We stayed at the hotel for 12 nights. 4 adults. We settled in almost immediately. Two rooms on the first floor, near the reception. This is where the positives end. 1. The room was cleaned badly. The floors were never washed. Towels changed dirty for the same all stained. Bed linen was changed once every two weeks and it would be better if they didn't.
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We stayed at the hotel for 12 nights. 4 adults. We settled in almost immediately. Two rooms on the first floor, near the reception. This is where the positives end.
1. The room was cleaned badly. The floors were never washed. Towels changed dirty for the same all stained. Bed linen was changed once every two weeks and it would be better if they didn't. A very washed brown sheet. Now +. There was water in the room every day for two bottles. Coffee and tea almost always.
2. Sea. Since it was February, there were still waves. It was not always safe to get out of the water. The water is translucent which is a plus. Minus - immediately near the coast is very deep. I do not recommend swimming for children. Literally one meter shallow and further cliff. Minus - the sand on the beach is not bad, but it is not cleaned well. There is a lot of dog excrement, so I advise you to always look under your feet. Plus, they played volleyball on the yarn.
3. Food. Definitely a three. For breakfast there were: scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, bacon, jam, buns, fresh juices in half with yuppie powder. But the most unpleasant thing is when you pay for a buffet, and they give you fruit in a small piece. Those. you stand and wait for the waiter to cut off a piece of pineapple, then ask what else you want, and will cut a small piece of watermelon for a long time and slowly, it feels like they have fruits worth their weight in gold, so you can’t take them yourself. The coffee is disgusting - just water. We dined at the hotel restaurant, as there are no lunches on the beach either. In the hotel restaurant, all dishes are a la carte and their choice is small. We dined in cafes on the right side, if facing the sea. Plus - in "Tartarug" a neighboring hotel - a good restaurant.
4. The attitude of the staff is amazing. Nobody greets anyone. If you ask for a menu or a bill, you will have to wait 30 minutes. Tables are not wiped, napkins, cutlery, everything you need to ask. The most disgusting staff I have ever met. Complete indifference to everything. Once they burned a pizza, brought it, and did not even apologize. The general manager, a woman, very thin and tall, does not consider it necessary to greet at all.
5. Excursions. I do not recommend taking tours. Everyone was disappointed by the so-called "Safari" - it was dusty and shaky, there were no animals to be seen. Try to give money without change. Very reluctant to give change in restaurants and tuk-tuk. The price of a tuktuk to Halle is 300 rupees there and 300 back. Be sure to bargain, otherwise you will be taken for suckers. A lot of beggars.
In general, only the sea saved the rest. The hotel is worth a solid three stars and no more. I hope my review will help someone make a choice of a hotel. Yes, and beach towels in the literal sense, you need to "deserve". To beg for a long time and in vain to be extradited. Overall, this hotel is overpriced.
1. The room was cleaned badly. The floors were never washed. Towels changed dirty for the same all stained. Bed linen was changed once every two weeks and it would be better if they didn't. A very washed brown sheet. Now +. There was water in the room every day for two bottles. Coffee and tea almost always.
2. Sea. Since it was February, there were still waves. It was not always safe to get out of the water. The water is translucent which is a plus. Minus - immediately near the coast is very deep. I do not recommend swimming for children. Literally one meter shallow and further cliff. Minus - the sand on the beach is not bad, but it is not cleaned well. There is a lot of dog excrement, so I advise you to always look under your feet. Plus, they played volleyball on the yarn.
3. Food. Definitely a three. For breakfast there were: scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, bacon, jam, buns, fresh juices in half with yuppie powder. But the most unpleasant thing is when you pay for a buffet, and they give you fruit in a small piece. Those. you stand and wait for the waiter to cut off a piece of pineapple, then ask what else you want, and will cut a small piece of watermelon for a long time and slowly, it feels like they have fruits worth their weight in gold, so you can’t take them yourself. The coffee is disgusting - just water. We dined at the hotel restaurant, as there are no lunches on the beach either. In the hotel restaurant, all dishes are a la carte and their choice is small. We dined in cafes on the right side, if facing the sea. Plus - in "Tartarug" a neighboring hotel - a good restaurant.
4. The attitude of the staff is amazing. Nobody greets anyone. If you ask for a menu or a bill, you will have to wait 30 minutes. Tables are not wiped, napkins, cutlery, everything you need to ask. The most disgusting staff I have ever met. Complete indifference to everything. Once they burned a pizza, brought it, and did not even apologize. The general manager, a woman, very thin and tall, does not consider it necessary to greet at all.
5. Excursions. I do not recommend taking tours. Everyone was disappointed by the so-called "Safari" - it was dusty and shaky, there were no animals to be seen. Try to give money without change. Very reluctant to give change in restaurants and tuk-tuk. The price of a tuktuk to Halle is 300 rupees there and 300 back. Be sure to bargain, otherwise you will be taken for suckers. A lot of beggars.
In general, only the sea saved the rest. The hotel is worth a solid three stars and no more. I hope my review will help someone make a choice of a hotel. Yes, and beach towels in the literal sense, you need to "deserve". To beg for a long time and in vain to be extradited. Overall, this hotel is overpriced.
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From Colombo airport to go 2.5-3 hours. Depending on traffic congestion. The hotel is the best on the coast. We lived in room 11 near the reception, he went straight to the garden. We really enjoyed. Cleaned well, there were no insects. The breakfasts are excellent. Lunch and dinner at the hotel rarely, mostly in restaurants on the beach.
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From Colombo airport to go 2.5-3 hours. Depending on traffic congestion.
The hotel is the best on the coast. We lived in room 11 near the reception, he went straight to the garden. We really enjoyed. Cleaned well, there were no insects. The breakfasts are excellent. Lunch and dinner at the hotel rarely, mostly in restaurants on the beach.
They said that the new suites are very cool, but we were not in them, we don’t know. Our deluxe was great.
The hotel is the best on the coast. We lived in room 11 near the reception, he went straight to the garden. We really enjoyed. Cleaned well, there were no insects. The breakfasts are excellent. Lunch and dinner at the hotel rarely, mostly in restaurants on the beach.
They said that the new suites are very cool, but we were not in them, we don’t know. Our deluxe was great.
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• 2
We rested in Sri Lanka for 2 weeks (a family of 3 people), the weather in January-February is amazing, the ocean is 26-30, the air is similar, there is no humidity, the wave is not sick. The Unawatuna hotel is 3 hours drive from the airport, small, cozy, very clean, there are security guards on every corner, no one else will get through.
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We rested in Sri Lanka for 2 weeks (a family of 3 people), the weather in January-February is amazing, the ocean is 26-30, the air is similar, there is no humidity, the wave is not sick. The Unawatuna hotel is 3 hours drive from the airport, small, cozy, very clean, there are security guards on every corner, no one else will get through. The beach is clean, there are enough sunbeds. Beach towels are new and changed in the room every evening. We took a "suite" room in the new building (No. 508) with an ocean view, just huge! Sanzel 18m with a jacuzzi, a room of about 40m, a coffee set (replenished regularly, as well as bathroom accessories), LCD TV (Russian channel in English. language). Monitor lizards walk around the territory, chipmunks run, monkeys outside the territory. Good animation (yoga, volleyball, belly dancing. . . live music in the evening) The hotel has a small Spasalon and a gym. We took breakfast, which we later regretted, dinners are excellent (coffee. tea is free), in Russia it’s cheaper to pay, since +2 taxes on the spot (10 and 15%) We dined at beach cafes, seafood for a penny! We drank local beer "Lyon", very dark rum "Calypso" !! ! we took it home at a local shop, it’s not available in dutifree! ) Excursions were taken at a local agency (leave the hotel on the main road and not far from the wine stall, the agency with a sign in Russian), the owner Surezh speaks good Russian, a great guy, we went with him for whales, in Gala (then we went there ourselves on a local bus, in Gala we bought tea, spices, stones, souvenirs... ), a reserve, fishing (my husband caught a barracuda for 5 kilos, in the evening we fried it in our restaurant), always punctual, polite, paid through the cashier, reasonable prices (bargained), at the end of our trip he presented us with a piece of shark. If you have a choice to go to Sri Lanka or not, definitely GO!
