Lindsay & Simone
Australia, January 2026
What did you like most about Sri Lanka?
Quiet politeness, range of topography.
What did you like least about Sri Lanka?
Tourist haunts.
What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?
From the accommodation arranged for us, some were very good. To help you, we name exceptions, each for different reasons: The Sanctuary [at Tissawewa, Anuradhapura] (staff tried but the facility is substandard and room was not serviced) [Thank you for your understading and feedback, which we will pass on to the hotel's management]; Mountbatten [Bungalow] (good bungalow and service, first meal was poor and our complaint seemed to lead to improvements; remoteness from Kandy constrained our explorations compared to freedom allowed us in Colombo [Nyne Hotels – Lake Lodge]); Ella (neither the town nor the site of the comfortable accommodation [The Planter's Bungalow] suited us).
[Other accommodation included in the holiday: Lake Lodge Kandalama, Dambulla; Jetwing St. Andrew's, Nuwara Eliya; The Merchant Galle Fort, Galle]
What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?
These comments aim to assist Tikalanka continue to improve its services:
- Airport greeting was clumsy and both agent and signage were hard to observe/find.
- We should have read the explanations in the itinerary more closely before agreeing. This may have alerted us to the driver-guide being a single person rather than a specialist guide.
- By overhearing other guides at tourist sites, we formed the impression that guides had all learned the same stories, some of which seem to mix fantasy with history; this was not what we expected from a ‘tailored’ tour. [All guides are trained and licensed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, which means they follow the same course and learn the same material. There are many myths and legends in Sri Lankan Buddhism which are believed to varying degrees by the population and therefore become folklore and assumed 'truth'. If you would have preferred a more academic history of local Buddhism then we could have arranged a suitable guide if we had known.]
- We had expected the same guide throughout our stay and were surprised that a change was had been planned and that it was advised to us quite late and then by the driver.
- The change of driver did not negatively affect our trip as the second driver was kind and informed.
- The second driver was not considered a guide by Tikalanka, but he seemed very well informed and had wide general knowledge that made him a guide.
- We appreciated the efforts of both drivers and acknowledged them very well on their departure. [We apologise for the necessary change to the guide arrangements but I am glad that the guide and driver worked well in the end.]
What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?
We arranged these ourselves; they were fine.
Any other comments?
We chose Tikalanka from two agencies recommended by Responsible Travel on the basis of initial responses to our request for a tailored program. Our subsequent interactions with Tikalanka led us to understand that our desire to have an informed guide accompany us to important Buddhist sites and to avoid common tourist traps had been accommodated. This was partially born out in fact. Our experience elsewhere had led us to assume that such a guide might be a university professor specialized in the field rather than a tourist guide – we could have been clearer in our correspondence. [We agree that together we misconstrued each other's information which meant that you didn't receive the in-depth, academic guiding on Sri Lankan Buddhism you were seeking, for which we apologise. In future, we will interrogate customers' requests more thoroughly so that we receive the best holiday briefing possible.] A suggestion for any future such requests is presented below. Our request to avoid popular tourist attractions was partly met but omitting the beach components of Tikalanka’s routine tour. However, inclusion of Ella for no apparent reason after a short day’s drive was unnecessary and the town was uncomfortable. [We accept that including Ella in your itinerary was a mistake and your time could have been better spent elsewhere. Apologies again.] Galle contained some good museum exhibits that we found ourselves. Once in Galle, we realized that other Buddhist sites in the southeast might have been included in the program.
If Tikalanka receives other requests for a Buddhist-oriented tour, the following book may be useful for both guests and guides: “Sacred Island” by Dhammiki – it is downloadable free from a number of sites. [Many thanks for the recommendation.]
