Group Tours Sri Lanka

[anonymous-user]

Looking to spend 3 or 4 weeks toying Sri Lanka next February.

Anybody done similar?

Any recommendations for travel companies?

Tried Kuoni but they're incapable of even sending us information so don't fancy them. Cox and Kings have a less than exemplary record, let's say...

Anyone else?

[magooagain]

I don't know what standard you want,but I would just book a flight and some initial accomadation. Do some research in what you would want to see and do and just go.

Four weeks is a fair time for Sri Lanka ,maybe a week in the Maldives also?

[cashmax]

I would agree with the above, just sort some accommodation and go from there. Car hire is a bit of a bh to arrange, but driving is fine so long as you keep on high alert in the towns. If you don't want to drive the tuktuks are everywhere and very cheap.

One word of warning is that anything organized will involve you being presented to various traders/dealers/drivers looking to make a buck and if you are anything like me you will want to break free of all that st.

[Old Merc]

Try these guys. http://www.aitkenspencetravels.com/ I think they are one of the top travel firms out there.
We used them while we were staying in Sri Lanka.They can organise anything from a two day tour to a two week holiday.
I would say having your own driver is a must,traveling by road is not for the faint hearted,it's hilarious.
Sri Lanka is a wonderful place and the people lovely,we are definitely going back.

[anonymous-user]

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

We're a bit more 4/5 star tourists these days and would prefer a full organised group trip, particularly as it would be our first trip there.

We've heard about being touted around, taken into factories and the hard sell; not much for that stuff and it could make us look elsewhere. From what we've read it seems universal.

We've also read about being prevented from photographing wildlife unless you pay. That would be a problem; my wife is into photography and that would be a key reason for the trip. Any comments on that aspect?

Will have a look at Aitkenspence.

Thanks again.

[Old Merc]

If you tell Aitkenspence what you want AND what you don't want they will tailor a tour to suit you.Miss out anything to do with tea as you will spend an hour or more in a "Tea supermarket",same issue with spices or leather.
Mind you my wife bought a leather holdall from a stall for £35,it's now over three years old and still perfect.Similar types sell for £175 in John Lewis.
The Royal Botanic Gardens is well worth spending most of a day,likewise the Elephant Orphanage near Kandy,then the Temple of Tooth.Lots of other places of interest.
Our base hotel was The Royal Palm Beach at Kalutara.Our driver then took us on a two day tour staying overnight here...
http://www.mahaweli.com/ it was perfect,overlooking a river,we recomend it.
We plan to go south on our next visit and include the Uda Walawe National Park.The Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort looks a nice place to stay?
As for getting there,we traveled with Emirates staying two nights in Dubai,then its 3.5hrs to Colombo.Thomson are now flying direct from the UK with their new Dreamliner,so that could be an option as its a 14.5hr flight.Do plenty of research,I`m sure you will have a lovely time.

Edited by Old Merc on Thursday 25th August 18:36

[Freds]

As with any business Kuoni are only as good as their worst employee. We travel worldwide frequently and always use Kuoni, I don't often recommend anybody for fear of people being let down, however its worth your while contacting Sue Brown at Kuoni. [e-mail]

[LeapingDeere]

We went to Sri Lanka and did a tour heading north, I can't recommend a tour company as we did it independently. But happy to recommend places to stay!

It's an interesting country, the South and hill lands is geared to tourists the most. The east coast north of Colombo which was where the first resorts were built is a bit forgotten, and East coast is quietest with some untouched beaches which are postcard worthy but is rapidly becoming popular and the north is very much more like South India.