In Sri Lanka Now

Old Jun 16th, 2007, 07:21 AM
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In Sri Lanka Now

We've been here since June 6 and have seen quite a lot. We're staying for a month.

We're having a great time and feel safe. The economy here is in bad shape. The government is trying to spread propaganda that only 5% of the country depends on tourism. In reality, people say it is the #1 source of income. We've been in hotels and restaurants where we are the only people for the day. Some days we haven't run into any tourists at all. We haven't seen any Americans since getting here.

Don't wear new socks, and put plenty of sunscreen on your forehead since you'll have to walk around without shoes and baseball caps at all of the Hindu and Buddhist sites.

We would be glad to answer any questions for those thinking of traveling here. We'll check in every couple of days.

We recommend Sri Lanka if you are looking for a new place and love the region, and are not a first time traveler to Asia.

It is best to hire your own car and driver to get around here. That can easily be done when you get to Colombo by going to any travel agency.

When we first arrived we stayed for 2 nights at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, and recommend it. Lots of history and atmosphere.

Also recommend for a day or so the Kandalama Resort near Dambulla. A bit pricey for the country but well worth it.

Regards,
Doc
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Old Jun 16th, 2007, 02:50 PM
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Dr. Ralph, thanks for posting from Sri Lanka. It sounds like you've spent a little time in the Ancient cities/cultural triangle area. We're planning on spending 6 of our 11 days in that area, four nights at the Kandalama and two at the Kandy House. Any comments about this area would be appreciated. I understand that one of the ancient cities is in an area where there is more conflict (Anuradhapura). Is that on your itinerary? I expect we'll just play it by ear once we get there but any info from someone on the ground is much appreciated!

Have a wonderful trip!
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Old Jun 16th, 2007, 04:14 PM
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Thanks for your report. We will be doing the ancient cities - staying at Kandalama for 3 nights, then the hill country - staying at Tea Trails for 3 more nights, Yala National Park for a safari (2 nights) and Tangalla for beach time (3 nights). Our itinerary (for February 2008) is pretty well set. Any advice you can give on pitfalls to avoid would be appreciated. I assume you were taking off your shoes in the temples and thus your socks were getting dirty. If you have a feel for whether night time flights will be resumed into Colombo airport that would be nice to hear about.
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Old Jun 16th, 2007, 06:44 PM
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we are all very interested in your experiences, please keep them coming as time permits....thanks
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Old Jun 29th, 2007, 07:29 AM
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Hi All,

I'll try and answer some of the previous replies.

Yes, we heard that night flights should be starting again very soon.

In my opinion, 4 nights at the Kandalama is too much. Yes, it is a wonderful experience staying there. The staff is great. The food is excellent. The grounds are awesome. Seeing wild elephants from the lobby of the Kandalama is an experience we will remember a long time. Wild monkeys staring at you while you are in the shower was a trip. Wild monkeys on your balcony while you are in bed was pretty funny. Dambulla caves are close to the hotel. Unless you just want to chill and be pampered, 4 nights is too much there.

We enjoyed Sri Lanka for 21 days. We did see most of the country in that time and talked to many people about the political situation. Most people said the situation will not change until the current politicians leave office, which won't be for a couple of years.

Sadly, we were the only customers in many restaurants and hotels we stayed in. I don't know how long many of these restaurants and hotels can hang on.

The constant scammers, young soldiers with fingers on the trigger got old after a couple of weeks. Riding on the train from Colombo to Negombo was a freak show we will remember for the rest of our lives. Our friends from Wales told us about a guy who stands on his head and then balances a large rock between his feet, and a young person who sings like an angel. We didn't see those two but did see many other interesting people! We did pay several hundred dollars to change our plane tickets and return back to the States 10 days early. We felt we did the country in those 21 days. Sri Lanka was a wonderful destination for us, however, in our opinion, if you haven't been to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, VietNam, India, or Nepal, skip Sri Lanka and see those countries first. We did meet many people from the UK who are madly in love with Sri Lanka and return a couple of times a year. We respect their opinons. From our viewpoint, Sri Lanka is a great place to go if you have run out of places to see.

Regards from the States,
Doc
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Old Jun 29th, 2007, 08:03 AM
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Doc, Thanks for posting again. I recall the debate on the "Who is going to Sri Lanka?" thread as to whether 4 weeks was too long. I was one of those who thought that it was and you confirmed that opinion with your early departure. Having not been to Malaysia, Viet Nam or Nepal, I am curious why you think we should visit these places first before seeing Sri Lanka - that is, where does Sri Lanka come up short?
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Old Jun 29th, 2007, 09:50 AM
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Thanks for postiong again, Dr. Ralph. I am looking forward to your full trip report.

Since our primary interest in Sri Lanka is in the Buddhist history and heritage, we are using the Kandalama as our base to explore the whole ancient cities area. I do hope I've scheduled enough time at the Kandalama to enjoy some papmering as well!
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Old Jun 29th, 2007, 10:46 AM
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I'm lurking on this thread. I may not be visiting in the immediate future, but Sri Lanka is definitely rising to the top of my list. I've also visited the other countries you recommended be seen first.

