Chris & Kathryn
England, February/March 2026
We had a great time and loved the country, people, food and climate.
We're glad we booked direct [non-stop] flights with Sri Lankan airlines as it made for less tiring flying and as it turned out we weren't disrupted by the Iran conflict. As an airline they are a bit more basic than others we've flown with in the past and the inflight entertainment system is a bit unreliable and limited, but that didn't bother us much. They were efficient though and boarding and disembarking was well done.
Habarana area and Galadawala Forest Lodge
The Lodge location and the food were great. We actually stayed in the tree house and not Birders Nook as booked. This was an interesting experience, getting up and down the ladder to sleep and going outside to the bathroom with its dirt floor, but we really enjoyed it and were glad it was early on in the holiday. The upside was we were on our own, so apart from loud music coming from the adjacent village one night, it was very quiet. Staff were accommodating and very helpful and we loved the quirky feel of the place and the communal eating.
Talking to other guests we're not sure we had the best experience at Anuradhapura as we were ferried between areas by our driver and didn't get a feel for the scale and atmosphere of the site. Admittedly it was a showery day but we had waterproofs.
We decided to switch our safari in Minneriya to the morning which was a much better option as we were advised it was much quieter. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it was helpful our driver/guide Nihah [Nihal] was a keen birder as we saw a lot more than elephants.
Sigirya and Dambulla were interesting, but busy (schools were on holiday plus it was a weekend). We didn't go as early as planned on the advice of our driver as it was cloudy which was a mistake.
Wild Glamping Knuckles
Brilliant experience and location. The staff went out of their way to provide some different food options for us and were so helpful. The tents were more luxurious than we were expecting as were the general facilities. Our walking guide was great and again was good at spotting wildlife. The waterfall walk was amazing, but it should be noted it is more than a moderate trek! so wouldn't suit less fit people!
Kandy & Hanthana House
Kandy was too busy and noisy for us and apart from the market and the temples wasn't really of interest to us but had to be seen. So glad we declined going to the Temple of the Tooth ceremony as we were told by others how busy it was.
The accommodation [at Hanthana House] was larger than we were expecting for a "homestay" but we loved it and meeting Pathi. Again the food was amazing and it was interesting being shown how some of the dishes were prepared. We loved the Pekoe Trail and Ashan, our guide, was brilliant with great local knowledge including the wildlife.
Peradeniya Botanic Gardens were well worth the visit and our second driver/guide Kapila was very knowledgeable and another enthusiastic bird watcher. (We enjoyed Kapila's company all the time he was with us and he was so patient and flexible).
We stopped off at a smaller less commercial tea estate on our journey south to see how tea was produced which was well worth the visit.
Meena Amma's & Horton Plains
We're so glad you booked us in at Meena Amma's [Tea Experience, Ambewela]. We loved the whole experience, the food, cooking with Meena Amma, the simple accommodation and fantastic location. It wasn't what we were expecting as the itinerary description gave the impression that it was bigger and more commercialised which is so far from the reality. Right up our street.
Horton Plains was interesting as it was different but a bit too busy and only one main route to walk around.
Nuwara Eliya and Ella
These were a bit disappointing and rather too touristy for us but as we were going that way not a waste of time.
AMBA Estate [Ella] was brilliant all round. Loved the location, walks, seeing a working estate and learning about tea production etc. Food was excellent and again we enjoyed the communal eating. We got to meet a couple of the owners and understand their ethos for the estate. We could have stayed longer and perhaps walked another section of the Pekoe Trail.
Udawalawe
As we had time, we decided to visit the Orphaned elephant sanctuary [Elephant Transit Home]. The feeding experience was a bit commercialised which we expected, but the museum was interesting.
The National Park was brilliant and having both early morning and late afternoon visits was the right thing to do. Kapila again proved his worth as he sought out more of the smaller wildlife for us rather than following the main rush to see elephants which we could then enjoy later at a more leisurely pace.
The accommodation at Hantara [Udawalawa] [was] a bit of a let down after all the other brilliant places we stayed. It was a shame as the location was great, but it just felt shabby with handles missing off cupboard doors and a general air of neglect. The food was at best acceptable unlike the amazing food everywhere else. Given the choice we would have eaten elsewhere. The upside was there is now a new pool which we made good use of. Maybe when the additional accommodation being built is complete it will get a bit of a lift, although talking to the staff it looks as if they are trying to attract families rather than couples. [We are sorry that your guesthouse experience at Udawalawe was a disappointment and we will review offering this particular accommodation in the future. However, I am glad that the new pool was an added benefit!]
Coast, Galle and Apa Villa
The coast was beautiful, but busy and noisy. If it hadn't been for our room being on the ocean side we would have found the road noise too disturbing. The accommodation [at Apa Villa, Thalpe] was very comfortable and the staff helpful, although less accommodating when it came to providing early breakfasts. The pool was again very welcome and we had a relaxing last few days.
Galle was interesting and we had a good guide. We changed our tour to late afternoon so we could have our evening meal in the town which had a good atmosphere after dark. The boat safari [Whale watching, Mirissa] was really enjoyable although too many boats heading off together on a couple of occasions.
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