Perfect 2 day 1 night tour for culture

Hello Again everyone!

We have been inundated (sp?) with names and contact details of drivers so thanks everyone for that.

We%26#39;re now starting to realise that we will need to come back again and spend more time touring than we plan to on this, our first trip. What would be the perfect 2 day 1 night itinerary for you? Ideally would love to see some culture and some wildlife but are happy to do 2 tours. Budget constraints mean that we can%26#39;t do any more than that this time around but something tells me we will be back!

Thanks

Zoe

Perfect 2 day 1 night tour for culture

Hi Zoe

I think I remember you saying that you will be based near Negombo for your main stay. If that%26#39;s the case and you want to restrict your touring to just one overnight stay, taking in wildlife and culture, and assuming you want to pack in a reasonable amount....

Get your driver to pick you up in the morning and take you to the elephant orphanage. It%26#39;s not a place I like because it is too touristy and money grabbing, but the sight of all the elephants in the river is amazing and so many people say it%26#39;s a holiday highlight for them.

After that, continue NE to the cultural triangle. The rock temple at Dambulla would be a good choice for the afternoon visit. Check in to one of the excellent hotels in the cultural triangle overnight, such as Cinnamon Lodge or Chaaya Village at Habarana. Sigiriya Village Hotel at Sigiriya is another good one. All these hotels have masses of wildlife in the vicinity ... land monitors, scores of monkeys, even wild elephants at Sigiriya after dark, although they are dangerous and you are warned not to walk on certain roads after dusk because of them.

Early the next morning, make the climb of Sigiriya Rock .. best done before it gets too hot and crowded with visitors. After that, maybe you could have an hour long elephant ride along the tank (lake) path at Habarana, or something similar at Sigiriya. Better to pre-arrange this through your driver if your time is limited. Alternatively, you could still fit in a fleeting visit to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa before making the 3-4 hour drive back to Negombo for the evening. Personally, I would not try to pack too much in. Having time to catch your breath at one of the abovementioned hotels is also great fun. They are in beautiful settings with much animal and bird life to enjoy, lovely pools etc ... and quite different from any beach setting. The above will whet your appetite for a return visit, I am sure.

Sue

Perfect 2 day 1 night tour for culture

Thanks Sue! That sounds great.

We%26#39;ve been looking at visiting the MEF instead of the Elephant Orphanage as I%26#39;ve heard lots of people comment that it%26#39;s now too touristy - have you been to either or both? What did you think?

We%26#39;d also like to do another 2 day 1 night trip maybe down to Yala or one of the other national parks - is this viable do you think? Maybe visiting a turtle hatchery on the way back. I know a few people have mentioned that it is unlikely that any insurance will pay out due to the FCO advice but have you any worries about visiting Yala or would you recommend a different park?

The Elephant Orphanage is touristy, but it%26#39;s still the best. We did both as I wanted to see the Millenium one too but far prefered the ';touristy'; one simply because they have loads more elephants.

When they walk them down the street to the river the sight is fantastic, grab a table at one of the places on the front overlooking the water and have a meal, a few beers and watch the elephants washing and playing, it%26#39;s amazing. Watching the elephants walking down the street towards you is exhilarating.

The restaurants are slightly expensive, but they aren%26#39;t stupidly priced. We spent 2 hours there, eating, chatting having a few beers etc, all with the added bonus of having 50 elephants washing only a few metres away!!

Obviously you might not have the time to spend there, but I%26#39;d definitely go for the Orphanage. It cost 1250rs i think.

Enjoy!!!

Thanks for that - sounds fantastic! Maybe we%26#39;ll do both as I%26#39;ve heard that it can be done as a day trip.

Do you have any advice on the above Yala question?

Cheers

Zoe

Hi Zoe

Re. Yala ... yes, it could be done as a 2 day, one night trip, but it is a long way from Negombo. You will spend the best part of both days simply driving there and back.

Yala is better than the other choices for a safari, but whether it warrants such a long journey, considering you are pushed for time on this holiday, is debatable. Much better to include it as part of a tour, when you can also enjoy the delights of the hillcountry and south coast, with Yala inbetween.

If you are going to do the cultural triangle trip, why not visit Minneriya instead? Admittedly, it is not quite as good as Yala because a lot of it is through scrub land and you don%26#39;t get the open views of wildlife. However, there are large numbers of wild elephants, lots of birds and other wildlife ... and wherever you go, it is always a matter of luck on the day as to what you will see. If you are determined to do Yala, personally I would not be at all concerned about the security situation .... The area needs visitors and the safari itself is quite safe. There is an outside risk in remote areas of the SE of Sri Lanka and Yala park .. not where the tourists go in the jeeps.

Sue

Thanks Sue - that makes a lot of sense. I think we will definitely have to come back again and tour around more rather than 2 weeks in the same hotel as we did this time!! You live and learn!! :-)

Cheers

Zoe

Hi Zoe

Just a thought .. don%26#39;t know whether it appeals to you, but I get the impression you will be bored out of your skulls spending the majority of your 2 week stay in Negombo by the pool ... well, I know I would be.

Touring around needn%26#39;t cost a fortune. You don%26#39;t have to stay in expensive hotels or even hire a driver. We did all that on our first couple of trips, but now we are increasingly independent. Sri Lanka is an easy and cheap country to get around. Buses are frequent, as are trains and it only costs a 拢 or 2 to cover your entire journey. There are plenty of English speaking local people who will help you get on and off where you want to go, and it%26#39;s a lovely way of meeting people too. Accommodation also, is very reasonably priced. You can get a double room with breakfast for 2 for 拢10 in a very pleasant clean guesthouse. There are even cheaper places are available, come to that. What I am saying is, if you are restricting your touring because of budget, you needn%26#39;t. You will quickly come to realise that there are several tiers of pricing in Sri Lanka .. tourist prices and local prices, and it%26#39;s so easy to opt for the latter with just a little effort.

Send me a pm if you want any more advice or recommendations.

Sue

Thanks Zoe .. have e-mailed you!