gobears293

Joining this thread instead of starting a new one. The itinerary suggestions are most helpful.

I'm looking at a short trip to Sri Lanka, taking advantage of the cheap Cathay Pacific business class fare from Chicago to Colombo. Although the only time I can go is late May / early June... smack dab in the middle of monsoon season. So silly question: how bad do the monsoons get on a daily basis? Just heavy rain? Affect the trains up to Kaady?

I'd be travelling alone and don't mind the rain so much. If I bring a good jacket and umbrella, will I do just fine? Any insights appreciated!

MaxVO

According to this website, parts of the island (Mountains & East Coast) should be pleasant during May -- https://www.selectiveasia.com/sri-la...ys/weather/may
If it does rain, it may vary from a drizzle to torrential downpour lasting days. Is case of the latter, visibility will be nill making sightseeing impossible, and transport will be affected.

essexnyc

sooge_sj

I think three nights in Dambulla is the perfect amount of time. You definitely should do a day trip to Polonnaruwa, which is less than a 2 hour drive. And on the way back, you should visit the Minneriya National Park in the evening to see wild elephants.

glennaa11

I think that makes sense. There are some sights around Anuradhapura. I spent about a day doing the Polonnaruwa area including the drive time. But if you're not interested in old ruins then you might not enjoy it. I though the museum there was very good.

Minneriya was a bit crowded when I was there but worth it in my opinion...it's not cheap though.

aztimm

Is a daytrip to Pinnawala feasible during a 4 day or so trip to Colombo?
If so, is there a day of the week that would be better (less busy)?

I'm a bit leery (to say the least) of driving, so could anyone recommend a guide who could pick us up at a hotel in Colombo, take us to Pinnawala, then take us back at the end of the day?

Thanks!

gobears293

Would be very interested about this as well. Have three full days in Colombo (arrive late day 0, depart past midnight day 3) and was planning on taking a full day to explore either Kandy or Pinnawala. Ideally would take the train to enjoy those views.

MaxVO

Based on your description, you're looking for a driver, not a guide. You can get that service however you call it, but the rates might be drastically different.
On my recent trip to Sri Lanka, I accepted a driver option from the rental car company (Sixt). It worked out wonderfully, and I was very happy with the driver they assigned to me. The driver's rate was ~ USD16/day on top of the car rental fee, and it automatically expanded insurance coverage to include deductibles.
Many hotels in Sri Lanka (including mine) offer accomodation for drivers at no extra charge. If you hotel does not (which is unusual), you'd be expected to cover a driver's room yourself (cheap ones go for $7~10/day).
n.b. Foreign DL are not automatically recognized in Sri Lanka. Those who are brave enough to drive need to get a local permit first, and pay a hefty fee.

bulbmogul

I am not sure what country you are from , but here in the USA , I get a International Drivers License and rent all my cars from Malkey Car Rental without issue ever and been doing this for over 20 years now every single year. Driving in Sri Lanka is quite a art form and takes some time to understand it.

Davvidd

Its better not to get ulcers and drive in Sri Lanka. The most important gadget in your car is the Horn.

aztimm

Just a quick update on my plans:

* Arrive at CMB late on a Friday (the CX flight from HKG)
* Depart from CMB late Tues/early Wed (around 12:30 am, CX flight to HKG)

I booked the Hilton (not the residences), which looks like a decent location, not far from the Fort, the train station, etc.

My thoughts so far:
* Saturday: explore Colombo. Walk around the Fort Area and Pettah. Pretty casual day, as I'll have been traveling a bit already by then.
* Sunday: day trip to Galle. Surf lesson, check out the beaches, and maybe a little exploring there (a fort there too)
* Monday: day trip to Kandy
* Tuesday: more exploring Colombo. Probably the National Museum, do a little shopping and catch up on anything else I might have missed.

I have the hotel reserved through Wed AM, so I don't have to rush out on Tuesday. Can return, relax, shower, and I'm thinking head to CMB around 9:30 pm or so.

After reading more about the elephant orphanage, I'll pass that, unless someone strongly feels like I should go.

Questions:
* Are 2 day trips a bit ambitious? They are both so different, one along the coast, the other up into the mountains, that I'd really like to do both.
* Would it be better to switch the day trips and do Kandy on Sunday, Galle on Monday?
* If traveling on the weekend isn't advised, I can do those trips on Monday-Tuesday, but I'd prefer to leave Tuesday open.
* I found a site where I can reserve train tickets, about a month in advance. Is that recommended? It seems pretty straightforward. The prices are a bit higher, but otherwise, I'm gambling for non-reserved seats.

While in India last year, I did the driver thing. It was very convenient, he picked me up from the airport, took me to the best sights, avoided the worst of the traffic, ate at good and safe restaurants, etc. He dropped me off at the airport when I left. But I felt a bit isolated and insulated.
I can do the driver thing again if it is strongly recommended, but I'm leaning toward just doing this on my own. Using Uber/taxi if needed for longer trips in the city, trains for the day trips, and I'm sure plenty of walking.
What does the group say?

MaxVO

Seems possible, though keep in mind that the trains can be very slow. Since you're looking for a more authentic experience, I would also skip the surf lessons. That routine looks as follows: a herd of idiot visitors floating face down for hours on their surf boards and being a nuisance to the swimmers. I have not seen anyone successfully surf, even with good waves.

skipaway

I also purchased the biz ticket ORD-CMB on CX. I have 6 full days in Aug with the typical late arrival then on departure the very late check in prior to next day departure just after midnight.
Considering August, is it worth flying to Trincomalee (hear it's a pretty cool city to explore) or just take my chances on Galle and south coast?
What do you think of the elephant encounters? I would love a wildlife trip
Train or car and driver for hill country? Standing is not an option, maybe 40 years ago, but not today. Willing to spring for 1st class ticket if it results in assured seat.
Which overnight, Ella or Nuwara Eliya? I love horse racing, but don't see that they're running in Aug. I'd like interesting downtown, good food, nice scenery. Don't care about major hiking, party scene.
Hopefully will get culture fix in Kandy, should I not miss some of the ancient cities? Not able to climb 500 stairs. Borobodur and Prambutan in Yogykarta were about right..
Would be interested in hotel recs, esp small boutique or high end hostel to meet other travelers. (I do however have a hoard of UR and spg points which I wouldn't mind splurging on a particularly unique property)
Any itin advice welcome and much appreciated.
So, what started as a status/mileage run has become a real interest in seeing Sri Lanka. Have Lonely Planet. Flyer Talk, and, with a grain of salt, Trip Advisor. Any other resources?

glennaa11

back to back days with several hour train rides in each direction seems a little much to me.

do you have much experience traveling in the tropics? the climate can be very energy-sapping, especially if you think you're going to spend a lot of time out in the sun

I spent 2.5 weeks driving around the island with a guide/driver. I felt like I had plenty of opportunity to get an "authentic" experience where I wanted one. Personally I didn't find Colombo very compelling. It is a traffic-choked city without a lot of real tourist sites.

given your extremely limited amount of time on the ground I'd probably pick one place to spend a little more time in rather than spending half of your time on a train

aztimm

Anyone have thoughts on a daytrip
to Sigiriya?

That trip actually sounds pretty interesting. Yes, I'll be in a car for a bit. But at least it is air conditioned. I can't see getting up to that area otherwise. The price doesn't seem too bad. And it gets pretty good reviews, mostly from solo travelers (which I'll be).

As I already have my hotel booked in Colombo (non-refundable), I think maybe I can still do a day to Galle (train schedule doesn't look too bad), then this trek. I'm just trying to figure which would be better for Sunday or Monday.