Arrived at 5 am, arrived at 7:30 am. We were lucky with the transfer, we did not go by bus, but by car. Upon check-in, they brought fresh juice and a cold towel, which was very pleasing in conditions of heat and 100% humidity. The check-in went very quickly and without additional payments, the room (104) is spacious and large on the ground floor.
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Arrived at 5 am, arrived at 7:30 am. We were lucky with the transfer, we did not go by bus, but by car.
Upon check-in, they brought fresh juice and a cold towel, which was very pleasing in conditions of heat and 100% humidity.
The check-in went very quickly and without additional payments, the room (104) is spacious and large on the ground floor.
Served for breakfast, it was standard, eggs, bacon, scrambled eggs, porridge, muesli, sausages, fruit, pastries, toast....
About the hotel itself:
- rooms were cleaned daily, towels were also changed, sweets and chocolates were left as tips;
- the hotel itself is not big, about 50 rooms, but very cozy and quiet;
- cleanliness and order, the territory was cleaned daily, something was planted, dug, watered;
- the staff is friendly and welcoming;
-a small palm garden was very pleased, in conditions of heat and humidity it was very pleasant to lie under the palm trees.
The ocean... a separate issue, since it was the first time.... Warm, inviting, with strong waves)
Separately, I want to write about local guides. Right outside the hotel, on the beach line, you will be attacked by the local Tanu. I don't recommend it at all. Although his services were not used, people complained about him. Prices are sky-high, and the expectation and reality of the trip do not always correspond to each other.
Our guide from the tour operator was very intrusive and quite expensive. We also refused his services.
We met with a local guide named Sandiva. lives across the street from the hotel behind the railway tracks. When leaving the hotel, at the gate there is a large sign with a photo and the names of tuk-tuk drivers. His photo is the first. He knows Russian quite well, he is pleasant, cheerful, he does not cut prices, he has an air-conditioned minivan.
We went with him (4 people):
- Hikkaduwa lagoon, turtle farm, Buddha temple, boating on a river with a mangrove forest, where there were crocodiles, monitor lizards, flying fox snakes, and the fortified city of Galle. All this cost $20 per person.
- after a couple of days we went to Yala National Park. We saw elephants, jaguars, peacocks, buffaloes, crocodiles, wild boars. Sandiva did everything to see everyone as much as possible. The whole trip, which is 300 km one way, plus renting a jeep in the park, cost $ 60 per person.
I recommend this guide! and a bonus plus was that on the way back from Galle they bought 2 kg of shrimp, which Sandiva prepared for us, absolutely free, but of course they left a tip, purely symbolically.
I recommend bringing a lot of cigarettes with you, even if you are not a smoker, as they are very expensive on the island, and you can leave it as a tip or a present. You can also take our alcohol, because it is also at a great price. Even non-smokers and non-drinkers will gladly accept a gift, it's like a currency there.
only the best impressions from the rest were left!! ! Everyone liked it very much!
Upon check-in, they brought fresh juice and a cold towel, which was very pleasing in conditions of heat and 100% humidity.
The check-in went very quickly and without additional payments, the room (104) is spacious and large on the ground floor.
Served for breakfast, it was standard, eggs, bacon, scrambled eggs, porridge, muesli, sausages, fruit, pastries, toast....
About the hotel itself:
- rooms were cleaned daily, towels were also changed, sweets and chocolates were left as tips;
- the hotel itself is not big, about 50 rooms, but very cozy and quiet;
- cleanliness and order, the territory was cleaned daily, something was planted, dug, watered;
- the staff is friendly and welcoming;
-a small palm garden was very pleased, in conditions of heat and humidity it was very pleasant to lie under the palm trees.
The ocean... a separate issue, since it was the first time.... Warm, inviting, with strong waves)
Separately, I want to write about local guides. Right outside the hotel, on the beach line, you will be attacked by the local Tanu. I don't recommend it at all. Although his services were not used, people complained about him. Prices are sky-high, and the expectation and reality of the trip do not always correspond to each other.
Our guide from the tour operator was very intrusive and quite expensive. We also refused his services.
We met with a local guide named Sandiva. lives across the street from the hotel behind the railway tracks. When leaving the hotel, at the gate there is a large sign with a photo and the names of tuk-tuk drivers. His photo is the first. He knows Russian quite well, he is pleasant, cheerful, he does not cut prices, he has an air-conditioned minivan.
We went with him (4 people):
- Hikkaduwa lagoon, turtle farm, Buddha temple, boating on a river with a mangrove forest, where there were crocodiles, monitor lizards, flying fox snakes, and the fortified city of Galle. All this cost $20 per person.
- after a couple of days we went to Yala National Park. We saw elephants, jaguars, peacocks, buffaloes, crocodiles, wild boars. Sandiva did everything to see everyone as much as possible. The whole trip, which is 300 km one way, plus renting a jeep in the park, cost $ 60 per person.
I recommend this guide! and a bonus plus was that on the way back from Galle they bought 2 kg of shrimp, which Sandiva prepared for us, absolutely free, but of course they left a tip, purely symbolically.
I recommend bringing a lot of cigarettes with you, even if you are not a smoker, as they are very expensive on the island, and you can leave it as a tip or a present. You can also take our alcohol, because it is also at a great price. Even non-smokers and non-drinkers will gladly accept a gift, it's like a currency there.
only the best impressions from the rest were left!! ! Everyone liked it very much!
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BE CAREFUL WITH EXCURSIONS FROM THE BEACH Like many who have probably arrived in Sri Lanka, I have not used the services of tour guides for a long time. Before the trip, either I find local Russian speakers or we rent transport and explore the country ourselves, this is what I did now. After studying various Internet resources and reading the reviews of vacationers at the hotel, I realized that at least 3 representatives live in the area of u200bu200byour beach and are on duty at the exit to the ocean, recruiting tourists for themselves.
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BE CAREFUL WITH EXCURSIONS FROM THE BEACH
Like many who have probably arrived in Sri Lanka, I have not used the services of tour guides for a long time. Before the trip, either I find local Russian speakers or we rent transport and explore the country ourselves, this is what I did now. After studying various Internet resources and reading the reviews of vacationers at the hotel, I realized that at least 3 representatives live in the area of u200bu200byour beach and are on duty at the exit to the ocean, recruiting tourists for themselves. This became the main thing when choosing this particular hotel. There was a cheaper hotel in another part of the island and no worse in quality, but there was no way to find a Russian-speaking guide nearby.
The most praised guides of this hotel were RAJA, TANU, LASHAN. Having found their phones, I discussed with them the proposed excursion program, this is Gale, Sigiriya, Kandy-Nuvaereliya for 2 days with an overnight stay in Kandy, communicating via Whats App. Everyone has a number of positive reviews, but there is nooooooo:
RAJA (offered 205 dollars per person) - according to a competitor, a very touchy and impulsive young man, according to a competitor, TANU even got into a fight if something went wrong and it’s better not to have anything to do with him. His words were confirmed by the fact that the Raja, having learned that it was not him who was chosen, but TANU, began to throw mud at me and TANU had to sharply siege him, but the sediment remained
LASHAN (offered 235 dollars per person) - calm, not very intrusive, but he speaks Russian worst of all and the price is higher.
TANU (offered 195 dollars per person, bargained for 190) - initially discussing the route with him, they were going to go KAND-Sigiriya with an overnight stay in Kandy, but he himself suggested that Sigiriya go separately, and take Kandy-Nuvaereliya, and agreed with this. Having previously discussed everything, often communicating with him on the Internet, I realized that they do not live richly. Tanu asked to bring gifts and I, out of traditional Russian kindness, brought him tangerines, oranges, a couple of chocolates, a couple of large packs of seeds that he loves but they don’t have, cigarettes and 2 x 0.5 Stolichnaya vodka, in general, he became FATHER FROST for him.
Upon arrival, we met with him, discussed the program and agreed on the days of departure, since you need to buy train tickets in advance to Nuvaereliya and the Kandy Botanical Garden. There was an agreement with him in advance to help celebrate my birthday. Earlier in the reviews I met that he can organize dinner on the beach. Seeing a large number of gifts brought (besides me, the guys who came with us in the company also gave him something), he said that dinner would be a gift from him. As a result, on January 13, in the evening, we settled down under a lantern on the beach, making sunbeds around. Tanu bought fruit, 3 kg of shrimp and 6 tuna steaks. We brought Russian vodka, Bacardi rum and Martini. Tanu came with his brother who did not speak Russian, why he came is not clear, but it is not customary to drive away the guests, they sat eating and drinking with us. We listened to music, Tanu sang to us. Rested not bad. But in the morning TANU said about the gift, he joked and asked for 41 dollars for groceries. Rs 2.000 for shrimp and fish per kilogram. I did not argue, why spoil your holiday. It was the first call I didn't hear. Then, having left the hotel, I found out that shrimp cost 950-1100 rupees, fish 700-1200. And for the remaining dollars, you could buy 2 bags of fruit at a price of 40 rubles per 1 kg of mango and pineapples from 40 to 80 rubles per piece. He cheated about 2 times.
