I was in Sri Lanka for the first time, so it is difficult to compare with Sri Lankan hotels. But from what was on the booking - for this money it is quite worthy. Other hotels on the first line with similar conditions were much more expensive. What we liked: 1) The territory is the best! very large and beautiful, well-groomed, greenery, palm trees, everything is very beautiful.
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I was in Sri Lanka for the first time, so it is difficult to compare with Sri Lankan hotels. But from what was on the booking - for this money it is quite worthy. Other hotels on the first line with similar conditions were much more expensive.
What we liked:
1) The territory is the best! very large and beautiful, well-groomed, greenery, palm trees, everything is very beautiful.
2) Cleanliness: nothing to complain about, the grounds and the beach are very clean, cleaned all the time.
3) Attentive staff.
Of the minuses:
- The Bentota region itself is completely dull and empty, there is nowhere to go, even to eat. But that's not the hotel's problem.
- The number of rooms is quite affected.
Other points:
We took without food, so I can not say anything.
We dined in a cafe on the seashore, "Sasha". A poor establishment, but there was still nothing to choose from, so we went there. We took seafood dishes at an affordable price (for example, a plate of grilled shrimp with potatoes, salad and sauce for our money, about 120-130 UAH). Beer - about 70 UAH.
ATTENTION: in this cafe Sasha trades with a local named Cherry, who offers excursions. Knows Russian well. Do not take anything from him if you do not want to fall for rudeness and divorce!
We first ordered a boat trip from him along the Bentota River, for $ 10 per person. Everything went fine. But during the tour, he offered us an evening picnic on the island for $ 15 per person: shrimp and fish on the grill, national music with drums. My friend and I agreed, because. we thought that if we pay money for this, we can be sure of safety: moreover, such excursions in the "picnic" format are offered at all resorts, and this is normal and interesting. As a result, he came with a friend, at first everything went according to plan, and then they started to pester us dirty, FOR OUR MONEY!!! ! We barely got rid of them, and heard a bunch of other nasty things addressed to us.
That is, it turned out, it was a real scam!!!
But this has nothing to do with the hotel, there are no complaints about the hotel. I give the hotel a solid 4*
What we liked:
1) The territory is the best! very large and beautiful, well-groomed, greenery, palm trees, everything is very beautiful.
2) Cleanliness: nothing to complain about, the grounds and the beach are very clean, cleaned all the time.
3) Attentive staff.
Of the minuses:
- The Bentota region itself is completely dull and empty, there is nowhere to go, even to eat. But that's not the hotel's problem.
- The number of rooms is quite affected.
Other points:
We took without food, so I can not say anything.
We dined in a cafe on the seashore, "Sasha". A poor establishment, but there was still nothing to choose from, so we went there. We took seafood dishes at an affordable price (for example, a plate of grilled shrimp with potatoes, salad and sauce for our money, about 120-130 UAH). Beer - about 70 UAH.
ATTENTION: in this cafe Sasha trades with a local named Cherry, who offers excursions. Knows Russian well. Do not take anything from him if you do not want to fall for rudeness and divorce!
We first ordered a boat trip from him along the Bentota River, for $ 10 per person. Everything went fine. But during the tour, he offered us an evening picnic on the island for $ 15 per person: shrimp and fish on the grill, national music with drums. My friend and I agreed, because. we thought that if we pay money for this, we can be sure of safety: moreover, such excursions in the "picnic" format are offered at all resorts, and this is normal and interesting. As a result, he came with a friend, at first everything went according to plan, and then they started to pester us dirty, FOR OUR MONEY!!! ! We barely got rid of them, and heard a bunch of other nasty things addressed to us.
That is, it turned out, it was a real scam!!!
But this has nothing to do with the hotel, there are no complaints about the hotel. I give the hotel a solid 4*
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We rested in this hotel in December, the hotel left a lot of impressions, I can’t say that everything in it is bad, but you also need to look for pluses there. Upon arrival, we were immediately settled in room 217, it is on the 2nd floor overlooking the pool, the room is very old, the beds are small, the air conditioner first turned on and then refused to show signs of life at all.
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We rested in this hotel in December, the hotel left a lot of impressions, I can’t say that everything in it is bad, but you also need to look for pluses there. Upon arrival, we were immediately settled in room 217, it is on the 2nd floor overlooking the pool, the room is very old, the beds are small, the air conditioner first turned on and then refused to show signs of life at all. The first impression was terrible, since we were not in Sri Lanka for the first time and we had a local acquaintance from last year, we called him and he came to help us change the number. The second room turned out to be better, but again, a room with a surprise, namely an adjacent door between the rooms. There is no noise isolation in our neighbors in the next room, it was impossible for the Chinese to sleep all the time, they are very noisy and get up very early. The food is so-so, I can’t say that it’s bad at all, but in two weeks it was a couple of times that there was no choice at all. The meat was constant, but if it was pork, then there was a lot of fat, if it was chicken, it was just bones, the fish was always very tasty. As for main dishes, rice, no potatoes, sometimes raw, and vermicelli was only twice. The sweet choice is not great, but it is very tasty. There are few fruits!! ! The hotel area is large and beautiful. And here is the main plus of the hotel is the most luxurious beach, everyone from neighboring hotels go swimming here. Summing up, I would like to say that if you are traveling for the first time, it is probably better to choose the neighboring Cinamon hotel. Well, if you want to enjoy the ocean more and save money, then you are here. Well, I can hardly recommend this hotel one hundred percent, it's like a lottery as luck would have it.
The second part of the review briefly wanted to write about the organization of recreation. For those who fly from Ukraine, the most convenient flight is with Mau. But... I have not seen a more terrible airline. When we flew to Sri Lanka, the flight was postponed for 6 hours, but back we were generally surprised in the form of a 16-hour flight delay. Meals on board 2 times and it is delicious in the direction of Sri Lanka, but back to Ukraine it can hardly be called food at all. Be prepared that if you book a seat on an airplane through an online application at the airport, you will be seated as they please.
The work of a guide in a hotel is, at first, a standard for selling excursions, moreover, it is necessary to quickly determine at the same moment that's all. True, when the flight was delayed, at least he did something to extend the numbers. And one more thing: if you still fly with MAU, then it makes no sense to pay for a late check-out, since you will be picked up at 17.00 from the hotel AND
The second part of the review briefly wanted to write about the organization of recreation. For those who fly from Ukraine, the most convenient flight is with Mau. But... I have not seen a more terrible airline. When we flew to Sri Lanka, the flight was postponed for 6 hours, but back we were generally surprised in the form of a 16-hour flight delay. Meals on board 2 times and it is delicious in the direction of Sri Lanka, but back to Ukraine it can hardly be called food at all. Be prepared that if you book a seat on an airplane through an online application at the airport, you will be seated as they please.
The work of a guide in a hotel is, at first, a standard for selling excursions, moreover, it is necessary to quickly determine at the same moment that's all. True, when the flight was delayed, at least he did something to extend the numbers. And one more thing: if you still fly with MAU, then it makes no sense to pay for a late check-out, since you will be picked up at 17.00 from the hotel AND
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• 5
We flew with a transfer to Dubai. Kyiv-Dubai 5 hours 20 minutes 2 hours in Dubai, Dubai-Colombo 4 hours 15 minutes At the Colombo airport, it was striking that no one was in a hurry to go anywhere. The layout is slow. Visa on arrival - $40 from a person. It is better to change money at the airport, the rate of 1 dollar is 140.