Interesting to hear the point of view of one who's spent afair amount of time there, both on and off the tourist circuit.

I'm waiting to see your answer to Craig's last question.
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Old Jun 30th, 2007, 05:22 AM
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To answer the question where does Sri Lanka come up short, there are a couple of aspects. The other Asian countries are much easier to get around without your own car and driver, which insulates you from some interactions with locals. The hotel rooms except for the Kandalama all looked fine, but turned out to have terrible moldy, musty, odors, and very bad plumbing. You really need to know how to fix toilets if you want them to flush. The food was fine, but we were the only persons eating for the whole day at 90% of the other hotels, so that begs the question of how fresh was the food! It simply just wasn't as interesting, charming, or alluring as Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, or India. It was a pale shadow of other countries in the region. We met Austrailian teenagers who had a culture shock from seeing the soldiers with fingers on the trigger. We met locals who were newspaper columnists who are living in fear because of the lack of freedom of speech and press. None of these things affected us directly, but you do need to be ready to be frisked and have your bag searched at most of the sights.
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Old Jun 30th, 2007, 05:27 AM
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Also, Shopaholics will be disappointed and should instead head for India, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, or Thailand. We couldn't even find decent Sri Lanka tee shirts for gifts. Be careful when buying gems. If it sounds too good to be true it is. There are many scammers selling Ceylon sapphires. They look great, but they are cut in layers and not worth much. For the real thing, go to the World Trade Center in Colombo and get it tested free for foreigners. We were not impressed with the beaches. The tsunami devestation was horrible and still very visible.
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Old Jun 30th, 2007, 08:05 AM
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Doc, I suspect that in addition to the current political situation, one of the reasons there were very few tourists is that you went in the off-season. Would you agree?

Can you share with us what hotels you stayed in? I am particularly curious about those you found moldy/musty or had bad plumbing.

Did you do a safari? We have done them in India and Kenya - we have fond memories of both.

Did you stay at a tea plantation? This seems like a must-do for first-time visitors.

What beaches disappointed you? I have heard that many were severely damaged by the Tsunami and some were hardly touched.

There are supposed to be one or two crafts centers in or near Kandy - the Mattale Heritage Center is one mentioned in Lonely Planet. This is the only shopping we were planning on doing - did you see any places like this? We are not much for buying tee shirts or loose gems.

We have found that the relationship you develop with your driver/guide can make all the difference in your ability to interact with the locals. We have had both excellent (Bali, Thailand, Burma) and not-so-good (India) experiences. It doesn't sound like you had a good experience in Sri Lanka - any suggestions on what you might have done differently to hire a good driver?

Thanks in advance for answering these questions.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 10:09 PM
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Hi Doc Ralph and welcome to my beautiful Sri Lanka. Sorry I did not see your post earlier - mostly I hang out in the Africa forums...

Thanks so much for encouraging trip report and putting things into perspective, but also sad to see you left early.

Kandalama - the musty smell etc -this is bad and I will be conveying same to one of the Directors whom I know personally and is a fellow Rotarian of my club. Kandalama is supposed to be a good hotel.

Where else did you stay? The quality of the food can vary quite a bit depending on the hotels - some are geared for a more fine dining experience while many just have the typical buffet.

Galle Face Hotel is an ancient bastian of the Colonia era, lots of charm but needs a serious revamp. I know a small section has been renovated recently the larger part of the hotel is still “very old”. I never recommend anyone to stay there. If you must stay in Colombo city try the Hilton, the Taj, or the Cinnamon (former Oberoi).

As for beaches, yes you would not have enjoyed them at all as it is totally off season at this time on the west and south coasts. I was down in Beruwela last week visiting the Rainbow Center and have rarely seen the seas look so terrible. June July is the peak of the SW Monsoon.

Unfortunately the east (Trincomalee etc) which is in season now is not safe to travel. Trincomalee is divine paradise for a beach lover….oh I do yearn to go there.

Did you go to Yala? It is good time now and leopard sightings almost daily. One of the specialist trackers I have made friends with called me just last week urging me to visit – waiting for my kids to get off school for the summer break to scoot off.

For shopping it’s best to come to Colombo. For precious stones and fine jewellery, and by precious I mean the real top end best Blue Saphires, Rubies in the world you absolutely must go to a very top reputable place. WTC is ok but suggest one to look at Careems Jewellers in the lobby of the Hilton and Colombo Jewellery Stores. Other good shopping in Colombo - very chic nice lifestyle stores - Paradise Gallery(household and collectibles etc), Barefoot(fabulous handloom textiles, and some household collectibles and great book section too) Odel(clothes and stuff), Hermitage (antiques and collectibles owned by my cousin).

