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Sri Lanka - help please!


alidor
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  • 2 weeks later...
Will be visiting here in early May off an Azamara cruise. We go into Colombo and I am totally in the dark of what to see here. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas?

 

Hi Alidor

 

We visited Columbo with Azamara in 2013. We spent 2 days there. I organised a tour of Columbo with a local tour guide, who took us to some temples (one that Budha himself is said to have visited) markets and a general look around the city. While we had a nice day I would have to say there isn't a lot to Columbo itself. One thing I had wanted to do was have a High Tea at the Galle Face Hotel, which I was lucky enough to do. It was delicious and compared to the Raffles inexpensive and so much less touristy. Lots of locals enjoying it.

Some friends did a Azamara organised trip to Galle. They had an absolutely fabulous day and as hindsight is our best teacher, I wish we had done the same.

Be aware that in Sri Lanka they have a lot of public holidays. We happened to be there on a full moon day, which is one they take very seriously. So no banks, limited markets and restaurants are open. No alcohol gets served which was a disappointment as we were hoping to sip G&Ts as we watched the sunset from Galle Face Hotel (totally beautiful)

We had planned to go to the Ministry of Crab restaurant (owned by a couple of Sri Lankan cricketers) but it was closed due to the full moon. But we did walk around the complex it was in and there were some lovely shops, a couple which were open. I also visited a shop called Barefoot - some beautiful Sri Lankan made products, materials ect and so resonably priced. There are 2 but the main one on Galle road was fabulous.

I hope this helps a little . Enjoy your Spice Route cruise it is so totally the best holiday I've ever had.:D

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Thomas Sam Samarakoon a Viator guide..Email: samsamarakoon@ymail.com is who we used this time last year. $150 US for the day. nice air conditioned car.

 

http://helenandtonys2016travels.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/colombo-sri-lanka.html...my blog page for Sri Lanka.

Edited by purpledragon
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Thanks for that info wangeling gal.

 

Do you, or anyone else, have any tour company recommendations for a 1 day visit ?

Thinking of Galle, then back to see a couple of sights in Colombo.

 

Would be for between 2 - 6 people.

 

Thanks.

 

Hey Tranquility Base

 

I'm sorry I don't know any specific tours companies that go to Galle - I used Tours-by-locals and they possibly could. Please be aware that even though it looks close on the map it is about an 8 round hour trip ( at least) if you want to see everything that I believe is worth seeing (keeping in mind I haven't visited Galle - going on a friends experience). The roads and traffic have to be seen to be believed!! ;)

I know when we went I looked at what our cruise (Azamara) was offering, then emailed private operators with a similar intinary (or if there was something really specific I wanted to see) and worked with that. TBH I would be a little reluctant to tackle a trip like Galle privately if I was only in port for a limited number of hours, I would use the ships tour ( & I really like to do my own thing) unless of course you've got an overnight or later stay.

And double check the Public Holiday dates - the 12 full moon public holidays are only the beginning!!

Enjoy your planning and have a wonderful holiday :D

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we were here in Colombo Sat. Dec 3rd 2016 and we used Blue Lanka Tours and they were great. They even gave us all a coffee mug with their name so we could remember who we toured with.

We were very pleased and if you want the details of what we saw just ask and I will post.

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We were due to disembark here from Voyager in March, but as All Leisure collapsed we have extended our independently arranged post cruise stay into a land holiday. Hence we have learnt a lot about Sri Lanka by our research.

 

You need to realise that going to Galle from Colombo will take two or three hours minimum each way on the very busy roads of Sri Lanka. and whilst there is a fort there, the area is largely an area of beach resorts (albeit nice beaches). If we were only docking for a day we would not want to spend so long on the road (in fact that area does not come on our chosen itinerary for a land holiday). I can see some may want to do that though - just be aware.

 

There would be plenty to do in Colombo for a day IMO - the colonial area and also Galle Face Hotel and the seafront area nearby, (which is reportedly good for people watching and the sunset), Pettah (the market area also very near by) and perhaps a temple or two (though the Colombo Temples are not the most spectacular by all accounts. We are now spending a few nights in Colombo, followed by a week in an an eco resort about an hour and a half north of Colombo, before heading off on our cultural triangle tour. The nearest place in the cultural triangle (Kandy) is also 3 hours or more away from Colombo.

 

I note that some ships offer tours to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (still a couple of hours away). Be aware this has a dubious reputation, (the purpose not being to release the elephants into the wild). We have decided not to go there even though we will be passing very near, en route to Kandy.

 

Enjoy whatever you do. I can see a local tour guide could be of use for a short visit, but long journeys would not be our preference.

Edited by tring
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  • 2 weeks later...

We are just home after spending 3 weeks a Sri Lanka, not cruising, but landtour and beachholiday.

The traffic is crazy, and it will take you at least 3 hours from Colombo to Galle. We have just passed Colombo which we found very, very busy-

and dirty! We are going back on a cruise later, only 1 day in Colombo, and we will find something to do in - or very close to Colombo.

 

 

People are very nice,- smiling and very polite. Sri Lanka is a wonderful, undeveloped island, and we would recommend to go on a landtour for a couple of weeks !!! A lot to see, do a tour around the island!

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  • 7 months later...
  • 2 months later...

We visited Colombo, Sri Lanka in early this from an Azamara Journey cruise and booked a private tour with Dilhansuraweera@gmail.com We traveled in a small van with 4 people and driver was also the guide. We visited the Kelaniya Buddhist temple, village of early settlers called Ape Gama, then to Galle Face Green to see the ocean, Parliament Building, etc. on the way back to the ship. Very reasonable price and payment at end of tour.

 

Anne

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  • 3 months later...

We visited Pinnawala elephant sanctuary today. It was the most exciting shore excursion I have taken in 50 years of cruising.

 

The sanctuary itself is immaculately clean, and it is obvious that the elephants are well taken care of. The reason they are not released back into the wild is that their habitats have been diminished due to development, and there is no adequate area to release them to.

 

The highlight of our tour was several times this morning when they close the street and stop the traffic in order to lead the elephants down to the river for their bath. Please see photos on the Crystal Cruises thread entitled Singapore to Mumbai - The Adventure Continues.

 

The shore excursion was a little pricey, but well worth it! It was spectacular!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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We visited Pinnawala elephant sanctuary today. It was the most exciting shore excursion I have taken in 50 years of cruising.

 

Wow, ilovhywd, that is very high praise! Thank you for this timely review and description. I have to admit I am more likely to venture there now. Enjoy the rest of your voyage!

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