We went on an excursion and realized that he was not a guide at all, but a Russian-speaking escort. All the way in the car, he talked on the phone or with the driver. If we asked about the country or the area where we passed, we answered. He doesn't say anything. In all the places where we stopped, he handed us over to another guide who conducted the tour.
Spice Garden first stop. On a small area of .3 acres, various shrubs, trees and grass grow, which are derivatives of various spices, which were interestingly told and shown about. Then they sat down on benches under awnings and began to talk about Ayurveda and the various healing properties of plants. They also did a light massage of the neck and shoulders with oils. After that, everything could be bought at the pharmacy on the spot. Going there were just killed by the prices. For a small jar of aloe vera and sandalwood oil, they asked for $60. They refused to buy from such prices, they began to leave, they caught up on the street near the car, they offered to buy for 32, and we refused it. Subsequently, on another trip, everything was bought for $ 12. The prices are terrible.
Elephant riding. 5 elephants are driven in a circle of 100 meters. Then you can go down to the stream and take a picture with the elephant being washed and feed the elephant. Not a farm but a parody. After a farm, an elephant show, almost an hour of riding in Thailand, this is just a mockery. Subsequently, I learned on the beach that Tanu brought tourists from Slovenia there for $ 130 and they naturally complained at the hotel with tears in their eyes.
Royal Botanic Garden Kandy. The territory is huge and of course you can’t get around it with your feet. Tanu offered to take an electric car like on a golf course. Of course I paid another 12 dollars. Interesting beautiful. Several stops for photos.
Temple of the BUDDHA'S TOOTH on the shore of the sacred lake in the center of the lake. On a very large territory with located stupas and temples and other objects of worship for Buddhists. In the lake, no household activities and swimming are prohibited. Fearless fish and birds swim in flocks. We did not like the temple, which TANU was very surprised, since for all Buddhists it is a very holy place. On subsequent trips, we saw more beautiful temples.
After a snack with what we took with us and the soul in the hotel, we went to the Kandy Folk Dance Theater. Theater without tickets and seats. At the exit, you can then throw money into the donation box. The most normal seats were reserved for organized groups. We had to disperse around the hall and try to see everything through the heads of others. The dances are conducted by a group of amateur artists, the whole action is reminiscent of amateur performances in a rural club of the last century in the Russian outback. To be honest, I even began to fall asleep and warned my companion. I cheered up only when 2 people came onto the stage from behind the curtain with flaming bowls. Having seen this terrible dream, any of our firefighters began to look around where to run in case of a fire. So much fun it all ended after 12 dances. Leaving the premises, we were unpleasantly surprised by a bunch of buses that were waiting for organized groups. TANU led the Daleks along the street where our minibus could drive up. They began to wait, he phoned and we went through the traffic jam in the other direction, there we waited for a long time smelling the solar exhausts of buses. Then it turned out that our mikrik would not be able to stop near us, since the police were standing nearby and clearing this traffic jam, and he went to the theater. Everyone had already left near the theater, and we were able to safely plunge into a minibus and go to the hotel. Organization of excursions during the day and so there were a lot of complaints, but this running around the theater between the cars was the last straw. All even our women were no longer silent, but reprimanded him for this trip. We already regretted that we went to these dances at all, and did not stay at the hotel.
Back at the hotel we went for dinner. They took fruit and vodka from the rooms and sat down to dinner. Dinner and breakfast were included in our stay. TANU came to us and began to strongly apologize for all his faults, promised to improve. The girls got emotional, shared their large portions of dinner, persuaded me and him to pour vodka, which he really, really loves. In general, again, according to the breadth of the Russian soul, the fool was forgiven. We fed and watered and went to bed.
In the morning we had breakfast and found out that we would soon leave, but there was no TANU. I called him on the phone, he overslept everything after alcohol. He ran and we moved to the station to board the train. Arriving, he left us to wait, and he left with the phone to call for tickets. Then he began to run and get nervous, put the girls in the ticket queue. This all went on for an hour. Then he brought us to the station platform filled with a crowd of tourists. Very many with large tourist backpacks and suitcases. Most of them are young people traveling all over the island. A diesel locomotive with wagons approached, part of the people got out of it, but the majority remained and the crowd from the platform began to storm the wagons trying to climb up. Tanu dragged us there and climbed through the cars in search of our seats. As the largest in the company, I was the last to go so that none of our women would remain in the crowd after me. After passing about 5 wagons in a terrible crush, I heard a cry to get out. All the carriages were overcrowded and not only sitting there would be problematic in a crowd with a lot of luggage.
There are 3 classes of wagons in the country. And as I understand it, Tanu tried to get us on cheap tickets, which we never saw at all, to drag us into the car with seats and place us there. But in this train there was no such car at all. Realizing this, he was the first to jump out onto the platform and tried to escape leaving us there. There were 6 of us and we stretched out quite a bit making our way through the cars, but our girls who were walking next to him managed to notice his escape and shout it to the others along the chain. When they stepped out onto the platform, they all wanted to kill him. We must pay tribute before the trip, I studied a lot of video materials around the country and read the reviews of tourists that people order tickets in advance. The trip to Nuvaereliya is very interesting in the mountains, past tea plantations and waterfalls, etc. I asked TANU about tickets from the first days of my arrival, he told me all the time that the tickets were bought, but the girls later said that he answered them that there were no tickets, but everything would be fine and he would buy them. In the evening, sitting at the table with us, he ate our food, drank our vodka and deceived, lied to the face. This is not a person, but just a beast, there is no other way to say it. He was told that we are breaking all agreements and he must return the money that was immediately transferred to him for all the agreed excursions in the amount of $ 1140
We plunged into the minibus and drove back with the mood to tear apart. But I didn’t do it, because I had a 4-hour drive in a foreign country where few people even know English. Having experience of traveling to many countries, I personally did not have much fear. We would have got out and reached the hotel even abandoned on the train, but the very realization of such a vile attitude after receiving expensive gifts and the fact that they fed and watered like a native and got such a result just infuriated me. If he had said the day before that the tickets were not for me, or our women told me about this, knowing that he was lying to me, I would have forced us to take us to Kandy on the first day without any extra nights. There would be no problems and insults, I realized that there could be problems with tickets. Why should I and everyone who paid $100 for a day in the country have to spend the night somewhere else and eat for separate money, I don’t understand.
In the middle of the road, he himself started a conversation, which I put off until I arrived at the hotel. He said that he would give us 530 dollars back and we parted ways. Of course, I boiled over and said that he should return 900, since there was no trip on the second day, he acted vilely. An overnight stay that we did not need was at his expense. He tried to beg and belittle even to cry not to do this, since he lives in poverty and we must forgive him for his mistakes. (in the country, a teacher receives 100-150 dollars, military and police 200-250 dollars a month) I still don’t understand why we should forgive him and pay for mistakes, although my wife nearby, who herself receives a monthly salary of 180 bucks, asked me to forgive (I I almost hit a kind woman on the forehead myself) I said that we were going to his house for money and realized that he was really scared, I promised to come to his house and tell his parents about his meanness, tell everything in the hotel and on the Internet about his meanness. The fact that he also deceived us 2 prices for dinner, I found out later. At the entrance to the hotel, a guy came out on the road and handed Tan 800 dollars, which he handed to me. He said that now there is no more. As soon as he earns on the beach, he will give us the rest. In total, all this horror cost us 340 dollars for 6 people.
Subsequently, on the beach, he hid from us when we were not on trips, then at the end of the holiday he said that he would not give anything else, behaved arrogantly, walked around waving a knife. Of course, I didn’t want to get involved with this shit in a fight, although he was worthy of a broken face. But I didn’t want to spoil the rest with a showdown with the local police. Subsequently, seeing tourists to whom he approached offering his services, I or someone from our company approached and talked about his dishonesty, which spoiled his business, receiving moral satisfaction and preventing others from making mistakes. So we learned about the tears of tourists from Slovenia affected by it. Although approaching a large company of Ukrainians and telling them about him, they received an answer. "Good job, !!! ! Managed to find... and earn money. Apparently people are the same. And God be his Buddhist judge.
Subsequently, from communication with others, we learned about a local Russian-speaking peasant SANJIV with a minibus that also carries tourists. After talking with him on Whats App, we agreed to meet in the hotel lobby. Subsequently, we went with him to Sigiriya for $ 315 for everyone, taking into account entrance tickets, and they are not cheap. A very beautiful and iconic place. If you have strength and health, then you need to climb this mountain and inspect the remains of the royal palace. We experienced similar feelings only when climbing to the top of the pyramids in Mexico and on the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.
