laura102

We are staying in Sri Lanka for 8 nights, the first 4 in Trincnomalee.
We are travelling back towards the airport the last 4 days.
I was thinking to Dambulla and Sigiryia and Minneriya National Park and then Kandy and the tea trails.
Is this too much to pack in for 4 days?
What would the best transport be? Hire a driver for the 4 days?
There's 5 of us going.

Any tips would be great.

Thanks

Kathie

Remember that 4 nights is just 3 full days (and all of the drives in Sri Lanka are longer than you expect. This is way too much for the last 3 days. You can probably cram in Dambulla, Sigiryia, Minneriya and Polonnarwa in the last 3 days, but you'll have to skip Kandy and Tea Trails.

Yes, you will need a van and driver for the last half of your trip. Take a look at a map - Dambulla is about 3 hours from the airport and is the closest of the places you have listed.

Smeagol

Waaaay to much, I would say 3 days at least in Dambulla......

annhig

definitely hire a van and driver for the last part of your trip.

Do you mean 3 nights and 4 days? or 4 nights?

And what time is your flight out? if it's an early one you may need to stay near the airport the night before.

Kathie is right anyway - to make the most of the time you've got, you need to pick one place and use it as a base. Dambulla is pretty good for that [we stayed at the Heritage Kandalama which was recommended by Kathie and I would recommend too] and it has the advantage of being reasonably to the airport.

Kandy is closer to the airport, but is much further away from Trincomalee thus eating further into your sightseeing time.

Alexa_Globe

Puh, quite short time to do all that! I also recommend you to hire a driver, otherwise is will be very stressful. If you leave Trinco early you can be in Sigiriya within 2 hours I guess (with a driver) and visit Lion Rock and go for an afternoon safari to Minneriya. Next morning on the way to Kandy visit Dambulla Cave Temple. Then you have the full afternoon to explore Kandy. Did you know that there are also tea plantations close to Kandy? You wouldn't necessarily have to go all the way to Nuwara Eliya area to visit a tea factory (less time on the road, more time to enjoy!).

CounterClifton

I'm not particularly a slow traveler and will bounce around a little bit if pressed. But yeah, that seems too much. I agree that the travel is going to take longer than you'd think. Even the trains go slower than advertised. Plus, at least the tea area isn't really a "go there and see site X" sort of area. Generally you're either hiking or you're being shown around a tea plantation and getting to know that end of things, (otherwise "visiting a tea plantation" is more or less staring at a field of green leaves growing. And then you got to get back to the airport. Also agree that you don't need to go to Nuwara Eliya for that. Didn't even seem to be as many plantation that far along. Nawalapitiya area had plenty and is gorgeous.

Lavinia2015

Hi,I would say your excursion has just a little too much. Limit the 4 days to perhaps Kandy and then maybe head to Dambulla, Sigiriya which is en route to Colombo. I would recommend you climb the Sigiriya rock- must do. There is good accommodation in the area too like Aliya Resort & Spa they also have some very attractive special offers.

annhig

mmm - wonder where the OP is. hope the trip/planning is going well.