We really liked the hotel. Very cozy and comfortable. Greeted with cocktails and wet towels. We were seated quickly, within half an hour. The first room that we were shown, we did not like. They showed another without any problems, it suited us perfectly. On the third floor in the main building with a good view from the terrace.
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We really liked the hotel. Very cozy and comfortable. Greeted with cocktails and wet towels. We were seated quickly, within half an hour. The first room that we were shown, we did not like. They showed another without any problems, it suited us perfectly. On the third floor in the main building with a good view from the terrace. The room has everything, everything worked. There was a fumigator, water was installed, the mini bar was full, the prices in it were acceptable. Towels were changed every day. Everything there is certainly not new, but normal.
Breakfast for a triplet is even nothing, quite decent. The staff was generally delightful. Very friendly, polite and smiling. They, of course, are on their own wave, Buddhists, what can I say. They are in no hurry to go anywhere. And we, too, relaxed and were in no hurry. Go to the beach without straining for 6-7 minutes, straining - as quickly as possible. The beach is beautiful. All ten days we swam without problems, there were no strong waves. They crash on the reefs.
They were usually located on the sunbeds of the Happy Banana restaurant. It is not the cheapest, but it accepts cards. We dined there. The average check for a day with drinks and lunch for two went up to $ 20 maximum. We dined in different places, there are plenty of them everywhere for every taste. Taking into account the fact that the village is still a resort, the prices are quite acceptable.
I will not talk about excursions. You have to go and feel it yourself, since there is where to go and what to see. I can only say that we received a lot of positive emotions during the whole holiday. For those who are interested, I posted several videos about the hotel on youtube. In general, the conclusion: we are very satisfied, rested one hundred percent, the hotel really liked.
Breakfast for a triplet is even nothing, quite decent. The staff was generally delightful. Very friendly, polite and smiling. They, of course, are on their own wave, Buddhists, what can I say. They are in no hurry to go anywhere. And we, too, relaxed and were in no hurry. Go to the beach without straining for 6-7 minutes, straining - as quickly as possible. The beach is beautiful. All ten days we swam without problems, there were no strong waves. They crash on the reefs.
They were usually located on the sunbeds of the Happy Banana restaurant. It is not the cheapest, but it accepts cards. We dined there. The average check for a day with drinks and lunch for two went up to $ 20 maximum. We dined in different places, there are plenty of them everywhere for every taste. Taking into account the fact that the village is still a resort, the prices are quite acceptable.
I will not talk about excursions. You have to go and feel it yourself, since there is where to go and what to see. I can only say that we received a lot of positive emotions during the whole holiday. For those who are interested, I posted several videos about the hotel on youtube. In general, the conclusion: we are very satisfied, rested one hundred percent, the hotel really liked.
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Liked the hotel. Clean, comfortable. The food is good. Very rich and tasty breakfasts. We also paid for dinner, but at the hotel we had to choose a dish for a fixed amount, and if more than this amount, you already have to pay extra and it was not entirely clear and convenient. Cleaning in the rooms every day and high quality.
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Liked the hotel. Clean, comfortable. The food is good. Very rich and tasty breakfasts. We also paid for dinner, but at the hotel we had to choose a dish for a fixed amount, and if more than this amount, you already have to pay extra and it was not entirely clear and convenient. Cleaning in the rooms every day and high quality. The staff was friendly, responded quickly to all requests, all issues were resolved. It takes about 10 minutes to go to the beach, but the problem is the Sri Lankan roads - there are no sidewalks and getting to the beach when transport is on the road is a problem.
All in all it was a wonderful holiday. Sri Lanka is a wonderful country and we really liked it.
All in all it was a wonderful holiday. Sri Lanka is a wonderful country and we really liked it.
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With this review, I want to warn potential guests of this hotel about the egregious case of theft of money, and not from the room, but directly at the hotel reception !! ! There are no safes in all rooms and there are warnings from the administration that the hotel is not responsible for valuables left in the rooms.
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With this review, I want to warn potential guests of this hotel about the egregious case of theft of money, and not from the room, but directly at the hotel reception !! ! There are no safes in all rooms and there are warnings from the administration that the hotel is not responsible for valuables left in the rooms. So the storage of valuables and money is possible only in the safe at the reception. Although, as we have seen from our own experience, money is very easy to steal from this safe!!!
But first things first. Stayed at the hotel from May 11 to May 20.2014, the hotel is rather shabby, the rooms were not seen, and the old bungalows are cramped and dark, smelling of damp. The clearings in front of the bungalows and the terraces themselves are not conducive to the desire to sit outside before going to bed with a cup of tea. The territory of the hotel itself is green and well-groomed, everything is as in the photo. We had a Super Delux Cabana room in the new part of the hotel. Quite spacious and nice room, with a comfortable terrace and a beautiful view of the courtyard. I was very surprised that instead of shelves in the closet there were just boards that were not treated with anything - unplaned boards. The condo didn't work very well either. But I did not want to pay attention to such trifles. Room cleaning was of high quality and not noticeable.
Our breakfast was included in the price. The waiter brings fruits to everyone on a plate, one hot dish of 3 to choose from and an unlimited buffet: cheese, 2 types of sausage, olives and tomatoes. There are breakfasts and a la carte, but for the money. Although the hotel had at most 10 people, I don’t even want to talk about the slowness of service, we simply took it as a fact. After a couple of days, the buffet was closed and everyone began to bring cheese and sausage on a plate. And a day later they began to bring already 1 plate for two. When asked why this is so, the answer is that the rest is for the money. After our dissatisfaction, they began to bring everyone a plate of sausages with cheese. But somehow it became disgusting, they begged...... albeit for their own money. We also had dinner sometimes at the hotel. Here it is worth saying that the cooking in the hotel was excellent, everything was very tasty!! ! True, at dinner, every day, the list of dishes from the menu was reduced and the choice became less and less. But these are also trifles, compared with the overall wonderful impression of traveling in Sri Lanka.
And then the last day came, or rather evening, in the morning we were happy to fly to the Maldives to continue our journey.
