March Trip - Where to Go?
 

Double-posted with the lounge - I meant to post here in the first place...

So my wife and I are planning a trip for next March. We currently have some award tickets booked, but there is some flexibility there.

For now, our flights leave JFK just after midnight on March 12th (effectively Friday night) and connect in Seoul onward to Singapore, arriving around 8pm on March 13th.

We have two possibilities for return flights, both already booked, but either can be cancelled. The first option is a flight back to JFK from Singapore leaving around 10:30pm on March 26th, connecting via Seoul again. This puts us back into JFK around 11:20am on March 27th. We would have to book a separate flight to make it back to Boston from JFK.

Our second option is a flight from Male (Maldives), leaving around 7:30pm to Doha, where we would have to overnight and then take the morning nonstop back to Boston, putting us in around 2:30pm.

That leaves open the question of how to fill in the two weeks. Our first thought (well, probably 12th thought, but first fully-formed one) was:

- 3 or 4 days in Singapore
- 3 or 4 days in Kuching/environs, with hopes of seeing some orangutans
- 5 or 6 nights in the Maldives

My second thought that really hit me though would be
- Maybe as little as 2 nights in Singapore - we love Singapore, but have been enough that I feel comfortable limiting it to 2 nights
- 4-6 nights in Sri Lanka - what to do? where to base?
- 5 or 6 nights in the Maldives

Other ideas we've tossed around
- Myanmar - this was actually our first thought way back when, but I have been completely unable to get very excited about it
- Back to Vietnam to see some of what we missed the first time - maybe Dalat, Halong Bay, extra time in Hoi An, maybe a side trip to Luang Prabang
- Bali - I have to say that I wasn't blown away last time I was there, but we stayed at the beach rather than Ubud and maybe we would prefer Ubud
- Chiang Mai/Golden Triangle - In general, I have been underwhelmed with what I have seen of Thailand, but there are so many that love it that I'm willing to take my chances that I can be swayed
- Jump off from Singapore to Australia (I was shocked how cheap flights were) and visit friends for a week in Sydney and then do 4 or 5 days at a beach somewhere

A few notes:
- I don't mind hopping around a bit, but more than three locations would probably be a bit more than I could convince the wife to do. We'd also want to minimize flights as much as possible.
- We aren't necessarily on a strict budget, but we are trying to keep costs down a bit by strategic usage of points - for example, we would use Hyatt points to stay at the Park Hyatt in the Maldives, SPG points to stay at the Westin in Singapore, miles for the long flights, etc.
- With the above in mind, destinations with great Hyatt or SPG properties would be helpful.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Some reactions to your thoughts:

Plan A: - 3 or 4 days in Singapore
- 3 or 4 days in Kuching/environs, with hopes of seeing some orangutans
- 5 or 6 nights in the Maldives

If you are interested in seeing orangutans, you want to be in Sabah, not Sarawak. There is a "Rehab" center near Kuching, but remember that these are simply captive orangutans. In Sabah, you can see orangutans in the wild. Two weeks would be the right amount of time for a few days in Singapore, and rime in both Sabah and Sarawak.

Plan B:- Maybe as little as 2 nights in Singapore - we love Singapore, but have been enough that I feel comfortable limiting it to 2 nights
- 4-6 nights in Sri Lanka - what to do? where to base?
- 5 or 6 nights in the Maldives

Two weeks would be the right amount of time for Sri Lanka, a marvelous destination. But 4-6 nights in Sri Lanka is not enough time, you could choose one area, like the cultural triangle and spend all of your time there, but you'd be missing tea country and Kandy and beaches.

Your other thoughts: Myanmar: I consider this to be one of the most compelling destinations in Asia. We loved our two trips there and are considering a return this year.

"- Back to Vietnam to see some of what we missed the first time - maybe Dalat, Halong Bay, extra time in Hoi An, maybe a side trip to Luang Prabang
- Bali - I have to say that I wasn't blown away last time I was there, but we stayed at the beach rather than Ubud and maybe we would prefer Ubud
- Chiang Mai/Golden Triangle - In general, I have been underwhelmed with what I have seen of Thailand, but there are so many that love it that I'm willing to take my chances that I can be swayed"

These are all return trips to places that didn't prove especially inspiring the first time. Why return?

