stats 3:44 Fri Aug 17
Sri Lanka
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Has anybody been that can share their experiences please?
Thinking of going next year but really need to hire a car due to mobility issues and have heard driving can be a bit dodgy out there?
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
joe royal
7:51 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
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Coffee 9:06 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
The station in Colombo is like stepping back to the 1800s . Huge brass ceiling fans working slowly . Lovely wear in the wooden floor where 1000s of people have queued up over the years.
The train goes through a lush rainforest with the views and smells that it entails.
Monkeys trying to grab stuff when it stops.
Kids trying to sell overpriced drinks at every stop.
Tourist market at the top is the only bummer.
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aldgate
10:58 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
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Kandy house hotel is worth splashing out on for a few nights
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stats
10:33 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
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Thanks for the advice all. I'll have my mobility scooter so train from Colombo to Kandy sounds like a plan.
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Coffee
9:06 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
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You can't leave it at that. Why is it worth doing?
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joe royal
9:04 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
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The train from Colombo to Kandy is worth doing.
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arsene york-hunt
12:47 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
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I was on a trip to Candy and a tiny Sri Lankan babe in army uniform carrying a big gun stopped us at a check point. What a turn on.
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Hasans Fish Bar RIP
12:31 Sat Aug 18
Re: Sri Lanka
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As been said don’t hire a car.
Don’t do organised trips. Hire your own cab/driver. Locals are brilliant, we ended up going to houses for authentic meals and hospitality. Kuoni advised against this stuff of course.
If you can go to kandy. Lovely city in the hills which can be a respite from the heat of the coast.
Not sure what Colombo is like as when I was there Tamils were bombing the shit out of it. Lovely place you won’t regret it
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aldgate
10:19 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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hiring a taxi and driver to take you around is relatively cheap - and much easier than driving yourself!
went about ten years ago when the cabbies were still driving old austin ambassadors
great place and fantastic food
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andyd12345
9:41 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Going there for 10 days on a charity event with work next month. We land in Columbo then it’s a 10 hour drive to Jaffna right at the northern tip, so I’ll let you know what I think of the roads when (if!) I get back!
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joe royal
9:34 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Went about 25 years ago so anything from then is pretty irreverent.
Flying out there new years day and hiring a car for the two weeks so whonail me after the 16th Jan and you can get up to date information...
Rule of thumb with 3Rd world countries is disabled access is pretty poor.
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El Coucho
8:30 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Sigiriya is impressive. I wouldn't drive....and it does take a long time to get from a to b as the roads are generally single carriageway
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WHUDeano
8:28 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Backpacked there for a month about 4yrs ago, amazing country - was expecting the chaos of India but couldn’t have been more wrong (apart from Colombo), it’s majority Buddhist and was a real cross between Southern India culture and cuisine and Thai calmness and friendliness - it’s also a manageable size and you can do and see quite a lot in a short period of time. The missus and I looped the island independetantly using public transport so if you have any specific questions just Whomail me.
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Nurse Ratched
8:21 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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What are the lavatory facilities and general sanitation like?
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smartypants
8:18 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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I haven’t been for years but everyone seems to love it. A Millwall fan who was a market trader sold up and bought plot of land out there, built a small hotel on it from scratch and called it lions rest, fair play to him.
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Far Cough
7:42 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Haha, subtle use of icon there
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pulhampete
7:23 Fri Aug 17
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Had three weeks out there about twelve years ago. As others have said, beautiful, friendly and interesting.
But fuck driving! It's not quite as bad as India but still too mental for my liking.
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eastend joker
7:19 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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don't go for the Cricket ,the robbing bastards want to charge £50 a day for England fans and 50pence for locals ,this is really going to hit the tourist economy .
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ornchurch ammer
6:50 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Driving can be a bit dodgy? It's the worst I've ever experienced in my life. I was fucking terrified out in the back of cabs. I wouldn't drive out there if you paid me.
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peckham massive
4:59 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Best place Ive ever been. Beautiful, amazing food, friendly people, loads of crazy animals kicking about and its pretty cheap too.
Sigiriya was incredible as was Ella, taking the train through the tea plantations. Galle also lovely and did Tangalle for beach experience.
Definitely recommend it. We went 2 years ago, no trouble anywhere. Roads a bit shit though
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geoffpikey
4:03 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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Good icon choice!
Can't help.
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Coffee
3:46 Fri Aug 17
Re: Sri Lanka
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I've not been, but if its traffic is remotely like India's, which I expect it is, you don't want to be driving yourself, so get a car plus driver. The driver will expect meals when on duty, and accommodation if staying overnight.
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