They did not expect :)
We did not expect that Sri Lanka has nothing to do with India except for the location.
I did not expect that people are so smiling and friendly.
We did not expect that the population was not tall and everyone was very thin (they thought that the young ladies were like in India)
We did not expect that the OCEAN is CLEAN, WARM AND TENDER
We did not expect that the water in the ocean is transparent.
We did not expect that a new tuk tuk costs $5.000. And what about cars when buying, depending on the class, taxes from 100 to 400 percent. And if suddenly a Lexus is driving, then this is a OOOOOOOOO very rich person.
Definitely, after Sri Lanka, I would not go to Goa.
They considered our vacation only as a beach holiday, initially not planning to go on excursions.
I really wanted to just escape from the metropolis and lie in the sun.
The tour was taken partly in a travel agency, partly booked via the Internet themselves.
I want to say right away that next time if we go, then only ourselves.
Through the tour, the company booked tickets (Kyiv-Sharjah-Colombo and back), 4 days at the Bentota Beach Hotel 4 *, 2 days at Taj Samudra Colombo 5 * and two individual transfers.
By the way, thanks to Arab Airlines, which made flights to Sri Lanka affordable, this direction has become much more accessible. We paid $500 per person for the flight. True, they fell under some kind of action. But in any case, while communicating with fellow countrymen in Sri Lanka, we did not hear prices of more than 600 dollars for a flight.
Actually about the rest.
About sad in a nutshell. The fact that we paid from Kyiv through a tour company left much to be desired. After an eight-hour flight and arrival at three in the morning, we were simply not met at the airport. There was also a problem at the Taj Hotel, in which they simply did not see our reservation. Well, perhaps that's all.
When you exit the airport immediately exchange currencies of different banks. The course is the same everywhere. Further stands with mobile operators. We took Dialog.
Card + to the account - 10 dollars. This money was enough for me to make 4 calls to Ukraine and to communicate with guides and friends in Sri Lanka.
Bentota Beach Hotel 4*. Good hotel. Quiet, calm, respectable. Large landscaped area. River on one side, ocean on the other. It is very cool to ride on a boat. There are no guesthouses on the Bentota Coast, this is a Hotel vacation. The beaches are municipal, you sunbathe on the territory of the hotel, and you go to the beach to swim. By the way, it’s very wonderful to sunbathe on the territory of the hotel, where chaise longues are scattered under palm trees, no one “walks on the head” and is really calm and quiet. The railway they write about is really not annoying.
We didn't take all inclusive. Took breakfast - dinner. Enough with the head. The ocean is open, without coves, strong waves. For two days there were red flags at all (swimming is prohibited). But of course everyone swam.
Ayurvedic center in the hotel is not bad. The only thing is to ask for a massage done by a man, women are very weak. And also ask the administrator of the center for a discount. They give it.
The only thing that bothered SOOO MUCH was the Beach Boys with constant offers of any kind of services. As soon as you go to the beach, the tension begins. Despite the fact that we were seduced for dinner with seafood, for a plate of seafood, two beers, two salads and 200 grams of crayfish paid 100 USD. e. For dinner in Sri Lanka - it's not cheap. Moreover, with ambiguous stories and hints of a scourge of combat that everyone goes to Sri Lanka for sex. In general, brrrrr. But in my opinion, it's better not to.
In general, in Bentota, we “fashionably” rested up and drove on.
Coast of Unawatuna.
Not very declared by tourist campaigns, since there are already one hotel here, and even that three.
But there are many guest houses and villas with which tour operators do not work.
On the coast of Unawatuna, Alexej Novikovphone helped us a lot: +94779804839 skype: novikov_boroda http://lanka-houses. com/ http://mojalanka. en/
We found it through the forums when we were researching everything about Sri Lanka on the Internet. From Lesha we ordered accommodation in Unawatuna, a transfer from bentota to unawatuna and a transfer from bentota to Colombo. In reality, everything is much cheaper than through a tour company, and most importantly, clearly and without delay. He helped me a lot and advised me on many issues. Lesha himself is from Riga, lives in Sri Lanka in Unawatuna with his family. We were very glad to meet him and his wonderful wife Alena .
Unawatuna is notable for its stunning beach, which is located in a bay and is surrounded by a natural coral reef. There are practically no waves, the water is turquoise, the sand is white. Sometimes you can see turtles swimming
We chose all hotels such that there was a pool. There are two of these in Unawatuna, one is the only three that is in Unawatuna and the second is the Neptun Bay guest house, in which we actually lived.
I will say right away that the pool is not needed at all. The ocean is so chic that the need for a pool simply disappears. Neptune Bay has a very good massage therapist.
Prices for accommodation on the coast in Unawatuna from 15 and went up. Our Neptune Bay cost about $70 per night per room. Along the entire coast of the cafe. Prices below bentota by a good order. In general, this is the coast where you can go, throw your suitcases in a nearby cafe and look for a place to live to your taste and wallet from rooms to villas. And the main population reacts to tourists very calmly, no scourge of battles for you.
From the nearby attractions: the fort in Galle, La Spezia, a small turtle farm, temples.
For this action, they left themselves two days specially in Colombo.
They settled in the Taj Samudra in Colombo. The hotel is like a hotel. Five stars, maybe five. Business Class. Business rallies. All in jackets and ties, and only we with a thirst for shopping.
In general, there is nothing to say about the hotel, except that you need to pay no more than 300 rupees from it to all the shops
T-shirts, t-shirts 4-10 dollars. They did not find normal shoes, but they taste and color.
For children's clothing, there is a lot of Next and Maze Keir. If the tag is cut off, these are things for export that do not have the right to sell in Sri Lanka. There is every chance to buy a really real good thing.
Jeans are not true to size.
NEW Odel - t-shirts and t-shirts were taken here.
MAGESTIC CITY - a shopping center with a chain of stores, uh, it's been half a day. The best purchase is a silk skirt next for 15 USD. e
Beverly Street is more expensive than the rest. But blouses for Donna Karen 5-15 c. u. it's worth it
Romafor is opposite Majestic City. Positioned as a store with good men's clothing. As a result, for men's clothing - fakes of Armani gabana kavali. Moreover, with cut tags, sort of like for export. The fact that they are not real can be seen with the naked eye, and the sellers later said.
We just asked to see T-shirts made in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan brands without the inscription Made in Thailand and China. We took very pretty notice T-shirts for 5-7 dollars.
Mlesna - TEA. (Mlesna is in Majestic City).
We drove through the shops that are not indicated in all guidebooks. There is also Odel (it is better to put on nothing superfluous in it) and house of fasion (there were acquaintances who said the market).
Bought more pebbles (sapphires). I’ll just take it for examination, then I’ll sign off on the stones in Sri Lanka. But the products are ugly, some kind of clumsy. Therefore, they simply took cut stones for the product.
