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Good trip itinerary, with great wildlife viewing opportunities. Unfortunately didn’t get to see a blue whale or a leopard. Accommodation very good.
The sounds of the birdsong in the rainforest. Also having a natural fish foot spa - again in the rainforest.
Friendly and approachable. Spoken English good but had difficulty understanding questions at times.
Don’t come with high expectations of seeing a blue whale - sounds like you would be very lucky to see one. Definitely bring binoculars.
I thought the guides were excellent but overmanned do we need four? .The naturist Dinth was very good and Chandril helped me with regards to my poor hearing.Overall I found the trip disappointing .I think you could make the whale watching optional and cut galle fort its a bit boring .I think more time should be spent at udawalawe and yala with two extra game drives in each .Also I found going to the forest a lot of effort for little reward I could just as well have gone for a walk in the woods back home apart from the leeches Whilst I agree you little control over any countries tourism plans there does seem to be a trend to cater for a nice comfy holiday that many westerners seem to expect opulent hotels and our dreadful culture ie pool parties and full blast music of a sort ,no wonder all the wildlife disappears .Therefore with regard to wildlife holidays they need to be not so comfortable and more remote and we in the west also need to understand this. When I visited sri lanka many years ago there were many large lizards wandering around the roads now there are only dogs another sign of how wildlife has disappeared I hope things can change in the future.
Watching a huge tusker coming out of the bush at udawalawe his tusks were practically touching the ground .At night seeing a family of palm civets living under the drainage ducts at one of the hotels. A sloth bear in yala. Two large hornbills perched on top of the air ducts at the hotel
As stated above excellent just to many staff
Read my summary you go for the wildlife not a comfy stay in a european style hotel
Beautiful country, fascinating culture, friendly people, lovely hotels, great food, helpful guides, plenty of birds but very disappointing game drives in the national parks on our itinerary. We saw more elephants from the tour bus outside the parks than on the game drives within them, fleetingly glimpsed a leopard on an unscheduled visit to a different park which we paid extra for and saw no sloth bears. I appreciate wildlife viewing is not guaranteed, and I know south Asia is not east Africa, but think Exodus should review the current itinerary to assess whether it offers customers the best viewing opportunities. Either that or re-badge this as a bird-watching trip with possibility of seeing a few mammals along the way.
Watching a baby purple-faced langur clinging onto its mother as she feasted on fruit in the Sinharaja Rainforest.
Nalaka Thennakoon
Bring some decent binoculars.
Although we didn’t see whales or leopards this trip showed us much of the amazing wildlife of Sri Lanka. The landscapes were spectacular too. We saw more birds than I could count and lizards, monkeys, bats, mongoose, elephants, dolphins, crocodiles, wild boar, buffalo…and many more. The tour leader was excellent and knowledgeable the accomodation always excellent too. A great trip for wildlife watchers
Too many to mention but I did enjoy seeing the dolphins and close encounters with turtles. Also the amazing fruit bats flying over me during my evening swim in the pool. I can't forget the many huge monitor lizards...
Our leader was excellent! Always helpful, considerate and very knowledgeable with a passion for his country and the wildlife. He has a good sense of humour and lots of patience always helpful and great company.
Take warm clothes for the rainforest as it can be cool in the hills at night and also for the early morning game drives as it is cool before the sun rises. Be prepared for some early starts and very bumpy roads on the game drives - not for those with disabilities or serious back problems! Binoculars and insect repellant essential. Food was good and varied but not much choice for vegetarians.
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and its people the most friendly and welcoming I have encountered. And the place is empty! Firstly covid then the earlier political problems mean tourist numbers are a fraction of the norm. Most hotels we had to ourselves, with only a handful of other guests in the rest. The safaris were also much quieter than usual and it’s possible (apart from at leopard sightings) to drive around for 3 hours barely seeing anyone else. I did have some concerns before going, but was reassured by Exodus and they were right – you’d never know anything had happened.
It's impossible to name one - the wildlife sightings of course (elephants, leopard, blue whale come top for me, plus the many beautiful birds). But also the people - they were so welcoming and pleased to see us. At Kithala Resort we had a welcoming ceremony, we all lit candles and the manager wished us a long life which was very touching.
Nalaka 1 was at least joint best of any tour leader I've ever had. He gave us lots (but not too much) of information about his country during the bus journeys, and nothing was too much for him. He made sure everyone in the group was happy, and didn't forget a couple of things we asked him to arrange for us. He worked brilliantly with Nalaka 2, our naturalist guide (also extremely helpful). Between the two of them we got to see almost everything we could have done, including the main draws.
Although I think it will be some while before tourist numbers reach pre-covid levels, it won't stay as quiet as it is for long, so if you're thinking of going, go soon. Exodus advise taking binoculars but I would say they're a must to get the most of the wildlife sightings, especially the birds.
Loved every minute of this trip. The leader and the specialist were so informative and very helpful to me. I am 74 and they looked after me excellently. This is my 3rd trip with Exodus and hopefully not the last!!!
The rain forest and the elephant orphanage. Also the safaris and the beach time Very
Very informative and extremely thoughtful 1 minor thing
One minor thing. You put leech socks on the list which l got, but didn't need them as they were supplied.