I can't comment on your Australia idea, as I haven't been there. I also have no interest in the Maldives, so can't comment on that.

You might find browsing some photos helpful: www.marlandc.com for photos of our trip to Sri Lanka (a place we loved and would like to return there), two trips to Burma, and a trip to Sabah and Sarawak.

Happy planning!

<i>But 4-6 nights in Sri Lanka is not enough time, you could choose one area, like the cultural triangle and spend all of your time there, but you'd be missing tea country and Kandy and beaches. </i>

We are fine just focusing on one location. If we like it, we will be back at some other time to see more. FWIW, the Maldives would mean we would skip the beaches in Sri Lanka entirely.

<i>These are all return trips to places that didn't prove especially inspiring the first time. Why return?</i>

Just for clarification, we loved Vietnam. It was Thailand and Bali that we weren't crazy about. I would return only because I don't want to write them off if we just "missed something".

<i>In Sabah, you can see orangutans in the wild.</i>

Any recommendations for locales and/or tour operators? Are we talking trekking out to them or some other access?

Thank you for the responses.

We stayed at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Sabah (you fly from Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu, then it's a two hour drive to the lodge. It is an amazing place. I understand the accommodations have been significantly upgraded since we were there. We happened to be there when the wildlife biologist who sited the lodge was staying there - very interesting to hear about the origins of the lodge. His friend, a botanist from the UK was visiting as well, and we learned about how they did the plantings around the lodge to attract wildlife.

We took two to three wildlife walks per day, did a night wildlife drive, and saw wildlife from the lodge (a whole troop of red leaf monkeys). So no real trekking. We booked directly with the lodge. I believe people who have been there more recently have used a local agent to book the BRL.

Some thoughts.....

I'm not sure when you were last in Singapore, if you haven't been recently spend a morning or afternoon at Gardens by the Bay.

If you like beaches you'll love the Maldives. Visiting the Maldives will spoil you for beaches elsewhere. I'm not a beach person but have been to the Maldives, Mauritius, the Philippines, Thailand, Bali, Hawaii, Oz and Caribbean beaches in Central America and on the islands. Nothing compares to the beaches in the Maldives. If you do go to the Maldives make sure to take a sea plane, the views from the air are simply amazing.

Sri Lanka is a great country to visit, but I'd visit Sri Lanka when you can spend more time there. You won't be able to see/do much in 4 - 6 nights. In Sri Lanka I recommend the Cultural Triangle, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. These sights will easily take 10 days (or more) to see properly. You'll need to fly to Colombo, and depart from Colombo too, the tourist sights aren't near Colombo and will require a day to travel to. It doesn't make sense to me to see just one or two of the sights only to head back to Colombo and fly out to the Maldives.

If you head to Borneo, definitely see the proboscis monkey, they are only found on Borneo.

Australia....I'm wondering why you didn't look at redeeming your points to go to Australia to begin with. Why fly to Singapore, only to fly to Australia and then head back to Singapore? Don't get me wrong, Sydney has enough to keep you occupied for a week and if you'd like to venture to beaches, there are many spots in Queensland which are a short flight from Sydney. Having said that, there's so much more to Australia than Sydney and a beach in Queensland. I'm a city person, nevertheless, the highlights of my various trips to Oz are not the major cities. Uluru, the Great Ocean Road, the Great Barrier Reef, the Pinnacles and Monkey Mia are definitely worth exploring. In short, I wouldn't venture to Australia just to see one city and spend time on a beach. Leave Australia for when you have longer to spend there and travel to sights away from the cities too.

I agree with planningtravel that more time would be ideal to explore Australia. However, if you do decide to visit your friends in Sydney (a stunning city with lots to do and see), check out Scoot, a budget carrier owned by Singapore Airlines who fly direct SIN - SYD.

Fares start from about $360 AUD return pp.

Also check when Easter is, always a very busy time when accomodation might be more expensive and harder to get.

Good luck deciding.