The next trip was to Gala for 70 bucks for 6 people. We visited a tortoise farm, a couple of hours boating on the river where small crocodiles, monitor lizards and beautiful birds were seen in the thickets. A lot has been written about these places so I won't repeat myself. Were on a ship for the extraction of precious stones and a store with it. Regretting that he had not bought, although the money was (but there was no mood) for his wife, sapphires. 2 cut stones of 6 carats could be bought for about $200. Then we went to Hikkaduwa. We spent almost 4 hours on the beautiful beach. There are no waves, beautiful large fish, but in our beloved Egypt they are more beautiful and more diverse. We fed huge turtles with algae in the water. We dined there with a bottle of local red Calypso rum. Time flew by unnoticed.
Like many who have probably arrived in Sri Lanka, I have not used the services of tour guides for a long time. Before the trip, either I find local Russian speakers or we rent transport and explore the country ourselves, this is what I did now. After studying various Internet resources and reading the reviews of vacationers at the hotel, I realized that at least 3 representatives live in the area of u200bu200byour beach and are on duty at the exit to the ocean, recruiting tourists for themselves. This became the main thing when choosing this particular hotel. There was a cheaper hotel in another part of the island and no worse in quality, but there was no way to find a Russian-speaking guide nearby.
The most praised guides of this hotel were RAJA, TANU, LASHAN. Having found their phones, I discussed with them the proposed excursion program, this is Gale, Sigiriya, Kandy-Nuvaereliya for 2 days with an overnight stay in Kandy, communicating via Whats App. Everyone has a number of positive reviews, but there is nooooooo:
RAJA (offered 205 dollars per person) - according to a competitor, a very touchy and impulsive young man, according to a competitor, TANU even got into a fight if something went wrong and it’s better not to have anything to do with him. His words were confirmed by the fact that the Raja, having learned that it was not him who was chosen, but TANU, began to throw mud at me and TANU had to sharply siege him, but the sediment remained
LASHAN (offered 235 dollars per person) - calm, not very intrusive, but he speaks Russian worst of all and the price is higher.
TANU (offered 195 dollars per person, bargained for 190) - initially discussing the route with him, they were going to go KAND-Sigiriya with an overnight stay in Kandy, but he himself suggested that Sigiriya go separately, and take Kandy-Nuvaereliya, and agreed with this. Having previously discussed everything, often communicating with him on the Internet, I realized that they do not live richly. Tanu asked to bring gifts and I, out of traditional Russian kindness, brought him tangerines, oranges, a couple of chocolates, a couple of large packs of seeds that he loves but they don’t have, cigarettes and 2 x 0.5 Stolichnaya vodka, in general, he became FATHER FROST for him.
Upon arrival, we met with him, discussed the program and agreed on the days of departure, since you need to buy train tickets in advance to Nuvaereliya and the Kandy Botanical Garden. There was an agreement with him in advance to help celebrate my birthday. Earlier in the reviews I met that he can organize dinner on the beach. Seeing a large number of gifts brought (besides me, the guys who came with us in the company also gave him something), he said that dinner would be a gift from him. As a result, on January 13, in the evening, we settled down under a lantern on the beach, making sunbeds around. Tanu bought fruit, 3 kg of shrimp and 6 tuna steaks. We brought Russian vodka, Bacardi rum and Martini. Tanu came with his brother who did not speak Russian, why he came is not clear, but it is not customary to drive away the guests, they sat eating and drinking with us. We listened to music, Tanu sang to us. Rested not bad. But in the morning TANU said about the gift, he joked and asked for 41 dollars for groceries. Rs 2.000 for shrimp and fish per kilogram. I did not argue, why spoil your holiday. It was the first call I didn't hear. Then, having left the hotel, I found out that shrimp cost 950-1100 rupees, fish 700-1200. And for the remaining dollars, you could buy 2 bags of fruit at a price of 40 rubles per 1 kg of mango and pineapples from 40 to 80 rubles per piece. He cheated about 2 times.
We went on an excursion and realized that he was not a guide at all, but a Russian-speaking escort. All the way in the car, he talked on the phone or with the driver. If we asked about the country or the area where we passed, we answered. He doesn't say anything. In all the places where we stopped, he handed us over to another guide who conducted the tour.
Spice Garden first stop. On a small area of .3 acres, various shrubs, trees and grass grow, which are derivatives of various spices, which were interestingly told and shown about. Then they sat down on benches under awnings and began to talk about Ayurveda and the various healing properties of plants. They also did a light massage of the neck and shoulders with oils. After that, everything could be bought at the pharmacy on the spot. Going there were just killed by the prices. For a small jar of aloe vera and sandalwood oil, they asked for $60. They refused to buy from such prices, they began to leave, they caught up on the street near the car, they offered to buy for 32, and we refused it. Subsequently, on another trip, everything was bought for $ 12. The prices are terrible.
Elephant riding. 5 elephants are driven in a circle of 100 meters. Then you can go down to the stream and take a picture with the elephant being washed and feed the elephant. Not a farm but a parody. After a farm, an elephant show, almost an hour of riding in Thailand, this is just a mockery. Subsequently, I learned on the beach that Tanu brought tourists from Slovenia there for $ 130 and they naturally complained at the hotel with tears in their eyes.
Royal Botanic Garden Kandy. The territory is huge and of course you can’t get around it with your feet. Tanu offered to take an electric car like on a golf course. Of course I paid another 12 dollars. Interesting beautiful. Several stops for photos.
Temple of the BUDDHA'S TOOTH on the shore of the sacred lake in the center of the lake. On a very large territory with located stupas and temples and other objects of worship for Buddhists. In the lake, no household activities and swimming are prohibited. Fearless fish and birds swim in flocks. We did not like the temple, which TANU was very surprised, since for all Buddhists it is a very holy place. On subsequent trips, we saw more beautiful temples.
After a snack with what we took with us and the soul in the hotel, we went to the Kandy Folk Dance Theater. Theater without tickets and seats. At the exit, you can then throw money into the donation box. The most normal seats were reserved for organized groups. We had to disperse around the hall and try to see everything through the heads of others. The dances are conducted by a group of amateur artists, the whole action is reminiscent of amateur performances in a rural club of the last century in the Russian outback. To be honest, I even began to fall asleep and warned my companion. I cheered up only when 2 people came onto the stage from behind the curtain with flaming bowls. Having seen this terrible dream, any of our firefighters began to look around where to run in case of a fire. So much fun it all ended after 12 dances. Leaving the premises, we were unpleasantly surprised by a bunch of buses that were waiting for organized groups. TANU led the Daleks along the street where our minibus could drive up. They began to wait, he phoned and we went through the traffic jam in the other direction, there we waited for a long time smelling the solar exhausts of buses. Then it turned out that our mikrik would not be able to stop near us, since the police were standing nearby and clearing this traffic jam, and he went to the theater. Everyone had already left near the theater, and we were able to safely plunge into a minibus and go to the hotel. Organization of excursions during the day and so there were a lot of complaints, but this running around the theater between the cars was the last straw. All even our women were no longer silent, but reprimanded him for this trip. We already regretted that we went to these dances at all, and did not stay at the hotel.
Back at the hotel we went for dinner. They took fruit and vodka from the rooms and sat down to dinner. Dinner and breakfast were included in our stay. TANU came to us and began to strongly apologize for all his faults, promised to improve. The girls got emotional, shared their large portions of dinner, persuaded me and him to pour vodka, which he really, really loves. In general, again, according to the breadth of the Russian soul, the fool was forgiven. We fed and watered and went to bed.
In the morning we had breakfast and found out that we would soon leave, but there was no TANU. I called him on the phone, he overslept everything after alcohol. He ran and we moved to the station to board the train. Arriving, he left us to wait, and he left with the phone to call for tickets. Then he began to run and get nervous, put the girls in the ticket queue. This all went on for an hour. Then he brought us to the station platform filled with a crowd of tourists. Very many with large tourist backpacks and suitcases. Most of them are young people traveling all over the island. A diesel locomotive with wagons approached, part of the people got out of it, but the majority remained and the crowd from the platform began to storm the wagons trying to climb up. Tanu dragged us there and climbed through the cars in search of our seats. As the largest in the company, I was the last to go so that none of our women would remain in the crowd after me. After passing about 5 wagons in a terrible crush, I heard a cry to get out. All the carriages were overcrowded and not only sitting there would be problematic in a crowd with a lot of luggage.