Where do i start…..what an amazing country – Sri Lankan people were welcoming and felt completely safe, everything is spotless, food delicious, sun shines brightly, amazing wildlife, amazing contrasts of environments, great guides and best group anyone could ask for!
I loved watching the leopards mating ritual - whole half hour in open grassland. The bit when they were play flirting with each other and she lay down and wrapped her tail gently around his head and he just purred and smiled. Loved that.
both excellent plus the driver and bus sanitiser and temp man
dont need leech socks - the rainforest hotel supply them. You dont need to get much cash from the airport in Columbo - £180 per person will be enough. There are atms towards the end.
I’m writing this from my Sri Lankan poolside as just about to embark on a more cultural highlights tour but having completed the Wild Sri Lanka trip I’m even more excited about what’s in store, this is a wonderful country.
If you arrive with realistic expectations of hotels, food and especially wildlife sightings, you will not be disappointed.
All accommodation has been clean, tidy and comfortable. Kithala resort was idyllic and a real treat, whilst at the other extreme Talalla retreat was eclectic and not my cup of tea but an experience none the less. It was fun watching the monkeys in the trees while I showered in the open roofed area but I did wonder if they may come and grab my shower gel!
The game drives were varied and generous, each being at least 3 hours giving as much opportunity as possible to view the animals on offer. Being “Wild”, nothing can be guaranteed, but our trip did see a Leopard, Sloth bear, multiple close encounters of Elephant, several wild boar, hares, mouse deer, ever present displaying peacock a Civet cat and, for the bird lovers, in excess of 140 different species.
Food has been plentiful, of an acceptable standard. Not surprisingly, curry has been a staple, but be prepared for them to be spicier than their Indian counterpart. There are some long days of travel (as identified in some earlier reviews) but this is clearly stated in the itinerary and………Sri Lanka is a big country and this trip sees a lot of it.
For a real taste of wildlife from the Tropical rainforest to a coastal game reserve this trip offers it all.
Being in close proximity, as in 1 metre, to a male Tusker elephant who was completely at home in his natural environment and so much better than “Woburn”.
An excellent leader, endlessly patient, organised and knowledgeable.
Arrive with realistic expectations, prepare to be hot (if used to UK conditions) and treat long journeys as an opportunity to relax and soak in the wonderful varied scenery.
This was a fantastic trip! From the whales and dolphins to the elephants and leopards (yes, we saw one!) every day had an unforgettable highlight. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country of lovely welcoming people and was very well represented by our two wonderful guides. The hotels were very varied in character but of a high standard as was the food. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone looking for a relaxing trip in the beautiful nature of Sri Lanka.
All of the wildlife encounters we had: I couldn’t pick just one. We saw whales and dolphins on our boat trip; leopards in Yala and I would never tire of just sitting and watching the elephants!
Excellent! Our group leader Dilshan was unfailingly friendly, cheerful and helpful. He was a great source of information about his country and managed to strike the perfect balance between talking to us about a range of subjects related to Sri Lanka and giving the group quiet time to relax on the journey. He also managed to identify and address potential issues before they became an issue. Our wildlife guide Dineth was a fountain of knowledge when it came to the wildlife and I am still in awe of his ability to spot even the tiniest bird in the undergrowth from a moving vehicle! He also had a very impressive repertoire of bird calls! They made a great team!
Go! A small umbrella can be useful for when it’s hot but also raining!
A wonderful country and friendly people who love their home. We got to see a variety of habitats in the south during this trip which makes for an interesting trip with great variety. Our tour manager went out of his way to give us the best “Sri Lankan Experience”. We were able to see a wide range of wildlife. For birders the variety seen was good. Mammal life is restricted in what Sri Lanka has but we managed to see many of what there is, exceptions the Sloth Bear and Leopard. The scenery was fantastic in places, loved the tea plantations and trees. Hotels were average, clean and comfortable, what you might expect on a tour to some remote areas, this is not a 5* hotel tour. The weather was good, tropical downpour in the rain forest and hot, dry, dusty days in the parks.
Hard to choose one. The scenery and tea plantations, national parks and the animals within including monkey, jackals, wild boar and elephant. The Elephant transit home at feeding time.
Thushan was full of enthusiasm. Determined to provide us with real Sri Lankan experiences, which he succeeded in. A little more assertiveness in decisions required maybe as he tried to please everyone and found it impossible to please all. We had some issues with a couple of members of the group and he was tested, but handled the issue professionally as far as he was allowed. He gave everyone in the group equal attention and made sure we kept hydrated and safe.
Expect early starts and some long days, only way to see the best on offer over a wide area. Do not be disappointed if you do not see everything, the wildlife is wild, not captive. Take care with the leeches, they can be picked up even in the rainforest lodge grounds, socks are available at the lodge so you need not take your own. Do not forget sun protection.
We would like to thank both Robert and John (review below) for their reviews, although we remain sorry that their trips were impacted on by this unfortunate incident. It is incredibly unusual that there are any altercations or disagreements between group members, and we appreciate that group members can have different perspectives when an incident like this occurs. As a tour operator, Exodus has to have a zero tolerance towards any violence on our trips and we have been in touch with both clients about the very different concerns that they raise.
Lucy Crabb – Customer Services Manager