<i>Australia....I'm wondering why you didn't look at redeeming your points to go to Australia to begin with.</i>

We did. Nothing available.

<i>I'm not sure when you were last in Singapore, if you haven't been recently spend a morning or afternoon at Gardens by the Bay. </i>

Definitely on the agenda. My wife was last in Singapore in 2012. Late 2011 for me.

<i>It doesn't make sense to me to see just one or two of the sights only to head back to Colombo and fly out to the Maldives. </i>

Is there a particular reason other than the idea that "you are there, make the most of it"? We aren't trying to cram everything in and are fine picking one place, but if there are special logistics that make it impossible or undesirable I would certainly be keen to hear about it.

One thing we should note is that we will definitely be back to Asia. This is the third straight year we will be going to Asia and we've been every year save one since 2007 - several years more than once. So, to our mind, we are fine focusing our trips.

<i>I agree with planningtravel that more time would be ideal to explore Australia. </i>

Just to be clear, we have been to Oz, this would strictly be a trip to visit friends and hang out in Sydney.

"One thing we should note is that we will definitely be back to Asia. This is the third straight year we will be going to Asia and we've been every year save one since 2007 - several years more than once. So, to our mind, we are fine focusing our trips."

And, that's exactly why I would recommend you focus on a country or region, see the sights that are of interest to tourists and leave countries that require longer to travel in for later trips.

Have you thought of flying from Singapore to Laos for a few days? Or, flying to Cambodia, if you haven't been there.

Another recommendation is spend a few days in Malaysia after Singapore, perhaps in Melacca or Penang. Then get yourself to KL from here you can fly the Male on Air Asia.

I'm fully aware my suggestions skip Sri Lanka entirely, with four to six nights in Sri Lanka you'd be skipping over some of the main sights and would have to very selective which you'd include on the short trip. None of the sights are near Colombo. Galle and the beaches are to the south. Tea Country, the Cultural Triangle and Kandy are north east. Yala is in the east. Don't underestimate travel time involved between the sights in Sri Lanka.

We all travel differently. I like to spend enough time in a place to feel I've seen/done/experienced enough of a place to have a real feel for it. It sounds like you prefer the "sampler" approach. That's fine, unless it doesn't serve you well.

On your list of possibilities are three places you've been before - two you didn't like, one you did. You are aware that you may not have explored the two you didn't like enough to judge whether to return. I'm not sure whether the sampler approach has served you well in your travels in SE Asia. And I tend to think (maybe because of my own biases) that this approach would not serve you well for Sri Lanka. One of the delights of Sri Lanka is the variety of experiences available there. If you go and do just one thing, you won't have a sense of the place, instead, your natural inclination is to think of the whole country as being like the little segment you saw. There are plenty of places/experiences where you an just drop in for a few days and enjoy. Sri Lanka, IMO, isn't like that.

Different destinations lend themselves well to different travel styles. Planningtravel has given you some ideas of places that work well as a "drop in" destination: The temples of Angkor, and Georgetown, Penang as examples. And of course, you and I and many others use Singapore in this way. I understand you are not interested in Burma, but it, like Sri Lanka, would require a time commitment of 10 days to 2 weeks. Likewise, Borneo would be best as at least 10 days.

It is your vacation, so it's important that you do what you want to do, not what the rest of us think you "should" do. But I hope our experiences can be helpful in your decision-making.

Happy planning!

<i>You are aware that you may not have explored the two you didn't like enough to judge whether to return.</i>

I have some pretty strong suspicions, but I'm just trying to be open-minded, recognizing the limits of my experience. Based upon what I've read here and elsewhere, my opinion about Bali has been further cemented, though, and it is probably out.

<i>Don't underestimate travel time involved between the sights in Sri Lanka.</i>

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks. I'm trying to figure it out at that level of detail. I'm not terribly concerned about getting to, say Kandy on our arrival, but we'd likely have to overnight near the airport before our departure, which can be a PITA.

<i>Have you thought of flying from Singapore to Laos for a few days? </i>

We definitely did. Unfortunately, nobody I would trust flies from Singapore to Laos nonstop. I don't feel comfortable with Lao Airlines.