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We flew with a transfer to Dubai. Kyiv-Dubai 5 hours 20 minutes 2 hours in Dubai, Dubai-Colombo 4 hours 15 minutes At the Colombo airport, it was striking that no one was in a hurry to go anywhere. The layout is slow. Visa on arrival - $40 from a person. It is better to change money at the airport, the rate of 1 dollar is 140.15 rupees. It is obligatory to keep the check (then you can exchange the remaining rupees for dollars back on this check at the purchase rate, but there will be another commission of 500 rupees).
From the airport to the hotel we traveled by bus for another 3.5 hours. In general, the road is quite tiring.
We arrived at the hotel around 11:30. Fortunately settled in the rooms immediately, did not wait until 14.00. The power system was taken "HB". We were treated to a cocktail and our things were taken to our rooms.
The hotel itself is quite good. Built thoughtfully. Good swimming pool. Palm squirrels, almost tame, run around the territory. They can get into the room and steal food. if left. Monitor lizards of various sizes run around, but you should not be afraid of them, they do not bite.
The hotel rooms are not big, the TVs are old, but we only turned it on once. There is a kettle. There is tea and coffee.
Safe. The bathroom is a little tired, but it fulfills its purpose (washing, toilet). The sockets in the room are not the same as ours, so it's better to take an adapter.
There are no sun loungers on the beach. Sun loungers and towels on site. But if you wish, you can roll out a sunbed to the beach. You need to be careful when swimming in the ocean, there are very strong waves. The water was 26-27 degrees.
The contingent of the hotel - 60% of pensioners (Germans, French, Austrians, Belgians, Poles). In the evening there is live music.
The food at the hotel is adapted for Europeans, but you need to read the names of the dishes. There are spicy dishes with spices. All alcoholic drinks are paid beer 300-400 rupees (2-3 dollars). There were chicken and beef. Few salads. Fruits (pineapple, bananas, tangerines, papayas, mangoes, lychees, watermelons). For lunch we went to restaurants near the hotel. At the exit to the beach, to the left of 200-300 meters. Were in Sun Flowers (Sunflower) and Sasha. Both there and there it’s normal, but Sasha was given the advantage. Wait for the order of course accounted for from 30 minutes to 1 hour. But the food is delicious. Delicious seafood soup (800 rupees), shrimps with different sauces 700-900 rupees per serving. Fish, squid, lobster. Beer - 300 rupees. The invoice for payment will necessarily include a 10% service fee (this is a state tax).
On the beach we got acquainted with the local Indiko scourge, he differs from the majority of Lanikians in his big stature. We ordered all excursions from him, which we do not regret a bit. Its price is 2-3 times less than that of tour operators. We went on an excursion along the river ($10 per person for 2.5 hours). We went to Kandy ($45. Tea plantation, tea factory, botanical garden, for the whole day). We went to the port of Galle.
For shopping, we went to the city on tuk-tuk (local taxi). The average price is 200 rupees (round trip). The driver will take you wherever you ask (fruit, alcohol store, tea shops, etc. ). Will accompany you everywhere.
We went to the local market (on Mondays). It's interesting just to look at everything (how they sell, how they trade). The noise is strong. The Lanicians are different from the Egyptians, the Turks. No thirst for profit, greed. They may invite you over. We hit Sri Lanka's Independence Day. All alcohol stores are closed on this day, you can’t drink. We asked a local to find a beer for us. He found us (brought it by tuk-tuk), gave him money as a token of gratitude, did not take it.
The country itself is very bright and beautiful. Lots of greenery. Really exotic. To summarize - the hotel itself is not bad. The impressions that you get in this country cover all the hardships of flights, the shortcomings of the hotel.
From the airport to the hotel we traveled by bus for another 3.5 hours. In general, the road is quite tiring.
We arrived at the hotel around 11:30. Fortunately settled in the rooms immediately, did not wait until 14.00. The power system was taken "HB". We were treated to a cocktail and our things were taken to our rooms.
The hotel itself is quite good. Built thoughtfully. Good swimming pool. Palm squirrels, almost tame, run around the territory. They can get into the room and steal food. if left. Monitor lizards of various sizes run around, but you should not be afraid of them, they do not bite.
The hotel rooms are not big, the TVs are old, but we only turned it on once. There is a kettle. There is tea and coffee.
Safe. The bathroom is a little tired, but it fulfills its purpose (washing, toilet). The sockets in the room are not the same as ours, so it's better to take an adapter.
There are no sun loungers on the beach. Sun loungers and towels on site. But if you wish, you can roll out a sunbed to the beach. You need to be careful when swimming in the ocean, there are very strong waves. The water was 26-27 degrees.
The contingent of the hotel - 60% of pensioners (Germans, French, Austrians, Belgians, Poles). In the evening there is live music.
The food at the hotel is adapted for Europeans, but you need to read the names of the dishes. There are spicy dishes with spices. All alcoholic drinks are paid beer 300-400 rupees (2-3 dollars). There were chicken and beef. Few salads. Fruits (pineapple, bananas, tangerines, papayas, mangoes, lychees, watermelons). For lunch we went to restaurants near the hotel. At the exit to the beach, to the left of 200-300 meters. Were in Sun Flowers (Sunflower) and Sasha. Both there and there it’s normal, but Sasha was given the advantage. Wait for the order of course accounted for from 30 minutes to 1 hour. But the food is delicious. Delicious seafood soup (800 rupees), shrimps with different sauces 700-900 rupees per serving. Fish, squid, lobster. Beer - 300 rupees. The invoice for payment will necessarily include a 10% service fee (this is a state tax).
On the beach we got acquainted with the local Indiko scourge, he differs from the majority of Lanikians in his big stature. We ordered all excursions from him, which we do not regret a bit. Its price is 2-3 times less than that of tour operators. We went on an excursion along the river ($10 per person for 2.5 hours). We went to Kandy ($45. Tea plantation, tea factory, botanical garden, for the whole day). We went to the port of Galle.
For shopping, we went to the city on tuk-tuk (local taxi). The average price is 200 rupees (round trip). The driver will take you wherever you ask (fruit, alcohol store, tea shops, etc. ). Will accompany you everywhere.
We went to the local market (on Mondays). It's interesting just to look at everything (how they sell, how they trade). The noise is strong. The Lanicians are different from the Egyptians, the Turks. No thirst for profit, greed. They may invite you over. We hit Sri Lanka's Independence Day. All alcohol stores are closed on this day, you can’t drink. We asked a local to find a beer for us. He found us (brought it by tuk-tuk), gave him money as a token of gratitude, did not take it.
The country itself is very bright and beautiful. Lots of greenery. Really exotic. To summarize - the hotel itself is not bad. The impressions that you get in this country cover all the hardships of flights, the shortcomings of the hotel.
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• 4
I want to join the previous speakers, who described this hotel in sufficient detail and positively. Everything is so, and everything is really worthy. But I would like to dwell in more detail on the guys from the beach, who are an integral part of our vacation there. Near the hotel on the beach, Big Indigo and Lucky are constantly spinning.