"It is best to hire your own car and driver to get around here. That can easily be done when you get to Colombo by going to any travel agency." - fully agree but you really need to go to a good reputable TA else you may not get such a good driver.

Which TA did you use? And I hope you did not rely on the driver to recommend restaurants etc.

So sad you left early and wish I had seen your post earlier to make you some recommendations. Fully realize that to some, seeing soldiers with guns ready is scary but then again no tourist has ever been shot at either and don’t you see this all over the world now anyways – ok maybe a bit more in Sri Lanka, but they never hassle you.

Regards
Mohammed
(Sri Lanka)
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 10:20 PM
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BTW I do not recomend taking a train from Colombo to Negombo. This is a very crowded, sweaty smelly commuter route.

However for a really nice train journey, try one in the hills. For a avid trekker a magical plan would be to start from the hill station in Nuwaraeliya (tea country) by car, go up to Horton Plains and tell the driver to meet you back at Nanu Oya station. Then one treks down to Haputale, and then take a train throught tea plantations and tunnels etc back to meet you car in Nanu Oya. (this is a general plan and needs careful planning)
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 10:25 PM
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Craig,

For Sri Lankan arts and crafts and handicrafts etc kandy is famous but much better to shop in Colombo at Lakpahana or Laksala. Also the fine porcelain here is world class with Noritake from Japan manufaturing here.

If one really wants to shop, one should put in a night in Colombo and Colombo has a lovely lifestyle buzz - ask any expatriate living here - they never want to go back home!!
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Old Jul 3rd, 2007, 10:43 PM
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Hi again Ralph,

Sorry I am a bit confused. Where did you get the musty odour? Was it at Kandalama or the Galle Face Hotel?

As I said before Galle Face Hotel is very old and it is the capital of mustiness!

If it was Kandalama then I want to talk to someone about it.

Please can you clarify.

Regards
Mohammed

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Old Jul 4th, 2007, 08:42 AM
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Mohammed, We will not have time this trip for a stop in Colombo, but we are interested in buying crafts. I also found the crafts store mentioned by the Lonely Planet and Craig in his above post (Mattale Heritage Center) and we plan to stop there. Do you have any other recommendations for local crafts?

Also, we may look at gemstones. I'm a pretty savvy buyer, and would be interested in someplace reputable outside of Columbo. I'd most likely prefer to buy unset stones.
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Old Jul 4th, 2007, 06:28 PM
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Hi Kathie

I really don't know about Matale shopping to advise you but will check and revert. I happen to know the President of The Rotary Club of Matale and he is a very reliable person who works on several projects with us so I am sure he will give me good information.

BTW Matale is not too far from Kandalama, maybe 30 or 45 mins by car and it is a area known for spice growing. It also is the 2nd poorest district in Sri Lanka. This new Rotary year we have a literacy project aimed at setting up small English libraries in several small village schools in Matale District.

Regards
Mohammed
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Old Jul 4th, 2007, 06:37 PM
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Many thanks for your continued assistance with my planning, Mohammed.
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Old Jul 6th, 2007, 01:52 PM
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Hi Kathie,

I checked with my friend at the Rotary Club of Matale and he advised me that the Heritage Centre is a place where some handicrafts are manufactured. It is about 3 km from the main town area and will perhaps be a nice visit but not the best place to shop as the range would be limited. They are more a supply center to the retail outlets.

Since you are going to Kandy, I suggest you go to the Kandyan Arts and Craft Center in Kandy.

I also spoke to another friend, Akram who is the owner of Colombo Jewellery Stores in Colombo. They are probably one of the oldest and most reputable jewellers in Sri Lanka. Akram advised that in Kandy you could buy coloured gemstones the semi precious category like garnets, aquamarines, topaz, etc from place call Zam Gems - phone no 081 222 6446. I also know Zam Gems very well - my wife goes there occasionally and they have a shop in the Colombo Hilton right adjoining the other fine precious Jeweller I mentioned, Careems. Careems has some unbelievable diamond, ruby and blue saphire designs that can rival the finest Italian and Damacene craftmanship. I don't know if they have a shop in Kandy. If you wish I can find out for you.

When you visit you will see a lot of shops selling gems and curios and stuff. It all depends how serious a buyer you are and how well you know your stuff. If you want good stuff and have little knowledge it is worth playing safe and going to a reputable place else you could easily get ripped off. Gems can vary from a few bucks to several thousands of $$$$. I am no expert on this so rely on well known places.

I also mentioned to Athula, who is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Matale about your special interest in Buddhism. Atula is herbalist and an expert in herbs, and also a staunch Buddhist and involved with some Buddhist Centre in Matale area which does meditation. He offered to guide you with any advice you may want. If you wish you may phone him on 077-5597417.
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Old Jul 6th, 2007, 02:14 PM
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Many thanks, Mohammed for all of the great information! It sounds like we'll be doing a lot of shopping in Kandy. I know there is a famous Buddhist bookstore there as well.
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