<i>Or, flying to Cambodia, if you haven't been there.</i>

We've been to Cambodia, but a re-visit is definitely an option to consider.

<i>Another recommendation is spend a few days in Malaysia after Singapore, perhaps in Melacca or Penang. Then get yourself to KL from here you can fly the Male on Air Asia. </i>

Hmmm... Penang is a definite possibility.

<i>Hmmm... Penang is a definite possibility.</i>

Strike that. The AirAsia flight isn't every day and their schedule doesn't work with ours.

To be frank, part of the appeal behind Sri Lanka is that CMB is pretty much the hub for flights to the Maldives. I hadn't even considered Sri Lanka until I looked at flights from SE Asia to the Maldives and it kept coming up for connections.

"Unfortunately, nobody I would trust flies from Singapore to Laos nonstop." Has Silk Air discontinued their flight to Luang Prabang?

<i>"Unfortunately, nobody I would trust flies from Singapore to Laos nonstop." Has Silk Air discontinued their flight to Luang Prabang?</i>

Looks that way. Nothing on Kayak and they aren't listed on the LPQ Wikipedia page.

"To be frank, part of the appeal behind Sri Lanka is that CMB is pretty much the hub for flights to the Maldives. I hadn't even considered Sri Lanka until I looked at flights from SE Asia to the Maldives and it kept coming up for connections."

I disagree, that certainly used to be the case but now there are many more options for flying to Male.

Have you checked flight times, flights to Sri Lanka can arrive and depart at unearthly hours. That could force you overnight near the airport the day you arrive.

It sounds like beach time is a must on your upcoming trip. Only you can decide if you want to visit the beaches in the Maldives or elsewhere.

One suggestion, is to travel from Singapore - Melacca - KLIA - Penang - KLIA - Maldives. Melacca is easy to get to from Singapore, from there you can take a bus directly to KLIA. Fly to Penang on Malaysian then return to KLIA and fly to Male. If Melacca and Penang appeal, I'd recommend two days in Melacca. Weekends are best, the main sights are all within walking distance and concentrated on two or three main streets. Weekends the city is transformed to a street market in the evenings. Penang requires more time than Melacca. You could divide the remaining number of days between Penang and the Maldives.

<i>Have you checked flight times, flights to Sri Lanka can arrive and depart at unearthly hours. That could force you overnight near the airport the day you arrive. </i>

Yes, I have checked. Sri Lankan flies four times per day, including a morning flight and early afternoon flight that are perfect. Emirates, China Eastern, and Korean Air also operate flights on the route, though not all at great times.

<i>then return to KLIA and fly to Male.</i>

I looked at Malaysia. There are no nonstops on the days we would be looking to go. What nonstops there are leave us either looking at a stay that is too long or too short. Plus, the flight gets in in the evening, which doesn't align that well with the internal flights needed to get to the hotel and means a bit of a "waste" of points for that first night. Unfortunately, Malaysia Airlines no longer serves Male, reducing options.

If I were to do Penang or Melacca, I'd probably be best served backtracking to Singapore and overnighting there before heading to the Maldives.

<i>It sounds like beach time is a must on your upcoming trip. Only you can decide if you want to visit the beaches in the Maldives or elsewhere.</i>

Yes, beach time is probably a must. And weather in the region doesn't always cooperate. The best options would likely be Samui (been there), Phu Quoc, Vietnamese coast (been there), or Con Dao (super hard to get to, super pricey for the Six Senses). Langkawi might work too, but it looked a bit wetter than the other choices. Beaches in Sri Lanka would also be an option, but there aren't any desirable points options, unlike the Maldives, and I can't afford Amanwella.

From a cost/weather/luxury perspective, the Maldives really looked like the best choice.

So it sound like the Maldives are your first choice.

You wouldn't be using hotel points in Sri Lanka. And where you want to stay in Penang won't take your points. But perhaps you'd be ok paying for a few nights at the E&O.

Given your constraints, Singapore, Penang and the Maldives may be your best option.

