We rested in Sri Lanka for the first time. We looked for a hotel based on reviews and weather in the month of May in different regions. The hotel is very good. We lived in a beach chalet on the ocean (I recommend). alcohol is quite high quality especially dark rum (I recommend).
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We rested in Sri Lanka for the first time. We looked for a hotel based on reviews and weather in the month of May in different regions. The hotel is very good. We lived in a beach chalet on the ocean (I recommend). alcohol is quite high quality especially dark rum (I recommend).
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Hello Everyone. I want to say that the rest in this country was a success. First of all, I note that I was not in one hotel, but in many, traveled this country from North to South, from West to East. In the North, I really liked the Heritance Kandalama 5 * hotel, it is located in the jungle among the monkeys that come to the room, steal and eat everything they see, so you need to be careful.
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Hello Everyone.
I want to say that the rest in this country was a success.
First of all, I note that I was not in one hotel, but in many, traveled this country from North to South, from West to East. In the North, I really liked the Heritance Kandalama 5 * hotel, it is located in the jungle among the monkeys that come to the room, steal and eat everything they see, so you need to be careful. The quality of the restaurant is the best. This is indeed 5. Visited: The mountain fortress of Sigiriya, built by King Kashyap (477-495 AD) is a World Heritage Site. "Lion Mountain" - the embodiment of extraordinary beauty - rises 200 meters above the bushy jungle. A moat, a rampart and an extensive park, including the famous ponds, surround the mountain.
Inspection of the world-famous gallery of frescoes "Heavenly Maidens", hidden deep in the mountain. The frescoes are painted with natural pigment on plaster
Polonaruwa - the 2nd capital of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th-12th centuries. n. e.
, and today one of the most important centers of cultural heritage of the country. The ruins of buildings, palaces and monasteries make an unforgettable impression. Here you will see:
• Ruins of the Royal Palace
• Gal Vihara Temple - one of the most famous places in Polonnaruwa cave temple, which houses 4 well-preserved Buddha statues in various poses, carved from solid granite in the 12th century, are considered true masterpieces of Sri Lankan art. Despite the fact that the sculptures are huge, they amaze with their realism.
• Audience Hall
• Bath-Lotus
• statue of King Parakramabahu
• Parakrama Samudraya - that is, the "ocean of King Parakramabahu", a huge lake created by human hands, is located on the western side of the city.
• As well as: Shiva Temple, Lankatileke - statue of a giant Buddha, Shaivist temple, Watadaj - amphitheater, Galpotha, Kiri Vehera and the remains of the former Temple of the Tooth Relic.
In the second hotel Chaya Blu 4 * which is located in Trincomal, we arrived at the ocean. I would really return there, because I really liked the interior of the hotel, the atmosphere in the room. The coast is very gentle and the ocean is simply amazing. The service staff treats you like a child, while I want to note that there is no such thing as in Egypt or Turkey in the sense of greasy looks or jokes, everything is within the framework.
But I want to draw your attention to the fact that traffic on the roads led me to fear for my life, there are no rules, this is a struggle for survival.
Be vigilant with taxi drivers, speak in advance so that they go slower.
Regarding souvenirs and fruits, I want to say that souvenirs are very expensive, but not fruits.
I want to say that the rest in this country was a success.
First of all, I note that I was not in one hotel, but in many, traveled this country from North to South, from West to East. In the North, I really liked the Heritance Kandalama 5 * hotel, it is located in the jungle among the monkeys that come to the room, steal and eat everything they see, so you need to be careful. The quality of the restaurant is the best. This is indeed 5. Visited: The mountain fortress of Sigiriya, built by King Kashyap (477-495 AD) is a World Heritage Site. "Lion Mountain" - the embodiment of extraordinary beauty - rises 200 meters above the bushy jungle. A moat, a rampart and an extensive park, including the famous ponds, surround the mountain.
Inspection of the world-famous gallery of frescoes "Heavenly Maidens", hidden deep in the mountain. The frescoes are painted with natural pigment on plaster
Polonaruwa - the 2nd capital of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th-12th centuries. n. e.
, and today one of the most important centers of cultural heritage of the country. The ruins of buildings, palaces and monasteries make an unforgettable impression. Here you will see:
• Ruins of the Royal Palace
• Gal Vihara Temple - one of the most famous places in Polonnaruwa cave temple, which houses 4 well-preserved Buddha statues in various poses, carved from solid granite in the 12th century, are considered true masterpieces of Sri Lankan art. Despite the fact that the sculptures are huge, they amaze with their realism.