There are 3 classes of wagons in the country. And as I understand it, Tanu tried to get us on cheap tickets, which we never saw at all, to drag us into the car with seats and place us there. But in this train there was no such car at all. Realizing this, he was the first to jump out onto the platform and tried to escape leaving us there. There were 6 of us and we stretched out quite a bit making our way through the cars, but our girls who were walking next to him managed to notice his escape and shout it to the others along the chain. When they stepped out onto the platform, they all wanted to kill him. We must pay tribute before the trip, I studied a lot of video materials around the country and read the reviews of tourists that people order tickets in advance. The trip to Nuvaereliya is very interesting in the mountains, past tea plantations and waterfalls, etc. I asked TANU about tickets from the first days of my arrival, he told me all the time that the tickets were bought, but the girls later said that he answered them that there were no tickets, but everything would be fine and he would buy them. In the evening, sitting at the table with us, he ate our food, drank our vodka and deceived, lied to the face. This is not a person, but just a beast, there is no other way to say it. He was told that we are breaking all agreements and he must return the money that was immediately transferred to him for all the agreed excursions in the amount of $ 1140
We plunged into the minibus and drove back with the mood to tear apart. But I didn’t do it, because I had a 4-hour drive in a foreign country where few people even know English. Having experience of traveling to many countries, I personally did not have much fear. We would have got out and reached the hotel even abandoned on the train, but the very realization of such a vile attitude after receiving expensive gifts and the fact that they fed and watered like a native and got such a result just infuriated me. If he had said the day before that the tickets were not for me, or our women told me about this, knowing that he was lying to me, I would have forced us to take us to Kandy on the first day without any extra nights. There would be no problems and insults, I realized that there could be problems with tickets. Why should I and everyone who paid $100 for a day in the country have to spend the night somewhere else and eat for separate money, I don’t understand.
In the middle of the road, he himself started a conversation, which I put off until I arrived at the hotel. He said that he would give us 530 dollars back and we parted ways. Of course, I boiled over and said that he should return 900, since there was no trip on the second day, he acted vilely. An overnight stay that we did not need was at his expense. He tried to beg and belittle even to cry not to do this, since he lives in poverty and we must forgive him for his mistakes. (in the country, a teacher receives 100-150 dollars, military and police 200-250 dollars a month) I still don’t understand why we should forgive him and pay for mistakes, although my wife nearby, who herself receives a monthly salary of 180 bucks, asked me to forgive (I I almost hit a kind woman on the forehead myself) I said that we were going to his house for money and realized that he was really scared, I promised to come to his house and tell his parents about his meanness, tell everything in the hotel and on the Internet about his meanness. The fact that he also deceived us 2 prices for dinner, I found out later. At the entrance to the hotel, a guy came out on the road and handed Tan 800 dollars, which he handed to me. He said that now there is no more. As soon as he earns on the beach, he will give us the rest. In total, all this horror cost us 340 dollars for 6 people.
Subsequently, on the beach, he hid from us when we were not on trips, then at the end of the holiday he said that he would not give anything else, behaved arrogantly, walked around waving a knife. Of course, I didn’t want to get involved with this shit in a fight, although he was worthy of a broken face. But I didn’t want to spoil the rest with a showdown with the local police. Subsequently, seeing tourists to whom he approached offering his services, I or someone from our company approached and talked about his dishonesty, which spoiled his business, receiving moral satisfaction and preventing others from making mistakes. So we learned about the tears of tourists from Slovenia affected by it. Although approaching a large company of Ukrainians and telling them about him, they received an answer. "Good job, !!! ! Managed to find... and earn money. Apparently people are the same. And God be his Buddhist judge.
Subsequently, from communication with others, we learned about a local Russian-speaking peasant SANJIV with a minibus that also carries tourists. After talking with him on Whats App, we agreed to meet in the hotel lobby. Subsequently, we went with him to Sigiriya for $ 315 for everyone, taking into account entrance tickets, and they are not cheap. A very beautiful and iconic place. If you have strength and health, then you need to climb this mountain and inspect the remains of the royal palace. We experienced similar feelings only when climbing to the top of the pyramids in Mexico and on the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.
The next trip was to Gala for 70 bucks for 6 people. We visited a tortoise farm, a couple of hours boating on the river where small crocodiles, monitor lizards and beautiful birds were seen in the thickets. A lot has been written about these places so I won't repeat myself. Were on a ship for the extraction of precious stones and a store with it. Regretting that he had not bought, although the money was (but there was no mood) for his wife, sapphires. 2 cut stones of 6 carats could be bought for about $200. Then we went to Hikkaduwa. We spent almost 4 hours on the beautiful beach. There are no waves, beautiful large fish, but in our beloved Egypt they are more beautiful and more diverse. We fed huge turtles with algae in the water. We dined there with a bottle of local red Calypso rum. Time flew by unnoticed.
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Hotel: here they write 4 *, and in the catalogs of tour operators - 3 *. I'm leaning towards the latter. On 4-ku in our understanding, the hotel does not pull. Rather good 3+ Arrival and check-in: Upon arrival, they arranged a small welcome: they brought freshly squeezed juice and cool towels. We arrived at 10:00 and were seated immediately.
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Hotel: here they write 4 *, and in the catalogs of tour operators - 3 *. I'm leaning towards the latter. On 4-ku in our understanding, the hotel does not pull. Rather good 3+
Arrival and check-in:
Upon arrival, they arranged a small welcome: they brought freshly squeezed juice and cool towels. We arrived at 10:00 and were seated immediately. But when we gathered for breakfast, we were told that they had a check in from 12.00 and therefore breakfast was not allowed for us)) IMHO, this is a mega-bullshit. The issue was resolved after a conversation with the manager, who, after persuasion, said that, in general, this was not according to the rules, but as an exception, so be it . . In general, this greatly spoiled our first impression . . After a 10-hour flight, somehow you expect more hospitality
Number
More or less clean. The furniture is not new, but in general the norms. Lizards run along the walls (for me it was a pleasant exotic, but maybe someone is afraid or disdainful). Bed and towels are clean, changed every day, but there are yellow spots from time to time.
Nutrition
Buffet. The choice is large, in quantity - enough. From fruits - only pineapples and papaya, sometimes guava. For breakfast - fresh juice of one kind periodically appears.
Fish, meat, various types of rice, curry, sometimes seafood.
The food is too spicy, many complain.
Desserts are usually terrible.
We took only breakfasts and dinners - drinks included tea, coffee, water, and juice for breakfast. Everything else is for an extra charge.
Territory
The territory is small, but beautiful and green, local chipmunks (squirrels) run, monitor lizards walk, crabs, birds of different species climb out in the evening.
Beach
The ocean and beach are great. It's fun to ride the waves.
There are sun loungers on site, mattresses, sheets and towels are provided for them. In general, the number of free sun loungers was always enough.
Excursions
We ordered Tanu from the local scourge. Were at a turtle farm - not very impressive, to be honest, and in a couple of Buddhist temples. Separately, we went to Hikkaduwa to swim with a mask, and on the way we stopped at Galle Fort - well, that's it.
Service
Very unhurried and what is called, unobtrusive for almost every minimal service, a tip is expected from you.
For example, on the day of departure, we asked for lunch boxes. When they came to pick them up, of course, they were not cooked (this was not surprising). The attendant very reluctantly, after several of our requests, went to the kitchen and brought them to us. And he began to ask for a tip for this))) Actually, dude, these are your direct duties)))
Internet
The hotel writes that it is in the lobby, but in fact it is not. For all the time on and our friends managed to go only once for a couple of minutes.
So don't count on free Wi-Fi.
Animation
Frankly weak. During the day there are different activities - water polo, sometimes yoga, drawing - we were not. In the evening, a singer (singers) usually comes and sings something to the soundtrack. There is nowhere to walk in the evening, there is nothing to see outside the hotel. Right next to the line of hotels there is a railway road, trains that you hear at 6 am, and a cemetery behind the road (however, it is hidden behind a fence so as not to frighten tourists))).
General impression: I really liked the extraordinary beauty of nature, the abundance of fruits, the ocean, the beach (getting from Kiev winter into warm summer is very, very cool). But for me, Sri Lanka has become a country for 1 time.
Tip: if you go to Sri Lanka, take sweets from Kyiv with you for souvenirs. Most likely you will be invited to visit local people, and this will be a great gift.
Arrival and check-in:
Upon arrival, they arranged a small welcome: they brought freshly squeezed juice and cool towels. We arrived at 10:00 and were seated immediately. But when we gathered for breakfast, we were told that they had a check in from 12.00 and therefore breakfast was not allowed for us)) IMHO, this is a mega-bullshit. The issue was resolved after a conversation with the manager, who, after persuasion, said that, in general, this was not according to the rules, but as an exception, so be it . . In general, this greatly spoiled our first impression . . After a 10-hour flight, somehow you expect more hospitality
Number
More or less clean. The furniture is not new, but in general the norms. Lizards run along the walls (for me it was a pleasant exotic, but maybe someone is afraid or disdainful). Bed and towels are clean, changed every day, but there are yellow spots from time to time.
