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

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!

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.

we are all very interested in your experiences, please keep them coming as time permits....thanks

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

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?

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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)

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!!

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

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.

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

Many thanks for your continued assistance with my planning, Mohammed.

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.

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.

Mohammed - being a Rotarian myself, I am very interested in what our local chapter can do to help out in Sri Lanka. I am also interested in attending a meeting. I have checked the Rotary.org website and it seems that there is a meeting in Dambulla (Tuesdays 8 PM) that I could attend. We will be staying at Kandalama at that time - how far is it? (I will have a driver.)

Thanks for your insight and tips Mohammed.

Hi Craig,

The Rotary Club of Rangiri-Dambulla meets on Fridays at 6.45 p.m. at the JC Village, Dambulla.

The Club has only about 12 members and is not the most active of clubs at the moment, therefore it would be best to
call Rtn. PP. Chaminda - 0777 321042 or Rtn. IPP. Sudasingha - 0773 647820 and check prior going for a meeting.

We did do a very nice water supply project in Dambulla last year with them.

Has anyone gone on to Sinharaja or Yala?
I understand that photography ops are great.

Hi "desgun"

I am a regular visitor to Yala. It is faboulous and you can see lots of wildlife. Yala is probaby the best place in the world to see leopards.

Do have a look at my portfolio at http://www.abidally.com/mp/home

Singharajah is also fabulous pristine rainforest, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site, with one of the highest densities on biodiversity in the world.

Both are safe to visit as they are not in the conflict areas of the north and east.

Regards
Mohammed
(Sri Lanka)

Hi Mohamed,
Your photographs look great. Do you know anyone who arranges these tours. I will be travelling alone. I am told Yala is closed in September but what about Sinharaja for 2-3 days.

Wow Mohammed! You've got some great photographs, especially the Sri Lankan leopard pics. Thanks for sharing.

Fantastic photos, Mohammed! What a great appetizer for our trip - thank you!

We'll be travelling around SL for 3 weeks in August and my question to Fodorites is this: what activities are especially fun & interesting for teenagers? (and yes, the elephant orphanage, elephant riding, rafting, mountain biking & hiking are already arranged, and we've got a car/driver.) How can we best find live music, football (soccer), hands-on crafts, or a chance to help cook? Any tips?

Thanks for your help,

Jenny

Kathie, Craig et. al.,

I know you have set itineraries for your trips to Sri Lanka but I thought I should mention that the Amans (Amangalla and Amanwella) are having a 50% off sale right now. Not sure if this is of interest, but it is a rare opportunity - these two properties are the only ones of the Aman group that have ever had any sort of reduced rates.

Have a great time regardless. And good luck with the gem shopping. I'm sure the saphires will be divine!

Thanks, Erica. Our itinerary is all set and deposits made. Given how low tourism is right now in Sri Lanka, I'm sure that Amans are hurting. A previous poster who stayed at one of them not long after it opened did not have a great experience there. It may be hard to get things running smoothly when occupancy is so low.

Hi Jenny,

Welcome to Sri lanka and hope you have a great trip.

For some live music keep a tab on "Barefoot" in Colombo they have some interesting live gigs, jazz etc from time to time. Most of the music scene will revolve around Colombo. Depends what type of music your interested in though. If you want to see the calypso/bhaila style you should find this in most hotels/lobbys etc. BTW Barefoot is also a very nice place to visit to shop for handlooms, and chic/ethnic household & lifestyle stuff. The gigs usually play at the outdoor cafe at the back. Also do look up the news papers for other local happenings. Try the "Lionel Wendt" - for some excellent theatre and they do have some music also now and then.

Not much football here - mostly cricket, criket, cricket. My daughter is soccer mad though! But they just play a casual game now and then. For casual soccer in Colombo go visit the old race course which is now an athletic track and people walk/excercise etc there daily in the evenings while some play soccer in the middle.

There are some arts and crafts classes in Colombo which my kids go to. Don't really see how this can fit into a tourist itinerary. How long will you be staying? There is a gourmet club too and some cookery groups etc. Most hotels should allow you to participate and learn a bit of local cooking from the chefs by special request. Else it has to be a social group which you have to network and develop.

There is a little paper leaflet called the "Link" - try to find a copy at the airport.

Regards
Mohammed

Hi All,

Sorry it took so long for an answer.

First answer for Mo. Please re-read my initial post. I never said the Kandalama was musty, moldy, or had a bad smell. It was fabulous with a capital F. We enjoyed it thoroughly. My only complaint there was the dinner buffet. Buffets are one of my downfalls in life. I simply lose all control for rational eating. The variety of the choices and different spices was simply too much for my stomach to handle. If pure heroin is ecstasy for a junkie, then buffets at wonderful restaurants are my heroin!