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I want to join the previous speakers, who described this hotel in sufficient detail and positively. Everything is so, and everything is really worthy. But I would like to dwell in more detail on the guys from the beach, who are an integral part of our vacation there. Near the hotel on the beach, Big Indigo and Lucky are constantly spinning. Quite adequate guys, whose services were used by the bulk of Russian-speaking tourists and everyone was happy. But we, having read positive reviews about a certain Chari, went in search of him. It is no longer located in the pier area, as was written in the previous review, but on the left side of the hotel, a little further, as the restaurants end (well, if he comes to you himself). At first glance, it gives the impression of a kind of dandelion boy, whom evil big uncles do not allow to go to "fish" places, but here it’s really bad, there are very few tourists, it’s quite a disaster. well, in addition to everything, a certain muddy story was attached (with a demonstration of a photo), about how a certain philanthropist and philanthropist, an acupuncturist from Russia, who was resting here, invited him to his place at his own expense and he lived with him for three months and studied acupuncture, (which as it turned out, nobody needs it here), etc. etc. so take pity and go somewhere with him. Well, we went with him to the city. I don’t want to say anything bad about the shops to which he brought us: decent tea, good souvenirs, excellent selection and quality of fruits. but I was surprised by something else: a tuk-tuk is designed for a driver and two passengers, and here there was a driver (his cousin? ) And he himself sat down to us for some reason third. as I later realized, apparently this Chari is not at all as simple as he wants to seem, perhaps he is even, like some kind of looking, luring and selling tourists his trips. At least the presence of a NokiaLumia smartphone speaks of his, to put it mildly, dubious plight, while everyone else has such ancient soap dishes that even pensioners do not keep here. and most likely, according to his status, he already, as they say in the bastard, steer a tuk-tuk, but the tourist needs to be put on the hook, so it turns out, the fourth passenger. although everyone usually travels in threes. well, in the course of this trip, we agreed to go to Galle Fort, a big and long trip with sightseeing along the way, corals, turtles, etc. etc. And all this for a fairly decent amount, although we managed to lose a little. and everything would be fine if on the day of the trip, he didn’t tell us that he had some kind of force majeure, and his next cousin, who also knows Russian very well, would go instead of him. Well, what can we do, let's go. this brother knew exactly three words in Russian: hello, bye, how are you. Accordingly, the trip, I repeat for a lot of money, was ruined. in my opinion, as I already wrote, this chari only lures Russian-speaking tourists on trips, and then sends anyone with them just to take money off.
so my advice to you is not looking for good from good. there are guys near the hotel, all of us, and then we went with them a couple of times and everything was clear, decent and without any divorce.
I am not advertising anyone here and I am not campaigning for anyone. I'm just writing the way it was. the choice is yours anyway. and the country is wonderful with good, pleasant people. I will gladly go back there again. and I hope my review will be useful to someone.
so my advice to you is not looking for good from good. there are guys near the hotel, all of us, and then we went with them a couple of times and everything was clear, decent and without any divorce.
I am not advertising anyone here and I am not campaigning for anyone. I'm just writing the way it was. the choice is yours anyway. and the country is wonderful with good, pleasant people. I will gladly go back there again. and I hope my review will be useful to someone.
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• 16
The hotel is good, there is nothing to complain about, by and large. The staff, food, territory, service, I liked everything. Mosquitoes were really biting in the room, even the fumigator didn’t help, but it’s not the hotel’s fault. to the left of the hotel in the cafe "Podsolnukh", very tasty, I recommend.
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The hotel is good, there is nothing to complain about, by and large. The staff, food, territory, service, I liked everything. Mosquitoes were really biting in the room, even the fumigator didn’t help, but it’s not the hotel’s fault. to the left of the hotel in the cafe "Podsolnukh", very tasty, I recommend. There is a cafe "Sasha" nearby, also normal. If you go to the right, there is a lagoon about 200 meters away, separated from the ocean by a reef that delays waves. The depth there is about chest You can swim, the waves are serious in front of the hotel, you can’t swim. As for the local beach fights, the guys who offer excursions, tuk-tuk services, etc. , right at the exit from the hotel towards the ocean, a two-meter Indigo and Dylan are constantly hanging around. The guys are normal, but if you are not too lazy to go towards the lagoon, on the concrete embankment of the embankment, opposite the old hotel or somewhere nearby, Chari's beach boy is rubbing, he is no worse than Indigo and Dylan, he knows Russian, and his prices are an order of magnitude lower. At first we hung out with Dylan, but then we finally decided or relax with Chari, and not lost. To sum up, the hotel is good.
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• 5
Greetings to all those who want to spend n-th amount of money on an exotic vacation. I warn you right away that my review will be honest and, perhaps, overflowing with epithets and comparisons. I will try to write a detailed review about holidays in Sri Lanka, about the country itself, about its people, hotels known to me, and most importantly, about the organization of recreation and the problems that our tourists usually have with our own tour operators.
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Greetings to all those who want to spend n-th amount of money on an exotic vacation. I warn you right away that my review will be honest and, perhaps, overflowing with epithets and comparisons. I will try to write a detailed review about holidays in Sri Lanka, about the country itself, about its people, hotels known to me, and most importantly, about the organization of recreation and the problems that our tourists usually have with our own tour operators.
Rested four of us, two families, from 1 to 15 February 2014. The children were left with their grandmothers and went, or rather flew.
About tour operators. The tour was taken through a travel agency from the tour operator TPG - Travel Professional Group (Kyiv). The host in Lanka is Exotic Global Holidais. About these two there will be an opus below in the text.
Flight. AIR ARABIA airline. Departure at 23.00 February 1 from Boryspil. Airbus 320 aircraft.
The planes are new, Russian-speaking staff is present, alcohol is prohibited for consumption and is not on the menu (it should be borne in mind that in the emirate of Sharjah, where this company is from, there is a strict dry law). But ours fly prepared and manage to aggravate on board. The food on the plane is not very varied, but if you don’t have any complaints, you won’t stay hungry. Beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes, chicken skewers with fried potatoes, rice with chicken, Arabic spicy cold cuts, sandwiches with cheese and sausage drinks in the range. Lunch for one person is about 10 dollars, drinks 1-3 dollars, they accept Emirati dirams, euros, pounds, on the way from Lanka - even Sri Lankan rupees. You can take food with you: as you like. The flight is over 4 hours. In Sharjah, the transfer is about 2 hours. And more than 4 hours to Lanka - it's hard to fly, especially at night. Arrival at 13.15 Sri Lankan time (3.5 hour difference with Kyiv).
You can fly with Fly Dubai (Boeing 737), but the flight is at lunchtime, transfer to Dubai takes about 4-5 hours to wait for the board to Colombo. Arrival in the morning. But there is alcohol for sale on board - beer and beakers at considerable prices. And in Sharjah and in Dubai, duty free is at your disposal. You can take whiskey or other drinks at good prices, so as not to drag from your homeland.
We flew in ...The heat and stuffiness immediately hit my head (and we haven’t left the air-conditioned airport building yet - we flew from Kyiv -15, flew to Corolombo + 35, a drop of 50 degrees Celsius is impressive). We bought visas, passed control (loyal), quickly received our luggage and went out to the common hall of the airport. Currency exchange immediately in the hall of the Bank of Ceylon the best rate. Take the check. If there are rupees left, change at the same rate upon departure. The exchange rate is 1 dollar - 128 Sri Lankan rupees (it turns out 1 hryvnia somewhere around 15 rupees). Get ready to see a lot of different banknotes of the same denomination.
When shopping, if you pay in dollars, they recalculate well (1 dollar - 130 rupees). Get a SIM card from a local operator Dialog in the same hall - communication with the Motherland within 50 cents per minute, locally - almost free of charge (costs 1300 rupees, of which 850 in the account, replenishment in any store where there is a Dialogue sign).