Nutrition
Buffet. The choice is large, in quantity - enough. From fruits - only pineapples and papaya, sometimes guava. For breakfast - fresh juice of one kind periodically appears.
Fish, meat, various types of rice, curry, sometimes seafood.
The food is too spicy, many complain.
Desserts are usually terrible.
We took only breakfasts and dinners - drinks included tea, coffee, water, and juice for breakfast. Everything else is for an extra charge.
Territory
The territory is small, but beautiful and green, local chipmunks (squirrels) run, monitor lizards walk, crabs, birds of different species climb out in the evening.
Beach
The ocean and beach are great. It's fun to ride the waves.
There are sun loungers on site, mattresses, sheets and towels are provided for them. In general, the number of free sun loungers was always enough.
Excursions
We ordered Tanu from the local scourge. Were at a turtle farm - not very impressive, to be honest, and in a couple of Buddhist temples. Separately, we went to Hikkaduwa to swim with a mask, and on the way we stopped at Galle Fort - well, that's it.
Service
Very unhurried and what is called, unobtrusive for almost every minimal service, a tip is expected from you.
For example, on the day of departure, we asked for lunch boxes. When they came to pick them up, of course, they were not cooked (this was not surprising). The attendant very reluctantly, after several of our requests, went to the kitchen and brought them to us. And he began to ask for a tip for this))) Actually, dude, these are your direct duties)))
Internet
The hotel writes that it is in the lobby, but in fact it is not. For all the time on and our friends managed to go only once for a couple of minutes.
So don't count on free Wi-Fi.
Animation
Frankly weak. During the day there are different activities - water polo, sometimes yoga, drawing - we were not. In the evening, a singer (singers) usually comes and sings something to the soundtrack. There is nowhere to walk in the evening, there is nothing to see outside the hotel. Right next to the line of hotels there is a railway road, trains that you hear at 6 am, and a cemetery behind the road (however, it is hidden behind a fence so as not to frighten tourists))).
General impression: I really liked the extraordinary beauty of nature, the abundance of fruits, the ocean, the beach (getting from Kiev winter into warm summer is very, very cool). But for me, Sri Lanka has become a country for 1 time.
Tip: if you go to Sri Lanka, take sweets from Kyiv with you for souvenirs. Most likely you will be invited to visit local people, and this will be a great gift.
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Was "out of season" from 4 to 13 September. This is the time for those who like to jump on the waves, because the ocean at this time is not very calm. The first day we only learned to enter the water, but it's worth the waves of 2-3 meters) We swam in general and a few other people. It rained almost every day for about 15 minutes, then the sun tanned just right, almost even burned out.
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Was "out of season" from 4 to 13 September. This is the time for those who like to jump on the waves, because the ocean at this time is not very calm. The first day we only learned to enter the water, but it's worth the waves of 2-3 meters) We swam in general and a few other people. It rained almost every day for about 15 minutes, then the sun tanned just right, almost even burned out. The room is clean and tidy without bathrobes and slippers. Cleaned up every day. The food is good although a lot of spicy. Excursions were taken from Kumar (he is immediately noticeable, he is the curliest). He also saw us off, he also famously arranged a whole concert on drums with songs, we really liked it.
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We had a great rest in this hotel with a girl! Large area, nice beach, friendly staff. Choice of entertainment for every taste. And the hotel staff also helped arrange a romantic date with a girl right on the ocean, during which I proposed to her, and she answered me yes! Had a great time! We will soon plan a honeymoon trip and, of course, we will contact the "hot season" travel agency, which organized this trip.
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We had a great rest in this hotel with a girl! Large area, nice beach, friendly staff. Choice of entertainment for every taste. And the hotel staff also helped arrange a romantic date with a girl right on the ocean, during which I proposed to her, and she answered me yes! Had a great time! We will soon plan a honeymoon trip and, of course, we will contact the "hot season" travel agency, which organized this trip.
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Rested in this hotel with friends from 5 to 15 November. The hotel is very good, the staff is friendly and helpful. Our room was not bad, everything is as in the photo, cleaned every day, clean, comfortable bed. The food was delicious, but there was a lot of spicy food, very tasty desserts. Every day the chef asked people if everything was delicious, after we said that the food was very spicy, the next day there was practically no spicy food, our wishes were taken into account, which is very nice))))) Before leaving, we received a letter with an invitation to the lobby, the hotel administration treated the guests who were leaving with cocktails and delicious snacks, the general manager communicated with everyone, found out if everything was pleasant, what could be done better.
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Rested in this hotel with friends from 5 to 15 November. The hotel is very good, the staff is friendly and helpful. Our room was not bad, everything is as in the photo, cleaned every day, clean, comfortable bed. The food was delicious, but there was a lot of spicy food, very tasty desserts. Every day the chef asked people if everything was delicious, after we said that the food was very spicy, the next day there was practically no spicy food, our wishes were taken into account, which is very nice))))) Before leaving, we received a letter with an invitation to the lobby, the hotel administration treated the guests who were leaving with cocktails and delicious snacks, the general manager communicated with everyone, found out if everything was pleasant, what could be done better. We went on excursions with a beach boy, Kumar, a very good guy, speaks Russian well, tried to do everything to make our vacation better, treated us with coconuts, bananas, changed money for us, took us to his uncle's restaurant, they serve very tasty fresh seafood there , insanely delicious seafood soup. We went on excursions to Gala and Kandy, went to the waterfall, we liked everything very much, everyone was delighted. I advise everyone to go on excursions with Kumar. And my friend also had a birthday, so he looked out for her on the beach in the morning and presented a very beautiful bouquet of lotuses, which is also very nice. If you go on excursions with him, you will not regret anything, here is his phone number +0940775082823.0940342237662.
We also really liked the hotel staff, special thanks to Lasha, Chetta and Dylan, very nice and polite guys. I recommend this hotel to everyone!!! !
We also really liked the hotel staff, special thanks to Lasha, Chetta and Dylan, very nice and polite guys. I recommend this hotel to everyone!!! !
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Good day to everyone who wants to learn something new. Recently I was in your place. The flight is hard. Fly Dubai sucks! Shame on such a rich country to skin three skins for food. This is for those who do not know that you need to take brakes on the plane. Especially if you are traveling as a family. The check-in went well, although we walked for an hour until the room was cleaned.
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Good day to everyone who wants to learn something new. Recently I was in your place.
The flight is hard. Fly Dubai sucks! Shame on such a rich country to skin three skins for food. This is for those who do not know that you need to take brakes on the plane. Especially if you are traveling as a family. The check-in went well, although we walked for an hour until the room was cleaned.
. The view from our room on the ground floor shocked us! There is even an exit to the beach, in front of you is the ocean! There were really no problems with sunbeds.
The room was cleaned well, only when the money was left. And they smile with a bang!
The hotel grounds are beautiful and well maintained. There is a gym, water polo, massage, cricket, badminton. Every evening there is a show program - national dances, a show with lights once caught, and of course live music. Very relaxing unobtrusive atmosphere reigns. Holidays are not for noisy companies! !
Food for an amateur. They weren't hungry. There is spicy, but this dish is marked. T.
we had breakfast + dinner, we went to a cafe on the beach for lunch. It is very easy to find - go out of the hotel to the beach and turn left, called "SABEENA". The three of us eat seafood with freshly squeezed juice, garnish, salad - a maximum of 30 c. u. e. The owner Nisa speaks good Russian. You can order excursions from him (the prices are the lowest, checked). The more people gather (max. 8-9), it will cost less. Phone-0774473945.
We are very glad that we got to know Nisa! He will fulfill any request, money can be trusted to buy rum, cashews, arak (local vodka from coconut juice), coconut oil, etc. He invited me to visit him, introduced him to a large family. Very hospitable and polite people. Nisa's mother set the table. We didn’t even expect, we need to bring gifts from our homeland. They like chocolate, vodka, cigarettes. This is from the heart, not for advertising.
I knew about the beachboys near the hotels, so I was very careful about them. Painfully annoying and arrogant (Lasha, Raja).
And the prices break, like a travel agent. They also scammed our friends for money. And all this with a smile, they say, I'll give it back tomorrow. Everyone will know about you on the first day! How long did you arrive (they have good connections with the tour representative)
I warn you right away, if you have breakfast + dinner, you are supposed to drink only free water for dinner. All drinks are paid and during the day! ! !
Excursions were bought from Nis in Gala for 20 c. u. e. per person Kandy + Sigiriya-two-day (amazing tour) -140 c. u. e. considered.
We also went by tuk-tuk to Kalutara when the weather made it possible. Feel free to haggle everywhere! ! ! Seeing tourists, prices are inflated at times!