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• 3
I apologize to all visitors and readers of the site - for technical reasons, it turned out to be rubbish with the previous review. I send it again in a corrected and supplemented version. Returned home after a two-week holiday in Sri Lanka, in Unawatuna, Beach Resort Hotel. The choice of this particular place was preceded by a systematic information search in the Internet, according to its results, the choice became unambiguous: I really wanted to visit “a little paradise on earth”, lie on “one of the 12 best beaches in the world”.
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I apologize to all visitors and readers of the site - for technical reasons, it turned out to be rubbish with the previous review. I send it again in a corrected and supplemented version. Returned home after a two-week holiday in Sri Lanka, in Unawatuna, Beach Resort Hotel. The choice of this particular place was preceded by a systematic information search in the Internet, according to its results, the choice became unambiguous: I really wanted to visit “a little paradise on earth”, lie on “one of the 12 best beaches in the world”. All the time there, and upon returning home, I puzzle over the question: what led my compatriots to such wild unbridled delight, what dictated the enthusiastically written reviews, did their authors really not see anything better in their long or not very long life?
I will write a separate review about the flight, Air Arabia deserves it. At the Colombo airport, where we arrived two hours late, we had to wait about two hours for who knows what, we arrived at the hotel after eight in the morning, about 36 hours had passed since leaving the house. And then a surprise awaited us - it turned out that the settlement will take place at 1400, and until then no one wants to know us at the hotel. Formally, they were right, that's what was written in the voucher, but the same voucher included my right to stay and breakfast at the hotel for 12 hours after I left it for the airport.
The protracted two-hour negotiations ended with a gracious permission to have breakfast and a settlement in a room, the furniture of which was laid out of brick and painted on plaster, in the combined bathroom there was a thick sickening stench from the sewer, and the ventilation hatch from it went into the washing room of the restaurant. And all this luxury in the “superior” category!? . The road took away all the forces, they were no longer left to protest
There are two roads from Colombo to Galle: the old one, through the settlements, along which the drive is more than 5 hours, and the new multi-lane highway with excellent coverage and a landscape that pleases the soul, it takes half the time to move along it, and besides, it is much safer, but that's the trouble - You have to pay to travel there. Since the transfer is included in the price of the tour, the host company pays. Why doesn't she increase her earnings from you by another five dollars by saving on the transfer?
There is no coral reef in Unawatuna Bay, and there never was, even before the last tsunami, in any case - within the reach of an ordinary swimmer without technical means. In the sandy bottom of the bay there are numerous outcrops of rocks covered with algae. Surf and wind nail these algae to the shore, the water of which resembles green cabbage soup. There is no hotel beach as such and cannot be, it would be contrary to the laws of the country, the hotel simply brought its sunbeds to the free access beach and dug in umbrellas. A pack of very flea dogs constantly defiles along the beach, constantly dividing the territory among themselves and striving to rest in the shade under your sunbed. No dog toilet has been found on the beach and in the vicinity, the consequences of this are obvious. A diverse and annoying business flourishes in the coastal strip: every three minutes you will be offered to purchase some rags, wood crafts, fruits, some other rubbish, they will invite you in writing to visit the nearest catering establishments and a beauty salon, periodic passages of beggars demonstrating their injuries. It gets through the day.
The water area of the bay is by no means divided into zones for swimming and navigation, everyone berths and sets off where it is convenient for him. The crown number of cool Sri Lankan captains and skippers: acceleration on the afterburner on the water with a flight to the shore - beware, a random passer-by (a child left unattended). A freebie and lafa for drug addicts: a constant light breeze from the sea brings to the shore clouds of exhaust gases from each moored and departed motor boat, boat, jetski, and there are more than a dozen of them in the bay. Either they all have faulty fuel equipment, or gasoline is diluted with donkey urine, but it's harder to breathe than city smog at a crossroads.
No one has thought of washing the mattresses on the sunbeds since the day they were put into operation, the traces of which are obvious and often unsightly. Throughout the beach, where sunbeds are placed, there is one metal waste bin and a couple of ceramic pots. For this reason, all waste is buried in the sand by bashful beachgoers, and scattered by others. Yes, the beach is cleaned, but the ability of the cleaners lags behind the ability of the pollutants.
In addition to the above, periodic attempts to attribute to the bill the cost of bottles of water and chocolates that allegedly disappeared from the minibar. Little things, but annoying.
No, this is not how I imagined a “little paradise on earth”, no matter how enthusiastic reviewers might think it was. You can get a completely similar paradise for half the price in Tunisia, where you can fly direct and twice as close, with all inclusive in addition, unlike the Sri Lankan HB.
From the same object, each subject has his own individual impressions and corresponding conclusions. I have developed the above, and may the Lord punish me if I came up with at least something of what was written.
I will write a separate review about the flight, Air Arabia deserves it. At the Colombo airport, where we arrived two hours late, we had to wait about two hours for who knows what, we arrived at the hotel after eight in the morning, about 36 hours had passed since leaving the house. And then a surprise awaited us - it turned out that the settlement will take place at 1400, and until then no one wants to know us at the hotel. Formally, they were right, that's what was written in the voucher, but the same voucher included my right to stay and breakfast at the hotel for 12 hours after I left it for the airport.
The protracted two-hour negotiations ended with a gracious permission to have breakfast and a settlement in a room, the furniture of which was laid out of brick and painted on plaster, in the combined bathroom there was a thick sickening stench from the sewer, and the ventilation hatch from it went into the washing room of the restaurant. And all this luxury in the “superior” category!? . The road took away all the forces, they were no longer left to protest
There are two roads from Colombo to Galle: the old one, through the settlements, along which the drive is more than 5 hours, and the new multi-lane highway with excellent coverage and a landscape that pleases the soul, it takes half the time to move along it, and besides, it is much safer, but that's the trouble - You have to pay to travel there. Since the transfer is included in the price of the tour, the host company pays. Why doesn't she increase her earnings from you by another five dollars by saving on the transfer?
There is no coral reef in Unawatuna Bay, and there never was, even before the last tsunami, in any case - within the reach of an ordinary swimmer without technical means. In the sandy bottom of the bay there are numerous outcrops of rocks covered with algae. Surf and wind nail these algae to the shore, the water of which resembles green cabbage soup. There is no hotel beach as such and cannot be, it would be contrary to the laws of the country, the hotel simply brought its sunbeds to the free access beach and dug in umbrellas. A pack of very flea dogs constantly defiles along the beach, constantly dividing the territory among themselves and striving to rest in the shade under your sunbed. No dog toilet has been found on the beach and in the vicinity, the consequences of this are obvious. A diverse and annoying business flourishes in the coastal strip: every three minutes you will be offered to purchase some rags, wood crafts, fruits, some other rubbish, they will invite you in writing to visit the nearest catering establishments and a beauty salon, periodic passages of beggars demonstrating their injuries. It gets through the day.
The water area of the bay is by no means divided into zones for swimming and navigation, everyone berths and sets off where it is convenient for him. The crown number of cool Sri Lankan captains and skippers: acceleration on the afterburner on the water with a flight to the shore - beware, a random passer-by (a child left unattended). A freebie and lafa for drug addicts: a constant light breeze from the sea brings to the shore clouds of exhaust gases from each moored and departed motor boat, boat, jetski, and there are more than a dozen of them in the bay. Either they all have faulty fuel equipment, or gasoline is diluted with donkey urine, but it's harder to breathe than city smog at a crossroads.
No one has thought of washing the mattresses on the sunbeds since the day they were put into operation, the traces of which are obvious and often unsightly. Throughout the beach, where sunbeds are placed, there is one metal waste bin and a couple of ceramic pots. For this reason, all waste is buried in the sand by bashful beachgoers, and scattered by others. Yes, the beach is cleaned, but the ability of the cleaners lags behind the ability of the pollutants.