And then the most interesting began. Everyone was greeted with signs, put on buses and taken to hotels. A dark-haired lad approached us and showed an SMS with my last name. We realized that this is for us. We waited for another young couple and he led us to the bus. Please note that your luggage can be grabbed by a local and simply put on the bus. For this, he will ask for a tip, pretending to be a fool, lowing and holding a bill of 1000 rupees in his hand, such as such a fee for his “service” - a clean water divorce - send such a chela away. We got into the bus - six of us, with a conder - cool and drove off. We drove around 1.
5 hours, although they were supposed to drive about 4 hours ...And then doubts began to creep in. Why are we going north if our hotel Tne Ralms is located south of Colombo. But we were very tired and did not pay attention to the cardinal directions. We drove through some slums, past drug addicts (actually killed - by the way, many of the Sri Lankans chew some kind of mixture of leaves with a narcotic effect, we never managed to find out what it was, the locals just smiled or avoided answering). Local traffic is very specific. Everyone honks, cuts off each other, the movement seems to be chaotic, but, oddly enough, there are no accidents, because it is impossible to accelerate, and the drivers are calm, “nerves are like steel ropes. ” We arrived and, oh horror, we drive up to the hotel, past a swamp with a trash can, along a dirt road, the name of the hotel is Club Palm Bay ...We are dark - a second, this is not our hotel, here is our voucher - The Palms hotel.
(I’ll digress here - learn English - the Sri Lankans are not required to know Russian, we came to visit them. When a drunk person from the Russian outback comes in for breakfast and tells a smiling Sri Lankan who greets him in English that he should be met with the words “ Good morning”, and not “Good morning, sir” - this, to put it mildly, is not polite, but roughly speaking - you don’t have to be a cattle in a foreign country with your own customs and customs). The black one starts calling somewhere, conducting long negotiations, and then it turns out that there are no rooms available at The Palms hotel, and therefore we were brought to another hotel for 2 days and they offer “All inclusive” in this hotel instead of our “Breakfast - dinner" in ours. We got a little fuzzy. The most disgusting thing about everything that is happening is that our and the Sri Lankan tour operator did not warn us that there was such a problem, but put us before the fact, although they were 1000 percent aware of the situation.
Seeing a viper around the Club Palm Bay hotel, a shabby fence, a gate and a dirty entrance to the hotel, we flatly refused to settle in it and forced our escort to drive back to The Palms. And then began negotiations over the phone. Hotel guides began to approach us and say what a good Club Palm Bay hotel is, and what preferences they give us in the form of free beer and whiskey, and that we are wrong, etc. We refused such “hospitality” and insisted on a transfer to our hotel, arguing by the presence of a voucher in The Palms and the fact that if we arrived 9000 km from the Motherland, then we can buy beer for ourselves. We drive back, another 5 hours of travel, we arrive in Palma (by the way, this is a chain of hotels with the same owners, it’s a pity that we didn’t go to them, it would be something to talk about). We approach the reception, passports and vouchers on the table - we must live here from today.
The girl at the reception started looking for us on the lists, then called assistants, started looking for free rooms, called the bosses. Madame and a smiling guy came, they started calling someone again. We sit boiled at the reception, we didn’t sleep for almost a day, our wives were in a semi-panic, they didn’t even offer us water, they bought it for their own. And then they tell us that there is no payment and deal with your tour operator ...We are out, and - lo and behold, a girl contacts us - a representative of the meeting party (we never saw her - only by phone). And he tells us that there are no rooms in the Palms and we need to settle in the Palm Bay Club ...that this happens in the season. That is, such a situation is in the order of things for them, and we, like, should not show off. And the fact that we were not warned is not her problem. By the way, we never found out whose problem it was - probably ours! ! ! Operators simply withdrew.
The hotel says that this is a problem of tour operators, the tour operator blames the hotel management - a vicious circle in which tourists are hostages of the situation. We have a wild hysteria, the wives are crying, the receptionists ...frankly laughing. And then we finally realized that we are nobody here, people of the fourth world (not even the third, because they are treated better - more on that later). And the worst thing is, nothing can be done! ! ! We sit at the reception, ordered drinks, we had to take photos of how we are waiting for check-in, lying on the benches, or better on the floor near the reception. We are waiting for the bus that took our compatriots who were traveling with us to the south of the island. We fucking want to sleep. Hungry. The hotel management has retired. It's nice that the guys working at the hotel, after the bosses left, began to offer us free water, sandwiches and even brought us half a cake! ! !
About the Sri Lankans a separate conversation. Very smiling, pleasant and open people. But not selfless!
Although they do not insist on tips. And we gave them 500 rupees and a pack of cigarettes. By the way, cigarettes are a good currency. Locals cost 500 rupees a pack, expensive, however. We are non-smokers, but we took a block with us and when we treated the Sri Lankans, they were happy as children and said that our cigarettes were “delicious”. But often, tips do not solve anything and absolutely do not affect the quality of cleaning in the room, changing linen or fulfilling any of your requests. The Sri Lankans are just like that - smiling, slow and a little slow - take it as it is. Until the bed linen was thrown to the floor, it was not changed, although at the reception I left a request for its replacement (not counting the fact that I left a card for changing the linen and a tip on the bed), I also asked for an iron for 2 days at the reception, it was they didn’t bring it, and the manager from the reception even joked that it was fashionable to walk in mint. That is, verbal requests did not always reach the addressee.
When we were at the reception, the following picture emerged: we, unfortunately, got to the hotel for the Chinese New Year! ! ! ! And our rooms were stupidly sold to the Chinese (speaking of the fourth world! ) In general, we had no choice but to return to the notorious Palm Bay Club. I wanted to sleep badly and take a shower. Another 4 hours of travel.
About the Chinese, too, separately. This is a locust. Not the truth is written about ours. It's just that in Lanka our rest is less than foreigners. Especially in the Palms. There were 20 percent of us there, no more. The bulk - tea, were the British, Germans, French, Czechs.
China - such boors and rednecks and in such numbers we have not seen before, vacationing in other countries (we were in Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Thailand, Jordan ... ) They can spit on the floor, rubbed to a mirror image, throw a cigarette butt and trample it on the same floor, put your feet in shoes on the table near the reception, the noise from them is unimaginable, you can not go into the restaurant while the teahouse is eating. They almost push the resting people with their elbows, run and shout, and if they still drink a bottle of beer ...Not a word about dragons ...And they serve ours according to the residual principle, until you show the initiative yourself, you won’t drink tea.
We arrived at the Club Palm Bay hotel at 4 am, the manager was sleeping. We searched for him for another 20 minutes and tried to wake him up for 20 minutes, because he did not find us on the lists for settling! ! ! In general, they settled in and fell asleep. We woke up in the afternoon and started looking around. The territory is large, well-groomed, although a lot of withered grass. On the territory of ponds with fish.
Chipmunks and lizards run. The rooms were almost new (bungalows), water for half a liter per person in the room. Tea coffee. You can live. Our bungalows were far from the reception, but in a quiet place. Closer to the reception, the rooms are worse, with old furniture and shabby walls. Let's go for lunch. The food is good, varied and tasty, plus free alcoholic drinks - as promised! ! ! Thank you! ! ! But the day of rest is already lost. The pool is too small and crows crap in it! A boy with a slingshot walks around the pool and chases crows. There were free sun beds, towels were given, the boy wore drinks (after 200 rupees tip). We went to look at the ocean - through a shabby reception with the same chairs and tables and without any ventilation. Access to the ocean through a guarded gate and through a dirt road! ! ! The beach is terrible things: garbage, cigarette butts, dead crows and 20 sun loungers for the entire hotel under palm canopies.