We can say that the rest was a success, if not for the terrible weather from the second week of rest. At this time, hurricanes swept not only in the United States, but also in the Indian Ocean! The sky and the ocean were black! The downpour clogged the water even in the room! It was very scary!
Sri Lanka needs to be understood and accepted as it is: amazing flora and fauna, unique architecture in large cities, and in parallel poverty and unsanitary conditions.
I wish you all a pleasant stay and unforgettable impressions! It is better to see once than hear a hundred times!
The flight is hard. Fly Dubai sucks! Shame on such a rich country to skin three skins for food. This is for those who do not know that you need to take brakes on the plane. Especially if you are traveling as a family. The check-in went well, although we walked for an hour until the room was cleaned.
. The view from our room on the ground floor shocked us! There is even an exit to the beach, in front of you is the ocean! There were really no problems with sunbeds.
The room was cleaned well, only when the money was left. And they smile with a bang!
The hotel grounds are beautiful and well maintained. There is a gym, water polo, massage, cricket, badminton. Every evening there is a show program - national dances, a show with lights once caught, and of course live music. Very relaxing unobtrusive atmosphere reigns. Holidays are not for noisy companies! !
Food for an amateur. They weren't hungry. There is spicy, but this dish is marked. T.
we had breakfast + dinner, we went to a cafe on the beach for lunch. It is very easy to find - go out of the hotel to the beach and turn left, called "SABEENA". The three of us eat seafood with freshly squeezed juice, garnish, salad - a maximum of 30 c. u. e. The owner Nisa speaks good Russian. You can order excursions from him (the prices are the lowest, checked). The more people gather (max. 8-9), it will cost less. Phone-0774473945.
We are very glad that we got to know Nisa! He will fulfill any request, money can be trusted to buy rum, cashews, arak (local vodka from coconut juice), coconut oil, etc. He invited me to visit him, introduced him to a large family. Very hospitable and polite people. Nisa's mother set the table. We didn’t even expect, we need to bring gifts from our homeland. They like chocolate, vodka, cigarettes. This is from the heart, not for advertising.
I knew about the beachboys near the hotels, so I was very careful about them. Painfully annoying and arrogant (Lasha, Raja).
And the prices break, like a travel agent. They also scammed our friends for money. And all this with a smile, they say, I'll give it back tomorrow. Everyone will know about you on the first day! How long did you arrive (they have good connections with the tour representative)
I warn you right away, if you have breakfast + dinner, you are supposed to drink only free water for dinner. All drinks are paid and during the day! ! !
Excursions were bought from Nis in Gala for 20 c. u. e. per person Kandy + Sigiriya-two-day (amazing tour) -140 c. u. e. considered.
We also went by tuk-tuk to Kalutara when the weather made it possible. Feel free to haggle everywhere! ! ! Seeing tourists, prices are inflated at times!
We can say that the rest was a success, if not for the terrible weather from the second week of rest. At this time, hurricanes swept not only in the United States, but also in the Indian Ocean! The sky and the ocean were black! The downpour clogged the water even in the room! It was very scary!
Sri Lanka needs to be understood and accepted as it is: amazing flora and fauna, unique architecture in large cities, and in parallel poverty and unsanitary conditions.
I wish you all a pleasant stay and unforgettable impressions! It is better to see once than hear a hundred times!
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Hello everyone who is interested and who has not yet decided on a holiday in Sri Lanka. We want to leave your feedback about your holiday in Sri Lanka. We bought the tour in April (thinking about early booking) from 30.09. 2012 to 10.10. 2012 bought a tour through the mega tour operator “Join UP! ”(We will leave a separate contempt about him in a separate review, this year we had to buy a tour from him twice this year).
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Hello everyone who is interested and who has not yet decided on a holiday in Sri Lanka.
We want to leave your feedback about your holiday in Sri Lanka. We bought the tour in April (thinking about early booking) from 30.09. 2012 to 10.10. 2012 bought a tour through the mega tour operator “Join UP! ”(We will leave a separate contempt about him in a separate review, this year we had to buy a tour from him twice this year).
MERMAID HOTEL & SPA is what we were striving for. Perhaps - this is not the ultimate dream and it was our first 3-star hotel, BUT ...we bought:
1. for reviews.
2. on the price.
3. and photo….
4. OCEAN…. mmm… this is my dream….
But let's continue...
Despite the “frost” of our “mega tour operator”, and the unwillingness to pick us up from the airport, we still got to the hotel by 8.30.
Although the nerves were a little tense ...We did not leave dollars for ourselves, everything changed at the airport (1 dollar - 127 rupees, when 1 dollar - 130 rupees flew away).
Everything is fine in the hotel, we were settled (although they probably didn’t wait, again “thank you” “Join UP!
”), there is a problem with the Russian language and we were ready for this (I remembered everything that I learned at school and even more). Settled us on the 3rd floor overlooking the ocean, the view is wonderful. . While the room was being prepared, we went to the ocean. The first impression (and it will become very noticeable) was already waiting for us on the beach ...local Beach-boys. They have a division of tourists (that is, us) by nation. Everyone is tolerably fluent in a certain language (who knows German takes care of the Germans,
who are Russian-Russians, etc. ). . Kumara approached us and, in principle, we did not regret it. It’s not enough to speak Russian, maybe even joke about the topic.
The first day was eventful. On a tuk-tuk we went to Mahawaskaduwa, made a holiday for the locals. We bought vaunted arak, wine and local beer (beer is better in the hotel, arak (810 rupees) -5 points, although the hotel is also not bad, do not buy local rum (1300 rupees) (prices are fixed everywhere) - darkness).
For dinner, we ordered a sea platter, it was for an additional fee, on the menu 2200 rupees, in the end the waiter said 3000 rupees for a portion of a total of 6000 rupees.
As for the local "all inclusive" claims - no. For 5 points. There is enough variety, get ready for very spicy food - although this is justified. reduces the risk of poisoning. There were no problems with the disorder (we were preparing for this). The room is the usual standard, everything corresponds to the presentation of the hotel. We have a different concept of cleanliness. And be prepared for different, I repeat, different inhabitants. We left 100 rupees every day, I don’t know how this affects the cleaning, for 10 nights we changed the bed with towels 6 times.
Territory - separate 5 points. Fine. Separately, about the inhabitants of the hotel territory.
- Crows are a nightmare. As it turns out, they are everywhere. It is necessary to turn away, they will turn EVERYTHING. Whether it's breakfast on the terrace of the restaurant, or on a table by the sun lounger.
- Chipmunks - at least you perceive them with a smile.
Night dwellers. flying foxes, mongooses, monitor lizards, translucent lizards of different colors and ......a separate conversation about crabs. The entire beach is littered with small, mega-speedy, burrowing crustaceans.
We were very worried when we read in the reviews about some warnings that it was dangerous to walk barefoot on the beach on the sand. (I didn't understand WHY)
Tours. In general, we spent $ 400 for 2 people. Traveled with the above Kumara. Tel (077-5082823) Normal guy, the main thing is you say where you want to go (BUT only nearby areas), why? Because our concept of movement here and in Sri Lanka is very different. Approximately 20 million people live on the island, and this is despite the relatively small area of the island, and they mostly live closer to the sea.
On a single lane in each direction, they travel in three lanes with ease, with the bus being the main means of transport on the island.
Therefore, high-speed traffic is limited to 40 km / h (hardly faster).
. so understand, more than a 4-5 hour trip one way + more time for the tour and you won’t get further. Or contact a tour operator. We do not know the price - did not apply.
And the way back. Again the “frost” of our “mega tour operator” “Join UP! "we were forgotten again. After long negotiations at 2 am we were sent a taxi. But this is not the merit of "Join UP! ", but the receiving party.
In general, minor troubles did not spoil our impressions of the country.
We want to leave your feedback about your holiday in Sri Lanka. We bought the tour in April (thinking about early booking) from 30.09. 2012 to 10.10. 2012 bought a tour through the mega tour operator “Join UP! ”(We will leave a separate contempt about him in a separate review, this year we had to buy a tour from him twice this year).
MERMAID HOTEL & SPA is what we were striving for. Perhaps - this is not the ultimate dream and it was our first 3-star hotel, BUT ...we bought:
1. for reviews.
2. on the price.
3. and photo….
4. OCEAN…. mmm… this is my dream….
But let's continue...
Despite the “frost” of our “mega tour operator”, and the unwillingness to pick us up from the airport, we still got to the hotel by 8.30.
Although the nerves were a little tense ...We did not leave dollars for ourselves, everything changed at the airport (1 dollar - 127 rupees, when 1 dollar - 130 rupees flew away).
Everything is fine in the hotel, we were settled (although they probably didn’t wait, again “thank you” “Join UP!