• Audience Hall
• Bath-Lotus
• statue of King Parakramabahu
• Parakrama Samudraya - that is, the "ocean of King Parakramabahu", a huge lake created by human hands, is located on the western side of the city.
• As well as: Shiva Temple, Lankatileke - statue of a giant Buddha, Shaivist temple, Watadaj - amphitheater, Galpotha, Kiri Vehera and the remains of the former Temple of the Tooth Relic.
In the second hotel Chaya Blu 4 * which is located in Trincomal, we arrived at the ocean. I would really return there, because I really liked the interior of the hotel, the atmosphere in the room. The coast is very gentle and the ocean is simply amazing. The service staff treats you like a child, while I want to note that there is no such thing as in Egypt or Turkey in the sense of greasy looks or jokes, everything is within the framework.
But I want to draw your attention to the fact that traffic on the roads led me to fear for my life, there are no rules, this is a struggle for survival.
Be vigilant with taxi drivers, speak in advance so that they go slower.
Regarding souvenirs and fruits, I want to say that souvenirs are very expensive, but not fruits.
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Before moving on to the details, I would like to immediately dispel the illusions of those who expect a 4-star hotel to actually get ready to get into 2 - well, maybe 3 stars. And this is not due to any one shortcoming, but to a whole combination of various factors. EVERYTHING described here has been photographed.
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Before moving on to the details, I would like to immediately dispel the illusions of those who expect a 4-star hotel to actually get ready to get into 2 - well, maybe 3 stars. And this is not due to any one shortcoming, but to a whole combination of various factors.
EVERYTHING described here has been photographed. You can download these photos and see for yourself. Alas, the photos are of high quality and weigh a lot, but they convey all the details.
All photos can be downloaded from the link http://files. mail. ru/IL1Y7T (about 30 Mb)
Yes, I forgot, and there is no doctor or first-aid post in the hotel. The bartenders wash the wounds with vodka. You saw it yourself.
1. Readiness of the hotel
- in fact, the hotel is not completed yet
- no access road
- on the territory - the remains of construction debris
- diesel tractors with building materials are constantly moving along the territory past the beach.
LOOK AT THE PHOTO
2. Territory
- very small actually 300 meters along the beach and 100 deep
- not fenced
- on the one hand, a military base - where it is not recommended to go at night, as they can open fire
- on the other side - a fishing village, where nets are laid out at night, emitting a corresponding smell
- during the day, the fishermen lay out the nets on the beach of the hotel and pull them out on its territory
- the territory is covered with scorched grass and sand in places
- you need to walk barefoot carefully - maybe there is broken glass
- in the middle of the beach, a rusty pipe protrudes a little from the sand, once a former volleyball rack
- on the beach for the whole hotel there are as many as 5! ! ! ! small umbrellas that do not protect even 2 people from the sun at noon
- a small shallow rectangular pool of about 8 by 17 meters
- a lot of crows, so the sunbeds are covered with droppings during the day
LOOK AT THE PHOTO
3. Rooms and renovations
- despite the fact that the hotel is open on May 15, everything is already falling apart
- the fan on the ceiling drops out
- after a heavy rain, some numbers are flooded with water (for example, numbers 220.218, 208.
206…. and a few chalets)
- Chalets are, in fact, the same two-story stone buildings. But the rooms are a little bigger. The first floor really goes almost to the beach.
- Periodically turn off the electricity (well, that means air conditioners) - that's why the rooms even have flashlights plus power surges .....
- the first 2 days there was no hot water, because it was cloudy - and it is heated from the sun
- only a week later they gave a blanket, and at the beginning instead of it they gave a piece of dense fabric smeared with white paint
- Absolute lack of soundproofing! adjoining rooms can be combined into blocks and separated by plywood! door - you can hear everything.
- the water in the washbasin did not work well for us all week, and the tank in the chalet did not work for friends
- there are huge gaps under and around the doors, into which local animals easily crawl - cockroach spiders, etc.
