Early August escape
#92
Re: Early August escape
[QUOTE=Scamp;12291587]Thought about the Taj but even being one of their 'Gold' members it was just quite pricey for what is meant to be a cheaper, chill out holiday.
Might go see some turtles and would love to go to a good tea plantation but not if they're 5hours in a car away.
Anyway, might go for dinner. We are staying at Centara somethingsands down the road....which was cheaper because we are going to....
The turtle places are amazing- I'll try and find the name of one close by- some are a little dodgy and all money making but some are genuine and helpful/rescue places.
Get a trip to hikkaduwa which shouldn't be too far- beaches are beautiful- better than bentota but not much to see.
Not sure on tea plantations around there I think they maybe higher up north.
There's a cool tapas place like a roof top bar in the hotel just down from the taj and also a restaurant called the railway I think it was- on the other side of the road from the taj and across the railway. The owner is super friendly and helpful, even went to buy me a bottle of gin from the booze shop as I drank him dry (of gin )
If you do venture to taj then I would say the only decent restaurant in there was the seafood one, you pick your own fish/shellfish and they cook it how u want in what sauce u want, the other restaurants were just standard.
I would check out little hidden restaurants when walking out- very cheap and cheerful
Might go see some turtles and would love to go to a good tea plantation but not if they're 5hours in a car away.
Anyway, might go for dinner. We are staying at Centara somethingsands down the road....which was cheaper because we are going to....
The turtle places are amazing- I'll try and find the name of one close by- some are a little dodgy and all money making but some are genuine and helpful/rescue places.
Get a trip to hikkaduwa which shouldn't be too far- beaches are beautiful- better than bentota but not much to see.
Not sure on tea plantations around there I think they maybe higher up north.
There's a cool tapas place like a roof top bar in the hotel just down from the taj and also a restaurant called the railway I think it was- on the other side of the road from the taj and across the railway. The owner is super friendly and helpful, even went to buy me a bottle of gin from the booze shop as I drank him dry (of gin )
If you do venture to taj then I would say the only decent restaurant in there was the seafood one, you pick your own fish/shellfish and they cook it how u want in what sauce u want, the other restaurants were just standard.
I would check out little hidden restaurants when walking out- very cheap and cheerful
#95
Re: Early August escape
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297895-d3613160-r229581930-Sea_Turtle_Protection_Association-Bentota_Galle_District_Southern_Province.html
Think this was the turtle sanctuary we went to
Think this was the turtle sanctuary we went to
#96
Re: Early August escape
Thought about the Taj but even being one of their 'Gold' members it was just quite pricey for what is meant to be a cheaper, chill out holiday.
Might go see some turtles and would love to go to a good tea plantation but not if they're 5hours in a car away.
Anyway, might go for dinner. We are staying at Centara somethingsands down the road....which was cheaper because we are going to....
...which is so bloody expensive for hotels!
Just finishing the planning for this as we speak.
Might go see some turtles and would love to go to a good tea plantation but not if they're 5hours in a car away.
Anyway, might go for dinner. We are staying at Centara somethingsands down the road....which was cheaper because we are going to....
...which is so bloody expensive for hotels!
Just finishing the planning for this as we speak.
Forget the tea plantation unless you want to spend a very long day in a car. (the lowest plantation is half way up the mountain to Kandy).
All three of my kids contracted Denque when we lived there and it was touch and go for a while. Make sure that you take precautions such as mozzie repellent and a mozzie net to sleep under unless you're in the very top AC hotels. All hotels should provide you with the little moxie burning coils in your room which stick a bit, but are very effective. The worst time for mozzie bites is about 1-2 hours after sunset.
Fully recommend the Turtle sanctuaries as its a very interesting trip if you get a genuine one. If you manage to spend a few hours in Colombo on the way out or back, pay a visit to a shop called Paradise Road (all taxis and tug tugs know it) for the most amazing tea and cake, overlooking the madness of this very friendly city.
#98
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Abu Dhabi by body and Sydney by soul
Posts: 1,841
Re: Early August escape
We have just come back from a fabulous holiday in Sri Lanka. Did Dambulla and Nureya Eliya. Highlights: climbing Sirigiya Rock, Dambulla caves, washing the hotel elephant, train from Kandy to Ne, tea factory, Galle Face hotel in Colombo. We barely sat still and walked miles every day. The kids loved it. An active family holiday.
#99
Re: Early August escape
We have just come back from a fabulous holiday in Sri Lanka. Did Dambulla and Nureya Eliya. Highlights: climbing Sirigiya Rock, Dambulla caves, washing the hotel elephant, train from Kandy to Ne, tea factory, Galle Face hotel in Colombo. We barely sat still and walked miles every day. The kids loved it. An active family holiday.
#100
Re: Early August escape
We have just come back from a fabulous holiday in Sri Lanka. Did Dambulla and Nureya Eliya. Highlights: climbing Sirigiya Rock, Dambulla caves, washing the hotel elephant, train from Kandy to Ne, tea factory, Galle Face hotel in Colombo. We barely sat still and walked miles every day. The kids loved it. An active family holiday.
#101
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 0
Re: Early August escape
We have just come back from a fabulous holiday in Sri Lanka. Did Dambulla and Nureya Eliya. Highlights: climbing Sirigiya Rock, Dambulla caves, washing the hotel elephant, train from Kandy to Ne, tea factory, Galle Face hotel in Colombo. We barely sat still and walked miles every day. The kids loved it. An active family holiday.
Glad you had a great time.
#102
Re: Early August escape
The Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala is really well run and they are very well looked after and free roaming with loads of space. They are taken for a bath twice a day and babies bottle fed throughout the day and lots of green open space for them too