Now about the most important thing. When we checked into the hotel, we left all the money in the safe at the reception. They give you a zippered bag with the room number, you put your wealth in it and the administrator puts it all in the safe. If you need money, they give you this bag, you take how much money you need and give the bag back. To questions about the reliability of this method of storage (and there is simply no other way in the hotel !! ! ) and requests to make an inventory, in response there were only smiles with assurances that all this is very reliable, and they do not make an inventory at all! After the last supper we went to collect our money. And, oh horror, having received this bag and counting the money, I could not believe my eyes, there was not enough 2800 $ !!!!! ! Yes, yes, 2800$!!!! ! When asked where the money is, they answered us already without smiles that this cannot be, we are joking, we were mistaken, something is always wrong with the Russians and everything is like that. In general, these are our problems, not the problems of the hotel !! ! How it is? ! We give the hotel our money for storage, the money disappears at the reception !! ! and the hotel has nothing to do with it ??? ! The manager was not going to come to the hotel and we went to the police. They spent a lot of time explaining all this, the police are not at all interested in the problems of some tourists. They forced the police to come to the hotel at night. Again, long proceedings at night in the hotel. All this instead of calmly packing your bags while sipping Baileys. At 7 in the morning we again went to the police already with representatives of the hotel, who, by the way, refused to take us to the police in the hotel's car. We were running out of time, the plane was in the morning, at 12 o'clock, I don't remember exactly. The police again had a long showdown, some empty conversations, talking with the hotel manager on the phone, but he didn’t deign to come.
The result of these proceedings: we are offered not to pay the bill for the hotel, dinners and transfer to and from the airport, which we booked at the hotel, in total in the amount of about $ 1300. Like a sop thrown, or agree to it, or get nothing at all. True, as soon as we returned to the hotel, we were immediately offered to pay for the transfer and sign a letter that the incident was over. We beat out the free transfer promised by the police in exchange for signing this letter. More and more disgusting. . .
As a result: a terrible mood, frayed nerves, humiliated dignity, spoiled impressions and a net loss of $ 1.500 in money. Do you need such a hotel? You can try your luck, because not everyone is stolen. Hee hee hee. Although, the behavior of the staff clearly shows that this theft is not the first time !! ! Think carefully if your choice fell on this hotel !! ! Good luck everyone and be careful.
But first things first. Stayed at the hotel from May 11 to May 20.2014, the hotel is rather shabby, the rooms were not seen, and the old bungalows are cramped and dark, smelling of damp. The clearings in front of the bungalows and the terraces themselves are not conducive to the desire to sit outside before going to bed with a cup of tea. The territory of the hotel itself is green and well-groomed, everything is as in the photo. We had a Super Delux Cabana room in the new part of the hotel. Quite spacious and nice room, with a comfortable terrace and a beautiful view of the courtyard. I was very surprised that instead of shelves in the closet there were just boards that were not treated with anything - unplaned boards. The condo didn't work very well either. But I did not want to pay attention to such trifles. Room cleaning was of high quality and not noticeable.
Our breakfast was included in the price. The waiter brings fruits to everyone on a plate, one hot dish of 3 to choose from and an unlimited buffet: cheese, 2 types of sausage, olives and tomatoes. There are breakfasts and a la carte, but for the money. Although the hotel had at most 10 people, I don’t even want to talk about the slowness of service, we simply took it as a fact. After a couple of days, the buffet was closed and everyone began to bring cheese and sausage on a plate. And a day later they began to bring already 1 plate for two. When asked why this is so, the answer is that the rest is for the money. After our dissatisfaction, they began to bring everyone a plate of sausages with cheese. But somehow it became disgusting, they begged...... albeit for their own money. We also had dinner sometimes at the hotel. Here it is worth saying that the cooking in the hotel was excellent, everything was very tasty!! ! True, at dinner, every day, the list of dishes from the menu was reduced and the choice became less and less. But these are also trifles, compared with the overall wonderful impression of traveling in Sri Lanka.
And then the last day came, or rather evening, in the morning we were happy to fly to the Maldives to continue our journey.
Now about the most important thing. When we checked into the hotel, we left all the money in the safe at the reception. They give you a zippered bag with the room number, you put your wealth in it and the administrator puts it all in the safe. If you need money, they give you this bag, you take how much money you need and give the bag back. To questions about the reliability of this method of storage (and there is simply no other way in the hotel !! ! ) and requests to make an inventory, in response there were only smiles with assurances that all this is very reliable, and they do not make an inventory at all! After the last supper we went to collect our money. And, oh horror, having received this bag and counting the money, I could not believe my eyes, there was not enough 2800 $ !!!!! ! Yes, yes, 2800$!!!! ! When asked where the money is, they answered us already without smiles that this cannot be, we are joking, we were mistaken, something is always wrong with the Russians and everything is like that. In general, these are our problems, not the problems of the hotel !! ! How it is? ! We give the hotel our money for storage, the money disappears at the reception !! ! and the hotel has nothing to do with it ??? ! The manager was not going to come to the hotel and we went to the police. They spent a lot of time explaining all this, the police are not at all interested in the problems of some tourists. They forced the police to come to the hotel at night. Again, long proceedings at night in the hotel. All this instead of calmly packing your bags while sipping Baileys. At 7 in the morning we again went to the police already with representatives of the hotel, who, by the way, refused to take us to the police in the hotel's car. We were running out of time, the plane was in the morning, at 12 o'clock, I don't remember exactly. The police again had a long showdown, some empty conversations, talking with the hotel manager on the phone, but he didn’t deign to come.
The result of these proceedings: we are offered not to pay the bill for the hotel, dinners and transfer to and from the airport, which we booked at the hotel, in total in the amount of about $ 1300. Like a sop thrown, or agree to it, or get nothing at all. True, as soon as we returned to the hotel, we were immediately offered to pay for the transfer and sign a letter that the incident was over. We beat out the free transfer promised by the police in exchange for signing this letter. More and more disgusting. . .
As a result: a terrible mood, frayed nerves, humiliated dignity, spoiled impressions and a net loss of $ 1.500 in money. Do you need such a hotel? You can try your luck, because not everyone is stolen. Hee hee hee. Although, the behavior of the staff clearly shows that this theft is not the first time !! ! Think carefully if your choice fell on this hotel !! ! Good luck everyone and be careful.
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• 7
We rested in Sri Lanka for almost 20 days in June. The first part of the vacation traveled around the country. We lived in different hotels, so there is something to compare. I must say right away that the majority of hotels in Lanka are small. There are almost no large ones that our tourists in Turkey and Egypt are accustomed to.