4. Entertainment - animation
- missing completely
- there is one bar in the whole hotel, open until 24 hours
- the only music is a third-rate duo singing old romantic melodies during dinner
- even near the pool and even during the day there is no music
- accordingly, there is no night club, no disco, no casino - no other entertainment of any kind
- no animation
5. Restaurants - food
- the hotel has 1 bar, one restaurant where everyone eats - and one A la carte restaurant
- a small bar with a normal selection of drinks
- a restaurant for meals - a regular buffet with prevailing very spicy dishes of local cuisine
- in two places in the restaurant food is cooked on fire - while there is no extractor hood and smells spread throughout the restaurant, the only bar and rooms near the pool, because the territory is very small. Not fresh lamb smells especially great -)
- devices do not change - just shift to another plate
- waiters shift clean dishes from table to table - so as not to go to the kitchen
- "Crab" - a small restaurant on the shore where frozen lobsters and crabs are tasteless (not local, prices: lobster - 30 dollars, crab - from 15)
6. All in
- the worst all in we've ever seen
- upon arrival, no one knew what it was and what it included
- after long scandals, by the end of the holiday, 2 menus appeared - one for ordinary guests - and the other for all in (for example, AI includes 3! ! different hamburgers, 3 salads and 3 types of fried potatoes) SEE PHOTO. Local semi-sweet wine is only served by a glass - with meals, one sort of local beer, etc.
- Dry wine is NOT given
- the worst thing is that for any order they bring an invoice that must be signed - which is very inconvenient - one day, in order to sign an invoice for 2 glasses of wine, the waiter broke into our room at 22.45 ! ! ! !
- the time of using the bar is limited by the time set by the management
7. Service
- at the rank and file level, employees are trying.
however, management does not find it necessary to communicate with customers
- for example, having left for an excursion from the hotel - we were given a dry ration of 2 bananas and a hamburger prepared the day before, from which everyone had stomach problems. SEE PHOTO
- in response to complaints about the quality of service, all IN - lower-level managers began to regularly arrange a showdown during dinner - while we never saw a top-level manager. When asked to talk during the day, they replied that it was convenient for them now, and they were busy during the day.
8. Staff
The ONLY really positive thing is ordinary people. Bartenders, waiters, etc. They are in constant confrontation with management due to very low pay and are ready to support those who are at war with management. The people are friendly and open. Discuss with the soul, regardless of the tip.
We tipped all the remaining local money on the last day - and we had the impression that they were not expecting this.
9. Diving and water sports
- there were no water sports as such yet - an old canoe with a rusty oar.
If you are a DIVER - DO NOT BRING YOUR EQUIPMENT - there is no bathtub in any of the hotel rooms - no fresh water tank and no diving center - so there is nowhere to desalinate. The only option is to carry out desalination in the children's pool.
a small motorboat without an awning with a ten-horsepower motor is used as a boat
the only factor that corrects the situation is a very friendly and professional instructor named Fili, who does his best in such conditions
10. Price level
- Tall enough for the place.
- the cost of a weekly tour with breakfast at the level and above 5 stars in the southwest of the island
- some prices in the bar in dollars for 50 grams = single malt whiskey 10, cocktail 6-10, bottle of wine - from 30). sandwich - 6-9, campari 10, cognac 10, beef second 7, lamb 17)
11. Contingent
The fact is that this hotel is a place of rest for the local "cool and powerful of that world. " Therefore, the best tables in a restaurant are usually marked "reserve". In the case of the arrival of local "respectable" customers, the bulk of the waiters, including the director of the restaurant, is focused on them. In general, for the weekend - about 50% of vacationers are local "powerful ones" with all the ensuing consequences in the culture of behavior.
12. Walkers Tour Local Travel Agent
It is part of the hotel - and that says it all. In fact, it protects the hotel, not the tourist. In any conflict, he takes the side of the hotel. It should be noted that the transfers were well organized. On the way back, the car was 30 minutes late, but this is normal for Sri Lanka.
The cars are old (about 10 years old) Japanese Nissans with air conditioning, so they are quite comfortable.
Conclusion.
If you are used to a normal level of relaxation from 4 stars and above - this is not for you. For those who appreciate a very wide beach, an extremely quiet holiday, lack of entertainment and music, and are ready for a mediocre service, this is an acceptable option.
EVERYTHING described here has been photographed. You can download these photos and see for yourself. Alas, the photos are of high quality and weigh a lot, but they convey all the details.
All photos can be downloaded from the link http://files. mail. ru/IL1Y7T (about 30 Mb)
Yes, I forgot, and there is no doctor or first-aid post in the hotel. The bartenders wash the wounds with vodka. You saw it yourself.
1. Readiness of the hotel
- in fact, the hotel is not completed yet
- no access road
- on the territory - the remains of construction debris
- diesel tractors with building materials are constantly moving along the territory past the beach.