In addition to the above, periodic attempts to attribute to the bill the cost of bottles of water and chocolates that allegedly disappeared from the minibar. Little things, but annoying.
No, this is not how I imagined a “little paradise on earth”, no matter how enthusiastic reviewers might think it was. You can get a completely similar paradise for half the price in Tunisia, where you can fly direct and twice as close, with all inclusive in addition, unlike the Sri Lankan HB.
From the same object, each subject has his own individual impressions and corresponding conclusions. I have developed the above, and may the Lord punish me if I came up with at least something of what was written.
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• 7
Sri Lanka is a country that can capture and pleasantly surprise! Before the trip, shoveled a lot of different reviews about hotels, tours and the country as a whole. Coming to Sri Lanka and failing all the time on the beach is just a crime! Here you need to go on excursions, visit the bazaar, enjoy the colors and just look in all directions! You should not go to this country for wealth and luxury - there are other values.
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Sri Lanka is a country that can capture and pleasantly surprise!
Before the trip, shoveled a lot of different reviews about hotels, tours and the country as a whole.
Coming to Sri Lanka and failing all the time on the beach is just a crime! Here you need to go on excursions, visit the bazaar, enjoy the colors and just look in all directions!
You should not go to this country for wealth and luxury - there are other values.
I will try to make my feedback useful.
AIRPORT. 1) It is desirable to change money at the airport (favorable rate) in the amount of the calculation of their "small" expenses: clothes, lunch in a cafe, souvenirs, massage, fruit, water and more. For the purchase of tours rupees will not be needed… in this case respect $$$.
2) Buy a local SIM (Dialog, Mobile or Yetisalat), calls from which are cheaper than in Moscow or Ukraine.
3) It is not superfluous to ask the driver whether he is driving you on a new toll road or killed.
The transfer can take as 2.
5 hours and 6, and after a long flight it is important. Roads in Sri Lanka, or rather the movement of cars, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, cows, bicycles are not for the faint of heart))
TERRITORY. Small, but happy to be neat. Instead, there is something to watch outside of it (more on that later).
On the territory you can see, and in the presence of seeds, nuts and feed chipmunks. There is a b / w Wi-Fi at the reception. Clean pool, gym. The hotel staff is attentive, always ready to help.
The national composition of tourists: Germans, British, Russians, Ukrainians ...until the end of the holiday Russians predominated.
Rest in the hotel is not a party, relatively quiet.
NUMBER. Our room was quite spacious with normal furniture. Cleaning is good, every day. The room has everything for tea and coffee. It's nice not to forget about two bottles of water every day. Also in the room is a used safe. No theft was observed.
Plumbing is working.
Soap-snatching accessories can not be taken away from home. There is cream, gel, shampoo, soap, towels, beach towels, hair dryer. But at home you can buy local natural creams, but the main thing is to know where!
The highlight of all UBR rooms, the windows of the toilet room face the common corridor.
Tar of spoon: Tourists who were resting in the old building of the hotel, there are creative design ideas in the form of mold… high humidity was a bad joke.
On the first day of arrival in this country, you realize that Sri Lanka is not the place to go for luxury. Here high demands are blunted.
NUTRITION. We took C + U. I think this is optimal. The food is high quality, tasty, sometimes spicy. You can have dinner until 22.00 with live music, and tea or coffee b / n. They never went hungry.
A little about the tried and tested local cafes on the beach:
1) To the left of the hotel (if you look at the ocean) 100 meters will be "Peacock" (delicious seafood)
2) To the right "Tuna Lucky"… good menu
3) On the right, almost reaching the stones that go into the ocean, the cafe "Flamingo"… Delicious squid and shrimp. Cocktails so-so, but promised to get better.
4) Next to "Flamingo" bar "Chili" (Chili): delicious inexpensive cocktails to modern music until late.
I was pleasantly surprised that the hotel has 3 * b / n sunbeds with clean mattresses in sufficient quantities. .
The lagoon, which is a sandy beach, is the best for swimming in the ocean ...seen a lot! This lagoon is protected from life-threatening ocean waves and sharks by a ridge of stone reefs 300-400 meters away from the shore.
In the morning the ocean is calm, and closer to noon can be agitated. The ocean is constantly warm (28 *)
At a depth of "chest", the wave can turn and hit. But we really liked jumping on the waves here.
Here in the water you can see a large turtle. If you swim a little deeper, you can swim safely.
The place is picturesque. In Unawatuna, the color of the ocean is fabulously beautiful.
The beach is respect!
You can easily burn in the sun! even in cloudy weather. The cream can be purchased on the spot.
To the right of the end of the lagoon is a temple (stupa), almost reaching which there are no waves on the beach, but the water is dirtier. This place is loved by local families on weekends.
Bentota beach, where we were going to go on vacation, did not impress us… swimming there is problematic.
Mirisa and Veligama beaches are good for surfing.
Lifeguards are on duty on the beach, helping with the little things (opening umbrellas, bringing a mattress). They speak German, English ...though for us it was not relevant, because we speak only Russian spoken and mother tongue))) The most advanced of the local familiar with the Russian language only "hello", "while" and "how are you".
Luckily, I met a local guide named Lyosha, who speaks RUSSIAN! ! ! ! ! About this a little later.
On the beach, locals offer tourists a variety of souvenirs: wooden figurines, trinkets, T-shirts, pareos, bedspreads, fruit and more. If you are not interested, it is better to immediately shake your head "know, shadow", or they can stand for a long time at your deck chair or table and hypnotize. Everyone wants money, because the country is poor, but what makes you happy is unobtrusive.
LEISURE.
Beach-fights on the beach, which work for themselves and offer tourists tours, as there are no other hotels here… they are carefully removed from the hotel by the same lifeguards.
On the one hand, it is good that these beach fights are not stressful, although on the other hand - tourists are not left with a choice - and there is nothing left but to go on a tour organized by a tour operator. Excursion from a travel agency is not the best option… Tested!
We were pleased to pay for an organized tour immediately upon arrival, and then go: the program "no step left, no step right", galloping through Europe and a whole bus of people.
Then we went only with Lyosha, which we learned by chance from tourists from a neighboring city. This is a smart local guy in his 20s, who became just a find for us… understands us and speaks good Russian, although he knows German and English.
There was a thing, they met on the beach with a married couple from Kiev. Svetlana and Kolya "HELLO! ».
Word for word, we talked and found out… They, like 90% of tourists staying at Kogalla hotels, come to swim all the time in our Unawatuna lagoon… because in the open ocean it is dangerous and almost impossible. By the way, they come here in the evening to cafes and discos, because in Kogalli all this is simply not there, and 18.00 is already darkness, silence and deafness, even go to bed!
Tip: in my opinion, it is better to buy a tour to Unawatuna than to theoretically consider the hotel Kogalli.
These guys recommended us a Russian-speaking guide Lesha, with whom they toured the floor of Sri Lanka.
We were lucky, and as they say, we inherited this local guy… and did not regret it! And once again: "Hello to Kyiv from Odessa! "
In our experience, we have seen that in Sri Lanka it is very important to have someone who can help and give advice, because in an unfamiliar country there are many questions. For example, in local shops you can easily buy cookies or carbonated water with pepper, ginger, etc. , and in the garden of spices instead of ointment for rheumatism, you can buy depilatory cream, or even worse)))
Lyosha was in many ways our lifeline, even in the most basic things (which for some reason become especially important abroad): he will tell you in the cafe what is edible; during excursions will advise what to pay attention to; what to buy and what not to spend; oversee things, take-bring to the fruit market to the store; by the way, he prepares tasty shrimp, etc. , not to mention excursions!
As they say, everything is recognizable by comparison… If it weren't for the recommendations of friends, I wouldn't risk going a hundred poods again for some excursions in Sri Lanka… As a result, we went on an excursion to Kandy, and then to Ella, on a safari, on whales ...and did not regret it ...It's a pity that such a short vacation!
