Originally Posted by Ericka
ngfan - we're considering the Sri Lankan Air Taxi. Did you charter the flight? Or was it scheduled? I inquired about chartering (thinking that would allow us to pick the most convenient time) but the response I got back was a little vague.
If you chartered:
Were you able to dictate the time of the flight (daylight hours of course)? Were the views pretty?
From what I understand, if you need to transfer during the day, you should book the plane. If you need to transfer at night you can drive in 2.5 hours.
Booked the flight through Amanresorts and expected a charter but it was a scheduled flight and almost full with other tourists coming from my Thomas Cook/Condor flight arriving from FRA (all women who expected to fly to Koggala on one of these UL A320's parked on the CMB ramp as we passed them on a VIP coach while being driven around on the tarmac). Their faces turned pale when we didn't stop and even left those old Antonov cargo planes behind only to reach that little 40 year old De Havilland water plane behind the next corner
) It was a hell of a bumpy ride along the low cloud ceiling but the views were great. Watching the single pilot steering this old lady through the clouds felt pretty reassuring but the ladies around me looked like this would be their last flight ...
Only dailight flights available, but you can charter one (min. 4 pax or pay the equivalent).
http://www.srilankan.aero/airtaxi/
On my return from Amanwella to the airport we stopped at Amangalla for a massage and dinner on the verandah. The following drive from Galle to CMB took us 4 hours during late evening with low traffic.
I have a lot of pics from the plane, flight and both Amans (rooms, food...) but am not too familiar in finding free webspace to upload them...
Originally Posted by speedbird001
Irrespective of time, the roads with or without traffice in Sri Lanka are very poorly maintained. Charter the plane.
From my observation the major reason for the long transfer times is the fact that coastal life takes part mainly on that main road. Slow trucks, crazy bus drivers, dogs, cyclists and pedestrians cross the road on their own discretion which makes save driving a major challenge. The plane flight is a different thrill but the hell is over much quicker...