It's been an extraordinary experience in Sri Lanka. I didn't expect my parents to say "yes" when I first suggested this country to them, given it's not a very common tourist destination among Asians. Cheers to my adventurous parents! We had our shares of ups and downs during the journey, but the memories created were incredible in its own way. To find out the details of our journey, continue reading this as well as my subsequent posts! :)
Administrative matters
Sri Lanka Hires
Spent a lot of time reading reviews online and finally we decided on Sri Lanka Hires. Indeed we made a right decision. The service was good, the vehicle was clean and well-maintained, and more importantly, the charges were reasonable. First of all, you have to plan a rough itinerary (should at least cover the major towns/attractions that you wish to visit) before contacting the company. This is because the charges are based on mileage.
Some important things to note:
Itinerary
Day 1
- Flight to Colombo International Airport and get picked up by driver (Sri Lanka Hires)
- Seafood shopping at Negombo Fish Market and lunch at Silver Sands Beach Restaurant
- Explore Colombo (Gangaramaya and Seema Malaka Temple)
- Dinner at Ministry of Crabs (Not recommended)
- Check in Cinnamon Colombo Red Hotel
Day 2
Initial plan:
- Visit Dambulla Cave Temple in the morning and Sirigiya Rock in the afternoon
Reality:
- Buffet breakfast at hotel
- Terrible traffic jam from Colombo to Dambulla
- Dambulla Cave Temple in the late afternoon
- Check in Heritance Kandalama Hotel
Day 3
- Buffet breakfast at hotel and spend the morning in Heritance Kandalama
- Lunch at Gamagedara Village Food
- Visit Sirigiya Rock (aka Lion's Rock)
- Dinner at Chooti Restaurant (Not recommended)
- Check in Hiru Tourist Rest
Day 4
- Breakfast at homestay and visit Polonnaruwa Ruins in the morning
- Lunch at Restaurant Mahanage and depart to Kandy
- Visit Kandy Golden Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic
- Dinner at Cafe Divine Street
- Check in Traveller's Home
Day 5
- Breakfast at homestay
- Visit Kandy Lake and Kandy Royal Botanical Garden
- Lunch at Ramboda Falls Hotel
- Explore Nuwara Eliya (Free factory tour at Blue Field, visit Dambro tea plantations, Nuwara Eliya post office, Gregory Lake)
- Dinner at Salmiya Italian Rest
- Check in Sea Breeze Nuwara Eliya
Day 6
- Breakfast at homestay
- Explore Grand Hotel and random tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya
- Train ride from Nuwara Eliya to Ella
- Dinner at Chill Restaurant and Bar
- Check in Ella Alpine Resort
Day 7
- Breakfast at resort and hike to Little Adam's Peak
- Visit Nine Arch Bridge
- Lunch at Ella Flower Garden Restaurant
- Check in Udawalawe Safari Camp + BBQ dinner
Day 8
- Morning safari at Udawalawe National Park
- Depart to Mirissa and stop at Matara (visit Paravi Duwa Temple and lunch at The Dutchman's Street)
- Check in Ballena Regency
- Dinner at Blue Whale Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Day 9
- Breakfast at hotel
- Explore Mirissa (visit Coconut Tree Hill and view Koggala stilt fishing)
- Lunch at Pedlar's Inn Cafe and explore Galle Fort
- Back to airport and leave Sri Lanka
Administrative matters
- All Malaysians need to apply Visa to enter the country. You may apply through this website.
- In order to visit any sacred temples in Sri Lanka, kindly note that you have to dress in appropriate attire (with your shoulder covered and knee-length bottoms) to show your respect.
- Would recommend to get a local sim card (ours was from Dialog, the biggest telecommunication company in Sri Lanka) as it will come in handy to contact your driver when necessary.
- Both LKR and USD can be used in payments. Tipping is a common practice in Sri Lanka and the rate is about 10% of the bill size.
Sri Lanka Hires
Spent a lot of time reading reviews online and finally we decided on Sri Lanka Hires. Indeed we made a right decision. The service was good, the vehicle was clean and well-maintained, and more importantly, the charges were reasonable. First of all, you have to plan a rough itinerary (should at least cover the major towns/attractions that you wish to visit) before contacting the company. This is because the charges are based on mileage.
Some important things to note:
- The proposed cost is inclusive of fuel, driver meals, parking, tolls, all taxes and insurance.
- In the event that you exceed mileage allowance, you will be charged USD 0.30/= per additional km. We did the calculation, the charge/km remains same as the charge/km in the package. So it's alright to not to request for additional mileage as you won't end up paying more.
- Payments are made directly to the driver in either USD or LKR; 30% on day one, 30% in the middle and balance at the end.
- If the accommodation you choose does not provide a place for the driver to sleep, you will have to give him an additional USD 7 per day. Therefore, I will always check with the host to find out if they provide driver's room.
Our highly responsible driver - Chandra! Thank you for taking care of us throughout the trip :)
A sneak peek on our accommodation at Nuwara Eliya. Anyway, the main purpose of this photo is to show our vehicle - a 8-seated white van.
Itinerary
Day 1
- Flight to Colombo International Airport and get picked up by driver (Sri Lanka Hires)
- Seafood shopping at Negombo Fish Market and lunch at Silver Sands Beach Restaurant
- Explore Colombo (Gangaramaya and Seema Malaka Temple)
- Dinner at Ministry of Crabs (Not recommended)
- Check in Cinnamon Colombo Red Hotel
Day 2
Initial plan:
- Visit Dambulla Cave Temple in the morning and Sirigiya Rock in the afternoon
Reality:
- Buffet breakfast at hotel
- Terrible traffic jam from Colombo to Dambulla
- Dambulla Cave Temple in the late afternoon
- Check in Heritance Kandalama Hotel
Day 3
- Buffet breakfast at hotel and spend the morning in Heritance Kandalama
- Lunch at Gamagedara Village Food
- Visit Sirigiya Rock (aka Lion's Rock)
- Dinner at Chooti Restaurant (Not recommended)
- Check in Hiru Tourist Rest
Day 4
- Breakfast at homestay and visit Polonnaruwa Ruins in the morning
- Lunch at Restaurant Mahanage and depart to Kandy
- Visit Kandy Golden Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic
- Dinner at Cafe Divine Street
- Check in Traveller's Home
Day 5
- Breakfast at homestay
- Visit Kandy Lake and Kandy Royal Botanical Garden
- Lunch at Ramboda Falls Hotel
- Explore Nuwara Eliya (Free factory tour at Blue Field, visit Dambro tea plantations, Nuwara Eliya post office, Gregory Lake)
- Dinner at Salmiya Italian Rest
- Check in Sea Breeze Nuwara Eliya
Day 6
- Breakfast at homestay
- Explore Grand Hotel and random tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya
- Train ride from Nuwara Eliya to Ella
- Dinner at Chill Restaurant and Bar
- Check in Ella Alpine Resort
Day 7
- Breakfast at resort and hike to Little Adam's Peak
- Visit Nine Arch Bridge
- Lunch at Ella Flower Garden Restaurant
- Check in Udawalawe Safari Camp + BBQ dinner
Day 8
- Morning safari at Udawalawe National Park
- Depart to Mirissa and stop at Matara (visit Paravi Duwa Temple and lunch at The Dutchman's Street)
- Check in Ballena Regency
- Dinner at Blue Whale Chinese Seafood Restaurant
Day 9
- Breakfast at hotel
- Explore Mirissa (visit Coconut Tree Hill and view Koggala stilt fishing)
- Lunch at Pedlar's Inn Cafe and explore Galle Fort
- Back to airport and leave Sri Lanka
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