Tips for travelling Sri Lanka!

Our family's vacation in Sri Lanka didn't went exactly like we thought it would. I have written about the trip underneath headlines: Waikkal, What does eco-friendly holiday village mean?, While on vacation we need a holiday, Noodles in safety box? and Feedback is always shit?

Now safely sitting on my sofa back in Finland I thought that I could give some tips for those who think about going in there. Time makes memories gold as they say;)

First of all, flight from Finland to Colombo takes about 10 hours. After that it is convenient to make a reservation in Waikkal area cause it is only 30-40 minutes away from the airport. Hotel that I can recommend is Club Hotel Dolphin where food is amazing and it is quite easy place to be especially if you travel with kids. There's all kind of activities that you can participate on in the large pool area aswell as  they also have more quiet pool area for those who wish to be left a lone. Buffet is incredible and surprises with varieties. If you deside to stay somewhere else, but you wish to experience Hotel Dolphin you can just spend a day in there with 2900 RS/18€. That includes: eating in a buffet, swimming in the pool area, participating to activities and using sunbeds.

Other great hotel is Suriya which is only couple of years old and more classy place by the beach and really exclusive and nice for relaxation. Really good food and wonderful service are extra on top of location in dreamkind of paradise.To spend a day there costs 1000rs/ 6€ and buffet 3000RS/19€

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Then when you have rested enough, it is perfect time to take a taxi and head towards Hikkaduwa. Trip takes about tree hours and we paid  9000rs/54€  of it.

Hikkaduwa is filled with turists and there's plenty to choose when it comes to restaurants and hotels.  I recommend to get a room from somewhere of the surfers side of the beach. We stayed in Ranmal beach hotel. Athmosphere is great in those and most of them delight you with reggae music, good food and homelike warmth. Perfect day in there starts with jogging by the beach and eating fruits and omelett in a beach café.

There's many trips that you can do from Hikkaduwa with tuktuk. We went to Galle area and Unawatuna. There's plenty to see and experience. Tuktuk ride to Galle port costs about 1400rs/9€. They are keen to get you to take adventures in the jungle but remember that especially in countryside danger of malaria, different fever deceases, dangerous snakes and smuggling are reality.

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Loundry needs?

We took a local loundry in Waikkal to wash our stuff. When we went to get our clothes from their home I remember commenting their little boys pants, that they were cool..On our way back to hotel we realized that those pants were my sons. That boy seemed to need them more though. If your clothes are important to you, use hotels loundry.

What ever you have done on your vacation it could be a good idea to go back to Waikkal's serenity for the last day or two before catching a flight back home again. Just because travelling is quite exhausting, hot and dangerous in many ways in there.

Be prepared of couple things: Sri Lanka four star hotel is not as fancy as it would be in Thailand for example, Sri Lanka food is not that good in most of the places , food is NOT spicy, good rice n curry-place is hard to find, people are very poor and people in countryside are not that keen to smile at you. Sri Lanka has beautiful beaches and great future ahead, but there's still long way to go if you expect it to be like Thailand. That was probably our mistake, but hey, travelling expands your views on things ;)

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