The entry into the ocean is steep, deep at once - we didn’t even get our feet wet. 2 people swam. Waves and dirty water with brown foam impressed! ! ! And also a garbage dump with a swamp and the surrounding slums. We realized that it was better not to leave its territory in this hotel and began to look forward to the next transfer - but already to our palm trees. When communicating with vacationers in Club Palm Bay, it turned out that we are not the only ones, and that people are waiting for transfers to their hotels for 2-4 days! ! ! That is, the hotel is transit and the practice of such settlement is a normal phenomenon for our and local tour operators! ! ! As compensation, they offer "all inclusive" and our tourists agree, and some even really like it - to sit in a hotel to drink free beer or something stronger, not seeing anything else. But we went to Lanka from across the ocean and for new experiences. Therefore, such a holiday is not for us.
By the way, those guys who were traveling with us were also left without a room, and they were also settled in another hotel, and there was also a scandal, and no one warned anyone either. Here we understood why they made an individual transfer for all of us. And further. The hotel guide Igor does not solve anything, almost does not speak English, it makes no sense to make claims to him. He just wants to sell tours.
Well, finally, having lost 2 days of rest and a bundle of nerves, we arrived at The Palms. And they even settled in! ! ! 2 hours after arrival, because the rooms were not cleaned! Everyone smiles, brought drinks, just "wait a little more. " But we are no longer used to it, we waited for two days, 2 hours no longer count. We contacted at this time with a representative of the host - we were promised a free excursion to Kandy from the master's shoulder in the form of compensation. That's where the apology ends. Upon arrival home, we will try to get compensation for 2 lost days of rest.
About the hotel.
There are comfortable chairs and fans at the hotel reception, the hotel as a whole creates a pleasant impression - a lot of greenery, a well-groomed and clean area, fish, turtles, almost tame chipmunks (take seeds with you), lizards, lotuses in the pond, crows do not reach much, as in Club Palm Bay. The hotel is well located - away from the highway and the railway, inside like in the jungle. Sun loungers under coconuts, enough shade. The beach is separated from the hotel by a net. At the gate is a guard. The beach is clean, there is a volleyball court (the locals play well). The entry into the ocean is gentle and even, up to a depth of 70 meters. The bottom is clean, sandy. The waves and the power of the surf are impressive. I do not recommend swimming, the element is a little addictive, it is enough to ride the waves. 100 meters to the right - a lagoon with calm water, separated from the ocean by a reef. The water is clear, there was no foam. Obviously, it appears after the rains, because a kilometer to the left flows into the Bentota River, carrying garbage.
The view from the rooms is very beautiful, beautiful pictures at dawn and near the ocean at sunset. We do not recommend the rooms on the ground floor, they are damp and more dilapidated than on the floors, plus living creatures creep in - geckos. Although exotic. There were fumigators in the rooms, there were no mosquitoes. On the street sometimes bitten, but not critical.
Local. Guides dissuade to communicate with the beach-boys who rub to the left of the gate on the beach, like they are dishonorable. Not true. Guides need to sell excursions. Beach-boys have it much cheaper - competition! ! ! For the same excursions, you can easily negotiate with the guys on the beach. We talked with Martin - this is the oldest Sri Lankan on the beach, small in stature and with good Russian. He has everything under control there: he can organize any excursions and shopping. The price must be negotiated immediately.
He has the newest tuk-tuk and for 100 rupees round trip he will take you to the nearest settlement to top up your account, buy fruit, souvenirs or alcohol at normal prices. Can take to shops for stones. Of course, he gets his kickback, but he does not become impudent and does not impose his stores. You choose where to go. We went with him for alcohol, bought souvenirs, fruits, changed money at a good rate - everything is loyal. Local rum Calypso - 1450 rupees, beer - 150 rupees. T-shirts of good quality - 5-15 dollars. Tea for every price and taste. Fruit - pineapple 100 rupees. piece, mango - 400 rupees. kg, rambutan - 700 rupees. kg, papaya - 300 rupees. PCS. Souvenirs and things near the hotel are more expensive and are traded worse, but you need to bargain everywhere. Prices for ours immediately inflate by 2-5 times! There are also tuk-tukers at the entrance to the hotel, these are really crooks. There is one fat man there - his name is Jagat de Silva or simply Silva. We just moved in and needed to top up our account.
You can't take pictures with your back to the Buddha! After the temple we went through the villages to the waterfall. He stopped in interesting places, talked about plants, about animals. We saw a huge monitor lizard, black monkeys. We tried coconuts. I brought it to the mosque near the fish market and the port. Then we went shopping: stones, alcohol, tea, souvenirs, clothes, shoes. In general, he was with us from 10 am to 5 pm, for which he took $ 25 per pair. We took a tour from the guide to the Yala reserve on a jeep safari (left at 7-30, arrived at 23-30). Drive to the southeast of the island for 6 hours! Road kills safari experience. It was necessary to take this tour from Martin - it would be faster (individual tour) and cheaper ($ 90 per person from the guide and somewhere around 70 from Martin). And we drove along the coast and collected a group from hotels, and not far from The Palms there is an exit to the highway connecting Colombo with the south of the country. The fare costs 300 rupees, but it is 3 times faster to go! And to go to Colombo is not 3-4 hours, but 1 hour!
And we were rolled on arrival all day! In the reserve, they changed from the bus to a jeep. We drove around the savannah for about 3.5 hours. We saw and took pictures of elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, peacocks, monkeys, wild boars, deer. The leopards didn't get caught. And then a 5 hour drive back. They refused the excursion to Galle, because they drove through it on the way to Yala and stopped at the fort. The excursion to Kandy was personalized and presented by the meeting party. She really liked it, because there was a personal Russian-speaking guide and a small bead with a conder. We went where we wanted. We didn’t go to the elephant nursery, but private traders rode elephants with bathing! Impressed! We went to the spice garden and bought sandalwood oil. We didn't go to the tea factory. Along the mountain serpentine (stop on the way to the observation deck to take a picture) we climbed to Kandy. The Royal Botanic Gardens are beautiful. Tip - rent an electric car (1000 rupees per car).
And you will see the garden, and you will not be tormented by walking in the heat. Exotic trees, monkeys, flying dogs, suspension bridge - good pictures. Well, the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Interesting, exotic and beautiful. On the way back we bought fruit, cheaper than on the coast. And at 7 pm we were already at the hotel. We drove part of the way along the highway. From the guides from this tour they return at 11-12 at night. Departure at 5 am. Were on a fishing trip. Also through Martin. The asking price is $120 for two. Departure to the sea at 6.00. Directly from the beach near the hotel. The program includes a boat with tackle, beautiful views, a little pitching, swimming on an island where a lighthouse is in the clearest water, an interesting way of fishing by the locals, plus spinning rods we know and cooking caught fish in a restaurant on the beach. I also caught a fish. Beautiful and delicious. Similar to our bull, but 10 times larger and leopard coloring. In total, the fish caught a keel 5. We returned by 11 am.
Nutrition. I wrote about the restaurant. We had breakfast and dinner.
A lot of spicy dishes - this is an amateur. The food is good overall. Good chicken and seafood. They don't know how to cook meat! Because they don’t eat… Sweets and desserts – get ready to get better! Fruits in assortment: pineapple (amazing), papaya, passion fruit, super bananas, agave, watermelon; tangerine and mangosteen in syrup. Bar near the reception: drinks - beer glass 0.3 200 rupees. A bottle of beer 0.625 330 rupees, alcoholic cocktails 600-700 rupees, alcohol from 300 rupees 50g, fresh juices 400 rupees. Tip - take it with you or buy it at a local liquor store. Just after 18-00 the sun sets (tropics) and there is nothing to do. Take cards, dominoes, etc. , crossword puzzles, I myself managed to read 2 books on the beach. In the evenings snake tamer and local amateur groups. It's all fun. Once there was a disco on the beach - more or less cool. We dined at the cafes on the beach, located to the left of the exit. There are 4 of them in a row. 1. Sun flower.