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We rested in Sri Lanka for almost 20 days in June. The first part of the vacation traveled around the country. We lived in different hotels, so there is something to compare. I must say right away that the majority of hotels in Lanka are small. There are almost no large ones that our tourists in Turkey and Egypt are accustomed to. But this can be a plus. The Flower Garden Hotel is one of the few in the area that has a nice pool. Often there were big waves in the ocean and the son swam only there. The hotel itself is very comfortable, the staff is friendly. We lived there for 2 weeks and never saw Russians. But there were many tourists from Germany, France, cat. according to the conversation, they came specially to this place not for the first time. The kitchen is great. They took breakfast. The food is monotonous, but every morning a large plate of fresh fruit, fresh juices, eggs with bacon, cheese, etc. At any time, you can choose something from the menu and it will be prepared for you personally. Animation, of course, as elsewhere in the country there. Full immersion in nature. . . squirrels jump, birds sing. The only negative for someone is the presence of a large number of living creatures in the hotel and bungalow rooms (detached houses) - every evening, as you turn off the lights, flocks of geckos ran around the room. There is no harm from them, but the first days it was somehow dumb to sleep. The beach is not far to go. The beach is excellent. True depth is felt immediately. I can recommend the hotel to both couples for a romantic, secluded vacation, as well as tourists with children. The staff can provide a chair and a table for feeding to cook specials. food.
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• 5
The room has everything you need, the staff is polite, neat, but very leisurely. The hotel is clean, the food, although the menu, is still monotonous, but it's the same everywhere in Lanka, There is enough breakfast and dinner, there is an excellent fruit tent nearby with very low prices.
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The room has everything you need, the staff is polite, neat, but very leisurely. The hotel is clean, the food, although the menu, is still monotonous, but it's the same everywhere in Lanka,
There is enough breakfast and dinner, there is an excellent fruit tent nearby with very low prices.
There is enough breakfast and dinner, there is an excellent fruit tent nearby with very low prices.
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I will share my impressions. We flew FlyDubai - I didn't like it very much. They delayed the flight in Boryspil for an hour, they spent an additional half an hour on the plane, in Dubai they quickly ran to another plane - also 1.5 ! ! they sat for hours before takeoff - refueled, loaded, etc. The return trip is the same.
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I will share my impressions. We flew FlyDubai - I didn't like it very much. They delayed the flight in Boryspil for an hour, they spent an additional half an hour on the plane, in Dubai they quickly ran to another plane - also 1.5 ! ! they sat for hours before takeoff - refueled, loaded, etc. The return trip is the same.
They took food with them on the plane. Expensive and not much choice.
Liked the hotel. I will not repeat myself - I agree with all the positive reviews. My husband and I belong to this type of vacationers who do not look for flaws, but enjoy their vacation. As for tips, they gave a couple of times, NO ONE expected anything from us . . In cafes everywhere, 10% of tea is already included in the bill. Mosquitoes appeared at sunset near the pool, we left in the greenery. And no one bit anymore. There is no one in the room. (True, upon arrival in a week, some small pimples appear like bites and itch... I have been back for 2 weeks now, but this is not fatal, it will pass . . maybe some kind of reaction . . my husband does not) . There is a small library, you can choose a few light books. I didn’t like going to the local beach - we just went once. It takes 10-15 minutes to walk along this country road, the road is quite busy, there is no pavement as such, it is dusty . . While walking, you constantly look around, snuggle up, you still need to take into account the right-hand traffic and absolute ! ! lack of rules... (oncoming traffic, detour) Thank God that they don’t drive fast there . . but it was uncomfortable. We went 1 time to Jungle Beach, which everyone advises. . . Not bad. But, probably, these people have not been to another wonderful beach - it is closer, a couple of km. in the opposite direction from Jungle Beach, called Dalawela, there is a very magical, very large and empty beach. It costs 200 to travel from the hotel, we went back in a local tuk-tuk for 100.
In Gala we went by bus - 20 rupees fare. Tuk-tuk costs 400-500. But it's not even about the cost - it's just interesting, cool... very easy - there is a stop nearby and in Halle we went out onto the road and reached the stop . . it took about 30 minutes to go. I can’t say anything about excursions. If you have any questions, please ask.
They took food with them on the plane. Expensive and not much choice.
Liked the hotel. I will not repeat myself - I agree with all the positive reviews. My husband and I belong to this type of vacationers who do not look for flaws, but enjoy their vacation. As for tips, they gave a couple of times, NO ONE expected anything from us . . In cafes everywhere, 10% of tea is already included in the bill. Mosquitoes appeared at sunset near the pool, we left in the greenery. And no one bit anymore. There is no one in the room. (True, upon arrival in a week, some small pimples appear like bites and itch... I have been back for 2 weeks now, but this is not fatal, it will pass . . maybe some kind of reaction . . my husband does not) . There is a small library, you can choose a few light books. I didn’t like going to the local beach - we just went once. It takes 10-15 minutes to walk along this country road, the road is quite busy, there is no pavement as such, it is dusty . . While walking, you constantly look around, snuggle up, you still need to take into account the right-hand traffic and absolute ! ! lack of rules... (oncoming traffic, detour) Thank God that they don’t drive fast there . . but it was uncomfortable. We went 1 time to Jungle Beach, which everyone advises. . . Not bad. But, probably, these people have not been to another wonderful beach - it is closer, a couple of km. in the opposite direction from Jungle Beach, called Dalawela, there is a very magical, very large and empty beach. It costs 200 to travel from the hotel, we went back in a local tuk-tuk for 100.
In Gala we went by bus - 20 rupees fare. Tuk-tuk costs 400-500. But it's not even about the cost - it's just interesting, cool... very easy - there is a stop nearby and in Halle we went out onto the road and reached the stop . . it took about 30 minutes to go. I can’t say anything about excursions. If you have any questions, please ask.
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Greetings to everyone who wants to go on vacation to Sri Lanka and specifically to Unawatuna. We went with 3 families for two weeks (it seemed a little). All of them visited Egypt and Turkey a couple of times. Holidays in Sri Lanka are completely different. So let's start in order: 1. Flight - flew from Kyiv by low-cost Airarabia.
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Greetings to everyone who wants to go on vacation to Sri Lanka and specifically to Unawatuna.
