Sri Lanka, what's it like? Where to stay?

[SSShakeTheChi]

Dh has said I should look into booking a holiday in Sri Lanka. Never been there before. Can anyone tell me what it was like? What's a nice area to stay in?

Thanks!

My dh is Sri Lankan and we went a couple of years ago. Do you have kids? What age?

We did a whole tour which is quite nice but a lot of travelling if young kids. There's a lot of different regions for one small island - jungle, beaches, tea plantations

Thanks MM, dd is 6. I've just been reading a bit about Sri Lanka on the web. Did you have Malaria tablets before flying there? I think we have left it too late for that

DH and I did the tour thing too with Kuoni who I can't recommend enough. It's a beautiful country but you need to stay in the right areas really.

Yes you do need take malaria tablet as far as I remember. Malarone were the best when we went and you don't have to take them long before you go either.

Yes I've just been reading that some areas are no-go zones. I thought you had to begin taking those malaria pills 6 weeks before you travel. Is that not correct?

2 days before trip for malarone

oh ok, thanks. I'll call the doctor and see what is available here (Germany) don't know if we have that here.

How safe did you feel in Sri Lanka?

Yes, the best beaches are no-go! (Trincomalee). But we didn't go to any no-go places anyway. I think it is safe for tourists. If you like white you 'll be fine. My husband had to carry British Passport everywhere to show at checkpoints. I think it's safe as it's always made more of in this country. The North and East are Tamil Tiger areas but they are easily avoided, so much else to see.

Nice beach in South - Mirissa (but waves quite big). There is a National Park close by there called Yala - we didn't go there, but may be good for 6 yr old. Sigirya and ruins (Polonnaruwa etc.) are brilliant but quite a lot of climbing etc. for a small child and not sure how interesting for him (depends what into). There is a fab hotel in that area all built into the rockface and blending into the environment, it's quite famous architecturally.

It is getting very hot now - cools down (I think) in October. It was BOILING when we went in December, but I have this vague memory that March is the hottest month - you may want to check that out. Highlands where they grow tea are much cooler.

ermmm...if you LOOK white you'll be fine, if you look 'Indian' at all you may get stopped more often

Thanks for all the good advice. I'll get a travel guide today and browse through it over the weekend. If March is the hottest month, I think we'll go there some other time. Does sound like an interesting place but I don't fancy traipsing around and climbing when it's really really hot.

Don't think anyone would be able to take us for Indian really so should be ok on that score at least. Like the sound of that hotel built into the rockface.

Also did the Kuoni tour which I would highly recommend. People were extremely friendly and polite. I am mixed race and certainly was not single out. In fact it never crossed my mind.

We got married in Sri Lanka and if you don't fancy touring I would recommend staying at a hotel fairly close to the airport to visit the elephant sanctuary, Kandi etc and then moving to a beach resort. You can visit these places as day trips from the hotels but it is a lot of travelling as the road networks are, um, interesting!

We stayed at the Triton and it was fabulous, it will have been refurbished since the Tsunami but I would imagine it would be fab still. We booked with Kuoni as well

That's sounds good. Thanks for the tips. Have a guide book now, I'm ploughing through. Dh is getting in a bit of a state at the mention of cholera and snake-bites, malaria etc! Such a wimp

I'm more worried about the war-zones TBH. Well still thinking about this though, the more I read, the more fascinated I am.