We stayed at the Hikkaduwa Beach Hotel in of all places HIkkaduwa. This hotel was recently redone and wonderful. No moldy smell, great a/c. The only problem in June was the lack of customers for the hotel management.

In Negombo we stayed at the Oasis Beach Hotel. The hotel staff and owner were very friendly. One main problem was the roof leaked in almost all of the top floor rooms. Another recommendation is if you stay at this hotel, use the mosquito nets above the bed. During our first night there we awoke from a sound sleep with mosquitos buzzing our heads. The restaurant at this hotel was very good. We arranged the owners son to drive us to the airport at 3am when we left. It worked out well.

In Ella we stayed at the GAP Tourist Inn. The hotel was nothing special but the owner was fantastic. What a friendly, caring individual. I sprained my ankly badly walking down Lil Adam's Peak. I couldn't put any weight on my leg. The owner gave me a broom stick to use as a cane. He also provided me with some ointment that miraculously healed the ankle overnight. I highly recommend this hotel. The owner deserves the business.

Outside of Yalla, we stayed at the Hotel Chandrika. Very nice hotel. The owners think they have gold and at first want over $60 dollars US a night. I think we paid less than half of that amount.

We took a safari in Yalla. Mo, we had a great animal spottel and driver. Yes we did see lots of animals and birds. We had a spectualar safari, but no sights of leopards.

We planned on staying a couple of nights at the Kandolana Beach Resort which was highly recommended from frieds of ours from Wales. The Tsunami took it's toll on this part of Sri Lanka. The beach that at one time was a paradise was not simply nothing special in our eyes. After we looked at 3 rooms, we decided the moldy and mildew smell would be too much for us. We decided to drive down to Kandy and spend the night there. This may have been a mistake.

In the city of Galle, we got there late and didn't have much time to choose hotels. We wound up staying at the Hotel Wedtevrden in the historic part of the old city. The owner was a trip. The hotel was one of the grossest places I have ever stayed in. There was no hot water. The room was totally moldy. Green mold on the walls. The termites have been feasting on this hotel for years. My wife was concerned about bringing the termites back home in our suitcases. Sleeping in the next room was a beautiful honeymoon couple. I think we made more noise in our room than they did. This beautiful bride deserved better on her honeymoon night. I truly hope she has a wonderful life. My recommendation is to avoid at all costs this hotel. In retrospect, I think it would have been better sleeping in our car for the night.

In Colombo, we stayed at the Galle Face Hotel. We truly enjoyed this historic place on the Indian Ocean. Our oceanfront room was huge. The a/c worked fine. The buffets were wonderful. The hotel staff was fantastic. I highly recommend staying at the Galle Face when in Colombo.

In Anuradhapura we stayed at the Grand Resort Hotel. Only thing nice from this property was the view. This hotel was a dump. Moldy, mildew, smell. The lobby felt like a furnace. I can't believe we stayed there 2 nights. They didn't even clean the room or make up the bed. When I mentioned this to the manager, he said they didn't have the room key. I quickly answered him back I gave him the key when we left the hotel for the day. He then quipped up, they didn't know we wanted the room cleaned or the bed made. I quipped right back at him, no tip for the chambermaid. No hot water. Ants in the rooms. In my opinion, avoid at all cost.

In Anuraghapura we ate a couple of meals at the Cassarole, a very clean a/c restaurant on top of a grocery story. Highly recommend eating at the Cassarole.

In Sigiriya we stayed at a much better Grand Resort Hotel. They used to be the same owners as the Grand Resort Hotel in Anuradhapura. They have new owners. The hotel staff and chef were fantastic. The young chef was very creative in his meals. The room was nice. You had to be able to fix toilets if you wanted them to flush or called the hotel staff to fix it. I highly recommend the Grand Resort Hotel in Sigiriya.

In Kandy we stayed at the Kandy View Hotel. Be picky on your room. I had to be a toilet mechanic again at this hotel. It was not a problem if you are handy. If you have 2 left thumbs, you will have a problem flushing your toilet. The friendly owner was very accomodating. Hot water, ac, nice restaurant on the roof. The owner was very accomodating with the internet. Another hotel I recommend.

We hiked, took a safari, and have plenty of wonderful memories. Sri Lanka is worth visiting after you have seen other countries in the region.

Mo, tell your Rotary Club that the lack of freedom of the press, lack of tourists, theft by the Sri Lankan Government of the Tsunami funds, lack of cooperation in talking to the Tigers in attempting a resolution of your problem, is destroying your country. We are middle aged well traveled people. We didn't mind the political situation. It did get old arguing with taxi drivers finding a department store or place. Once they agreed on the price, they then tried to double the price. Yes it was an insignificant amount, but it did get old asking to pay double the agreed upon price. We met many young people from Austrailia, and countries in Europe who were taken aback by the amount of young soldiers with the fingers on the trigger throughout your country. I am afraid to say that if your problems aren't resolved within this year, many hotels and restaurants will simply go broke.