LOOK AT THE PHOTO
2. Territory
- very small actually 300 meters along the beach and 100 deep
- not fenced
- on the one hand, a military base - where it is not recommended to go at night, as they can open fire
- on the other side - a fishing village, where nets are laid out at night, emitting a corresponding smell
- during the day, the fishermen lay out the nets on the beach of the hotel and pull them out on its territory
- the territory is covered with scorched grass and sand in places
- you need to walk barefoot carefully - maybe there is broken glass
- in the middle of the beach, a rusty pipe protrudes a little from the sand, once a former volleyball rack
- on the beach for the whole hotel there are as many as 5! ! ! ! small umbrellas that do not protect even 2 people from the sun at noon
- a small shallow rectangular pool of about 8 by 17 meters
- a lot of crows, so the sunbeds are covered with droppings during the day
LOOK AT THE PHOTO
3. Rooms and renovations
- despite the fact that the hotel is open on May 15, everything is already falling apart
- the fan on the ceiling drops out
- after a heavy rain, some numbers are flooded with water (for example, numbers 220.218, 208.
206…. and a few chalets)
- Chalets are, in fact, the same two-story stone buildings. But the rooms are a little bigger. The first floor really goes almost to the beach.
- Periodically turn off the electricity (well, that means air conditioners) - that's why the rooms even have flashlights plus power surges .....
- the first 2 days there was no hot water, because it was cloudy - and it is heated from the sun
- only a week later they gave a blanket, and at the beginning instead of it they gave a piece of dense fabric smeared with white paint
- Absolute lack of soundproofing! adjoining rooms can be combined into blocks and separated by plywood! door - you can hear everything.
- the water in the washbasin did not work well for us all week, and the tank in the chalet did not work for friends
- there are huge gaps under and around the doors, into which local animals easily crawl - cockroach spiders, etc.
4. Entertainment - animation
- missing completely
- there is one bar in the whole hotel, open until 24 hours
- the only music is a third-rate duo singing old romantic melodies during dinner
- even near the pool and even during the day there is no music
- accordingly, there is no night club, no disco, no casino - no other entertainment of any kind
- no animation
5. Restaurants - food
- the hotel has 1 bar, one restaurant where everyone eats - and one A la carte restaurant
- a small bar with a normal selection of drinks
- a restaurant for meals - a regular buffet with prevailing very spicy dishes of local cuisine
- in two places in the restaurant food is cooked on fire - while there is no extractor hood and smells spread throughout the restaurant, the only bar and rooms near the pool, because the territory is very small. Not fresh lamb smells especially great -)
- devices do not change - just shift to another plate
- waiters shift clean dishes from table to table - so as not to go to the kitchen
- "Crab" - a small restaurant on the shore where frozen lobsters and crabs are tasteless (not local, prices: lobster - 30 dollars, crab - from 15)
6. All in
- the worst all in we've ever seen
- upon arrival, no one knew what it was and what it included
- after long scandals, by the end of the holiday, 2 menus appeared - one for ordinary guests - and the other for all in (for example, AI includes 3! ! different hamburgers, 3 salads and 3 types of fried potatoes) SEE PHOTO. Local semi-sweet wine is only served by a glass - with meals, one sort of local beer, etc.
- Dry wine is NOT given
- the worst thing is that for any order they bring an invoice that must be signed - which is very inconvenient - one day, in order to sign an invoice for 2 glasses of wine, the waiter broke into our room at 22.45 ! ! ! !
- the time of using the bar is limited by the time set by the management
7. Service
- at the rank and file level, employees are trying.
however, management does not find it necessary to communicate with customers
- for example, having left for an excursion from the hotel - we were given a dry ration of 2 bananas and a hamburger prepared the day before, from which everyone had stomach problems. SEE PHOTO
- in response to complaints about the quality of service, all IN - lower-level managers began to regularly arrange a showdown during dinner - while we never saw a top-level manager. When asked to talk during the day, they replied that it was convenient for them now, and they were busy during the day.
8. Staff
The ONLY really positive thing is ordinary people. Bartenders, waiters, etc. They are in constant confrontation with management due to very low pay and are ready to support those who are at war with management. The people are friendly and open. Discuss with the soul, regardless of the tip.
We tipped all the remaining local money on the last day - and we had the impression that they were not expecting this.
9. Diving and water sports
- there were no water sports as such yet - an old canoe with a rusty oar.