”), there is a problem with the Russian language and we were ready for this (I remembered everything that I learned at school and even more). Settled us on the 3rd floor overlooking the ocean, the view is wonderful. . While the room was being prepared, we went to the ocean. The first impression (and it will become very noticeable) was already waiting for us on the beach ...local Beach-boys. They have a division of tourists (that is, us) by nation. Everyone is tolerably fluent in a certain language (who knows German takes care of the Germans,
who are Russian-Russians, etc. ). . Kumara approached us and, in principle, we did not regret it. It’s not enough to speak Russian, maybe even joke about the topic.
The first day was eventful. On a tuk-tuk we went to Mahawaskaduwa, made a holiday for the locals. We bought vaunted arak, wine and local beer (beer is better in the hotel, arak (810 rupees) -5 points, although the hotel is also not bad, do not buy local rum (1300 rupees) (prices are fixed everywhere) - darkness).
For dinner, we ordered a sea platter, it was for an additional fee, on the menu 2200 rupees, in the end the waiter said 3000 rupees for a portion of a total of 6000 rupees.
As for the local "all inclusive" claims - no. For 5 points. There is enough variety, get ready for very spicy food - although this is justified. reduces the risk of poisoning. There were no problems with the disorder (we were preparing for this). The room is the usual standard, everything corresponds to the presentation of the hotel. We have a different concept of cleanliness. And be prepared for different, I repeat, different inhabitants. We left 100 rupees every day, I don’t know how this affects the cleaning, for 10 nights we changed the bed with towels 6 times.
Territory - separate 5 points. Fine. Separately, about the inhabitants of the hotel territory.
- Crows are a nightmare. As it turns out, they are everywhere. It is necessary to turn away, they will turn EVERYTHING. Whether it's breakfast on the terrace of the restaurant, or on a table by the sun lounger.
- Chipmunks - at least you perceive them with a smile.
Night dwellers. flying foxes, mongooses, monitor lizards, translucent lizards of different colors and ......a separate conversation about crabs. The entire beach is littered with small, mega-speedy, burrowing crustaceans.
We were very worried when we read in the reviews about some warnings that it was dangerous to walk barefoot on the beach on the sand. (I didn't understand WHY)
Tours. In general, we spent $ 400 for 2 people. Traveled with the above Kumara. Tel (077-5082823) Normal guy, the main thing is you say where you want to go (BUT only nearby areas), why? Because our concept of movement here and in Sri Lanka is very different. Approximately 20 million people live on the island, and this is despite the relatively small area of the island, and they mostly live closer to the sea.
On a single lane in each direction, they travel in three lanes with ease, with the bus being the main means of transport on the island.
Therefore, high-speed traffic is limited to 40 km / h (hardly faster).
. so understand, more than a 4-5 hour trip one way + more time for the tour and you won’t get further. Or contact a tour operator. We do not know the price - did not apply.
And the way back. Again the “frost” of our “mega tour operator” “Join UP! "we were forgotten again. After long negotiations at 2 am we were sent a taxi. But this is not the merit of "Join UP! ", but the receiving party.
In general, minor troubles did not spoil our impressions of the country.
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We returned yesterday. Before that, we visited Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Thailand 5 times. There is something to compare with. But, this is the best vacation of all. Nature is amazing and of course the ocean. Maybe September is not the best time, but we were lucky 8 days out of 10 were clear weather. And if it started to rain, then it was exactly 15 minutes.
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We returned yesterday. Before that, we visited Egypt, Turkey, Israel, Thailand 5 times. There is something to compare with. But, this is the best vacation of all. Nature is amazing and of course the ocean. Maybe September is not the best time, but we were lucky 8 days out of 10 were clear weather. And if it started to rain, then it was exactly 15 minutes. The last two days it rained more seriously.
A few moments may come in handy for someone. In Dubai, we had a transfer, we had exactly 10 minutes. Only for the toilet. Who takes a sightseeing tour at the beginning (we took it for three days), straight from the airport for an excursion, change clothes except in the airport toilet. You will get to the hotel only around lunch. , a tired group of 11 people climbed this mountain. But, it's worth it. Impressions cannot be conveyed. Our first hotel charmed with wildness, there are a lot of monkeys and other living creatures around. Feeling of the jungle. Second day departure to Kandy and there is a new hotel. In general, everything is interesting, temples, elephants. Of course, there were standard factories, expensive souvenir shops and jewelers.
Hotel. Small, comfortable. Of course, for those who are always dissatisfied with everything, they pick up something there. Personally, I have contempt for such people, why drag myself for 10 hours to walk and take photos of cracks in toilets, count cockroaches. The staff are great, always happy to help.
Breakfast and dinner are enough to eat even without restaurants. The food was excellent, of course, there were those who always lacked something. Kalutara is at hand, 5 minutes on a tuk-tuk and you can pick up fruit. then you can pick up pies in cafes. We tried for the sake of interest, edible, but spicy. Cheap ice cream.
We went to Halle. Maybe I didn’t understand something (actually like everyone else) there’s nothing to do there, it’s boring. $ 30 per person. With local beach-boy Kumara we went to the river Bentottu. We saw a lot of monitor lizards, a crocodile from afar. 2 hours - $ 25. The guy is a little cheeky, but he tried.
The ocean is mesmerizing. My wife and I played like children. You won't be able to swim, but it's enough to fool around. Sri Lanka was very fond of, I used to want to return to Thailand, now I want to come here.
A few moments may come in handy for someone. In Dubai, we had a transfer, we had exactly 10 minutes. Only for the toilet. Who takes a sightseeing tour at the beginning (we took it for three days), straight from the airport for an excursion, change clothes except in the airport toilet. You will get to the hotel only around lunch. , a tired group of 11 people climbed this mountain. But, it's worth it. Impressions cannot be conveyed. Our first hotel charmed with wildness, there are a lot of monkeys and other living creatures around. Feeling of the jungle. Second day departure to Kandy and there is a new hotel. In general, everything is interesting, temples, elephants. Of course, there were standard factories, expensive souvenir shops and jewelers.
Hotel. Small, comfortable. Of course, for those who are always dissatisfied with everything, they pick up something there. Personally, I have contempt for such people, why drag myself for 10 hours to walk and take photos of cracks in toilets, count cockroaches. The staff are great, always happy to help.
Breakfast and dinner are enough to eat even without restaurants. The food was excellent, of course, there were those who always lacked something. Kalutara is at hand, 5 minutes on a tuk-tuk and you can pick up fruit. then you can pick up pies in cafes. We tried for the sake of interest, edible, but spicy. Cheap ice cream.
We went to Halle. Maybe I didn’t understand something (actually like everyone else) there’s nothing to do there, it’s boring. $ 30 per person. With local beach-boy Kumara we went to the river Bentottu. We saw a lot of monitor lizards, a crocodile from afar. 2 hours - $ 25. The guy is a little cheeky, but he tried.
The ocean is mesmerizing. My wife and I played like children. You won't be able to swim, but it's enough to fool around. Sri Lanka was very fond of, I used to want to return to Thailand, now I want to come here.
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We stayed at the hotel in August. Everyone was happy, including the weather. Although we went out of season, and a long rain caught us only once, the rest of the time there were rains, but very short ones, they ended as quickly as they began. The hotel is good, clean and comfortable. The only impression was that instead of the ordered triple room, we were settled in a double room with an extra bed.
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We stayed at the hotel in August. Everyone was happy, including the weather. Although we went out of season, and a long rain caught us only once, the rest of the time there were rains, but very short ones, they ended as quickly as they began.
The hotel is good, clean and comfortable. The only impression was that instead of the ordered triple room, we were settled in a double room with an extra bed. Although this did not overshadow the rest, since we returned to the room exclusively to spend the night. For placement we put 5-.
The hotel area is small, but also very clean. There is a pool, although we very rarely swam in it, the waves in the ocean did not bother us at all. Chipmunks were especially pleased, of which there are a great many. And they not only eat from their hands, they also ran after me for nuts : )) And in a three-minute walk from the hotel we saw a family of wild monkeys, right in the courtyard of a residential building : ))
The hotel staff is very smiling, helpful, always asked if everything was fine with us. Any request was immediately fulfilled. Well cleaned in the room every day, bedding changed. As soon as they saw that we were going to the beach, they immediately ran with towels. In addition, many are trying to learn Russian and it was quite possible to communicate with them, well, the hotel staff is trying to please everyone. So for the service - definitely 5.
Animation is really rather weak, not for incendiary youth recreation. Every day they offered to play volleyball, basketball, tennis. Often invited to aerobics / aqua aerobics. Every evening at dinner and after live music played, sometimes national dances. This, of course, is not a super discos, however, there was something to do in the evenings. Best for a relaxing family holiday.
