Walking in Sri Lanka

Fantastic trip. Covered so much of Sri-Lanka, but without feeling rushed, from exploring Dambulla Caves and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa (a must see) to trekking Lions Rock and Adams Peak. Number of early starts to see the sunrise and get a head start on the day, but with plenty time to rest in the early evening. Accommodations were great, and varied with some bringing a taste of Sri Lanka culture. Even the Campsite was great with a full walk in tent, hot showers and stunning views of the lake below. Food was always good, lots of packed breakfasts and lunches during the trekking days and plenty of it that the pre bought snacks often got forgotten about. Our guide Chamara was amazing, so well organised and helpful, and great company in the trails. And the drivers, well they were great, so helpful and really kept us safe on those narrow windy roads, the bus was always clean and the big water cooler was always topped up ready.

Enjoyed Sri Lanka and based on the tour we plan to return. The elephant family sightings on the safari drive and along the main road near Sigiriya were amazing. Lots of monkeys and some lovely bird sightings. The walking tour is graded as moderate and the distances, of themselves, were not off putting, however, the detail in the notes about terrain was either lacking or inaccurate. Expect significant sections of steep, slippery rocky conditions when in the Knuckles and Kandy, plus going under and over branches in the undergrowth on the latter. Unfortunately we had extended periods of extremely heavy rain during both walks mentioned above, so glad to have packed some sturdy rain gear and quick drying clothes, but everyone had sodden boots - be prepared! Leeches were abundant in the wet conditions and evaded all steps to prevent them. Our guide, Ash, was great and very supportive and knowledgeable. The drivers and support crew were helpful and showed great team work when driving in difficult conditions in the Knuckles area.

I had a fantastic time - the walking was very diverse and we were able to get off the beaten track as well as see many of the famous sites. Adam's Peak was a very memorable although challenging experience - I would definitely recommend doing it. Be ready for lots of early starts. Our tour leader, Ash, was excellent and really made a difference to the trip- the rest of the team and local guides were also great.

Sri Lanka waking tour by Explore offers a 12 day diverse experience mostly focused on central uplands of Sri Lanka and 2 significant attractions to climb include, Adams Peak (overnight pilgrimage for locals) and Sigriyia Rock for sunrise. The program is balanced but the hotel accomodation in at least 8 /10 locations was sub-standard - old decrepit hotels and guesthouses with low quality food - while across the road there would be a modern well equipped hotel or guesthouse - several available in most of the locations with better value for money. But the local agency (Wayfairers) do not invest in updating the revising the accomodation or venues and the trip notes are totally out of date (by at least 5 years)/ The guide however awsa excellent so he saved the day and made our experience special.

The Walking in Sri Lanka trip was very well put together, travelling to a number of key sights without feeling too hurried. The walking elements added a lot to the trip, with time spent looking around, enjoying the countryside and talking with guides and other members of the group of 14. The accommodation was well chosen for convenience and a taste of the real Sri Lanka rather than "international" hotels that could be anywhere. The leader, Su, was very knowledgeable and able to put things into context very well. He suggested restaurants which were very good and arranged a number of picnic lunches which were very tasty. There were a number of early starts, but there was always time to recover later in the day. The drivers were brilliant and drove both on narrow windy roads and in city traffic with confidence and made me feel safe all the time.