My concern with Penang isn't the hotels, but with the logistics around getting there and to the Maldives. Getting to Penang is straightforward enough, but getting from there to Male requires backtracking to Singapore and an overnight connection.

I do appreciate the advice on destinations, but I might be finding that flight schedules preclude too much creativity.

Well, if you're convinced that the best flight options to Male are from Singapore, why not do a Singapore - Melacca - Singapore - Male trip. You obviously want to go to the Maldives. The big question is what the destination(s) between Singapore and the Maldives will be.

I really wonder why you didn't get a flight from JFK to Colombo, then from Male back to the US and skip Singapore entirely as it really isn't near Sri Lanka or the Maldives. Regardless, I'm even more confused as to your unwillingness to connect (or overnight) somewhere due to flight schedules when in the op you are willing to travel from the US - Singapore - Australia - Singapore - US, or, from Male to Boston with an overnight in Doha.

"I do appreciate the advice on destinations, but I might be finding that flight schedules preclude too much creativity."

The above really is a mute point if flight schedules change for your travel dates given that you're looking at March, 2016 it's possible that may happen. Even if you have flights planned to a "T" you might be forced to rework your schedule a little if the flight schedules change. I don't blame you for wanting non stop flights or even the most convenient flight times. Unfortunately, airlines don't schedule their flights based on what's most convenient for the passengers.

Getting back to the Maldives. Male isn't the most interesting destination, but if your flight schedule forces you to overnight in Male use it to your advantage and see another side of the country besides a beach resort.

You're familiar with Singapore, and it sounds like you're fond of beaches. Beaches in the Maldives won't disappoint. I hope the destination you visit in between is one that you enjoy. There are so many possibilities, and you've been given lots of good advice on this thread.

<i>I really wonder why you didn't get a flight from JFK to Colombo, then from Male back to the US and skip Singapore entirely as it really isn't near Sri Lanka or the Maldives. </i>

Such are the vagaries of award travel. We booked flights somewhere cool when they became available and are going from there. We've looked for more direct options to Sri Lanka, but so far no dice. Certainly, we will continue to assess available award flights on an ongoing basis.

<i>it sounds like you're fond of beaches. </i>

More my wife, but yes. Increasingly, I've grown to appreciate relaxing on vacation.

Warm Friday morning greetings from Seoul to travelgourmet and early congratulations on (potential) future journey to our fine home of Singapore; well done. To date, have truly appreciated SIN as a place for family, work and residence.

(And concerning this almost-concluded Seoul business trip, pleased to inform that the Four Seasons Seoul is ~ two months away from opening her doors to the general public. Attended a FS Seoul related presentation earlier this week; am confident the property will be a welcome addition to the Seoul lodging scene.

The Westin Singapore should work well for you; she's a well-run property. Over the past few years, have enjoyed some good evenings of libations and dining at her Lobby Lounge and Seasonal Tastes restaurant with business colleagues.

Would be remiss in not mentioning our efficient Changi airport - and even that cherished carrier, Singapore Airlines. Concerning SIA, nothing to lose by staying abreast of ongoing offers via: singaporeair dot com/ On occasion, particularly good deals flying SQ ex-SIN in various classes to various nearby Asian (and other) countries.

Concerning Burma, have found some recent business trips to that country over the past year a fascinating change of pace from some of my other working destinations. Sadly, the working trips have largely been just that: hotels, office buildings and airports. You have received some good Burma suggestions from others.

Regarding beaches, the Maldives and other resorts have been on our short-list for years; we just can't seem to move on from one of our special favorites, the Amanpuri on Phuket. I had the privilege of initially staying at the Amanpuri shortly after she opened her doors in '88; love that retreat. To keep costs (somewhat) under control, we normally pick a long weekend in the off-season, usually after I've finished a few days of meetings in Bangkok. Perhaps for a future Asia journey for you. (And more later on one of her memorable sisters, the Amankora, Bhutan.)

Savor your planning, travelgourmet; happy for you. A Friday fly day for me, so early and warm weekend wishes to you and all from Seoul,

robert


... Singapore Airlines, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

My vote for Myanmar, such an amazing country!
Check out my blog if you need inspiration on what to do... http://bonatravels.com/2015/06/13/co...mmary-myanmar/

It doesn't make sense to me to see just one or two of the sights only to head back to Colombo and fly out to the Maldives.