The food is excellent too. We took breakfast + dinner. And if the breakfasts were really not very diverse (very much like standard English breakfasts), then the dinners were very even. And, for every taste. Some dishes seemed unusually spicy to us, but there was always plenty to choose from. There was also a lot of the most varied sweets, very rarely something was repeated. Fruit was eaten every day, both for breakfast and dinner. A solid five for food.
We went on excursions with Lasha! It is very easy to recognize him by the longest hair. An excellent, nice guy, very honest, modest and unobtrusive, which is a very big plus, especially against the background of the rest of the country's population)) He speaks Russian very well, he learns the language himself and constantly improves it. Lasha, of course, is not a guide, but he will definitely tell and show everything that he knows, the main thing - do not hesitate to ask. If you are interested in the history of the country, it is better to buy a guidebook: it is written there much more than they can tell you on excursions, and if something is suddenly forgotten, you can always refresh your memory. We did just that and have never regretted it. We went on four excursions with Lasha: in Colombo (we looked at temples + shopping), in Kandy (we watched how rubber, tea, pineapples grow, we went to the botanical garden and spice garden, the elephant nursery and the temple of the tooth of the Buddha), in Galle (we stopped at the factory precious stones, a turtle farm, walked around the fort itself, swam in the lagoon, rode along the river) and on a short tour of the outskirts of Kalutara (we watched a very beautiful waterfall, rice fields and some temples in the city itself). The impressions from the excursions are the most wonderful. A huge plus of traveling with Lasha is that you do not depend on the group in any way, you can go somewhere, not somewhere, walk as much as you want, stop where you want, take pictures as much as you like. And all this in a warm company and with the conveniences: a comfortable car with air conditioning. And see everything to the maximum, because to see the same tea plantations, it is not at all necessary to go to Nuwara Eliya. And the prices, of course, are lower than in travel agencies. They also went to the city on a tut-tuk with him, he always suggested where to buy something, helped to choose fruits and souvenirs. If suddenly something was needed, he himself went to the city, bought everything he needed, returned change to the last rupee, and even refused to take money. He treated us to fruit, shrimp (he cooked it himself! ), showed us how to catch crabs. In general, if you want to see to the maximum, to feel the country "from the inside", then go to Lasha and don't even think about it.
I don’t know about the rest of the scourge fights, but I’ll say for sure - beware of the so-called. Dima (we introduced ourselves the way you introduce yourself - it is not known). He has a cafe not far from the hotel (if you need to eat somewhere, it’s better to ask Lasha to take him to his uncle’s restaurant, he’s a little further, but the prices are lower and certainly won’t be deceived), 5 minutes walk to the left side. On the first day, we went to the city to skimp, we wanted to buy red rum, he drove us to a stall fenced with a net, where locals crowded, very eager to drink. Dima took the money, bought it himself, we got a bottle of rum for 2500 rupees. And when we went with Lasha, he took us inside, everyone chose it themselves and it turned out that the rum costs 1300 rupees. So Dima “shod” us for ten bucks and didn’t even wince, he also brought all sorts of oils to some friends to buy, they barely got rid of them. This "Dima" and excursions, of course, offered us, showed excellent reviews, said that he was not beach-boys. As a result, they also turned out to be 20-30 dollars more expensive than Lasha's. I highly recommend not dealing with this person.
As for souvenirs, tea, spices, it is better to buy all this in the same Kalutara or in Colombo. Do not rely on duty free, this was perhaps the biggest disappointment! Prices are much more expensive for absolutely everything, including alcohol! and if you decide to take local rum home, buy only in Sri Lanka itself, it is not available in duty free at all!
Well, when you get ready to go, do not forget to take our vodka and chocolate with you, the locals love them very much)) if you smoke, then stock up on more cigarettes: you won’t have to pay for them at the airport, and the locals are very fond of “shooting”. Yes, they have expensive cigarettes.
Happy holidays everyone!
The hotel is good, clean and comfortable. The only impression was that instead of the ordered triple room, we were settled in a double room with an extra bed. Although this did not overshadow the rest, since we returned to the room exclusively to spend the night. For placement we put 5-.
The hotel area is small, but also very clean. There is a pool, although we very rarely swam in it, the waves in the ocean did not bother us at all. Chipmunks were especially pleased, of which there are a great many. And they not only eat from their hands, they also ran after me for nuts : )) And in a three-minute walk from the hotel we saw a family of wild monkeys, right in the courtyard of a residential building : ))
The hotel staff is very smiling, helpful, always asked if everything was fine with us. Any request was immediately fulfilled. Well cleaned in the room every day, bedding changed. As soon as they saw that we were going to the beach, they immediately ran with towels. In addition, many are trying to learn Russian and it was quite possible to communicate with them, well, the hotel staff is trying to please everyone. So for the service - definitely 5.
Animation is really rather weak, not for incendiary youth recreation. Every day they offered to play volleyball, basketball, tennis. Often invited to aerobics / aqua aerobics. Every evening at dinner and after live music played, sometimes national dances. This, of course, is not a super discos, however, there was something to do in the evenings. Best for a relaxing family holiday.
The food is excellent too. We took breakfast + dinner. And if the breakfasts were really not very diverse (very much like standard English breakfasts), then the dinners were very even. And, for every taste. Some dishes seemed unusually spicy to us, but there was always plenty to choose from. There was also a lot of the most varied sweets, very rarely something was repeated. Fruit was eaten every day, both for breakfast and dinner. A solid five for food.
We went on excursions with Lasha! It is very easy to recognize him by the longest hair. An excellent, nice guy, very honest, modest and unobtrusive, which is a very big plus, especially against the background of the rest of the country's population)) He speaks Russian very well, he learns the language himself and constantly improves it. Lasha, of course, is not a guide, but he will definitely tell and show everything that he knows, the main thing - do not hesitate to ask. If you are interested in the history of the country, it is better to buy a guidebook: it is written there much more than they can tell you on excursions, and if something is suddenly forgotten, you can always refresh your memory. We did just that and have never regretted it. We went on four excursions with Lasha: in Colombo (we looked at temples + shopping), in Kandy (we watched how rubber, tea, pineapples grow, we went to the botanical garden and spice garden, the elephant nursery and the temple of the tooth of the Buddha), in Galle (we stopped at the factory precious stones, a turtle farm, walked around the fort itself, swam in the lagoon, rode along the river) and on a short tour of the outskirts of Kalutara (we watched a very beautiful waterfall, rice fields and some temples in the city itself). The impressions from the excursions are the most wonderful. A huge plus of traveling with Lasha is that you do not depend on the group in any way, you can go somewhere, not somewhere, walk as much as you want, stop where you want, take pictures as much as you like. And all this in a warm company and with the conveniences: a comfortable car with air conditioning. And see everything to the maximum, because to see the same tea plantations, it is not at all necessary to go to Nuwara Eliya. And the prices, of course, are lower than in travel agencies. They also went to the city on a tut-tuk with him, he always suggested where to buy something, helped to choose fruits and souvenirs. If suddenly something was needed, he himself went to the city, bought everything he needed, returned change to the last rupee, and even refused to take money. He treated us to fruit, shrimp (he cooked it himself! ), showed us how to catch crabs. In general, if you want to see to the maximum, to feel the country "from the inside", then go to Lasha and don't even think about it.
I don’t know about the rest of the scourge fights, but I’ll say for sure - beware of the so-called. Dima (we introduced ourselves the way you introduce yourself - it is not known). He has a cafe not far from the hotel (if you need to eat somewhere, it’s better to ask Lasha to take him to his uncle’s restaurant, he’s a little further, but the prices are lower and certainly won’t be deceived), 5 minutes walk to the left side. On the first day, we went to the city to skimp, we wanted to buy red rum, he drove us to a stall fenced with a net, where locals crowded, very eager to drink. Dima took the money, bought it himself, we got a bottle of rum for 2500 rupees. And when we went with Lasha, he took us inside, everyone chose it themselves and it turned out that the rum costs 1300 rupees. So Dima “shod” us for ten bucks and didn’t even wince, he also brought all sorts of oils to some friends to buy, they barely got rid of them. This "Dima" and excursions, of course, offered us, showed excellent reviews, said that he was not beach-boys. As a result, they also turned out to be 20-30 dollars more expensive than Lasha's. I highly recommend not dealing with this person.
As for souvenirs, tea, spices, it is better to buy all this in the same Kalutara or in Colombo. Do not rely on duty free, this was perhaps the biggest disappointment! Prices are much more expensive for absolutely everything, including alcohol! and if you decide to take local rum home, buy only in Sri Lanka itself, it is not available in duty free at all!
Well, when you get ready to go, do not forget to take our vodka and chocolate with you, the locals love them very much)) if you smoke, then stock up on more cigarettes: you won’t have to pay for them at the airport, and the locals are very fond of “shooting”. Yes, they have expensive cigarettes.
Happy holidays everyone!
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