Only now we have appreciated the benefits of an individual tour: you can see interesting "non-tourist" places, discuss the route, get comfort and maximum positivity, the main basic requests will not be ignored, as it was on an organized tour, when we could not ask for two hours. and on the way back, we were not even stopped to buy coconut or water… said "no time"). Again, you can bargain ...and to reduce the cost of tours, you can easily find a company of the same tourists who want to see Sri Lanka.
At first, despite good advice, the attitude to our guide was cautious, because it was heard about local breeders.
But to our surprise, Lyosha turned out to be an adequate, responsible, honest and cheerful guy.
I didn't want to advertise… ungrateful!
But we are not greedy ...
we are lucky with the rest, maybe you will need the contacts of this guy:
Phone: 009.75 8288699 - if you call from the CIS countries (expensive), +94758288699 - it is better to do it at the airport in Sri Lanka.
Mail: litty @ gmail. com
He is in vk. com (Litty Sri Lanka)
www. facebook. com (Litty Srilanka)
In my opinion, to fall in love with Sri Lanka does not need a luxury hotel, but a positive mood and the right person will not hurt! ! ! !!
SHOPPING. Initially, shopping was not included in our vacation plan, but as experience has shown nowhere to go from them))) Bought: solid leather travel bags; almost wholesale collected any creams, lotions, oils for various ailments (a cool thing for rheumatism ...again, you need to know where to take); not without a ring with diamonds, not to mention souvenirs, T-shirts and more.
MASSAGE. Did a pretty good massage on the beach. For the first time they paid 2600 Rs ($ 20) and somehow did not impress. They took another risk with another beach masseur, paid twice as much, and 100 times more pleasure and relaxation.
This is a round man with a backpack of 40 years… unfortunately I do not remember the name.
DISCO.
1-3 times a week in Unawatuna there are discos: "Happy banana" (Thu, Fri or Sat); further to the right behind the stones (Wed or Sat); to the left of the hotel in one of the diving clubs (there were seen guys under the influence of not only alcohol).
To the left of the hotel is a diving school.
There are questions, I will answer.
If this review helps anyone, I'll be happy.
In general, I liked the hotel, the rest impressed, Sri Lanka touched!
I will not guess when, but I know for sure that I will return to this country again!
Before the trip, shoveled a lot of different reviews about hotels, tours and the country as a whole.
Coming to Sri Lanka and failing all the time on the beach is just a crime! Here you need to go on excursions, visit the bazaar, enjoy the colors and just look in all directions!
You should not go to this country for wealth and luxury - there are other values.
I will try to make my feedback useful.
AIRPORT. 1) It is desirable to change money at the airport (favorable rate) in the amount of the calculation of their "small" expenses: clothes, lunch in a cafe, souvenirs, massage, fruit, water and more. For the purchase of tours rupees will not be needed… in this case respect $$$.
2) Buy a local SIM (Dialog, Mobile or Yetisalat), calls from which are cheaper than in Moscow or Ukraine.
3) It is not superfluous to ask the driver whether he is driving you on a new toll road or killed.
The transfer can take as 2.
5 hours and 6, and after a long flight it is important. Roads in Sri Lanka, or rather the movement of cars, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, cows, bicycles are not for the faint of heart))
TERRITORY. Small, but happy to be neat. Instead, there is something to watch outside of it (more on that later).
On the territory you can see, and in the presence of seeds, nuts and feed chipmunks. There is a b / w Wi-Fi at the reception. Clean pool, gym. The hotel staff is attentive, always ready to help.
The national composition of tourists: Germans, British, Russians, Ukrainians ...until the end of the holiday Russians predominated.
Rest in the hotel is not a party, relatively quiet.
NUMBER. Our room was quite spacious with normal furniture. Cleaning is good, every day. The room has everything for tea and coffee. It's nice not to forget about two bottles of water every day. Also in the room is a used safe. No theft was observed.
Plumbing is working.
Soap-snatching accessories can not be taken away from home. There is cream, gel, shampoo, soap, towels, beach towels, hair dryer. But at home you can buy local natural creams, but the main thing is to know where!
The highlight of all UBR rooms, the windows of the toilet room face the common corridor.
Tar of spoon: Tourists who were resting in the old building of the hotel, there are creative design ideas in the form of mold… high humidity was a bad joke.
On the first day of arrival in this country, you realize that Sri Lanka is not the place to go for luxury. Here high demands are blunted.
NUTRITION. We took C + U. I think this is optimal. The food is high quality, tasty, sometimes spicy. You can have dinner until 22.00 with live music, and tea or coffee b / n. They never went hungry.
A little about the tried and tested local cafes on the beach:
1) To the left of the hotel (if you look at the ocean) 100 meters will be "Peacock" (delicious seafood)
2) To the right "Tuna Lucky"… good menu
3) On the right, almost reaching the stones that go into the ocean, the cafe "Flamingo"… Delicious squid and shrimp. Cocktails so-so, but promised to get better.
4) Next to "Flamingo" bar "Chili" (Chili): delicious inexpensive cocktails to modern music until late.
I was pleasantly surprised that the hotel has 3 * b / n sunbeds with clean mattresses in sufficient quantities. .
The lagoon, which is a sandy beach, is the best for swimming in the ocean ...seen a lot! This lagoon is protected from life-threatening ocean waves and sharks by a ridge of stone reefs 300-400 meters away from the shore.
In the morning the ocean is calm, and closer to noon can be agitated. The ocean is constantly warm (28 *)
At a depth of "chest", the wave can turn and hit. But we really liked jumping on the waves here.
Here in the water you can see a large turtle. If you swim a little deeper, you can swim safely.
The place is picturesque. In Unawatuna, the color of the ocean is fabulously beautiful.
The beach is respect!
You can easily burn in the sun! even in cloudy weather. The cream can be purchased on the spot.
To the right of the end of the lagoon is a temple (stupa), almost reaching which there are no waves on the beach, but the water is dirtier. This place is loved by local families on weekends.
Bentota beach, where we were going to go on vacation, did not impress us… swimming there is problematic.
Mirisa and Veligama beaches are good for surfing.
Lifeguards are on duty on the beach, helping with the little things (opening umbrellas, bringing a mattress). They speak German, English ...though for us it was not relevant, because we speak only Russian spoken and mother tongue))) The most advanced of the local familiar with the Russian language only "hello", "while" and "how are you".
Luckily, I met a local guide named Lyosha, who speaks RUSSIAN! ! ! ! ! About this a little later.
On the beach, locals offer tourists a variety of souvenirs: wooden figurines, trinkets, T-shirts, pareos, bedspreads, fruit and more. If you are not interested, it is better to immediately shake your head "know, shadow", or they can stand for a long time at your deck chair or table and hypnotize. Everyone wants money, because the country is poor, but what makes you happy is unobtrusive.
LEISURE.
Beach-fights on the beach, which work for themselves and offer tourists tours, as there are no other hotels here… they are carefully removed from the hotel by the same lifeguards.
On the one hand, it is good that these beach fights are not stressful, although on the other hand - tourists are not left with a choice - and there is nothing left but to go on a tour organized by a tour operator. Excursion from a travel agency is not the best option… Tested!
We were pleased to pay for an organized tour immediately upon arrival, and then go: the program "no step left, no step right", galloping through Europe and a whole bus of people.
Then we went only with Lyosha, which we learned by chance from tourists from a neighboring city. This is a smart local guy in his 20s, who became just a find for us… understands us and speaks good Russian, although he knows German and English.
There was a thing, they met on the beach with a married couple from Kiev. Svetlana and Kolya "HELLO! ».
Word for word, we talked and found out… They, like 90% of tourists staying at Kogalla hotels, come to swim all the time in our Unawatuna lagoon… because in the open ocean it is dangerous and almost impossible. By the way, they come here in the evening to cafes and discos, because in Kogalli all this is simply not there, and 18.00 is already darkness, silence and deafness, even go to bed!
Tip: in my opinion, it is better to buy a tour to Unawatuna than to theoretically consider the hotel Kogalli.