Is there a particular reason other than the idea that "you are there, make the most of it"? We aren't trying to cram everything in and are fine picking one place, but if there are special logistics that make it impossible or undesirable I would certainly be keen to hear about it. >>

fully agree with the others about leaving Sri Lanka to another time if all you have is 4-6 days - the logistics of getting to the bits that are worth travelling all that way to see are such that you will feel very short-changed if you just see one bit of it .

if however you were prepared to spend you 5-6 nights on the beach in SL, then you could see quite a lot - 3 nights in the cultural triangle, 2 nights in Kandy, and 5 on the beach would fit the bill nicely with a night left for colombo before your flight out. limit yourselves to 3 nights on the beach and you could see the tea country too - not the beach but unique and very relaxing if you want it to be.

just a thought!

PS - and the food is fantastic.

<i>if however you were prepared to spend you 5-6 nights on the beach in SL, then you could see quite a lot - 3 nights in the cultural triangle, 2 nights in Kandy, and 5 on the beach would fit the bill nicely with a night left for colombo before your flight out. </i>

I guess I'm just trying to figure out what the downside would be to doing something like the 3-2-1 schedule above, but nixing the beaches in favor of the Maldives?

I guess I'm just trying to figure out what the downside would be to doing something like the 3-2-1 schedule above, but nixing the beaches in favor of the Maldives?>>

because you would effectively lose a day by having to get back to Colombo and flying off to the Maldives.

and possibly 4 nights in the cultural triangle would be better, depending on your arrival time in Colombo at the beginning of the trip.

<i>because you would effectively lose a day by having to get back to Colombo and flying off to the Maldives</i>

But I lose that day under your plan too. You have me going to Colombo the night before a flight back to Boston.

When I am drawing up an itinerary, I look carefully at the proportion of time spent in transit to the time spent doing/seeing/experiencing what I went there for. For me, the Singapore/Sri Lanka/Maldives would have too much in transit time for the amount of doing/seeing/experiencing time. Not only do you have an extra international flight (Colombo to Maldives) but also getting to where you are staying from Male is another flight. And flights always mean wasted time in airports. But that might not be true for you... you might be just fine with this amount of transit time in this itinerary.

if you're anything like us, tg, once you are in SL, you really won't want to leave.

<i>Not only do you have an extra international flight (Colombo to Maldives)</i>

Yes it is international, but it is 1.5 hours and the schedule is great. SIN-CMB isn't really bad either - 3.5 hours, but again, great times.

Like I said, Sri Lanka popped up precisely because the travel schedule is convenient. More convenient, in fact, than most of the other options I looked at. In some cases, much more convenient.

<i>if you're anything like us, tg, once you are in SL, you really won't want to leave.</i>

I'm okay with that. It provides an excuse to go back...

what are you waiting for then?

<i>what are you waiting for then?</i>

Not sure. Maybe some advice as to what the best itinerary would be for Sri Lanka (which you did offer and which I've socked away)?

Tg

My family toured around Sri Lanka for 25 days last December/January and whilst the beaches in the South were nice and we enjoyed Galle for a couple of days, the highlights for us were the Cultural Triangle and the Tea Country. A feasible itinerary to see some highlights of these 2 areas would be:

Day 1.Arrive from Singapore on Sri Lankan at 11:05 and drive directly to Dambulla (3.5 hrs),visit Dambulla Caves (1.5hrs) and then drive to Sigiriya (30 min)for the night - look at Vil Uyana as a possible hotel.

Day 2.Visit Sigiriya Rock (2.5 hrs) and then drive to Polonnaruwa (1.5 each way) with 3-4 hrs at Polonnaruwa.

Day 3.Drive from Sigiriya to Kandy (2.5 hrs)to visit the Temple of the Tooth Complex (1.5 - 2 hrs)and then drive to Ceylon Tea Trails near Hatton (3.5 hrs).

