Independent Tailor-made Holidays to Sri Lanka & Maldives

Rute & Rasmus

Denmark, July 2026

What did you like most about Sri Lanka?

Diversity of environments within short distance.

Friendliness and feeling welcomed by everyone.

Possibility to combine history and culture with nature.

Freshness of fruits and vegetables.

What did you like least about Sri Lanka?

The traffic (good we had a driver).

In Galle, the rubbish in some historical sites (eg. the fort walls, in striking contrast with what we experienced elsewhere in the country – clean and tidy towns and villages).

In Kumana, the rubbish left behind by the pilgrims (really, a shame). [We agree. The accumulation of rubbish in some areas of the island is becoming a real problem which needs to be addressed immediately by the local government.]

Very little focus on anything else but the big mammals in most national parks, including Wilpattu, Minneriya and Kumana (especially the latter which is known for its birdlife, but no birds were pointed out or shown to us – full focus on leopards). [We fully appreciated your request for a birdwatching tour of Sri Lanka and we had included this emphasis in the original itinerary. We are disappointed to learn that in Wilpattu, Minneriya and Kumana there was little focus on birdlife, for which we apologise unreservedly. Your safaris in Wilpattu and Kumana were supported by naturalist guides not provided by Tikalanka, which means we had no direct control over the format of the safaris, although we had informed the safari camps that you are ardent birdwatchers and the emphasis of safaris should take this into account. Did you raise this issue with the guides locally?]

What is your opinion of your accommodation in Sri Lanka?

Very good to excellent – both in terms of facilities and food.

Cleanness, comfort and friendliness of staff to be highlighted.

[Waterland, Negombo; Mahoora Safari Camp, Wilpattu; Galkadawala Forest Lodge, Habarana; Oliphant Boutique Villa, Nuwara Eliya; GlenMyu Estate, Haputale; Gal Oya Lodge, Gal Oya; Kumana Under Canvas, Kumana; Flameback Eco Lodge, Weerawila; The Rainforest Ecolodge, Sinharaja; The Merchant Galle Fort, Galle; Villa Hundira, Negombo]

What is your opinion of your chauffeur guide in Sri Lanka?

We experienced 3 different chauffeur guides, and will provide individual feedback on each:

Ravi

More reactive than proactive type of guide, not very informative, showed us a few lizards, and a few lakes/ponds, but rarely provided information or insights on culture or nature, unless asked. [This is also disappointing to hear since he is usually complimented on his knowledge by customers. We will discuss this with him so that he doesn’t drop his consistently high standards in the future.]

Itinerary was not followed, and in 3 circumstances we were rather disappointed:

1. Day 2 – Drive from Waterland to Wilpattu. We should have visited Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary on the way. However, the day before, Ravi told us it would not be worthwhile because several paths were closed. He mentioned that we could still go, but strongly discouraged it. The next day, we drove straight to Wilpattu. Mahesh then told us that Ravi had said we did not want to visit Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary. This may have been a cultural misunderstanding, but at no point did we say we did not want to visit the sanctuary.
2. Day 5 – Sigiriya. According to the Tikalanka itinerary, we were supposed to have a guided tour of Sigiriya. However, no guide was provided on site, and Ravi specifically advised us not to hire a local guide. As a result, we visited the site on our own and relied only on the information plaques – useful only when available in English. It was a pity not to gain deeper insights into such an extraordinary place. There was also a misunderstanding regarding opening hours. We were initially told to start very early to watch the sunrise, but later informed that this was not possible due to an incident involving elephants and that the site would not open before sunrise. Yet when we reached the top, many tourists were already there and had clearly come for sunrise. This left us feeling misinformed.
3. Day 6 – Galkadawala Forest Lodge to Oliphant Boutique Villa. According to the Tikalanka itinerary, this day was not followed as planned. We left after breakfast (around 8:45), but no information was provided about the schedule or the intended visits for the day. As we drove, we made several unplanned stops, including fruit bats, a spice garden, a Hindu temple, a tea factory, and waterfalls. Some of these were enjoyable – especially the tea factory and the bats – but others were less essential for us.

We reached Kandy during school rush hour and became stuck in heavy traffic. We asked to see Kandy Lake and the palace and were taken to a viewing point across the lake from the road. To save time, we were asked whether we preferred to skip lunch and just grab some snacks, which we agreed to without hesitation.

However, when I later asked when we would arrive in Nuwara Eliya and visit Victoria Gardens – most likely the highlight of the day since ours was a nature/birding tour – we were told that this would not be possible because we would arrive too late. This was disappointing, as we would have clearly prioritised the gardens over some of the earlier stops had we known the consequences. Once again, we felt misguided due to the lack of information and clarity about the day’s plan. We fully understand that this was a long and intense drive, but clearer communication and adherence to the itinerary would have allowed us to make informed choices.

