Kathie

Some people love Galle (if they stay inside the walls), others find it boring. I have no idea how you might react to it.

I'd recommend choosing either Galle or the beach for 2 days, then adding the two days you've saved to Tea Trails and the Golden Triangle.

And it's fine if you opt to book some of your hotel nights on your own.

Smeagol

Craig, Ok will look into that, thank you. My other thought is 3 nights Tangalle and do a visit to Galle on the way to Colombo... (or 2 nights Tangalle 1 night Galle... OMG there are so many options.......
Anyone have any nice hotel recommendations in Unawatuna? (ones i have found look a bit basic for Mufffins taste

thursdaysd

Have you looked at these: http://www.thambapannileisure.com/

I stayed at the retreat which was a splurge for me, very nice but not five star.

Smeagol

Thank you Kathie, i may add 1 night to CT sounds like a good plan - although Muffin is adamant he doesn't want to add a day to TT so that's out I'm afraid.....
I am sure this itinenary will keep changing for some days yet!! keep all the ideas coming please, am loving this input!

Smeagol

Thanks Thursdays our posts crossed. will check it out shortly.

annhig

smeagol - as your plan stands, you've only really got one day in Galle as it will take you all day to get there from TT. we liked staying there and visiting the beach, but you might prefer to stay by the beach and to visit Galle. you can't really know til you get there! [that's not very helpful, i know].

Smeagol

Ann- although the point about it taking most of the day to get there is a good one... mmm lots to think about!
anyway the good news is the flights are booked

annhig

great news, smeagol.

what time do you arrive in Colombo?

Smeagol

14:50 so not too bad but will go to Negombo instead of pushing straight on to the CT.

annhig

smeagol - that's probably a good idea. our flight landed at about 1pm and it took us about an hour to get out of the airport and on our way, which was to the CT. it took a good 4 hours and we were pretty tired by the time we got there.

The next day you\ll be able to get up early, well rested, and could probably loook at doing something in the afternoon on the way or when you get there.

Smeagol

I think I am nearly there with the itinerary....
Thoughts are I will add 1 night to the cultural triangle and then the other nights I have been wrestling with free Tea Trails are either 3 nights at Franipani in Thalpe ( near Galle) or 2 nights there and then maybe 1 night at their sister hotel Fort Printers in followed by the final night in Colombo at Casa Colombo.
Does anyone have any experiences staying/ visiting these hotels?

Kathie

Smeagol, let me caution you about adding another location. Two nights is just one day. And the only reason I'd schedule one night in a place is for a "stopover." Drives are long in Sri Lanka.

annhig

smeagol - both the Fort Printers [where we stayed] and the Frangipani [which we visited as we were entitled to as it's the sister hotel of the FP as you point put] are excellent in their own way.

it really depends what you want - beach or town. We enjoyed being able to explore the Fort at dusk, walking round the ramparts as the sun set, and then going to have a meal somewhere in the town - there is not much to do at the beach at night apart from eating, probably in the hotel.

There are also shops open in the evening which we enjoyed browsing round and doing our souvenir shopping.

A tuk tuk between the two places costs 6 rupees and takes about 30 mins; it takes you through the centre of Galle town which is very interesting to see, especially at the pace at which a tuk tuk travels.

Smeagol

Ok, curve ball no 1 " Kandy house have a 2 night minimum during our intended stay. Is it worth staying in Kandy/ at Kandy house for 2 nights OR does anyone have other suggestions for a nice hotel in Kandy?

Kathie

We spent two nights at Kandy House. But whether that works for you depends a lot on the rest of your itinerary. I wouldn't spend less than three nights in the Cultural Triangle, for instance. You have lots of two night stays, which I think you will find exhausting.

Craig

I personally wouldn't stay there 2 nights. While some may disagree, other than the Temple of the Tooth and the Botanic Gardens, there isn't a lot to do in Kandy. We did enjoy see the Kandyan dance performance in the late afternoon.

The lack of air conditioning at Kandy House and the amplified Buddhist chanting from the temple next door starting at 5 am are also issues to contend with. There are other highly rated places on Tripadvisor that could be worth looking into, but they may also have 2 night minimums...

Alternatively you could make the drive from the Cultural Triangle to Tea Trails in one long day. It is about 2 hours to Kandy and another 4 hours to Tea Trails without stops. The Botanical Gardens are about 45 minutes outside of Kandy and worth 2 hours of your time.

Smeagol

Thanks Both, I am hoping to do a train journey to Hatton . Not sure I can face the journey from CT to Tea Trails all in one day (D would kill me if we had 2 5 to 6 hour joureys in the trip....) BSL have recommended another hotel so will check that out. Just wondered if anyone knew of anywhere else or if Knacy house was THE place.
I am still struggling with the last few days as have found 2 places I really want to stay at but i don't want to keep moving hotels..... Oh decisions decisions..

Kathie

It's good you are getting a variety of perspectives on this, as Craig and I had different experiences of the Kandy House.

There is another place in Kandy that gets recommended by BSL, but my reading about it and the report of some one here (chichi?) a marked it off my list.

Smeagol

Thanks Kathie, I'll go back to that report and have a look. I think I am on my 4th version of my itinerary BUT I feel like I am getting somewhere... ( although D has just totally nixed the place I wanted to stay at near Galle... Sigh... Wish I hadn't asked him!!!!)
I am finding there are slim pickings in Kandy ( or 2 and 3 night minimums....)

Kathie

Maybe you should skip Kandy, then. If you skipped Kandy and bit the bullet on the long drive, it would give you an extra day to play with. Of course, I'd suggest you use it at Tea Trails - tell Muffin that you will need the pampering after the long drive!

I just checked, and Craig and Jeane were in Sri Lanka in February, we were there in November, so I'm sure time of year has something to do with our perceptions of the temperature inside Kandy House.

Yes, it would help if you spent the last few days in one place, no moving around.