We went with 3 families for two weeks (it seemed a little). All of them visited Egypt and Turkey a couple of times. Holidays in Sri Lanka are completely different. So let's start in order:
1. Flight - flew from Kyiv by low-cost Airarabia. There are no complaints. Transfer in Sharjah 1h. 45 min. it helps to calmly move the road (a direct flight probably would not have survived) plus if the plane is late (they flew back from Colombo with a delay of 1 hour), your luggage will still have time to be loaded onto the plane.
2. Landing - upon arrival we received luggage, then a visa (ordered by net, cheaper and without problems), changed money at the airport (the best rate was $ 1 = 128 rupees), bought a local SIM card for 125 rupees (empty) and threw it on her 500 rupees (enough for local conversations and conversations with Ukraine with his head).
3.
Transfer - drove to Unawatuna on the highway for about 2 hours, including traffic on Colombo (I recommend, it costs only 400 rupees + quickly get to the hotel + save 2.5 hours for sleep).
4. Unawatuna is a small village that is being built up at an accelerated pace. The coral reef protects the local beach from waves, which makes swimming in the ocean very comfortable. The road to the beach from FLOWER GARDEN takes 7-10 minutes at a leisurely pace. The road is full of all kinds of shops, cafes, tuk-tuks and cars. The beach is large, sandy, completely built up with cafes. There are sun loungers near each cafe - use them, but buy something from them. I advise you to go to jungle beach (prettier and quieter). The beaches are calm, no one bothers with ordering excursions, etc. The local population is the kindest people, not spoiled by civilization and vandollar. Without knowledge of English, it will be difficult, although you can survive.
5.
The FLOWER GARDEN Hotel is a pleasant, blooming place with a swimming pool (very large by Sri Lankan standards). We lived in the main building (to the left of it there is a construction site - the view is not very good) in the superior deluxe rooms. Double canopy bed, spa bath and balcony. The room has air conditioning, fan, kettle, TV with local channels, refrigerator, hair dryer and umbrella. Free net in the lobby. They cleaned daily and with high quality (they left a chocolate bar or 100 rupees every other day, although they didn’t take the money at first). Tea and coffee replenished daily. Minibar is paid. Bottled water 1l. per day for free. I do not recommend drinking from the tap. There is a fruit stand next to the hotel. Pineapple - 170 rupees, coconut - 30 rupees (bottle of water 0.5 l. - 60 rupees), very tasty red bananas, mango, papaya, etc. Safe at the reception. Breakfast and dinner were included in the tour. Breakfast - a plate of fruit, tea, coffee, toast, butter, jam, ham, cheese and EGGS in all sorts of variations.
And so every day without changes. Dinner - the soup of the day, the second choice from the menu (a lot of options and very large portions) and dessert - ice cream. All drinks are at your expense. Those who are accustomed to "all inclusive" - at first it is not familiar. Who wants to go to cafes and try local cuisine, I advise you to take only breakfast. All the hotel staff are great guys, ready to help in any matter, but they do not speak Russian. I especially want to note the waiter Dominde for patience, responsiveness, willingness to help in any situation. In short - FLOWER GARDEN is a very worthy place to relax. I recommend booking rooms in the garden (Cabana).
6. Excursions. We did not order excursions from the operator, we did not want to drag along Sri Lankan roads immediately after arrival. We spent a week lying on the beach, sunbathing and decided to go to see local sights.
We phoned a local resident Alexei and ordered from him first a tour of Galle, then a 2-day tour of Colombo, Kandy, a botanical garden, tea plantations and mountains, bathing elephants. We also went to Yalla on a safari. Sri Lankan roads and traffic is tough. The organization of tours is at the level, there are no special complaints (I advise). Prices are slightly lower than those of the Sri Lankans, and it’s easier to negotiate and make personal adjustments to the tour. We also went fishing for dummies. It was organized for us by Sergei tel. 0775660343, (sts-2006@yandex. ru), it turned out cheaper and again easier to negotiate, he is also engaged in spearfishing (if you are interested, call or write to him).
We all really liked our vacation in Sri Lanka, we left a lot of positive impressions about the country, the ocean and people. We plan to return to Sri Lanka, but as "savages".
We went with 3 families for two weeks (it seemed a little). All of them visited Egypt and Turkey a couple of times. Holidays in Sri Lanka are completely different. So let's start in order:
1. Flight - flew from Kyiv by low-cost Airarabia. There are no complaints. Transfer in Sharjah 1h. 45 min. it helps to calmly move the road (a direct flight probably would not have survived) plus if the plane is late (they flew back from Colombo with a delay of 1 hour), your luggage will still have time to be loaded onto the plane.
2. Landing - upon arrival we received luggage, then a visa (ordered by net, cheaper and without problems), changed money at the airport (the best rate was $ 1 = 128 rupees), bought a local SIM card for 125 rupees (empty) and threw it on her 500 rupees (enough for local conversations and conversations with Ukraine with his head).
3.
Transfer - drove to Unawatuna on the highway for about 2 hours, including traffic on Colombo (I recommend, it costs only 400 rupees + quickly get to the hotel + save 2.5 hours for sleep).
4. Unawatuna is a small village that is being built up at an accelerated pace. The coral reef protects the local beach from waves, which makes swimming in the ocean very comfortable. The road to the beach from FLOWER GARDEN takes 7-10 minutes at a leisurely pace. The road is full of all kinds of shops, cafes, tuk-tuks and cars. The beach is large, sandy, completely built up with cafes. There are sun loungers near each cafe - use them, but buy something from them. I advise you to go to jungle beach (prettier and quieter). The beaches are calm, no one bothers with ordering excursions, etc. The local population is the kindest people, not spoiled by civilization and vandollar. Without knowledge of English, it will be difficult, although you can survive.
5.
The FLOWER GARDEN Hotel is a pleasant, blooming place with a swimming pool (very large by Sri Lankan standards). We lived in the main building (to the left of it there is a construction site - the view is not very good) in the superior deluxe rooms. Double canopy bed, spa bath and balcony. The room has air conditioning, fan, kettle, TV with local channels, refrigerator, hair dryer and umbrella. Free net in the lobby. They cleaned daily and with high quality (they left a chocolate bar or 100 rupees every other day, although they didn’t take the money at first). Tea and coffee replenished daily. Minibar is paid. Bottled water 1l. per day for free. I do not recommend drinking from the tap. There is a fruit stand next to the hotel. Pineapple - 170 rupees, coconut - 30 rupees (bottle of water 0.5 l. - 60 rupees), very tasty red bananas, mango, papaya, etc. Safe at the reception. Breakfast and dinner were included in the tour. Breakfast - a plate of fruit, tea, coffee, toast, butter, jam, ham, cheese and EGGS in all sorts of variations.
