Hi Everybody,

Me and the Mrs. are thinking about taking a trip to Sri Lanka early next year.

Does anyone out there have any recommendations regarding hotels, interior travel etc. etc?

Aside from a day or two in Colombo, we'll probably spend most of our time in the Hill Country and South.

Thanks.

UT

Hi Uncle Thud. Just came back from there a few weeks ago. Where are you from? We got a great deal from the UK with Mercury Direct - all inclusive with flights for about £2200 including our young daughter. The hotel was called Tangerine Beach and it's in Kalutara - 2 hours south of Colombo on the southern bit of the west coast.
Great food although the hotel needed a lick of paint. But great value considering you'd pay the same for a trip to Spain these days.

Check with whitem8, though he just had to be flown out because of a medical emergency. He knows a lot about Sri Lanka.

I have been going to Sri Lanka for the past 19 years. I was in the Peace Corps from 91-93 in a small village up country. I now speak Sinhala and a bit of Tamil. Tele is right, but I am still in Lanka, in hospital with a broken foot and leaving on Sunday. I would be more than happy to help you out, email me. I have contacts. If you like the beach, I would recommend Mirissa, Tangalle, and if you are adventurous Aragam Bay and Trincomole. Hill country is beautiful and there are several cool tea estates you can stay on. Feel free to contact me.

Thanks for the responses and white8M I might drop you a line. I don't know anyone who has actually been there, so some pointers / advice would be appreciated. Very kind of you to offer. I live in the US.

In the meantime sorry to hear about your foot and wish you a quick and complete recovery. Hope you have a safe journey home.

UT

Just don't get married there:

[www.foxnews.com]

That was in the MALDIVES. That is a country. Not Sri Lanka.

I lived there for four years. In the south, go to the Italian place in Dickwella (great name, eh?)

Hey Zack, I was just down in Tangalle and went through Dickwella, and the Italian place is closed now...sad, she was a great cook!

Ah, sorry, saw the news story came from Sri Lanka.

Isn't it a bit weird to go to a country where a terrible fierce civil war raged until not long ago... Like going to Lebanon in the late 80's, or Cambodia in 1982.

Nice places but errrrrr... knowing a bit of History doesn't hurt.

I was in Sri Lanka when I was 14 and was shocked how many men walked down Colombo streets holding hands. I initially concluded that Colombo was a Mecca for homosexuals. But the men were straight. If the Stones were Sri Lankan, they'd probably have walked down the red carpet at the SHINE A LIGHT premiere holding hands.

Quote
dcba
Isn't it a bit weird to go to a country where a terrible fierce civil war raged until not long ago... Like going to Lebanon in the late 80's, or Cambodia in 1982.

Nice places but errrrrr... knowing a bit of History doesn't hurt.

Actually your analogies are way off the mark. Sri Lanka's civil war was nothing like what happened in Lebanon and Cambodia. I was in the Peace Corps in SL during the civil war and have continued to visit, during the hard times, up to the end of the war. The war was a very sad and destructive event in SL history. It was complex, and was strictly internal, in that foreigners were never purposely targeted, accept near the end of the war when the LTTE attacked the airport. The fact that SL was in a civil war did not mitigate the fact that the country is a beautiful place steeped in poverty. And that traveling there gave the innocent folks a means of survival. Also tourism educates and expands understanding of the world. For sure there are a lot of political issues in Sri Lanka that the world should know more about. Again, traveling to SL, while it may seem strange, should be encouraged to help the locals and to learn more.
Now in reference to the other comment about SL and men holding hands, yes that is true, as it is in many parts of the world, where affection towards others does not need to have a sexual definition. It is close affection for friends, and how beautiful it is to see...and again the West can learn a lot from this.

Isn't there still an ongoing battle between the military and the Tamil Tigers in small regions? I guess I assumed that meant the civil war continues but on a very small scale.

No the civil war is over. The LTTE was defeated and their main leaders were killed. At the moment there are several camps in the north with refugees and former LTTE soldiers. The change in the country is quite dramatic. Military check points are being removed and there is a lot of development going on. Tourism is rebounding, and there are several new roads being built. The mood is quite positive, especially in Colombo and on the southern coast.
However, the camps in the North are quite worrisome. Conditions are no doubt quite poor. Additionally, foreigners are not allowed to travel by land to Jaffna, and must travel by plane. There is quite a bit of suspicion towards the foreign media and western governments who condemned the final surge agains the Tigers.
But it is safe to travel there. And even during the height of the civil war I traveled completely un-molested throughout the country.