandy) and then down south, through the hill country to the Yala National Reserve and while it rained occassionally it was for short stretches and it was a nice change from Dubai. My parents-in-law travelled there at the beginning of Oct and it rained the entire week they were there. They were in Sigiriya, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya where it was supposed to be dry season. I guess the weather is a gamble although I must say that I really enjoyed the rain as it was still warm but much cooler than Dubai. And yes it is a long drive to the east coast, especially since the cars cannot go more than about 80km per hour due to the narrow and bumpy roads. I think you will have to decide what is more important to you, the weather or the drive.

59

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 15:57

We have been a few times and absolutely love it - if you don't mind the loooooong drive South, Olanda Villa is great - own house on beach in Thalpe - with chef and maids and staff. http://www.villainsrilanka.com/olandabeachvillasrilanka.htm Also Galle Fort Hotel is beautiful for shorter breaks and Taj Exotica at Bentota is nice - not five star by UAE standards but lovely service, food and outlook. If you are going for short stay and the drive from Colombo doesn't appeal, perhaps you could stay at Tintagel - http://www.paradiseroadhotels.com/tintagel/index.php Anyway, we love Sri Lanka and hope that the Sri Lankans are able to rebound from these floods.

1046

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 15:45

Check out this place: www.thelagoonvilla.com We stayed there and it's fab if it fits in with what you want from your break. Your own personal chef or self catering. Lovely place for a couple, family or friends.

870

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 15:15

went once wouldnt go back. hotels might advertise themselves as 5 star but they are substandard. we did a tour which was good - the sights were lovely but still wouldnt make me want to go back. there are many hours of travel between sights it was hard work wouldnt recommend with children. we did the coast and it was horrible. thailand is much nicer all round.

153

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 15:11

I've travelled around Sri Lanka and it is a stunning country. The food was some of the best I have had. What kind of trip are you interested in? If you are looking for beaches we stayed at Bentota Beach Hotel which was nice. If you are more into nature then the Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sigiriya is absolutely stunning (but rather expensive as it is luxury at its finest). It is in the middle of the wilderness and also offers pool villas. The hill country was also beauiful with all the tea plantations and waterfalls. All of these places are at least a couple of hours a drive away from the airport although its totally worth it and I would never recommend staying in Colombo. If you have little ones then there are also elephant sanctuaries close to Kandy where you can ride and wash the elephants and an elephant orphanage where you can see baby ellies. When we went we used a driver who was very well priced and very knowledgable. Let me know if you would like his contact info. I'm hijacking this thread but I've been trying to find info about Sri Lanka. I want to go in July and August with my two young boys (4 & 6) to escape the Dubai heat. I will be there alone most of the time, my husband/friends will come and go over the two months. So I need to get this right. From what I've researched it's monsoon season on the west coast during this time so was thinking I need to head to the east coast however I'm worried this will be too far from the airport for visitors to 'pop' over. So how much rain fall will I experience on the west coast? Is it like places in Asia where it rains for a couple of hours in the afternoon or does it rain all day/every day? I'm looking for a villa so we have a little space and don't have to eat out all the time. I want something on the beach with a pool and not too isolated. It's good to explore every few days. As I'm staying so long I'm not looking for 5 star luxury but don't want a dump either. Any help/advice is really appreciated

2362

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 14:27

i flew with sri lanka air www.boutiquesrilanka.com sorted my itinerary and villas - they were great

Tongue Tied7617

15

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 14:23

I flew to Sri Lanka with FlyDubai... super cheap and flies from Terminal 2 so super quick at the airport too as it's so small. The return flight including taxes was under 900dhs. You have to pay for food and drink on board but it's such a short flight that you can always eat before you travel. We stayed in Hikkaduwa and stayed at a great place called Drifters. Right on the beach, really friendly and very cheap. It's a budget place so no luxury but had a swimming pool and the owner is really helpful too.

40

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 14:05

Please can you pass on any info in getting to Sri Lanka Thanks

LucyMcMurray33422

5

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 January 2011 - 12:31

I've travelled around Sri Lanka and it is a stunning country. The food was some of the best I have had. What kind of trip are you interested in? If you are looking for beaches we stayed at Bentota Beach Hotel which was nice. If you are more into nature then the Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sigiriya is absolutely stunning (but rather expensive as it is luxury at its finest). It is in the middle of the wilderness and also offers pool villas. The hill country was also beauiful with all the tea plantations and waterfalls. All of these places are at least a couple of hours a drive away from the airport although its totally worth it and I would never recommend staying in Colombo. If you have little ones then there are also elephant sanctuaries close to Kandy where you can ride and wash the elephants and an elephant orphanage where you can see baby ellies. When we went we used a driver who was very well priced and very knowledgable. Let me know if you would like his contact info.

232

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 17 January 2011 - 10:07

Sri Lanka is a great choice, a beautiful country and not a long flight to get there. You can book flights and hotels yourself very easily. I went with Air Arabia from Sharjah but Emirates also fly there. I can't recommend Asian Jewel hotel in Hikkaduwa enough - quite a few other members have been too and loved it www.asian-jewel.com

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