And so every day without changes. Dinner - the soup of the day, the second choice from the menu (a lot of options and very large portions) and dessert - ice cream. All drinks are at your expense. Those who are accustomed to "all inclusive" - at first it is not familiar. Who wants to go to cafes and try local cuisine, I advise you to take only breakfast. All the hotel staff are great guys, ready to help in any matter, but they do not speak Russian. I especially want to note the waiter Dominde for patience, responsiveness, willingness to help in any situation. In short - FLOWER GARDEN is a very worthy place to relax. I recommend booking rooms in the garden (Cabana).
6. Excursions. We did not order excursions from the operator, we did not want to drag along Sri Lankan roads immediately after arrival. We spent a week lying on the beach, sunbathing and decided to go to see local sights.
We phoned a local resident Alexei and ordered from him first a tour of Galle, then a 2-day tour of Colombo, Kandy, a botanical garden, tea plantations and mountains, bathing elephants. We also went to Yalla on a safari. Sri Lankan roads and traffic is tough. The organization of tours is at the level, there are no special complaints (I advise). Prices are slightly lower than those of the Sri Lankans, and it’s easier to negotiate and make personal adjustments to the tour. We also went fishing for dummies. It was organized for us by Sergei tel. 0775660343, (sts-2006@yandex. ru), it turned out cheaper and again easier to negotiate, he is also engaged in spearfishing (if you are interested, call or write to him).
We all really liked our vacation in Sri Lanka, we left a lot of positive impressions about the country, the ocean and people. We plan to return to Sri Lanka, but as "savages".
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• 15
I'm sitting in the lobby of the Flower Garden Hotel and now I decided to write a review : ). When preparing for travel, I myself review all the hotels that travel agencies offer. And I came across that there is simply a terrible shortage of reviews in Sri Lanka - here I will help my compatriots : ). What can I say about the hotel - briefly - it's much better than I expected.
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I'm sitting in the lobby of the Flower Garden Hotel and now I decided to write a review : ). When preparing for travel, I myself review all the hotels that travel agencies offer. And I came across that there is simply a terrible shortage of reviews in Sri Lanka - here I will help my compatriots : ).
What can I say about the hotel - briefly - it's much better than I expected. The hotel consists of two zones, the first is the main part of the hotel zone, which is represented by separate bungalow houses that are among palm trees, lianas, and God knows what kind of greenery and there is a separate new three-story building (not just new, but in the process of being completed: ), that is, there is no newer). The Bungalow zone absolutely corresponds to the name of the hotel - it's like you're in the jungle (well, so homely, combed : ). The new building stands apart and the effect of you in the jungle changes - to the jungle around you - but they can't get you : ).
Of the obvious pluses - very worthy, completely new rooms, and everything (I'm talking about the new building). Plasma TV, a huge jacuzzi in the room, a luxurious bed, new furniture, climate control, two private pools on the floor from where you can look at the area while drinking juice : ), I will make a reservation that this is all on the third floor of the new building Okay). I think when they finish everything here it will be the best hotel in Unawatuna. Although, according to my observations and the opinion of other guests with whom I spoke, it is already, if not the best, one of the best hotels in this village. On the territory of the complex - there is a relatively large swimming pool near their reception and restaurant area, well, the pool for children is rather, like me with 2 meters of height, it is small but nice and clean. In principle, you don’t need more - the OCEAN is right there : )
The staff is friendly - like all Sri Lankans, they love our white big brother here. The attitude towards tourists is much more reverent than in Turkey, I'm already silent for the boorish Egyptians. The guests are mostly Russians, Ukrainians, British and Germans can be caught. In general, in my opinion, in Unawatuna, our Russian-speaking people (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus) are almost 50%, then tourists from the UK come, then Germans and Italians flicker somewhere, well, locals come to rest, but they don’t count this and so their land.
The minus of the hotel is that it is not on the ocean, so you need to walk to the shore for 5 minutes or ride a tuk here for 1-1.5 dollars, which is cooler and easier : ). They used to say there was a rabbit in hotels - so there is no rabbit - but there are two healthy (but friendly and quiet) shepherds, and the rabbit apparently could not stand the competition for survival : ). On the way from the hotel to the beach, you can watch a flock of monkeys eating trees (but only from 5 to 7 in the morning), in the hotel itself they say they were also sometimes seen, but again, only early in the morning and only in the bungalow area. Monkeys hide during the day, people come out in their place : ). But instead of obligations, I have a large tree growing right next to the balcony that looks like "don't understand what" but flying dogs love its fruits. So in the evening I go out onto the balcony I hear something so serious swarming on the branches - well, I’m dkmayu monkeys (however, I was delighted, I grabbed the camera : ) - look, it’s not monkeys, they fly very cool - although it’s quite pulling in size for an average monkey, but really hefty overgrown flying mice fruit-eaters : ) There are a lot of chipmunks here (like our squirrels - but small : ), lizards come across but the same as ours, I saw a peacock sitting on a tree : ), unusually they walk with us and here they turn out to fly. In general, ships travel from across the ocean, the ocean is warm, calm, absolutely safe, not dirty by the way, sometimes I don’t consider floating coconut to be dirt, right there palm trees grow on the shore, and sometimes foliage and fruits fall. Unawatuna is a bay that is surrounded by reefs and there are no strong waves - therefore it is safe to walk only 200-300 meters from the bay and the waves there are such that not everyone dares to enter the water.
I'm tired of writing everything : ) What else to say about the hotel - well, the breakfasts are monotonous but edible, in principle, the darkness on the beach is better and it's better to eat and eat cheaper and more fun and more varied. In general, there will be questions, I'm still here - so ask, I'll answer if I remember : )
What can I say about the hotel - briefly - it's much better than I expected. The hotel consists of two zones, the first is the main part of the hotel zone, which is represented by separate bungalow houses that are among palm trees, lianas, and God knows what kind of greenery and there is a separate new three-story building (not just new, but in the process of being completed: ), that is, there is no newer). The Bungalow zone absolutely corresponds to the name of the hotel - it's like you're in the jungle (well, so homely, combed : ). The new building stands apart and the effect of you in the jungle changes - to the jungle around you - but they can't get you : ).
