Sri Lanka Self-Guided Tours and Trips

For a new trip, we were really impressed. Excellent organisation and adaptability. A few tweaks from Exodus regarding the itinerary and hotels can make this a best seller. We were only a small group (3 single travellers and us - a mother and daughter), and we had a fantastic time!

We had two leaders - one in Sri Lanka and one on the boat. The Sri Lanka trip was fabulous - the tour leader was passionate thoughtful incredibly knowledgeable about his country and culture. The tour leader on the boat was also incredible. We love snorkelling so this part of the trip was awesome - we snorkelled for about 3 hrs every day. It is called a cruise - we went to two islands/atolls briefly but in reality it is an incredible opportunity to snorkel with expert guides. The food on the boat was incredible and the company - guests and staff was fabulous. It was the trip of a lifetime. please contact me if you want any more photos

The Pekoe Trail offers wonderful walking through these historic tea plantations and because it is relatively newly opened up we often had the whole trail to ourselves. As a solo traveller, I was so lucky to be part of a large, energetic and hugely fun group of people. We enjoyed a mix of authentic rural life and a taste of some of the old colonial buildings from the past. Accommodation ranged from simple homestays to historic hotels.

Anjana was an excellent Tour Leader and made our experience of Sri Lanka a very memorable and enjoyable one. I only have two items of feedback. Be prepared to walk in bare feet/socks once you enter the grounds of a temple; not at the actual door, as you'd expect. This means you could be walking on hot stones, pathways, gravel, sand, dirt and for some time. Take socks that you are prepared to sacrifice at the end of the holiday! If you have problems with your feet, then this holiday may not be for you. In Dalhousie, Adam's Peak location, the hotel is on 4 x floors and the rooms with the view are located away from the main building and up 262 steps - and that is not just 'a series of steps' (per the Trip Notes) - that's a lot! The porters will take your luggage, but you have to walk up/down yourself. If you have bad knees or hips, you may want to consider a room in the main building. (But you still have to get up at least 2 x floors.) Thoroughly recommend this holiday. It was my favourite EXPLORE tour so far!

Our Tour Guide Chamara Abeywardhane is Sri Lanka is very passionate about his country, very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information with us. He made sure all our needs were met. He is a people person and we got along well with him. He went out of his way to make our trip special. As we were in Sri Lanka when they were celebrating New Years, he made it possible for us to visit one Tamil family and one Sinhalese family they shared with us how they celebrate New Years. In addition we participated in another village sports event. These experiences was very special. He also made sure to take photos of the group doing various activities so we have memories of our trip.

Had a great time touring Sri Lanka. Our driver/guide Nalaka was excellent and the trip was very well organised. Beautiful country, very friendly people and plenty of variety in the itinerary.