Tasty, varied, Russian menu and a curly-haired Russian-speaking waiter. Service is slow. Not very clean. Seafood in assortment. Prices for every taste. You can dine for 2-5 thousand rupees for two. I recommend the seafood platter. 2. Shasha. Delicious. I liked it the most. Clean, nice people, the menu is almost in Russian. Recently opened and fighting for each client. Cheaper than anywhere. The menu is varied. A bottle of beer 200 rupees. Rum on tap. The boy Shasha speaks a little Russian. Service faster. I recommend the shrimp in batter and seafood soup! ! ! Try the ginger lemonade. The best cafe on the beach! ! ! 3. Sasika. They do not speak Russian, the menu is present. Clean, not cheap, I recommend spicy shrimp in sauce with vegetables. 4. Fresh. The furthest. The menu is poor. We looked and left. Further along the beach, 400 meters away, there are 2 more cafes, but we did not go there.
From seafood for every taste: huge shrimp, lobsters (large river shrimp), lobsters (they write lobster on the menu, but this is a lobster), cuttlefish, squid, shark, coral fish. Try this abundance - it is very tasty and we have it much more expensive.
General advice. Be sure to take water with you everywhere. Very hot and stuffy. Necessarily skin creams so as not to burn, 50 at least, beware of the sun. It is advisable to treat your hands with antiseptics or at least have wet wipes - the Sri Lankans are not very clean. In addition to souvenirs and tea, you can bring home: Calypso rum, fruits, local clothes. In duty free Colombo, inexpensive and good promotional whiskey $ 4.3 liters (Famous Grouse). Cigarettes are expensive, if you smoke, bring your own. And think about whether it is worth contacting tour operators TPG - Travel Professional Group (Kyiv) and the host in Lanka - Exotic Global Holidais. If you have any questions, ready to answer
Rested four of us, two families, from 1 to 15 February 2014. The children were left with their grandmothers and went, or rather flew.
About tour operators. The tour was taken through a travel agency from the tour operator TPG - Travel Professional Group (Kyiv). The host in Lanka is Exotic Global Holidais. About these two there will be an opus below in the text.
Flight. AIR ARABIA airline. Departure at 23.00 February 1 from Boryspil. Airbus 320 aircraft.
The planes are new, Russian-speaking staff is present, alcohol is prohibited for consumption and is not on the menu (it should be borne in mind that in the emirate of Sharjah, where this company is from, there is a strict dry law). But ours fly prepared and manage to aggravate on board. The food on the plane is not very varied, but if you don’t have any complaints, you won’t stay hungry. Beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes, chicken skewers with fried potatoes, rice with chicken, Arabic spicy cold cuts, sandwiches with cheese and sausage drinks in the range. Lunch for one person is about 10 dollars, drinks 1-3 dollars, they accept Emirati dirams, euros, pounds, on the way from Lanka - even Sri Lankan rupees. You can take food with you: as you like. The flight is over 4 hours. In Sharjah, the transfer is about 2 hours. And more than 4 hours to Lanka - it's hard to fly, especially at night. Arrival at 13.15 Sri Lankan time (3.5 hour difference with Kyiv).
You can fly with Fly Dubai (Boeing 737), but the flight is at lunchtime, transfer to Dubai takes about 4-5 hours to wait for the board to Colombo. Arrival in the morning. But there is alcohol for sale on board - beer and beakers at considerable prices. And in Sharjah and in Dubai, duty free is at your disposal. You can take whiskey or other drinks at good prices, so as not to drag from your homeland.
We flew in ...The heat and stuffiness immediately hit my head (and we haven’t left the air-conditioned airport building yet - we flew from Kyiv -15, flew to Corolombo + 35, a drop of 50 degrees Celsius is impressive). We bought visas, passed control (loyal), quickly received our luggage and went out to the common hall of the airport. Currency exchange immediately in the hall of the Bank of Ceylon the best rate. Take the check. If there are rupees left, change at the same rate upon departure. The exchange rate is 1 dollar - 128 Sri Lankan rupees (it turns out 1 hryvnia somewhere around 15 rupees). Get ready to see a lot of different banknotes of the same denomination.
When shopping, if you pay in dollars, they recalculate well (1 dollar - 130 rupees). Get a SIM card from a local operator Dialog in the same hall - communication with the Motherland within 50 cents per minute, locally - almost free of charge (costs 1300 rupees, of which 850 in the account, replenishment in any store where there is a Dialogue sign).
And then the most interesting began. Everyone was greeted with signs, put on buses and taken to hotels. A dark-haired lad approached us and showed an SMS with my last name. We realized that this is for us. We waited for another young couple and he led us to the bus. Please note that your luggage can be grabbed by a local and simply put on the bus. For this, he will ask for a tip, pretending to be a fool, lowing and holding a bill of 1000 rupees in his hand, such as such a fee for his “service” - a clean water divorce - send such a chela away. We got into the bus - six of us, with a conder - cool and drove off. We drove around 1.
5 hours, although they were supposed to drive about 4 hours ...And then doubts began to creep in. Why are we going north if our hotel Tne Ralms is located south of Colombo. But we were very tired and did not pay attention to the cardinal directions. We drove through some slums, past drug addicts (actually killed - by the way, many of the Sri Lankans chew some kind of mixture of leaves with a narcotic effect, we never managed to find out what it was, the locals just smiled or avoided answering). Local traffic is very specific. Everyone honks, cuts off each other, the movement seems to be chaotic, but, oddly enough, there are no accidents, because it is impossible to accelerate, and the drivers are calm, “nerves are like steel ropes. ” We arrived and, oh horror, we drive up to the hotel, past a swamp with a trash can, along a dirt road, the name of the hotel is Club Palm Bay ...We are dark - a second, this is not our hotel, here is our voucher - The Palms hotel.
(I’ll digress here - learn English - the Sri Lankans are not required to know Russian, we came to visit them. When a drunk person from the Russian outback comes in for breakfast and tells a smiling Sri Lankan who greets him in English that he should be met with the words “ Good morning”, and not “Good morning, sir” - this, to put it mildly, is not polite, but roughly speaking - you don’t have to be a cattle in a foreign country with your own customs and customs). The black one starts calling somewhere, conducting long negotiations, and then it turns out that there are no rooms available at The Palms hotel, and therefore we were brought to another hotel for 2 days and they offer “All inclusive” in this hotel instead of our “Breakfast - dinner" in ours. We got a little fuzzy. The most disgusting thing about everything that is happening is that our and the Sri Lankan tour operator did not warn us that there was such a problem, but put us before the fact, although they were 1000 percent aware of the situation.
Seeing a viper around the Club Palm Bay hotel, a shabby fence, a gate and a dirty entrance to the hotel, we flatly refused to settle in it and forced our escort to drive back to The Palms. And then began negotiations over the phone. Hotel guides began to approach us and say what a good Club Palm Bay hotel is, and what preferences they give us in the form of free beer and whiskey, and that we are wrong, etc. We refused such “hospitality” and insisted on a transfer to our hotel, arguing by the presence of a voucher in The Palms and the fact that if we arrived 9000 km from the Motherland, then we can buy beer for ourselves. We drive back, another 5 hours of travel, we arrive in Palma (by the way, this is a chain of hotels with the same owners, it’s a pity that we didn’t go to them, it would be something to talk about). We approach the reception, passports and vouchers on the table - we must live here from today.