Of the obvious pluses - very worthy, completely new rooms, and everything (I'm talking about the new building). Plasma TV, a huge jacuzzi in the room, a luxurious bed, new furniture, climate control, two private pools on the floor from where you can look at the area while drinking juice : ), I will make a reservation that this is all on the third floor of the new building Okay). I think when they finish everything here it will be the best hotel in Unawatuna. Although, according to my observations and the opinion of other guests with whom I spoke, it is already, if not the best, one of the best hotels in this village. On the territory of the complex - there is a relatively large swimming pool near their reception and restaurant area, well, the pool for children is rather, like me with 2 meters of height, it is small but nice and clean. In principle, you don’t need more - the OCEAN is right there : )
The staff is friendly - like all Sri Lankans, they love our white big brother here. The attitude towards tourists is much more reverent than in Turkey, I'm already silent for the boorish Egyptians. The guests are mostly Russians, Ukrainians, British and Germans can be caught. In general, in my opinion, in Unawatuna, our Russian-speaking people (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus) are almost 50%, then tourists from the UK come, then Germans and Italians flicker somewhere, well, locals come to rest, but they don’t count this and so their land.
The minus of the hotel is that it is not on the ocean, so you need to walk to the shore for 5 minutes or ride a tuk here for 1-1.5 dollars, which is cooler and easier : ). They used to say there was a rabbit in hotels - so there is no rabbit - but there are two healthy (but friendly and quiet) shepherds, and the rabbit apparently could not stand the competition for survival : ). On the way from the hotel to the beach, you can watch a flock of monkeys eating trees (but only from 5 to 7 in the morning), in the hotel itself they say they were also sometimes seen, but again, only early in the morning and only in the bungalow area. Monkeys hide during the day, people come out in their place : ). But instead of obligations, I have a large tree growing right next to the balcony that looks like "don't understand what" but flying dogs love its fruits. So in the evening I go out onto the balcony I hear something so serious swarming on the branches - well, I’m dkmayu monkeys (however, I was delighted, I grabbed the camera : ) - look, it’s not monkeys, they fly very cool - although it’s quite pulling in size for an average monkey, but really hefty overgrown flying mice fruit-eaters : ) There are a lot of chipmunks here (like our squirrels - but small : ), lizards come across but the same as ours, I saw a peacock sitting on a tree : ), unusually they walk with us and here they turn out to fly. In general, ships travel from across the ocean, the ocean is warm, calm, absolutely safe, not dirty by the way, sometimes I don’t consider floating coconut to be dirt, right there palm trees grow on the shore, and sometimes foliage and fruits fall. Unawatuna is a bay that is surrounded by reefs and there are no strong waves - therefore it is safe to walk only 200-300 meters from the bay and the waves there are such that not everyone dares to enter the water.
I'm tired of writing everything : ) What else to say about the hotel - well, the breakfasts are monotonous but edible, in principle, the darkness on the beach is better and it's better to eat and eat cheaper and more fun and more varied. In general, there will be questions, I'm still here - so ask, I'll answer if I remember : )
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Rested with friends at the Flower Garden Hotel in October 2012 - 13 days. The hotel has chalets and a 3-storey new building with 10 rooms. They said that only a year since they were built. First we were shown one of the Chalets, and then a room in the building. We chose to stay in a spacious room on the second floor.
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Rested with friends at the Flower Garden Hotel in October 2012 - 13 days.
The hotel has chalets and a 3-storey new building with 10 rooms. They said that only a year since they were built. First we were shown one of the Chalets, and then a room in the building. We chose to stay in a spacious room on the second floor.
Indeed, everything is brand new, clean, marble finishes (stairs, countertops in the room, bathroom), a lot of wood, interesting antiques in the interior - a wonderful example of colonial style!
All pieces of furniture are expensive, made of good natural materials, we did not see plastic chairs in the hotel! Which is very pleasing and makes the hotel very harmonious and stylish.
We traveled around the country for several days, so we spent the night in other hotels, there is something to compare with. It was a pleasure to return to our hotel!
The territory is well-groomed, everything is clean. The riot of nature is everywhere. Along the pool there is a mini pond with real fish and blooming lotuses! ! !
We can say that the hotel is truly a Garden of Eden!
There is a large (by the standards of Sri Lanka) swimming pool on the territory of the reception-restaurant, closer to the chalets.
And in our building on the 3rd floor there are 2 smaller pools.
Everywhere there are cozy tables, armchairs, sofas, a gazebo.
There is an Ayurvedic office, a specialist is invited by appointment.
We really enjoyed the massage! Full body massage 1h. 20 minutes. - 1800 rupees. Back massage 30 min. - 800 rupees.
Separately, about the staff of Flower Garden.
These are the most polite, caring, helpful and nice people. Any issue was resolved within minutes.
The hotel feels the warm energy of care and attention, in the best traditions of hospitality!
In the room:
hair dryer is good! ! ! : )
tea and coffee accessories (tea (3 types), coffee, milk powder, sugar are replenished daily), water - everything is free
mini bar replenished every day
balcony (there are chairs and a table)
drying for things
there is even an umbrella! ! !
cleaning every day
Flower Garden is offered by our tour operators as 3 * (although in Europe as 4 *).
If the territory of the hotel were larger, you can safely put 5 *.
We didn't find any cons!
To the beach 5 minutes walk. The hotel is located at the beginning of the entrance to the street with cafes and shops.
Nearby they sell all kinds of fruits (a large pavilion is the only one on this street).
According to our observations and feelings, for an excellent holiday in this cozy and luxurious paradise, Flower Garden is undoubtedly the best hotel in Unawatuna and, most likely, one of the best on the entire coast of Sri Lanka!
There is often a queue for his booking, which is a rarity in general.
We went to see interesting places on a rented minibus with a local driver, it turned out much cheaper and more interesting than the offers of excursions from the tour operator.
