Rest for 5 plus.
March 30 returned from a trip to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. And it all started on 12.03. 11 First from St. Petersburg to Moscow, then by "Emirates" to Dubai and finally 3 planes to Colombo. In Sri Lanka, I was in the company of 3 women for 9 days, then the departure of a local airline. in Male. Flight on a twin-engine. plane to Addu Atoll to Equator Village Hotel. The cost of the road there and back is 50 tr. The budget in Sri Lanka is $670 per person. Hotel in the Maldives through "Teztour" for 2x - 67788r. all inclusive. Well, now in order. Before the trip, I contacted Dusey, a local Russian-speaking guide in Sri Lanka, he met us at the airport upon arrival. I told him what we want to see and he adjusted the trip plan. The rate of rupees at the airport is 108.44 per dollar. 1 day-transfer to Olenka Sun Side Beach hotel in Marawel. The hotel does not pull on 3, although it presents itself. For 1 night after the flight it will do, but there are those who rest in it longer, from the club of masochists. Day 2 at 9 am we went to the Pinnavella nursery. There, elephants are taken to the river 2 times a day, at 10 and 14 hours. Pleasure through the cashier 20 Amer. dollars per person. You sit and watch the elephants take baths. Very interesting t. to. there are a lot of them at the same time. At the same time, you can walk around the souvenir shops nearby. At 15 o'clock we left for Polunaruwa. On the way we stopped to have a bite of fruit and boiled corn. We went to the spice garden. There are a lot of them. We listened and looked at everything. They did a massage, bought various medicines and oils. We stopped at a sari and cotton shop. T-shirts are 2.5 cu. e. In the evening we arrived at the Sudu Aralia hotel. The hotel and rooms are great. The food is also top notch. By the way, the prices that Dusya prescribed for us for hotels are lower by 10-15 dollars per room than if they bought them themselves. In the restaurant in the evening, local musicians sang songs to us, it was very wonderful to the arak. In the morning we went on a tour. We paid $50 for entrance tickets. e. per person. If you go to all the sights of the cultural triangle, then it is profitable. Half a day was spent inspecting cultural property or what was left of them. We went to a workshop for the manufacture of wooden products. We walked, looked, took pictures and left. If you want, you can buy everything there. We are not fans. Let's go to Anaradhapura. There are many interesting things along the way, for example, a wild elephant crossed the road. A lot of adrenaline has developed. We arrived at the Anaradhapura Palm Gaden village hotel. It is something. Huge swimming pool. Garden area by the lake. Bungalow rooms. The food is superb. Met the chef. They were not greedy, they left tips everywhere and we had great respect. We bought fruit on the road and had Martini and Beefeater with us, so life was amazing in the evenings. Dusya bought high-quality arak several times and always treated us. . In the evening we went to look at illuminated stupas and the Bo tree. You can get to the tree for 2 c. u. e. from a foreigner. We always swam in the pools in the morning and after breakfast we were on our way. Again stupas and a museum. Everything is very interesting. We are going to Khabarana. We check into the Jays Holiday Hotel. Small but nice in a nature reserve. We swim in the pool and go on an elephant ride. Two options. Or on the back or on the benches. We choose the 1st option. The cost is 30 c. u. e. per person. Duration 30-40 minutes. First, we cross the village and enter the river. Water exercise is provided for everyone sitting on the elephant. One note on riding. everything is super, but you need to sit down correctly and you will be fine, otherwise your ass will hurt. Then we go to Sigiriya. This is the most interesting place to visit. We arrived there in the evening and when we climbed to the top, we watched the sunset. If you can’t calculate your strength for lifting, take a local helper for 10 c. u. e. He will drag you, which he did with my wife. Dusya introduced us to the head of the security service of the reserve and everything that was not allowed for all tourists was allowed to us. Up to drinking arak at the top, which was brought by the locals. And only 5 at. e. for the boss. And once again a reminder - pay for the service, if you like it, everyone from 1 to 10 USD. e. , do not regret and you will have a huge respect. Sigiriya is a miracle of nature and the creation of people. Everyone must see. Then we decided to visit a Sri Lankan massage and Dusya took us to a nice spa. Words can not express, you have to try. The procedure cost $30. e. And this is with a steam bath in a barrel in which only the head sticks out. The road to the hotel and dinner with local dishes. In the morning swimming pool, breakfast and on the way to Dambula. Also an interesting place. Ticket 10 at. e. Our guide paid for everything. You have to take off your shoes. Storage $14 per pair. We walked, looked and took pictures. Wild monkeys live in the golden temple. We move to Ramboda in the evening, this is the road through Kandy. Hotel Ramboda elle rest. The hotel is in the mountains, from the rooms a view of the waterfalls, which are close at hand. Naturally, we all went there to swim. It is a miracle to be experienced. When you stand under a waterfall covered in spray, you merge with the cosmos. In the evening, dinner outdoors under the fire. The rooms in the hotel where we checked in cost $100. There are 2 of them there. And they were worth it. The next morning drive to Nuwara Eliya. The area where tea is grown. We visited the McWoods factory, looked around, had a tea tasting and naturally bought for ourselves and as a gift for friends and relatives. Almost all packs of tea are 200g. 5 pcs. together cost $10. There was nowhere cheaper. Then we go to the Nanuoya railway station and get into the observation car. And we move on it to Peradeniya. We drove a little over 3 hours. The ticket cost 750 rupees per person. In carriages of the 2nd and 3rd class, people sat almost on the neighbor's head. We were free to choose seats. The views from the car are just a waste. Nature pleases the eye. Upon arrival in Peradeniya, Dusya presented the girls with a huge bouquet. We go to folk dances. Entrance 10 dollars. Dancing for an amateur, vol. I saw enough of them in many countries of Indochina, but walking on live coals impressed me. We move to a small private hotel in Kandy. The downside of the hotel is no pool. And everything else is mental. In the morning we drove to Kandy to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Admission $10 which includes a memory disc. It was a holiday and there were a lot of people. But I think you should visit. We then proceeded to the Royal Botanic Gardens. We spent 3-4 hours there. Interesting, I advise everyone to visit. And that's where our trip ended. We said goodbye to Dusya and moved to another minivan with the driver Viktor, who works for Dusya. Dusya went with the following tourists and we moved to the ocean in the Negombo region. Checked into the Rani Beach Resort on the ocean. The rooms are good with balconies, everything you need is in the room. The pool is beautiful, the ocean is 100 meters from the beach. The food is decent. Lots of cafes and shops nearby. Spent 2 nights in it. And on the 10th day our stay in Sri Lanka ended. They called a minivan for $ 20 and moved to the airport to board a plane flying to the Maldives. But that's another story that I'll continue.