The girl at the reception started looking for us on the lists, then called assistants, started looking for free rooms, called the bosses. Madame and a smiling guy came, they started calling someone again. We sit boiled at the reception, we didn’t sleep for almost a day, our wives were in a semi-panic, they didn’t even offer us water, they bought it for their own. And then they tell us that there is no payment and deal with your tour operator ...We are out, and - lo and behold, a girl contacts us - a representative of the meeting party (we never saw her - only by phone). And he tells us that there are no rooms in the Palms and we need to settle in the Palm Bay Club ...that this happens in the season. That is, such a situation is in the order of things for them, and we, like, should not show off. And the fact that we were not warned is not her problem. By the way, we never found out whose problem it was - probably ours! ! ! Operators simply withdrew.
The hotel says that this is a problem of tour operators, the tour operator blames the hotel management - a vicious circle in which tourists are hostages of the situation. We have a wild hysteria, the wives are crying, the receptionists ...frankly laughing. And then we finally realized that we are nobody here, people of the fourth world (not even the third, because they are treated better - more on that later). And the worst thing is, nothing can be done! ! ! We sit at the reception, ordered drinks, we had to take photos of how we are waiting for check-in, lying on the benches, or better on the floor near the reception. We are waiting for the bus that took our compatriots who were traveling with us to the south of the island. We fucking want to sleep. Hungry. The hotel management has retired. It's nice that the guys working at the hotel, after the bosses left, began to offer us free water, sandwiches and even brought us half a cake! ! !
About the Sri Lankans a separate conversation. Very smiling, pleasant and open people. But not selfless!
Although they do not insist on tips. And we gave them 500 rupees and a pack of cigarettes. By the way, cigarettes are a good currency. Locals cost 500 rupees a pack, expensive, however. We are non-smokers, but we took a block with us and when we treated the Sri Lankans, they were happy as children and said that our cigarettes were “delicious”. But often, tips do not solve anything and absolutely do not affect the quality of cleaning in the room, changing linen or fulfilling any of your requests. The Sri Lankans are just like that - smiling, slow and a little slow - take it as it is. Until the bed linen was thrown to the floor, it was not changed, although at the reception I left a request for its replacement (not counting the fact that I left a card for changing the linen and a tip on the bed), I also asked for an iron for 2 days at the reception, it was they didn’t bring it, and the manager from the reception even joked that it was fashionable to walk in mint. That is, verbal requests did not always reach the addressee.
When we were at the reception, the following picture emerged: we, unfortunately, got to the hotel for the Chinese New Year! ! ! ! And our rooms were stupidly sold to the Chinese (speaking of the fourth world! ) In general, we had no choice but to return to the notorious Palm Bay Club. I wanted to sleep badly and take a shower. Another 4 hours of travel.
About the Chinese, too, separately. This is a locust. Not the truth is written about ours. It's just that in Lanka our rest is less than foreigners. Especially in the Palms. There were 20 percent of us there, no more. The bulk - tea, were the British, Germans, French, Czechs.
China - such boors and rednecks and in such numbers we have not seen before, vacationing in other countries (we were in Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Thailand, Jordan ... ) They can spit on the floor, rubbed to a mirror image, throw a cigarette butt and trample it on the same floor, put your feet in shoes on the table near the reception, the noise from them is unimaginable, you can not go into the restaurant while the teahouse is eating. They almost push the resting people with their elbows, run and shout, and if they still drink a bottle of beer ...Not a word about dragons ...And they serve ours according to the residual principle, until you show the initiative yourself, you won’t drink tea.
We arrived at the Club Palm Bay hotel at 4 am, the manager was sleeping. We searched for him for another 20 minutes and tried to wake him up for 20 minutes, because he did not find us on the lists for settling! ! ! In general, they settled in and fell asleep. We woke up in the afternoon and started looking around. The territory is large, well-groomed, although a lot of withered grass. On the territory of ponds with fish.
Chipmunks and lizards run. The rooms were almost new (bungalows), water for half a liter per person in the room. Tea coffee. You can live. Our bungalows were far from the reception, but in a quiet place. Closer to the reception, the rooms are worse, with old furniture and shabby walls. Let's go for lunch. The food is good, varied and tasty, plus free alcoholic drinks - as promised! ! ! Thank you! ! ! But the day of rest is already lost. The pool is too small and crows crap in it! A boy with a slingshot walks around the pool and chases crows. There were free sun beds, towels were given, the boy wore drinks (after 200 rupees tip). We went to look at the ocean - through a shabby reception with the same chairs and tables and without any ventilation. Access to the ocean through a guarded gate and through a dirt road! ! ! The beach is terrible things: garbage, cigarette butts, dead crows and 20 sun loungers for the entire hotel under palm canopies.
The entry into the ocean is steep, deep at once - we didn’t even get our feet wet. 2 people swam. Waves and dirty water with brown foam impressed! ! ! And also a garbage dump with a swamp and the surrounding slums. We realized that it was better not to leave its territory in this hotel and began to look forward to the next transfer - but already to our palm trees. When communicating with vacationers in Club Palm Bay, it turned out that we are not the only ones, and that people are waiting for transfers to their hotels for 2-4 days! ! ! That is, the hotel is transit and the practice of such settlement is a normal phenomenon for our and local tour operators! ! ! As compensation, they offer "all inclusive" and our tourists agree, and some even really like it - to sit in a hotel to drink free beer or something stronger, not seeing anything else. But we went to Lanka from across the ocean and for new experiences. Therefore, such a holiday is not for us.
By the way, those guys who were traveling with us were also left without a room, and they were also settled in another hotel, and there was also a scandal, and no one warned anyone either. Here we understood why they made an individual transfer for all of us. And further. The hotel guide Igor does not solve anything, almost does not speak English, it makes no sense to make claims to him. He just wants to sell tours.
Well, finally, having lost 2 days of rest and a bundle of nerves, we arrived at The Palms. And they even settled in! ! ! 2 hours after arrival, because the rooms were not cleaned! Everyone smiles, brought drinks, just "wait a little more. " But we are no longer used to it, we waited for two days, 2 hours no longer count. We contacted at this time with a representative of the host - we were promised a free excursion to Kandy from the master's shoulder in the form of compensation. That's where the apology ends. Upon arrival home, we will try to get compensation for 2 lost days of rest.
About the hotel.
There are comfortable chairs and fans at the hotel reception, the hotel as a whole creates a pleasant impression - a lot of greenery, a well-groomed and clean area, fish, turtles, almost tame chipmunks (take seeds with you), lizards, lotuses in the pond, crows do not reach much, as in Club Palm Bay. The hotel is well located - away from the highway and the railway, inside like in the jungle. Sun loungers under coconuts, enough shade. The beach is separated from the hotel by a net. At the gate is a guard. The beach is clean, there is a volleyball court (the locals play well). The entry into the ocean is gentle and even, up to a depth of 70 meters. The bottom is clean, sandy. The waves and the power of the surf are impressive. I do not recommend swimming, the element is a little addictive, it is enough to ride the waves. 100 meters to the right - a lagoon with calm water, separated from the ocean by a reef. The water is clear, there was no foam. Obviously, it appears after the rains, because a kilometer to the left flows into the Bentota River, carrying garbage.