These guys recommended us a Russian-speaking guide Lesha, with whom they toured the floor of Sri Lanka.
We were lucky, and as they say, we inherited this local guy… and did not regret it! And once again: "Hello to Kyiv from Odessa! "
In our experience, we have seen that in Sri Lanka it is very important to have someone who can help and give advice, because in an unfamiliar country there are many questions. For example, in local shops you can easily buy cookies or carbonated water with pepper, ginger, etc. , and in the garden of spices instead of ointment for rheumatism, you can buy depilatory cream, or even worse)))
Lyosha was in many ways our lifeline, even in the most basic things (which for some reason become especially important abroad): he will tell you in the cafe what is edible; during excursions will advise what to pay attention to; what to buy and what not to spend; oversee things, take-bring to the fruit market to the store; by the way, he prepares tasty shrimp, etc. , not to mention excursions!
As they say, everything is recognizable by comparison… If it weren't for the recommendations of friends, I wouldn't risk going a hundred poods again for some excursions in Sri Lanka… As a result, we went on an excursion to Kandy, and then to Ella, on a safari, on whales ...and did not regret it ...It's a pity that such a short vacation!
Only now we have appreciated the benefits of an individual tour: you can see interesting "non-tourist" places, discuss the route, get comfort and maximum positivity, the main basic requests will not be ignored, as it was on an organized tour, when we could not ask for two hours. and on the way back, we were not even stopped to buy coconut or water… said "no time"). Again, you can bargain ...and to reduce the cost of tours, you can easily find a company of the same tourists who want to see Sri Lanka.
At first, despite good advice, the attitude to our guide was cautious, because it was heard about local breeders.
But to our surprise, Lyosha turned out to be an adequate, responsible, honest and cheerful guy.
I didn't want to advertise… ungrateful!
But we are not greedy ...
we are lucky with the rest, maybe you will need the contacts of this guy:
Phone: 009.75 8288699 - if you call from the CIS countries (expensive), +94758288699 - it is better to do it at the airport in Sri Lanka.
Mail: litty @ gmail. com
He is in vk. com (Litty Sri Lanka)
www. facebook. com (Litty Srilanka)
In my opinion, to fall in love with Sri Lanka does not need a luxury hotel, but a positive mood and the right person will not hurt! ! ! !!
SHOPPING. Initially, shopping was not included in our vacation plan, but as experience has shown nowhere to go from them))) Bought: solid leather travel bags; almost wholesale collected any creams, lotions, oils for various ailments (a cool thing for rheumatism ...again, you need to know where to take); not without a ring with diamonds, not to mention souvenirs, T-shirts and more.
MASSAGE. Did a pretty good massage on the beach. For the first time they paid 2600 Rs ($ 20) and somehow did not impress. They took another risk with another beach masseur, paid twice as much, and 100 times more pleasure and relaxation.
This is a round man with a backpack of 40 years… unfortunately I do not remember the name.
DISCO.
1-3 times a week in Unawatuna there are discos: "Happy banana" (Thu, Fri or Sat); further to the right behind the stones (Wed or Sat); to the left of the hotel in one of the diving clubs (there were seen guys under the influence of not only alcohol).
To the left of the hotel is a diving school.
There are questions, I will answer.
If this review helps anyone, I'll be happy.
In general, I liked the hotel, the rest impressed, Sri Lanka touched!
I will not guess when, but I know for sure that I will return to this country again!
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• 27
I would like to recommend a great apartment in Unawatuna. The owners are a Russian family living in Sri Lanka for more than a year. The apartments were made in 2012, fully furnished and significantly different from the typical offers in Unawatuna for the better. Even if you don't plan on hosting parties and dinners every night, having a kitchen and a fridge is never a bad idea.
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I would like to recommend a great apartment in Unawatuna. The owners are a Russian family living in Sri Lanka for more than a year. The apartments were made in 2012, fully furnished and significantly different from the typical offers in Unawatuna for the better. Even if you don't plan on hosting parties and dinners every night, having a kitchen and a fridge is never a bad idea.
Monkeys came to visit us almost every day. Waking up in the morning to the sound of birds. And in the evening on the terrace, swaying in a hammock with a cup of tea.
If you are traveling with children or two couples, then this accommodation option is definitely better and more convenient than a hotel or guest house.
Monkeys came to visit us almost every day. Waking up in the morning to the sound of birds. And in the evening on the terrace, swaying in a hammock with a cup of tea.
If you are traveling with children or two couples, then this accommodation option is definitely better and more convenient than a hotel or guest house.
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• 6
A good 4 * hotel on the 1st line in the lagoon, there are almost no waves on the ocean, because natural reefs in the ocean. Great protected beach. Reapers are very fond of - tourists who repeatedly come to the hotel. Definitely worth your money. There is where to go outside the hotel, a lot of shops. You can go to Galle - to the center 4 km, to the famous fort - 6 km.
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A good 4 * hotel on the 1st line in the lagoon, there are almost no waves on the ocean, because natural reefs in the ocean. Great protected beach. Reapers are very fond of - tourists who repeatedly come to the hotel. Definitely worth your money. There is where to go outside the hotel, a lot of shops. You can go to Galle - to the center 4 km, to the famous fort - 6 km. The hotel is 30 years old, but a new, modern building has been built. In the old building (3-storey, standart and deluxe rooms) - young people are better, the rooms are solid, but a little “tired”. In new buildings (2-storey near the pool, luxury rooms) - boldly for everyone, large in area, cozy, large bathroom. For all.
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FLIGHT There is no food or drink on the planes : -) If the departure from your city is delayed slightly (no more than an hour), then do not worry - when transferring to Dubai, the next plane will be delayed so that passengers have time. When we arrived, the exchange rate was 124 rupees per dollar. A week before, 128 rupees per dollar, a week after arrival, 129 rupees per dollar.
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FLIGHT
There is no food or drink on the planes : -) If the departure from your city is delayed slightly (no more than an hour), then do not worry - when transferring to Dubai, the next plane will be delayed so that passengers have time. When we arrived, the exchange rate was 124 rupees per dollar. A week before, 128 rupees per dollar, a week after arrival, 129 rupees per dollar.
ROAD TO THE HOTEL
The highway has already been put into operation and we traveled only 3 hours to Unawatuna in a separate air-conditioned bus. We were 3 people. But if there were a lot, then we would have to go through all the settlements and hotels and it would be much longer - 5-6 hours, since Unawatuna is almost the final destination. That is, if you bought a tour, then you can’t predict the travel time - how lucky.
HOTEL
On the map (Vacation site), the hotel is marked completely wrong. It is much closer to the ocean, without any road crossings. Settled in the simplest room overlooking the basketball court. I did not want to change, because the number is only needed to sleep. Even in the simplest rooms (superior rooms) there is a safe, a refrigerator, a kettle, cups, tea, coffee, sugar, 2-3 bottles of water, a hairdryer, towels (separate beach towels), shampoo, shower gel, cream, soap, TV. Mini bar for a fee. Immediately ask to show how the safe works and how to connect sockets - there are differences from other hotels. I left 100 rupees or 1 dollar every day and rumba tried very hard - he did not forget to renew tea, coffee, sugar, cosmetics, water, not to mention cleanliness. The staff at the hotel are wonderful. They treat everyone like their favorite customer. If there are any problems, they respond immediately. At the same time, there is not even a hint of a tip - they just help with a smile. This is a huge difference from, for example, Egypt. But the hotel itself is very weak. There is no territory at all. Road-hotel-beach. At first I was upset - there is no beauty. And then I found beauty around in other places and calmed down. On the territory near the hotel I met lizards, chipmunks, monkeys, a harmless snake, a small monitor lizard
FOOD
The hotel is very diverse - suitable for everyone - and small and large have something to choose from. Lunch and dinner are much more expensive than in restaurants on the beach - lunch 1780 rupees, dinner 1500 rupees. In restaurants you can eat from 590 rupees. You can of course and cheaper, but it's not interesting. A chic crab with rice and a delicious salad cost 1.000 rupees. Mostly ate in Lucky Tun - inexpensive, tasty, fast. The rest - either more expensive, or go further, or did not like it. But for the sake of the crab, of course, I had to walk, since there was no Lucky Tun.