Day 4 and 5. Spend time on walks,cycling,tea factory tour etc at Ceylon Tea Trails (we stayed at Castlereagh and loved it).

Day 6.Drive to Negombo to overnight before the flight to the Maldives - look at Wallawwa as a possible hotel.

This involves a fair bit of driving, but we always found time on the road quite fun with all the roadside colour Sri Lanka provides. It would also probably leave only 4 nights in the Maldives if I am reading you travel dates correctly and you want to have 2 days in Singapore at the start.

Greenhorn, thanks for the excellent detail, especially the hotel options. Ceylon Tea Trails looks amazing. I assume you would recommend a private driver? Anyone you recommend?

As for the time in the Maldives, as I see it, we would still have 5 nights. By my count, we'd have the following:

13-15 (2 nights) in Singapore
15-21 (6 nights) in Sri Lanka
21-26 (5 nights) in Maldives. Given arrival at the resort around 1pm and departure around the same or later, that would mean 4 full days on the ground, plus two half days on the ends.

FWIW, we are also traveling in business class for the long flights (and maybe the short flights if I need the BA tier points to maintain elite status), so we will be hitting the ground running if our experience on our trip to Vietnam is any indication. And we are still looking at ways to skip Singapore and go straight to Sri Lanka, but the frequent flyer gods are so far not amenable.

Tg

Yes, definitely a private driver. We arranged our driver with Boutique Sri Lanka - he was great and we had him for 19 days. I will try to find his name and let you know.

If you do go to Ceylon Tea Trails I recommend Castlereagh Bungalow. We visited Norwood and Summerville (not Tientsin) whilst we were staying at Castlereagh and if I was to return would choose Castlereagh again.

Forgot to add in my first post that the drive time from Ceylon Tea Trails to Negombo is about 4 hours.

I see how you could do 5 nights in the Maldives. I was assuming 2 full days in Singapore rather than 2 nights including the night of your arrival.

Tg

Should also add that it would be best to keep the same driver for the whole time. Most hotels in Sri Lanka provide driver accommodation/meals at no additional cost and although you would not need a driver at Ceylon Tea Trails(it has its own vehicles and drivers)given the daily cost of a car/driver, having the driver idle for a couple of days is insignificant in the scheme of things.

Thanks again. We may have figured out a way to add another day to Sri Lanka. We can route through Dubai and save some time because of flight schedules, while still keeping the mileage costs the same and staying in business class.

With an extra day you might consider staying overnight in Kandy - look at The Kandy House as a possible hotel. You could then visit the Peradeniya Gardens the next morning on the way south.

I think Greenhorn has given you some good advice. The itinerary she proposes is really packed, especially day 2 and day 3. But if you are up for it, you could see a lot.

We also used BSL, which I highly recommend, and they arranged the driver. I always recommend that people use an agency to arrange a driver as the agency will change out the car or the driver is there are problems. If you hire a private driver, you have no recourse if there are problems. We spent 4 nights at Tea Trails and kept our driver for that time, but did not use him.

Tea Trails is really fabulous. We had 4 nights there - three full days and just loved it. We stayed at Castlereigh as well and have recommended it to friends who also loved it.

We stayed at the Kandalama near Dambulla and had a great experience there, but some people don't like it. Likewise Vil Uyana gets great reviews from some people, panned by others. Look carefully at these to see what you might prefer.

We loved the Kandy House, which is located out of town.

If you choose to do this itinerary, do NOT choose the smallest car class, choose a slightly larger car as you will be spending a LOT of time in the car and you want to be comfortable.

I have a long trip report here from 2007, so it's old, but the historic sights haven't changed. Photos are at http://www.marlandc.com/Sri-lanka-2007 and include photos of the places we stayed as well as photos of the historic sights.

I would endorse the use of BSL to book accommodation and a car/driver, and also the Kandalama Hotel at Dambulla. if you followed the "slower" itinerary, you could see the Dambulla caves on the day you travel to Kandy, before you leave and see Sigiriya as a separate day trip.

I would also recommend strongly seeing the botanical gardens at Kandy - they were one of the [many] highlights of our trip.

We didn't go to Tea Trails - perhaps next time!