If you are a DIVER - DO NOT BRING YOUR EQUIPMENT - there is no bathtub in any of the hotel rooms - no fresh water tank and no diving center - so there is nowhere to desalinate. The only option is to carry out desalination in the children's pool.
a small motorboat without an awning with a ten-horsepower motor is used as a boat
the only factor that corrects the situation is a very friendly and professional instructor named Fili, who does his best in such conditions
10. Price level
- Tall enough for the place.
- the cost of a weekly tour with breakfast at the level and above 5 stars in the southwest of the island
- some prices in the bar in dollars for 50 grams = single malt whiskey 10, cocktail 6-10, bottle of wine - from 30). sandwich - 6-9, campari 10, cognac 10, beef second 7, lamb 17)
11. Contingent
The fact is that this hotel is a place of rest for the local "cool and powerful of that world. " Therefore, the best tables in a restaurant are usually marked "reserve". In the case of the arrival of local "respectable" customers, the bulk of the waiters, including the director of the restaurant, is focused on them. In general, for the weekend - about 50% of vacationers are local "powerful ones" with all the ensuing consequences in the culture of behavior.
12. Walkers Tour Local Travel Agent
It is part of the hotel - and that says it all. In fact, it protects the hotel, not the tourist. In any conflict, he takes the side of the hotel. It should be noted that the transfers were well organized. On the way back, the car was 30 minutes late, but this is normal for Sri Lanka.
The cars are old (about 10 years old) Japanese Nissans with air conditioning, so they are quite comfortable.
Conclusion.
If you are used to a normal level of relaxation from 4 stars and above - this is not for you. For those who appreciate a very wide beach, an extremely quiet holiday, lack of entertainment and music, and are ready for a mediocre service, this is an acceptable option.
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• 6.5
We stayed at this hotel in May this year. Impressions are still fresh. The travel agency advised us to go to the east coast - in Trincomal, because. this is exactly the place in Sri Lanka where it is best to relax in the summer. While in the west and south of the country it rains and the ocean is stormy, here in Trincomal it is quiet and smooth, the sun is shining, white sand, calm ocean, few tourists.
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We stayed at this hotel in May this year. Impressions are still fresh. The travel agency advised us to go to the east coast - in Trincomal, because. this is exactly the place in Sri Lanka where it is best to relax in the summer. While in the west and south of the country it rains and the ocean is stormy, here in Trincomal it is quiet and smooth, the sun is shining, white sand, calm ocean, few tourists... in general, complete relaxation. There are only 2 hotels on this coast: Nilaveli Beach (the hotel is simpler, of course, I didn’t like it very much from the pictures) and the new Chaaya Blu hotel. We went into it.
We arrived at the hotel on the third day (! ) after its official opening! The hotel has undergone a complete refurbishment of the rooms. When we were still finishing the chalet on the beach, but they promised to complete the reconstruction of the hotel by mid-June! So you can safely go.
The hotel itself was built in a manner unusual for the Sri Lankans - high-tech but with some Indian motifs. The rooms are brand new and very spacious. I also liked the food: a lot of seafood. This coast is truly unique: in one day you can see 2 of the biggest animals in the sea and on land: whales and elephants! Tours are just great! It is possible in the national go to the park and see whales, and to Pigeon Island (there are wonderful corals), Sigiriya, Dambulla, etc.
And in the hotel itself there is no entertainment, after dinner - bainki. So not everyone will like it. But those who want to feel like Robinsons, those who crave tranquility, relaxation, sea bathing and at the same time live in normal conditions - you are here
We arrived at the hotel on the third day (! ) after its official opening! The hotel has undergone a complete refurbishment of the rooms. When we were still finishing the chalet on the beach, but they promised to complete the reconstruction of the hotel by mid-June! So you can safely go.
The hotel itself was built in a manner unusual for the Sri Lankans - high-tech but with some Indian motifs. The rooms are brand new and very spacious. I also liked the food: a lot of seafood. This coast is truly unique: in one day you can see 2 of the biggest animals in the sea and on land: whales and elephants! Tours are just great! It is possible in the national go to the park and see whales, and to Pigeon Island (there are wonderful corals), Sigiriya, Dambulla, etc.
And in the hotel itself there is no entertainment, after dinner - bainki. So not everyone will like it. But those who want to feel like Robinsons, those who crave tranquility, relaxation, sea bathing and at the same time live in normal conditions - you are here
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• 3.5
