Browns Beach as a base for 2 week holiday?

Hi everyone, looking for some advice!

Thinking of coming to Sri Lanka this June as there are some great deals on offer! What I want to know is if we stay at Browns Beach hotel for two weeks, is it in a good location for trips to the elephant orphanage, kandy, turtle farm, spice %26amp; tea plantations etc, (basically everything of interest!).

From reading the forums %26amp; reviews I gather the best thing to do is to arrange 1-2 night trips with local drivers/guides, taking in a few destinations per trip.

We would look to do two or three trips, with a few days off in between to recover! Is this a good strategy? Also, any rough prices for two people to see the listed attractions? Even just a rough idea would be great! Thanks!

Browns Beach as a base for 2 week holiday?

Hi there,

Yes well possible. I%26#39;d suggest 3 trips:

a) Day trip to elephant orphanage

b) Kandy and Cultural Triangle, at least 2 days if Kandy and Sigiriya Rock (%26amp; Matale Spice Garden) is sufficient for you.

c) Turtle farm, Galle Fort and tea plantations. Could be 2 days if %26#39;a little%26#39; hill country (Hatton) would be enough, 3 days if you need the full monty with Ella/Haputale.

And of course you can %26#39;pool%26#39;; e.g. Orphanage is only 30 km from Kandy, but orphanage-and-Kandy-and-Sigiriya is more 3 days than 2 days added up.

Trip a) just for travel would be around Rs 7,000; trip b) Rs 12,000 and trip c) anything between 12,000 and 18,000 depending on how long you make it. Calculated with Rs 40/km. Then there%26#39;s accomodation (from Rs 2,000 for a decent guesthouse double BB) and some entrance fees; most rather cheap except 25 USD for Sigiriya and 12 USD for elephant orphanage.

Hope this gives some feeling...

All the best,

%26lt;Erik%26gt; %26amp; [Sandya]

Browns Beach as a base for 2 week holiday?

Wow, seven minutes, thats service!

So roughly speaking about $400-500 US should cover the trips for two people?

Thanks.

Hi,

I would not do Elephant Orphanage and Kandy as separately as you will be driving on the same roads up and down on both trips.

You can combine Elephant Orphanage, Kandy, Sigiriya and Dambulla in a 2 days trip.

Day 1:

Leave Negombo before 7am and drive to Elephant Orphanage (about 2 hours drive) for 9.15am bottle feeding. Visit Peradeniya Botanical Gardens in the afternoon. Visit Cultural Show and Tooth Temple in the evening.

Day 2:

Leave Kandy around 7am to reach Sigiriya before 10am (2½-3 hours drive). Visit Dambulla Cave Temple in the afternoon.

IMO all spice gardens are the same (look, but don%26#39;t buy unless you want to get ripped off) and there are are plenty around Pinnawala, Kandy, Sigiriya and Dambulla, so just stop at one when it is convenient.

Transport for this trip should be LKR 11000-12000. Then you will have to pay entrance fees, accomodation and food.

Elephant Orphanage LKR 1250

Botanical Garden LKR 600

Cultural Show LKR 500

Tooth Temple LKR 500

Sigiriya USD 25 (LKR 2800)

Dambulla USD 11 (LKR 1200)

Hans

hi..

Negombo is the easiest place to start your trips. It is the best place for one day excursions.

these are some examples

1 Day Tour [Kandy]

Brick makers, Pinnapple plantation, Rubber Plantation, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Spice Gardens, Botanical Garden, Tooth Temple, Back to Negombo.

Dambulla Sigiriya Tour..

Dambulla Cave temple, Sigiriya Monolith [Lion Rock], Back to Negombo

Anuradhapura Tour..

Anuradhapura Ancient City, Mihinthale Buddhist Relics, Back to Negombo

Ranthnapura Tour..

Bopath Ella Falls, Gem Mine, Gem Musium, Back to Negombo

Galle Tour

Kaluthara Gangathilaka Viharaya, Turtle Hatchary, Mask Factory, Coral Garden, Galle Dutch Fort, Unavatuna Beach, back to negombo....

There are more other options like this with 2 Nights 3 Days

....

First day stay in Kandy,

Second Day stay in Sigiriya,

Third Day come back to neogmbo.

First Day Kandy,

Second Day Nuwala Eliya, Tea Plantation, Tea Factory and some waterfalls.

come back to Negombo

There are Many more optionas for 3 day tours like above.

Some Places you will have to buy Entry tickets.

Regards,,

Shehan...