Sri Lanka in 8 Days

Traveler Reviews

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  Elizabeth

  October 22nd, 2025
  5.0
  We were very happy with this tour. Our driver, Vijay, did a good job - he drove carefully so that we never felt...
  We were very happy with this tour. Our driver, Vijay, did a good job - he drove carefully so that we never felt unsafe, he was polite and respectful, and he did his best to give us a good experience. The itinerary was interesting and we were able to make small changes when we wanted to. All the hotels we stayed at were clean and comfortable.Show more
  Traveled in September 2025
  

  Reply from: Holiday Lanka Tours

  Dear Elizabeth, Thank you very much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you had a wonderful experience exploring Sri Lanka with us. It’s great to know that Vijay took good care of you and made your journey safe and enjoyable. We’re also happy that you appreciated the flexibility of the itinerary and the comfort of the hotels. Your feedback means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again for another memorable adventure in Sri Lanka! Warm regards, Holiday Lanka Tours Team

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  Denise

  April 12th, 2025
  4.0
  Sri Lanka in 8 Days Tour March 2025. Our primary purpose for visiting Sri Lanka was to visit Sigiriya rock which we...
  Sri Lanka in 8 Days Tour March 2025. Our primary purpose for visiting Sri Lanka was to visit Sigiriya rock which we did, and it was awesome, so goal accomplished. Here is my feedback about the rest of the tour: We did not visit “beach, fish market and St. Mary’s church and other sites” in Negombo on Day 2. Nor did we visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, unless that is merely a river/stream for them to bath in at the end of a street (not what we expected) although watching them bath was fun, but it was no orphanage and does not match the photos on their website. The wildlife jeep safari on Day 4 was great but ‘wildlife’ is a bit misleading since there were only elephants. We did not attend the late evening Cultural show in Kandy on Day 4 because the driver sidetracked us with ‘other’ activities, and we arrived with no time to buy tickets or use the washroom before the show started, so we decided to postpone until the following night (it was good). Note that these ‘other’ activities are not necessarily on your official itinerary and are not uncommon; many tours push these (my guess is because they get some sort of kickback). They may include things like spice gardens, gemstone shops, batik factory, perfume makers, papyrus manufacturers, wood carving and other handicraft shops, to mention a few. They do not always tell you up front that they will be taking you to these places. Since, according to the itinerary our tour can be customized, we finally told our driver that we had no intention of buying any of the items and did not want to go to any of these places. Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the holy Tooth Relic) in Kandy on Day 5 is a complete waste of time. You queue for over an hour, in a very crowded line with hundreds of people, only to “give an offering” (if you choose to) and ‘see’ nothing. Would have liked to have skipped that. There is a lot of driving, sometimes for hours, to get you to the next place and the next place. The city of Nuwara Eliya with all of the tea factories and plantations was beautiful but is at 6,000+ foot elevation with zig zag, winding roads, so if you are prone to car sickness you should be aware that it is a very long drive up and back the following day. “City tour” is mentioned multiple times in the official itinerary but should be defined. There were several times when our driver parked in the middle of town, we got out, walked around and came back to where he was parked when we were done. Is that a city tour? Most of the hotels were nice and the breakfasts were acceptable (the one in Kandy puts on an amazing spread for breakfast, while the one in Negombo served moldy toast). This was a private tour with same driver for entire trip. There were three of us in two rooms. One room typically had a king or queen sized bed and the other usually had a double bed and a twin bed or two double beds. The rooms with twin beds were, without exception, completely worn out but might have been ok for a child but were unacceptable for an adult. Overall the tour was, mostly, good and glad we went.Show more
  Traveled in March 2025
  

  Reply from: Holiday Lanka Tours

  Dear Denise, Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed and thoughtful review of your recent 8-day tour of Sri Lanka with us. We’re truly glad to hear that your main goal—visiting the iconic Sigiriya Rock—was fulfilled and that you found it to be an awesome experience. We also greatly appreciate your candid feedback on the rest of the tour. Your insights are incredibly helpful for us to identify where improvements are needed and ensure future guests have the best possible experience. We sincerely apologize for the missed stops in Negombo and any confusion regarding the visit to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. It’s clear that the experience did not align with your expectations or the promotional material, and we’ll be reviewing our tour descriptions to ensure they more accurately reflect the actual experience. We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the wildlife jeep safari, though we understand your point about the expectations around the diversity of animals. We’ll consider adding clarification about the types of wildlife typically seen on this tour. Regarding the cultural show and additional stops like spice gardens or craft shops, we’re sorry these detours impacted your schedule. While such visits can offer local cultural insight, they should never replace core itinerary highlights or feel obligatory. We’ve spoken with our team to reinforce that all such stops should be optional and transparent, without any pressure. We also appreciate your comments about the Temple of the Tooth Relic and the city tours. These are traditionally significant attractions, but we recognize that not every experience is universally enjoyed. We will look into offering alternatives or more detailed descriptions so guests can make informed choices. Thank you as well for your observations on hotel room quality and the driving time between destinations. We'll share your hotel feedback with our accommodation partners and continue refining our route planning and hotel selection to balance travel time with comfort. We’re genuinely glad you made the journey and found much to enjoy, and we’re grateful you chose to travel with us. Your feedback will help us continue to improve our services and better meet the expectations of future travelers. Wishing you many more memorable adventures ahead. Warm regards,

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  nancy

  April 26th, 2022
  5.0
  Mali and the team are really great at providing an amazing experience of Sri Lanka. they are very flexible, always...
  Mali and the team are really great at providing an amazing experience of Sri Lanka. they are very flexible, always willing to communicate and give everything. Will recommend anyone to hire their services.Show more
  Traveled in November 2021