Most Inspirational Moment
As I'd wanted to go to Sri Lanka for so long, the whole trip was inspirational for me. If I had to pick out the most exceptional moments though, I would have to pick highs and lows (in relation to sea level!!) The highs were climbing to the top of Sigirya, which tested my head for heights something rotten coming down a not terribly wide staircase literally nailed into the side of the rock!!) and climbing Adams Peak and seeing the sunrise (even though it wasn't a clear sky) from the summit. The low, which was probably my most favourite moment of the holiday, was taking an optional whale watching tour at the end of the holiday which was out of this world! However, it seems unfair to only pick a few moments of the holiday, as we did and saw so much. Everything was great - from the cave temples to Kandy, the cycle ride in Giritale and the visit to the Tsunami house (both of which involved a most stunning local curry lunch!), World's End to the Ella Gap to Yala National Park...
Thoughts on Group Leader
Roshan was fantastic! He was smiling from the day he met us to the day he left us! He was always happy, helpful and efficient and has clearly benefitted from his many years of experience to make the holiday into an absolute pleasure for everyone. It quickly feels like he is an old friend and just another part of the group. Roshan started every day with an informative talk about various aspects of Sri Lanka, whether it was politics, traditions, food or the numerous amount of holidays so we learnt an awful lot (before our mid-morning coach nap!!) Do watch out for his cheeky sense of humour though and his appalling number of English clichés!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is actually a pretty active holiday with lots of travelling, so can be tiring - our group frequently used the travel time to cat nap!! However you have your own bus and can often leave bags (or yourself!) on them whilst visting various sites. Be warned though - the bus may be inclined to break down every so often, but fortunate our drive and helper were technically minded and managed to patch it up well enough most times!Don't go too mad on the clothes front - shorts & t-shirts are the way forward - but ladies, make sure you have some below the knee trousers or skirts and tops that cover your shoulders to respect the rules in the temples. Do take some travel wash though as there are not that many opportunities to do laundry.If you're planning to climb Adams Peak, be prepared for 6km of steps up and 6km down! You don't need walking poles and a good pair of trainers is sufficient. If you're reasonably fit, you should be fine - I am but by God my calves hurt next day!! Also, wrap up warm for the summit - it's pretty chilly up top at 4.30 in the morning!!Take a good supply of wet wipes, hand detergent and tissues! And DEET is a must if you don't want to get bitten!For the Yala National Park safari drive, make sure you have spare batteries and memory cards as you'll doubtless be zooming for England! And be prepared for a very bumpy and dusty ride! My t-shirt was so filthy afterwards, I just threw it away!!If you are there in the right season, definitely go on the optional whale watching tour. It cost about £50 for pretty much a 5 hour trip, we were plied with tea, biscuits, water, fruit, omelettes & cake throughout and saw 3 different types of dolphin, two different types of whale and a couple of sea turtles - amazing!!