Entrance ticket prices:
Sigiriya - 3900 rupees
Polonnaruwa - 3250
Dambulla - 1300
Kandy Buddha Tooth - 1000
Pinnawala Elephants - 2000
Paradenia Bot. garden - 1100
Yala nat. park - 2720 (+ separate car rental)
Kataragama - free and loved it
You can safely take the whole day to Colombo and Kandy, there is something to see, where to wander.
Once there was a 3-day route (two nights):
Unawatuna-Colombo-Sigiriya-Polonnaruwa-Dambulla-Kandy-Paradenia-Pinnawala-U nawatuna. We paid $ 190 for a car with a driver - there were 7 seats in the car, so it was comfortable for the two of us. The price does not change depending on the number of people. If we rented a car + gasoline ourselves, it would be a little cheaper, but longer in time, since the driver is oriented perfectly, but we are not. Their roads are special. There is one speedway - to Colombo, the rest are very winding, they did not build straight lines, so it is practically impossible to accelerate, only turns. There are few pointers. It gets dark quickly - lighting, of course, is not everywhere. It was hard for the local driver to drive in the evening, and they tried to do all the crossings in the dark. So we are happy with the decision!
Tuk-tuks traveled along Galle-Unawatuna-Koggala.
Galle-Unawatuna 5 km 300-400 rupees. By the end of our trip, prices had already begun to rise to 500-700 rupees - closer to the beginning of the season. The exchange rate in mid-October was 127 rupees per 1 dollar.
Between Unawatuna and Galle there is a small place along the road (landmark - many boats) where fishermen sell fresh catch - prices are excellent, everything is fresh. For example: small tuna for 1.2-1.4 kg - 400 rupees per kg, barracuda, squid - 350-400 rupees per kg. The choice is large. In Galle there is a fish market - everything is more expensive there and not everything is fresh. Checked many times. : ))
Between fishermen and tukers there is an open enmity. Fishermen don’t pay tukers for the tourists they bring (they don’t want to raise prices) and sell to everyone at a good price, they are ready to bargain and give way well.
That is, if a tuker brings you to a market or a shop, then the prices are inflated to pay for the "services" of the tuker and are almost not inferior. For example, small squids, in the places where the tuker drove, were offered to us for 800 rupees, the fishermen have them for 400.
Many tukers on order to be taken to fishermen are taken to fish shops, where prices are higher and then they pretend "I didn’t understand, I thought, just for fish. " You need to follow the road and exactly name the place where you want to get off.
If you see that the tuker gets up and goes with you to the shop, the market, then say that you yourself will go and see everything. He must stay and wait for you. Unless of course you go both ways.
By the way, you can cook fresh fish in restaurants by paying for cooking. Not all are taken, but you can find. Barakuda was prepared especially tasty for us at the Pink Elephant in Unawatuna. For cooking they took 800 rupees, which included a very tasty salad.
Restaurants on the beach in the evening sell fresh fish themselves, then they cook it in front of you, prices are an order of magnitude higher than 1500-3000 rupees per kg. , king prawns are counted by the piece : )) 7 pieces - 1200 rupees, you can and should bargain. Our record is 20 pieces for 1300 rupees. The market price is 800 rupees per kg. - Again, how do you trade.
On the beach they wear 100-150, for 50-60 you can negotiate. They grow everywhere.
Our holiday was a success, we liked everything. Ocean of impressions : ) and positive! We miss you already. . .
The hotel has chalets and a 3-storey new building with 10 rooms. They said that only a year since they were built. First we were shown one of the Chalets, and then a room in the building. We chose to stay in a spacious room on the second floor.
Indeed, everything is brand new, clean, marble finishes (stairs, countertops in the room, bathroom), a lot of wood, interesting antiques in the interior - a wonderful example of colonial style!
All pieces of furniture are expensive, made of good natural materials, we did not see plastic chairs in the hotel! Which is very pleasing and makes the hotel very harmonious and stylish.
We traveled around the country for several days, so we spent the night in other hotels, there is something to compare with. It was a pleasure to return to our hotel!
The territory is well-groomed, everything is clean. The riot of nature is everywhere. Along the pool there is a mini pond with real fish and blooming lotuses! ! !
We can say that the hotel is truly a Garden of Eden!
There is a large (by the standards of Sri Lanka) swimming pool on the territory of the reception-restaurant, closer to the chalets.
And in our building on the 3rd floor there are 2 smaller pools.
Everywhere there are cozy tables, armchairs, sofas, a gazebo.
There is an Ayurvedic office, a specialist is invited by appointment.
We really enjoyed the massage! Full body massage 1h. 20 minutes. - 1800 rupees. Back massage 30 min. - 800 rupees.
Separately, about the staff of Flower Garden.
These are the most polite, caring, helpful and nice people. Any issue was resolved within minutes.
The hotel feels the warm energy of care and attention, in the best traditions of hospitality!
In the room:
hair dryer is good! ! ! : )
tea and coffee accessories (tea (3 types), coffee, milk powder, sugar are replenished daily), water - everything is free
mini bar replenished every day
balcony (there are chairs and a table)
drying for things
there is even an umbrella! ! !
cleaning every day
Flower Garden is offered by our tour operators as 3 * (although in Europe as 4 *).
If the territory of the hotel were larger, you can safely put 5 *.
We didn't find any cons!
To the beach 5 minutes walk. The hotel is located at the beginning of the entrance to the street with cafes and shops.
Nearby they sell all kinds of fruits (a large pavilion is the only one on this street).
According to our observations and feelings, for an excellent holiday in this cozy and luxurious paradise, Flower Garden is undoubtedly the best hotel in Unawatuna and, most likely, one of the best on the entire coast of Sri Lanka!
There is often a queue for his booking, which is a rarity in general.
We went to see interesting places on a rented minibus with a local driver, it turned out much cheaper and more interesting than the offers of excursions from the tour operator.
Entrance ticket prices:
Sigiriya - 3900 rupees
Polonnaruwa - 3250
Dambulla - 1300
Kandy Buddha Tooth - 1000
Pinnawala Elephants - 2000
Paradenia Bot. garden - 1100
Yala nat. park - 2720 (+ separate car rental)
Kataragama - free and loved it
You can safely take the whole day to Colombo and Kandy, there is something to see, where to wander.