BEACH. OCEAN
10-20 meters from the hotel. Removed daily. Sunbeds, umbrellas are new, comfortable, always in abundance. The ocean is amazing. Sunset in the sea near the hotel is steep and the waves interfere. Therefore, having jumped on the waves, I walked 200-300 m to the left - there you can calmly stay in the water for hours. Water 28 degrees. You have to go here for the ocean!!!
DIVING
Negotiate about the price. Very weak in May. Visibility the first time was 10 m, the second time in general 3-5 meters. In addition to beautiful multi-colored fish, I saw a trigger (from which the instructor began to pull very quickly), a huge turtle (did not catch up : -), two different stingrays - large and small. Slowly the corals are starting to grow. Beautiful blue, yellow, orange.
EXCURSIONS
Be prepared that everyone will try to swindle for money, so check the information in several places and bargain. However, soberly evaluate the services. For example, I was very strongly persuaded to take a tuk-tuk tour to Sinharaja - this is complete nonsense. You can ride a tuk tuk only for short distances - a turtle farm, a spice garden, Galle.
Sinharaja - $55, air-conditioned bus. We left at 5 o'clock in the morning. Crazy roads, and then the beauty is indescribable. Everyone was afraid of leeches - they met only 3 out of 7 people. Two just crawled. One managed to bite into the girl - no pain, no two-hour bleeding. Just a little blood oozes out and a small red circle-wound remains, which will heal quickly. The waterfall is beautiful. Dracaena six meters. A chameleon, a huge black squirrel (about like our very big cat) - it was not possible to take a picture - the dogs scared away. It was very hard to go back - the heat was unbearable (note those who cannot stand the heat).
During this excursion, I once again received a life lesson - 100 dollars were stolen from a locked bus. At the same time, they left 80 dollars. These are the "fair" thieves - they don't take away the last : -)
I read that they steal in hotels and decided to take dollars with me on an excursion (and the payment had to be paid for the next excursion) - the naive thought that money would not be lost from a locked bus with a driver. In response to my claims, the driver was very offended, said that he was a Muslim and stealing was a sin for him. The guide also began to ask - maybe I forgot. In short, nothing has been proven. Be smart - do not leave money even in guarded and locked buses. It was because of the theft that she canceled a trip to Yalla Park. I had to go with this driver. And it was too late to look for others.
Turtle farm - tuk-tuk 700 rupees, entrance 400 rupees. 4 swimming pools 2x3 meters. Turtles crawled out of the sand - I was allowed to collect them and throw them into the pool. Large turtles ironed all. She carried the little ones in her arms. I really liked it.
SPICE GARDEN
An employee in fairly good Russian conducts a tour for free. But then he breeds for the purchase of various oils, spices, etc. Near the garden, boats ride on the river. They promised to show me monitor lizards and crocodiles (they divorced me for 2000 rupees) - there are no monitor lizards or crocodiles there. It doesn't cost 2.000 rupees just to ride a motorboat.
SHOPPING
Pineapple - 150 rupees, bananas 150 rupees, soursop 200 rupees, carom 7 pieces 100 rupees. The clothes are complete nonsense. And I was too lazy to go to the big stores. There are a lot of jewelry, but I can’t say about the quality. Tea - only one shop with good tea and a little expensive. The rest - packaged, do not understand which one.
BEST EXPERIENCES - OCEAN, hotel and restaurant staff, turtle farm, Sinharaja.
There is no food or drink on the planes : -) If the departure from your city is delayed slightly (no more than an hour), then do not worry - when transferring to Dubai, the next plane will be delayed so that passengers have time. When we arrived, the exchange rate was 124 rupees per dollar. A week before, 128 rupees per dollar, a week after arrival, 129 rupees per dollar.
ROAD TO THE HOTEL
The highway has already been put into operation and we traveled only 3 hours to Unawatuna in a separate air-conditioned bus. We were 3 people. But if there were a lot, then we would have to go through all the settlements and hotels and it would be much longer - 5-6 hours, since Unawatuna is almost the final destination. That is, if you bought a tour, then you can’t predict the travel time - how lucky.
HOTEL
On the map (Vacation site), the hotel is marked completely wrong. It is much closer to the ocean, without any road crossings. Settled in the simplest room overlooking the basketball court. I did not want to change, because the number is only needed to sleep. Even in the simplest rooms (superior rooms) there is a safe, a refrigerator, a kettle, cups, tea, coffee, sugar, 2-3 bottles of water, a hairdryer, towels (separate beach towels), shampoo, shower gel, cream, soap, TV. Mini bar for a fee. Immediately ask to show how the safe works and how to connect sockets - there are differences from other hotels. I left 100 rupees or 1 dollar every day and rumba tried very hard - he did not forget to renew tea, coffee, sugar, cosmetics, water, not to mention cleanliness. The staff at the hotel are wonderful. They treat everyone like their favorite customer. If there are any problems, they respond immediately. At the same time, there is not even a hint of a tip - they just help with a smile. This is a huge difference from, for example, Egypt. But the hotel itself is very weak. There is no territory at all. Road-hotel-beach. At first I was upset - there is no beauty. And then I found beauty around in other places and calmed down. On the territory near the hotel I met lizards, chipmunks, monkeys, a harmless snake, a small monitor lizard
FOOD
The hotel is very diverse - suitable for everyone - and small and large have something to choose from. Lunch and dinner are much more expensive than in restaurants on the beach - lunch 1780 rupees, dinner 1500 rupees. In restaurants you can eat from 590 rupees. You can of course and cheaper, but it's not interesting. A chic crab with rice and a delicious salad cost 1.000 rupees. Mostly ate in Lucky Tun - inexpensive, tasty, fast. The rest - either more expensive, or go further, or did not like it. But for the sake of the crab, of course, I had to walk, since there was no Lucky Tun.
BEACH. OCEAN
10-20 meters from the hotel. Removed daily. Sunbeds, umbrellas are new, comfortable, always in abundance. The ocean is amazing. Sunset in the sea near the hotel is steep and the waves interfere. Therefore, having jumped on the waves, I walked 200-300 m to the left - there you can calmly stay in the water for hours. Water 28 degrees. You have to go here for the ocean!!!
DIVING
Negotiate about the price. Very weak in May. Visibility the first time was 10 m, the second time in general 3-5 meters. In addition to beautiful multi-colored fish, I saw a trigger (from which the instructor began to pull very quickly), a huge turtle (did not catch up : -), two different stingrays - large and small. Slowly the corals are starting to grow. Beautiful blue, yellow, orange.
EXCURSIONS
Be prepared that everyone will try to swindle for money, so check the information in several places and bargain. However, soberly evaluate the services. For example, I was very strongly persuaded to take a tuk-tuk tour to Sinharaja - this is complete nonsense. You can ride a tuk tuk only for short distances - a turtle farm, a spice garden, Galle.
Sinharaja - $55, air-conditioned bus. We left at 5 o'clock in the morning. Crazy roads, and then the beauty is indescribable. Everyone was afraid of leeches - they met only 3 out of 7 people. Two just crawled. One managed to bite into the girl - no pain, no two-hour bleeding. Just a little blood oozes out and a small red circle-wound remains, which will heal quickly. The waterfall is beautiful. Dracaena six meters. A chameleon, a huge black squirrel (about like our very big cat) - it was not possible to take a picture - the dogs scared away. It was very hard to go back - the heat was unbearable (note those who cannot stand the heat).
During this excursion, I once again received a life lesson - 100 dollars were stolen from a locked bus. At the same time, they left 80 dollars. These are the "fair" thieves - they don't take away the last : -)
I read that they steal in hotels and decided to take dollars with me on an excursion (and the payment had to be paid for the next excursion) - the naive thought that money would not be lost from a locked bus with a driver. In response to my claims, the driver was very offended, said that he was a Muslim and stealing was a sin for him. The guide also began to ask - maybe I forgot. In short, nothing has been proven. Be smart - do not leave money even in guarded and locked buses. It was because of the theft that she canceled a trip to Yalla Park. I had to go with this driver. And it was too late to look for others.
