Most Inspirational Moment
Cycling around Giritale tank in the scorching heat being greeted and high-fived by locals coming out of their houses to see 15 madly grinning tourists. Finishing the cycle with an incredible curry and rice lunch in a local house whilst enjoying an ice cold sprite. One of those rare moments when you no longer feel like a tourist looking in and begin to feel part of the fabric of a place. An incredible day that will stay in my mind forever.The Sri Lankan people in general - they often don't have a huge amount when compared to their Western counterparts but they are so happy, welcoming and proud of their country - you can't help but feel uplifted.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sujan was a legend. I don't think I have met a more organised, accomodating person - every transfer was seamless, every question answered. A vertitable treasure trove of knowledge whether it be the local wildlife, local traditions, religion, where to shop. Genuine, passionate and friendly - a great person - ISTUTI!
Advice for Potential Travellers
This is an intensive holiday - you go to a lot of places so there is a lot of travelling on buses and you have to stick to a pretty rigid timetable. This can be quite tiring and occassionally frustrating - especially when you visit somewhere that you fall in love with but only get a couple of hours there :(Accommodation is highly variable - there are some relatively decent hotels and some ... less decent hotels - dirty sheets, poor facilities, unpleasant bathrooms. Regardless of the standard hotel also prepare yourself for occassionl bugs in the room - cockroaches, termites, ants, spiders, beetles, mozzies. And you'll always have geckos in your room sitting on the ceiling :)