Once there was a 3-day route (two nights):
Unawatuna-Colombo-Sigiriya-Polonnaruwa-Dambulla-Kandy-Paradenia-Pinnawala-U nawatuna. We paid $ 190 for a car with a driver - there were 7 seats in the car, so it was comfortable for the two of us. The price does not change depending on the number of people. If we rented a car + gasoline ourselves, it would be a little cheaper, but longer in time, since the driver is oriented perfectly, but we are not. Their roads are special. There is one speedway - to Colombo, the rest are very winding, they did not build straight lines, so it is practically impossible to accelerate, only turns. There are few pointers. It gets dark quickly - lighting, of course, is not everywhere. It was hard for the local driver to drive in the evening, and they tried to do all the crossings in the dark. So we are happy with the decision!
Tuk-tuks traveled along Galle-Unawatuna-Koggala.
Galle-Unawatuna 5 km 300-400 rupees. By the end of our trip, prices had already begun to rise to 500-700 rupees - closer to the beginning of the season. The exchange rate in mid-October was 127 rupees per 1 dollar.
Between Unawatuna and Galle there is a small place along the road (landmark - many boats) where fishermen sell fresh catch - prices are excellent, everything is fresh. For example: small tuna for 1.2-1.4 kg - 400 rupees per kg, barracuda, squid - 350-400 rupees per kg. The choice is large. In Galle there is a fish market - everything is more expensive there and not everything is fresh. Checked many times. : ))
Between fishermen and tukers there is an open enmity. Fishermen don’t pay tukers for the tourists they bring (they don’t want to raise prices) and sell to everyone at a good price, they are ready to bargain and give way well.
That is, if a tuker brings you to a market or a shop, then the prices are inflated to pay for the "services" of the tuker and are almost not inferior. For example, small squids, in the places where the tuker drove, were offered to us for 800 rupees, the fishermen have them for 400.
Many tukers on order to be taken to fishermen are taken to fish shops, where prices are higher and then they pretend "I didn’t understand, I thought, just for fish. " You need to follow the road and exactly name the place where you want to get off.
If you see that the tuker gets up and goes with you to the shop, the market, then say that you yourself will go and see everything. He must stay and wait for you. Unless of course you go both ways.
By the way, you can cook fresh fish in restaurants by paying for cooking. Not all are taken, but you can find. Barakuda was prepared especially tasty for us at the Pink Elephant in Unawatuna. For cooking they took 800 rupees, which included a very tasty salad.
Restaurants on the beach in the evening sell fresh fish themselves, then they cook it in front of you, prices are an order of magnitude higher than 1500-3000 rupees per kg. , king prawns are counted by the piece : )) 7 pieces - 1200 rupees, you can and should bargain. Our record is 20 pieces for 1300 rupees. The market price is 800 rupees per kg. - Again, how do you trade.
On the beach they wear 100-150, for 50-60 you can negotiate. They grow everywhere.
Our holiday was a success, we liked everything. Ocean of impressions : ) and positive! We miss you already. . .
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We went to Sri Lanka in early July at the height of the rainy season, although in fact, out of 10 days of our vacation, it really rained like a wall and did not stop for a whole day, it rained only 2 days. The hotel is wonderful, I would even say that it draws on more than 3 * number of stars. There are very few rooms and mostly they are detached houses, which for me personally - always suffering from the sounds coming from behind the wall of the next room - was just wonderful.
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We went to Sri Lanka in early July at the height of the rainy season, although in fact, out of 10 days of our vacation, it really rained like a wall and did not stop for a whole day, it rained only 2 days. The hotel is wonderful, I would even say that it draws on more than 3 * number of stars. There are very few rooms and mostly they are detached houses, which for me personally - always suffering from the sounds coming from behind the wall of the next room - was just wonderful. The hotel staff is very pleasant, from the waiters to the cleaners. Everything is invisible and unobtrusive. They clean with high quality, and, as it turned out, it’s not customary for them to leave a tip for cleaning))) Having discovered generous alms from us for their work, the guys, of whom there were already 3 in the room, blinked in confusion and did not know how to divide one piece of paper into three ))))
Breakfast and dinner were taken as meals. Since there were already two of us who took dinner at the hotel, all dishes were prepared exclusively according to our order from the menu, not very quickly, but VERY TASTY. Kudos to the chef!! ! I already spoke about the waiters, but I repeat - well done. One of them, having heard my thoughts about a mobile card, gave his own for use. He offered and flatly refused to take the money. I must say that in the nearest store, a sim card without a penny in the account cost 500 rupees. The beach is a 10-minute walk along the street with shops and travel agencies. In a word, I recommend the Flower Garden Hotel to everyone!
Now, about the negative.
Lord! On the 10th road, bypass the Sun Tours travel agency, located along the road to the beach, along with its manager, the plump Thushari. With her, we went on a two-day tour to see the city of Kandy, the elephant orphanage and Sigiriya. Firstly, in half of the places declared under "included in the tour", we paid ourselves. Secondly, the driver's English vocabulary is very, very poor, and it was declared again that he would speak smartly. By the way, we did not find anyone speaking Russian near our hotel or on the beach, there were no Russians in the hotel besides us, maybe they prefer another time of the year, but the fact remains: if you don’t speak any other language other than Russian , in Sri Lanka it will be tight)))
Breakfast and dinner were taken as meals. Since there were already two of us who took dinner at the hotel, all dishes were prepared exclusively according to our order from the menu, not very quickly, but VERY TASTY. Kudos to the chef!! ! I already spoke about the waiters, but I repeat - well done. One of them, having heard my thoughts about a mobile card, gave his own for use. He offered and flatly refused to take the money. I must say that in the nearest store, a sim card without a penny in the account cost 500 rupees. The beach is a 10-minute walk along the street with shops and travel agencies. In a word, I recommend the Flower Garden Hotel to everyone!
Now, about the negative.
Lord! On the 10th road, bypass the Sun Tours travel agency, located along the road to the beach, along with its manager, the plump Thushari. With her, we went on a two-day tour to see the city of Kandy, the elephant orphanage and Sigiriya. Firstly, in half of the places declared under "included in the tour", we paid ourselves. Secondly, the driver's English vocabulary is very, very poor, and it was declared again that he would speak smartly. By the way, we did not find anyone speaking Russian near our hotel or on the beach, there were no Russians in the hotel besides us, maybe they prefer another time of the year, but the fact remains: if you don’t speak any other language other than Russian , in Sri Lanka it will be tight)))
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