Turtle farm - tuk-tuk 700 rupees, entrance 400 rupees. 4 swimming pools 2x3 meters. Turtles crawled out of the sand - I was allowed to collect them and throw them into the pool. Large turtles ironed all. She carried the little ones in her arms. I really liked it.
SPICE GARDEN
An employee in fairly good Russian conducts a tour for free. But then he breeds for the purchase of various oils, spices, etc. Near the garden, boats ride on the river. They promised to show me monitor lizards and crocodiles (they divorced me for 2000 rupees) - there are no monitor lizards or crocodiles there. It doesn't cost 2.000 rupees just to ride a motorboat.
SHOPPING
Pineapple - 150 rupees, bananas 150 rupees, soursop 200 rupees, carom 7 pieces 100 rupees. The clothes are complete nonsense. And I was too lazy to go to the big stores. There are a lot of jewelry, but I can’t say about the quality. Tea - only one shop with good tea and a little expensive. The rest - packaged, do not understand which one.
BEST EXPERIENCES - OCEAN, hotel and restaurant staff, turtle farm, Sinharaja.
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• 21
Trip from April 29 to May 9.2012. Four of us flew: my husband and I and my daughter and son-in-law. We have visited many countries, seen enough, read a lot, heard a lot about Sri Lanka - I really wanted to. I prepared carefully - I chose a hotel, read reviews, climbed forums, read about the history of the country, selected sights to visit.
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Trip from April 29 to May 9.2012. Four of us flew: my husband and I and my daughter and son-in-law.
We have visited many countries, seen enough, read a lot, heard a lot about Sri Lanka - I really wanted to. I prepared carefully - I chose a hotel, read reviews, climbed forums, read about the history of the country, selected sights to visit...
So, it's done! As usual, everything is in order.
FLIGHT. Airarabia airlines landing in Sharjah. Flight G90294 departure 14:35, check-in in Boryspil in 3 hours, terminal B, no delays, everything is perfect, on time. The planes are new, everything works, the monitors show what is supposed to be, the toilet smells good, good distances between the seats (legs can be straightened), flight attendants speak Russian, 99% of the passengers are ours, prayer in Arabic "Allah Akbar" before takeoff, etc. EVERYTHING on the plane is for money - food, water, drinks, headphones, blankets, pillows. Advice: take everything that is yours, there are no restrictions, water, juices in small packages are not taken away at the control in Kyiv (especially in Sharjah, bring liquids as much as you want). The first flight lasts five hours. The time difference from the UAE is 2 hours ahead. Transfer time is 1 hour 25 minutes. Flight G90505 to Colombo; The contingent changes greatly - 95% - "not ours. " The planes are just as comfortable, everything is like in the first flight, the second flight takes 4 hours and 30 minutes. We landed in a terrible thunderstorm, sat down perfectly, the pilots were super, the time difference with Sharjah was 30 minutes, in total the difference with Kiev was 2.5 hours ahead. Visa $ 25 per person, put on a piece of paper, not in the passport, they do not make any marks in the passport at all, there are no "traces" of the trip in the passport at all! We got luggage, met a representative of the company, speaks understandable Russian, changed the currency at the airport, the most favorable rate is 1 $ = 127.75 rupees, bought a local card for Mobitel conversations (1000 rupees = $ 7.83 of which 900 rupees to the account, communication is amazingly cheap, I talked to Kiev daily + everyone else, 125 rupees remained on the account !!! ), our operators - Kyivstar, Life and others DO NOT WORK in Ceylon! It took 3 hours to get to the hotel by car.
HOTEL Unawatuna Beach Resort 3*. They immediately treated us to cold tea, gave wet towels to freshen up, settled quickly (8:30 in the morning! ), Fed breakfast. We ordered deluxe rooms in Kyiv and thought that these were rooms in a new building near the pool, but no! deluxe are superior rooms in the old building above the reception. The rooms, in principle, are not bad, if not the view from the window (the first one offered was strictly for the parking lot). Long auctions started from $1200 extra for 2 rooms for 9 days up to $600, we really liked the Super Deluxe rooms, the surcharge was worth it. I must say the hotel website is terribly stupid and outdated, the photos do not even show the new building, + they do not position the rooms correctly, otherwise we would have ordered everything in Kyiv right away. Settled in a building near the pool, rooms 409 and 410 on the 2nd floor. Room 50 sq. m. , bathroom 12 sq. m. , silent air conditioning, fruits upon arrival in the room, water was added 2 bottles of 0.5 every day, cleaning daily, left 100 rupees, towels changed daily, bed and beach towels changed by at will, gels, shampoos, body lotion, soap are added daily, bathrobes, slippers, dishes, a kettle, tea, instant coffee, sugar, cream - everything is as promised, mini bar for a fee. The rooms have free internet and a safe, no theft! The water is cold, hot without interruption, jacuzzi, plumbing in perfect condition, even the lid on the toilet with a microlift! Comfortable beds (do not move apart), comfortable linens. In general, the room is a solid 5 *.
NUTRITION. We 2 people ate full board, 2 - breakfast and dinner (it turns out that there is an "all inclusive", again, it is not positioned anywhere). Just enough, seafood daily, several types of meat. There are both European and national cuisine. Live music in the evening. Several times with my daughter I went to cafes on the shore, to dine at the hotel is cheaper and more varied! You definitely won’t stay hungry, fruits are present 3 times a day, drinks are included in the price of meals, there is a good sweet table for dinner, decent local beer, quite affordable. Not far from the hotel there is a good fruit market, ask, they will tell you how to get to it, the most exotic and unexplored seasonal fruits are waiting for you.
BEACH. THAT'S GREAT!!! ! pure soft sand, excellent entrance from the ocean, no stones at all, pure water, water temperature 26-29 degrees! You have to force yourself to get out of the ocean. Sunbeds, mattresses, umbrellas for free. Trees with dense greenery right on the shore, there is enough shade. The main thing is that there are no big waves, this is a very successful and beautiful bay. People come to Unawatuna to swim from other hotels where there is no bay and local residents on weekends. There is diving, we did not dive, but everyone says that ocean turtles are "always in stock. "
NATURE. This is why you need to go to this country! Wake up and fall asleep to the sound of the jungle from the movies. Monkeys come to rest on the trees near the balcony, you can get it with your hand, in the evening and at night you can hear how they run on the roof, chipmunks are not measured, mongooses walk under the body, and what a variety of birds! Under the window of the room there was a lake with large fish, from the balcony they fed a bun, herons and some small ducks fished there. You lie on a sun lounger on the beach and watch how iguanas walk through the trees, chipmunks chase, a week before our arrival, Kharkiv residents said that turtles hatched under their table on the beach....I'm not saying what you will see on excursions.
INFRASTRUCTURE. There is no shopping near the hotel, from the valuable and exotic you can buy only the famous star sapphires. To Galle by tuk-tuk one way 300 rupees, the fort is excellent, along the walls there are also monitor lizards 2 meters long. In the shops you can find something if you need to bring souvenirs to friends, and of course, tea! We bought at the factory on a tour, but you can also buy in Halle.
EXCURSIONS. Go for sure!! ! Choose and choose in advance, read the Internet. All the sights are located in the center of the island, you won’t be able to go back and forth in 1 day, plan excursions for 2-3 days with departure from the hotel. No fatigue and a long, slow road will overshadow what you see. We took an excursion for 2 days (there is a small bureau near the hotel), the guide speaks Russian poorly, but very tolerably in English, the car was a brand new Mercedes for 6 seats, it was very convenient and comfortable, despite long journeys and mountain roads. Waterfalls, Nuwara Eliya, Maxwell tea factory, overnight in a magical hotel near a raging waterfall, Kandy, Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy Botanical Garden, spice garden and home to the hotel. I will not describe anything, otherwise it will stretch for another three pages. I can only say that 2 days is very, very short and very compressed!