These are very accute and accurate observations Dr Ralph. I was in Sri Lanka, for the third time in the last four years, about 10 weeks ago. Each time I've stayed for a month. I've regretfully come to the same conclusions as Dr. Ralph.

On my last night I was staying at Galle Face Hotel - this was the night the army decided to try and shoot down a commnercial airliner - thinking it was a Tamil air attack. I watched as tracer bullets flew over my head as anti-aircraft guns let rip just behind the hotel. Very pretty. It was exactly like CNN except these bullets were real - and what goes up has to come down.

I love Sri Lanka - it is, as Dr Ralph notes, not so extreme as a lot of places - it is 'India lite' - but I WANT it to work, I want to spend my tourist dollars there in a feeble attempt to help. Anyone who was there pre and then post tsunami will undertand. But, as the scales drop from my eyes, I too see that things are not quite so simple. What DID happen to all that tsunami money?

There are, by the way, wonderful boutique hotels in all the places you visited Dr. Ralph - but I get the feeling you were kinda making it up as you went - and that's to be applauded.

Your observations on the state of the tourist trade are completely accurate.

And yes, there are a great many trigger-happy young men in uniforms - but, as you observed, as a tourist you'll receive nothing but politeness from them.

That is - until they start shooting.

As a tourist, on the normal 10 day shlep around the island little of this will affect you. Stay a bit longer, talk to the people, listen and learn, as the good doctor has done, and you'll come away with a more rounded picture.

Or, like me, you'll realize that you don't really understand anything at all.

That's the attraction.

Thanks, Doc for your extensive report and to dogster for your comments. Certainly food for thought while looking forward to our two week February trip.

Thanks for getting back to us Dr Ralph. I appreciate your perspective. And your comments are useful as well, dogster.

We are headed to Sri Lanka in November. I've been reading about the history of the conflict in Sri Lanka as well as keeping up on the news. I know that the perspective from the ground will be different.

Thanks for your ideas re: teenagers, Mohammed, and thanks Dr. Ralph for your extensive and frank commentary. We are still excited and determined to look way past the toilets, mosquitoes, taxi drivers, and ants!

Hi Dr Ralph and thanks for the clarification about Kandalama. It is a nice place, and oh yeah the buffets are just too lavish. It is indeed so hard to control ones diet when all that tasty food is laid out in front of you.

Reading your report was interesting and I must say you have been quite adventurous in your journey and the choosing of places to stay etc. Guess that gives you the best deals, real budget low prices but then you do take a few chances too. There are lots of such small budget guest houses etc all over the country suited to the budget traveller and many of the other places you mention I have never even heard off so in a way this was a good education for me too. One thing for sure, most of these places are reasonably safe to stay but one must be smart and look after your valuables etc.

Some of the comments I hear about cab drivers trying to charge you a bit too much etc - hey common guys, this happens every where, atleast here they do not try to mug you and steal your rolex watch or jewellery, though I am fearful that things may evolve differently as the economy deteriorates.

Mr friend "dogster" the RCC does not represent the govt of Sri Lanka, and neither am I a politician. That anti aircraft fire you saw on that crazy nite, I saw it too from my balcony and was very ssddened by these events and have given up trying to undestand what all the fighting is about. In my own office in Colombo my staff is a fair mix of tamils, sinhalese and muslims and they all get on very well.

Still for all I think SL is quite safe for a tourist to travel, probably much safer that many other destinations and the people here are very genuinely friendly and warm. I have travelled six continents over 35 years and can say this with great confidence.

As for the Tsunami moneys etc, believe me a lot of work has been done. Hundreds of schools, thousands of homes rebuilt, whole communities rehabilitated. There has been a lot of foul play also but all in all definitley better handled than for example the aftermath of RITA in New Orleans.

Take care buddy and hope to see you here again sometime.

We did meet people from Canada and Holland who were building new houses for the people. From what they told us, after they found out the original Tsunami money was misused by the government, their organizations put together funds for them to build the houses directly for the people.

Many other locals told us that the poor people made out with new houses. The Middle Class was left out of the house hunt.

I used to drive a cab in New York City. A minority of cab drivers would try and cheat riders there. I'm sorry to say that in Sri Lanka, the majority of taxi and tuk tuk drivers we ran into attempted to double or triple the agreed upon fare during or when we arrived at the destination. When I talked to them like a New Yorker, they went back to the agreed upon price! The drivers we ran into who didn't try and hussle us, I gave a tip that was usually double the agreed upon price. Please tell your Rotary Club to relay that to the taxi drivers.

Doc