Andrew & Jemma
England, January 2018
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
It is such a beautiful country. So many diverse landscapes, lots of delicious food and friendly people – we felt so welcome wherever we went.
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Some of the toilets 
Everything else was AMAZING.
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
We loved our selected accommodation. Each hotel had its own charm and was different from all the others.
- Heritance Kandalama [Dambulla] – When our weary, slightly jet-lagged bodies arrived here on our first day we were overwhelmed with happiness at the absolute serene tranquillity of the place. The staff were warm and friendly, the food excellent. The view over the lake was gorgeous and we thoroughly enjoyed relaxing by the pool staring out at it. A minor incident with some bedroom-invading, fruit-stealing monkeys… but that was Andrew’s fault!
- [The] Secret Kandy [Kandy] – The service here was outstanding and we were treated like royalty throughout our stay. The room was lovely and, though noisy, this added to our experience (hustle, bustle and general liveliness of the city). We were kept awake part of one night by (what we think was) a large mouse scurrying back and forth above us, planning his attack (there were several droppings on the mosquito net!), but we thankfully survived the night!
- 98 Acres [Resort, Ella] – Perhaps our favourite hotel, although it is a close call. I think it could be described as blissful. The Honeymoon Suite had a spectacular view, and we set our alarms extra early to ensure we could take in sunrise over the hills. If we win the Euromillions we intend to take residence here permanently. As with all the hotels, the service was great, and the food really delicious. We spent a day relaxing by the pool in the peace and quiet and, followed by a wonderful couples’ massage, we felt like we were in heaven.
- Jetwing Yala [Yala] – We loved the bright feel of our bedroom – it had a lovely coastal feel. The sea view from our large balcony was fantastic. We enjoyed meals outside both evenings, with tasty food and friendly waiters. Jemma particularly enjoyed the family of wild boar trotting around by the pool.
- [The] Fort Printers [Galle] – This hotel was so different again! The manager, Peter, gave us an interesting tour with history of the hotel/Galle. The kitchen with coffee machine and free soft drinks was a nice and very welcome touch, and we felt right at home. The shaded courtyards were perfect for enjoying some ‘down time’ with our books and a beer. We thought the food stood out here – we loved our breakfasts and had an excellent lunch on one of the days.
- Heritance Ahungalla [Ahungalla] – We spent 3 very relaxed days in the sun, lounging by the pool, watching Monitor lizards plod around in the shade. The beach was gorgeous, we had lots of fun splashing around in the huge waves! We were pleased to find we had been upgraded to a suite, which was nice, though it was unfortunately looking old with a shower that flooded the bathroom, and broken fixtures and fittings. The service wasn’t quite as good here. We probably wouldn’t have chosen all inclusive (in hindsight) to end our honeymoon as it did feel like we were restricted and bit less special, especially after the luxury we were treated to for the rest of our honeymoon. It was also stressful when everyone staying there seemed to get up at 3am to bag sunbeds. It wasn’t as romantic as the other places but we did have a lovely stay nonetheless.
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
Ravi was FANTASTIC! Warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and an excellent driver. We felt so well-looked after. He made sure that everything ran smoothly for us at each check in. He was sorely missed when he had to leave us early for a family bereavement, but we were so glad that he was our driver – please pass on our huge thanks to him again!
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
The service was generally excellent, the food good and seats reasonably comfortable (as expected). Unfortunately, the entertainment was broken the whole duration of our flight to Colombo, which was very disappointing (there was no explanation). [SriLankan Airlines – Economy Class]
Any other comments?
We visited the Tikalanka stand at the Destinations show in London last year and were impressed with John’s enthusiasm and knowledge of Sri Lanka. After visiting lots of stands and getting about seven or eight quotes from various travel companies for our Honeymoon, we felt that Tikalanka’s was the best in terms of the quality of the accommodation and range of activities in our budget. John was very quick to respond to queries we had when making our booking, changing a few things on the itinerary to suit us. The holiday itself was fantastic, everything was very organised and the quality high. Tikalanka’s driver / guide very professional and friendly. Would very much recommend Tikalanka.
Thank you so, so much for organising such a magical honeymoon for us. We have so many wonderful memories to cherish forever. As we are writing this, we are both wishing we were back in the beautiful Sri Lanka and not in grey East London… we hope to be back one day!
We will certainly recommend Tikalanka to absolutely anyone who shows the slightest inkling that they might book a trip to Sri Lanka!
« All feedback