IMPRESSION. This country has something to show and surprise and deserves your attention, open your heart to the amazing world. Sri Lanka is a magical island, even for such a short trip you can talk about it for hours. From here you take away the dreary feeling of parting and the desire to return. My Lanka, I will definitely come back to you!
We have visited many countries, seen enough, read a lot, heard a lot about Sri Lanka - I really wanted to. I prepared carefully - I chose a hotel, read reviews, climbed forums, read about the history of the country, selected sights to visit...
So, it's done! As usual, everything is in order.
FLIGHT. Airarabia airlines landing in Sharjah. Flight G90294 departure 14:35, check-in in Boryspil in 3 hours, terminal B, no delays, everything is perfect, on time. The planes are new, everything works, the monitors show what is supposed to be, the toilet smells good, good distances between the seats (legs can be straightened), flight attendants speak Russian, 99% of the passengers are ours, prayer in Arabic "Allah Akbar" before takeoff, etc. EVERYTHING on the plane is for money - food, water, drinks, headphones, blankets, pillows. Advice: take everything that is yours, there are no restrictions, water, juices in small packages are not taken away at the control in Kyiv (especially in Sharjah, bring liquids as much as you want). The first flight lasts five hours. The time difference from the UAE is 2 hours ahead. Transfer time is 1 hour 25 minutes. Flight G90505 to Colombo; The contingent changes greatly - 95% - "not ours. " The planes are just as comfortable, everything is like in the first flight, the second flight takes 4 hours and 30 minutes. We landed in a terrible thunderstorm, sat down perfectly, the pilots were super, the time difference with Sharjah was 30 minutes, in total the difference with Kiev was 2.5 hours ahead. Visa $ 25 per person, put on a piece of paper, not in the passport, they do not make any marks in the passport at all, there are no "traces" of the trip in the passport at all! We got luggage, met a representative of the company, speaks understandable Russian, changed the currency at the airport, the most favorable rate is 1 $ = 127.75 rupees, bought a local card for Mobitel conversations (1000 rupees = $ 7.83 of which 900 rupees to the account, communication is amazingly cheap, I talked to Kiev daily + everyone else, 125 rupees remained on the account !!! ), our operators - Kyivstar, Life and others DO NOT WORK in Ceylon! It took 3 hours to get to the hotel by car.
HOTEL Unawatuna Beach Resort 3*. They immediately treated us to cold tea, gave wet towels to freshen up, settled quickly (8:30 in the morning! ), Fed breakfast. We ordered deluxe rooms in Kyiv and thought that these were rooms in a new building near the pool, but no! deluxe are superior rooms in the old building above the reception. The rooms, in principle, are not bad, if not the view from the window (the first one offered was strictly for the parking lot). Long auctions started from $1200 extra for 2 rooms for 9 days up to $600, we really liked the Super Deluxe rooms, the surcharge was worth it. I must say the hotel website is terribly stupid and outdated, the photos do not even show the new building, + they do not position the rooms correctly, otherwise we would have ordered everything in Kyiv right away. Settled in a building near the pool, rooms 409 and 410 on the 2nd floor. Room 50 sq. m. , bathroom 12 sq. m. , silent air conditioning, fruits upon arrival in the room, water was added 2 bottles of 0.5 every day, cleaning daily, left 100 rupees, towels changed daily, bed and beach towels changed by at will, gels, shampoos, body lotion, soap are added daily, bathrobes, slippers, dishes, a kettle, tea, instant coffee, sugar, cream - everything is as promised, mini bar for a fee. The rooms have free internet and a safe, no theft! The water is cold, hot without interruption, jacuzzi, plumbing in perfect condition, even the lid on the toilet with a microlift! Comfortable beds (do not move apart), comfortable linens. In general, the room is a solid 5 *.
NUTRITION. We 2 people ate full board, 2 - breakfast and dinner (it turns out that there is an "all inclusive", again, it is not positioned anywhere). Just enough, seafood daily, several types of meat. There are both European and national cuisine. Live music in the evening. Several times with my daughter I went to cafes on the shore, to dine at the hotel is cheaper and more varied! You definitely won’t stay hungry, fruits are present 3 times a day, drinks are included in the price of meals, there is a good sweet table for dinner, decent local beer, quite affordable. Not far from the hotel there is a good fruit market, ask, they will tell you how to get to it, the most exotic and unexplored seasonal fruits are waiting for you.
BEACH. THAT'S GREAT!!! ! pure soft sand, excellent entrance from the ocean, no stones at all, pure water, water temperature 26-29 degrees! You have to force yourself to get out of the ocean. Sunbeds, mattresses, umbrellas for free. Trees with dense greenery right on the shore, there is enough shade. The main thing is that there are no big waves, this is a very successful and beautiful bay. People come to Unawatuna to swim from other hotels where there is no bay and local residents on weekends. There is diving, we did not dive, but everyone says that ocean turtles are "always in stock. "
NATURE. This is why you need to go to this country! Wake up and fall asleep to the sound of the jungle from the movies. Monkeys come to rest on the trees near the balcony, you can get it with your hand, in the evening and at night you can hear how they run on the roof, chipmunks are not measured, mongooses walk under the body, and what a variety of birds! Under the window of the room there was a lake with large fish, from the balcony they fed a bun, herons and some small ducks fished there. You lie on a sun lounger on the beach and watch how iguanas walk through the trees, chipmunks chase, a week before our arrival, Kharkiv residents said that turtles hatched under their table on the beach....I'm not saying what you will see on excursions.
INFRASTRUCTURE. There is no shopping near the hotel, from the valuable and exotic you can buy only the famous star sapphires. To Galle by tuk-tuk one way 300 rupees, the fort is excellent, along the walls there are also monitor lizards 2 meters long. In the shops you can find something if you need to bring souvenirs to friends, and of course, tea! We bought at the factory on a tour, but you can also buy in Halle.
EXCURSIONS. Go for sure!! ! Choose and choose in advance, read the Internet. All the sights are located in the center of the island, you won’t be able to go back and forth in 1 day, plan excursions for 2-3 days with departure from the hotel. No fatigue and a long, slow road will overshadow what you see. We took an excursion for 2 days (there is a small bureau near the hotel), the guide speaks Russian poorly, but very tolerably in English, the car was a brand new Mercedes for 6 seats, it was very convenient and comfortable, despite long journeys and mountain roads. Waterfalls, Nuwara Eliya, Maxwell tea factory, overnight in a magical hotel near a raging waterfall, Kandy, Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy Botanical Garden, spice garden and home to the hotel. I will not describe anything, otherwise it will stretch for another three pages. I can only say that 2 days is very, very short and very compressed!
IMPRESSION. This country has something to show and surprise and deserves your attention, open your heart to the amazing world. Sri Lanka is a magical island, even for such a short trip you can talk about it for hours. From here you take away the dreary feeling of parting and the desire to return. My Lanka, I will definitely come back to you!
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Now in this hotel. Those who like to be nature in the hotel will not like it. The hotel has almost no territory. It is suitable for overnight stay only. The ocean is amazing, but swimming near the hotel is inconvenient. Sharp depth and almost always waves. You can swim after passing 200-300 meters-half sunset and small waves.
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Now in this hotel. Those who like to be nature in the hotel will not like it. The hotel has almost no territory. It is suitable for overnight stay only. The ocean is amazing, but swimming near the hotel is inconvenient. Sharp depth and almost always waves. You can swim after passing 200-300 meters-half sunset and small waves. But then it's better to take guesthouses nearby, and not overpay for the hotel. Until I found beautiful nature. But the okepn is wonderful. From Hikkaduwa and Kogala people come here to swim. I don't understand why they went there. Diving is weak. Pravdv next time they promised to show big fish - we'll see. In general, after the trip I will write a review, but for now I do not advise due to the fact that there is no expected beauty. Lunches and dinners at the hotel are expensive, although good. Lunch 1780 rupees, dinner 1500 rupees
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