Suggestion for improvement: inform guest clearly about day itinerary and consequences of changes to the plan. [This is the brief given to all our chauffeur guides and we have no idea of the reason behind Ravi’s poor communication, which seems to have been consistently poor. Again, we can only apologise for the less than satisfactory experience you had with Ravi. For future reference, any issues with the guide should be addressed to Pathi at the earliest possible stage so that we can discuss shortcomings with the guide or change to a different guide, if preferred.]  

Mahesh

Very talkative and informative chauffeur, but clearly not a nature guide. Pleasant drive up to Wilpattu.

Nihal

Followed the itinerary and respected our wishes.

He was quite informative and in general good guide with an interest in photography and nature in general.

We enjoyed the time we spent with Nihal. What could have been even better was the pace of the walk in Horton Plains [HP], a bit too fast for birding, mostly because Nihal did not think this was the right time of the year to bird in HP. Still, we had an enjoyable trek in HP.

What is your opinion of your flights to and from Sri Lanka?

Very easy with Turkish Airlines. [Arranged own flights]

Any other comments?

Thank you for organising our recent trip to Sri Lanka. We had a memorable and enriching experience, and we appreciated the thoughtful design of a nature-oriented itinerary. Below is a concise summary of what worked exceptionally well, followed by areas where we believe the experience could be further strengthened for future guests. Attached please find the feedback form.

What Worked Particularly Well

1. Accommodation Quality. The accommodation throughout the trip was consistently excellent – comfortable, clean, well located, and staffed by warm, welcoming teams. Two places stood out in particular:
   1. GlenMyu [Estate] – exceptional hospitality and atmosphere.
   2. Gal Oya Lodge – outstanding nature immersion and guiding. We also greatly enjoyed Waterland Villa, especially the private pool, which was perfect for our first day.
2. Safety and Driving Standards. All three chauffeur guides drove safely and responsibly throughout the trip. We always felt secure on the road, even in challenging traffic conditions. This contributed significantly to our comfort and peace of mind.
3. Second Half of the Tour with Nihal. Our experience improved markedly once Nihal became our chauffeur guide. He followed the itinerary closely, respected our preferences, and provided more consistent information. His interest in nature and photography added value to the journey, and the days with him felt smooth and well organised.
4. Diversity of Landscapes and Natural Environments. Sri Lanka’s remarkable variety of ecosystems within short distances was a highlight. The ability to combine history, culture, and nature made the trip rich and engaging.
5.  Friendliness of People. Everywhere we went, we felt genuinely welcomed. The kindness and openness of Sri Lankans contributed greatly to the enjoyment of our holiday.
6. Nature Guides at Gal Oya Lodge and Sinharaja Rainforest Lodge [The Rainforest Ecolodge]. These two locations offered the most fulfilling nature and birding experiences. The guides were knowledgeable, attentive, and skilled at reading guests’ interests – exactly the level of expertise expected from a specialised birding tour. [This is very good to hear and, as you say, should have been the level of expertise throughout.]

What Could Have Been Better

1. Birding Focus from Chauffeur Guides and Park Guides. Although this was sold as a birding-oriented nature tour, the overall focus on birds was limited. Outside Gal Oya and Sinharaja, guides tended to highlight only large or iconic species (raptors, storks), with little attention to broader birdlife. In other nature destinations, guides typically adapt to guests’ interests and proactively point out species. This was not the case in Wilpattu, Minneriya, or Kumana, where the emphasis was almost exclusively on large mammals. A stronger birding orientation – aligned with the tour description – would significantly enhance the experience. [Birdwatching was the emphasis of the itinerary designed by John in the UK and we expected our guides and third-party wildlife experts to provide a truly birding experience for you in Sri Lanka, which seems to have been only partially followed. We are very disappointed that you found the holiday lacking and would emphasise again that any issues with the itinerary should be raised as soon as possible so that we can make the necessary remedial changes at the earliest possible juncture.]
2. Daily Information and Clarity on Itinerary. On several days, particularly Day 2, Day 5, and Day 6, we lacked clear information about the day’s plan, expected timings, and the consequences of changes. This led to missed opportunities (e.g., Victoria Gardens in Nuwara Eliya), misunderstandings (e.g., Sigiriya guided tour), and a sense of being misinformed. More proactive communication from chauffeur guides – especially when deviating from the itinerary – would allow guests to make informed choices and prioritise what matters most to them. [Definitely an issue we need to remedy as soon as possible and thank you for your patience and understanding. A briefing of the following day’s itinerary by our guides to customers is a cornerstone of the information we expect our guides to provide on a daily basis, and we are unsure of the reason for the guides not communicating this information to you.]

Despite these challenges, we thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to Sri Lanka and would gladly recommend both the destination and Tikalanka. With a stronger birding focus and clearer day to day communication, the experience could be elevated even further for nature-oriented travellers like us. [We are very pleased that you enjoyed your holiday in spite of the aforementioned issues and delighted that you would recommend Tikalanka in the future. We really appreciate your understanding and fortitude regarding the inconsistent guiding standards experienced during the holiday.]

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