The view from the rooms is very beautiful, beautiful pictures at dawn and near the ocean at sunset. We do not recommend the rooms on the ground floor, they are damp and more dilapidated than on the floors, plus living creatures creep in - geckos. Although exotic. There were fumigators in the rooms, there were no mosquitoes. On the street sometimes bitten, but not critical.
Local. Guides dissuade to communicate with the beach-boys who rub to the left of the gate on the beach, like they are dishonorable. Not true. Guides need to sell excursions. Beach-boys have it much cheaper - competition! ! ! For the same excursions, you can easily negotiate with the guys on the beach. We talked with Martin - this is the oldest Sri Lankan on the beach, small in stature and with good Russian. He has everything under control there: he can organize any excursions and shopping. The price must be negotiated immediately.
He has the newest tuk-tuk and for 100 rupees round trip he will take you to the nearest settlement to top up your account, buy fruit, souvenirs or alcohol at normal prices. Can take to shops for stones. Of course, he gets his kickback, but he does not become impudent and does not impose his stores. You choose where to go. We went with him for alcohol, bought souvenirs, fruits, changed money at a good rate - everything is loyal. Local rum Calypso - 1450 rupees, beer - 150 rupees. T-shirts of good quality - 5-15 dollars. Tea for every price and taste. Fruit - pineapple 100 rupees. piece, mango - 400 rupees. kg, rambutan - 700 rupees. kg, papaya - 300 rupees. PCS. Souvenirs and things near the hotel are more expensive and are traded worse, but you need to bargain everywhere. Prices for ours immediately inflate by 2-5 times! There are also tuk-tukers at the entrance to the hotel, these are really crooks. There is one fat man there - his name is Jagat de Silva or simply Silva. We just moved in and needed to top up our account.
You can't take pictures with your back to the Buddha! After the temple we went through the villages to the waterfall. He stopped in interesting places, talked about plants, about animals. We saw a huge monitor lizard, black monkeys. We tried coconuts. I brought it to the mosque near the fish market and the port. Then we went shopping: stones, alcohol, tea, souvenirs, clothes, shoes. In general, he was with us from 10 am to 5 pm, for which he took $ 25 per pair. We took a tour from the guide to the Yala reserve on a jeep safari (left at 7-30, arrived at 23-30). Drive to the southeast of the island for 6 hours! Road kills safari experience. It was necessary to take this tour from Martin - it would be faster (individual tour) and cheaper ($ 90 per person from the guide and somewhere around 70 from Martin). And we drove along the coast and collected a group from hotels, and not far from The Palms there is an exit to the highway connecting Colombo with the south of the country. The fare costs 300 rupees, but it is 3 times faster to go! And to go to Colombo is not 3-4 hours, but 1 hour!
And we were rolled on arrival all day! In the reserve, they changed from the bus to a jeep. We drove around the savannah for about 3.5 hours. We saw and took pictures of elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, peacocks, monkeys, wild boars, deer. The leopards didn't get caught. And then a 5 hour drive back. They refused the excursion to Galle, because they drove through it on the way to Yala and stopped at the fort. The excursion to Kandy was personalized and presented by the meeting party. She really liked it, because there was a personal Russian-speaking guide and a small bead with a conder. We went where we wanted. We didn’t go to the elephant nursery, but private traders rode elephants with bathing! Impressed! We went to the spice garden and bought sandalwood oil. We didn't go to the tea factory. Along the mountain serpentine (stop on the way to the observation deck to take a picture) we climbed to Kandy. The Royal Botanic Gardens are beautiful. Tip - rent an electric car (1000 rupees per car).
And you will see the garden, and you will not be tormented by walking in the heat. Exotic trees, monkeys, flying dogs, suspension bridge - good pictures. Well, the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Interesting, exotic and beautiful. On the way back we bought fruit, cheaper than on the coast. And at 7 pm we were already at the hotel. We drove part of the way along the highway. From the guides from this tour they return at 11-12 at night. Departure at 5 am. Were on a fishing trip. Also through Martin. The asking price is $120 for two. Departure to the sea at 6.00. Directly from the beach near the hotel. The program includes a boat with tackle, beautiful views, a little pitching, swimming on an island where a lighthouse is in the clearest water, an interesting way of fishing by the locals, plus spinning rods we know and cooking caught fish in a restaurant on the beach. I also caught a fish. Beautiful and delicious. Similar to our bull, but 10 times larger and leopard coloring. In total, the fish caught a keel 5. We returned by 11 am.
Nutrition. I wrote about the restaurant. We had breakfast and dinner.
A lot of spicy dishes - this is an amateur. The food is good overall. Good chicken and seafood. They don't know how to cook meat! Because they don’t eat… Sweets and desserts – get ready to get better! Fruits in assortment: pineapple (amazing), papaya, passion fruit, super bananas, agave, watermelon; tangerine and mangosteen in syrup. Bar near the reception: drinks - beer glass 0.3 200 rupees. A bottle of beer 0.625 330 rupees, alcoholic cocktails 600-700 rupees, alcohol from 300 rupees 50g, fresh juices 400 rupees. Tip - take it with you or buy it at a local liquor store. Just after 18-00 the sun sets (tropics) and there is nothing to do. Take cards, dominoes, etc. , crossword puzzles, I myself managed to read 2 books on the beach. In the evenings snake tamer and local amateur groups. It's all fun. Once there was a disco on the beach - more or less cool. We dined at the cafes on the beach, located to the left of the exit. There are 4 of them in a row. 1. Sun flower.
Tasty, varied, Russian menu and a curly-haired Russian-speaking waiter. Service is slow. Not very clean. Seafood in assortment. Prices for every taste. You can dine for 2-5 thousand rupees for two. I recommend the seafood platter. 2. Shasha. Delicious. I liked it the most. Clean, nice people, the menu is almost in Russian. Recently opened and fighting for each client. Cheaper than anywhere. The menu is varied. A bottle of beer 200 rupees. Rum on tap. The boy Shasha speaks a little Russian. Service faster. I recommend the shrimp in batter and seafood soup! ! ! Try the ginger lemonade. The best cafe on the beach! ! ! 3. Sasika. They do not speak Russian, the menu is present. Clean, not cheap, I recommend spicy shrimp in sauce with vegetables. 4. Fresh. The furthest. The menu is poor. We looked and left. Further along the beach, 400 meters away, there are 2 more cafes, but we did not go there.
From seafood for every taste: huge shrimp, lobsters (large river shrimp), lobsters (they write lobster on the menu, but this is a lobster), cuttlefish, squid, shark, coral fish. Try this abundance - it is very tasty and we have it much more expensive.
General advice. Be sure to take water with you everywhere. Very hot and stuffy. Necessarily skin creams so as not to burn, 50 at least, beware of the sun. It is advisable to treat your hands with antiseptics or at least have wet wipes - the Sri Lankans are not very clean. In addition to souvenirs and tea, you can bring home: Calypso rum, fruits, local clothes. In duty free Colombo, inexpensive and good promotional whiskey $ 4.3 liters (Famous Grouse). Cigarettes are expensive, if you smoke, bring your own. And think about whether it is worth contacting tour operators TPG - Travel Professional Group (Kyiv) and the host in Lanka - Exotic Global Holidais. If you have any questions, ready to answer
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• 16
We arrived at the hotel on 1.02 at 11.00, the check-in did not happen because most likely our room was resold to tourists from China who have "New Year's holidays" in early February. After calling their operator in Kyiv, they were sent for 4 days to the Tangerine Hotel. When the influx of tourists from the Middle Kingdom subsided, we were returned to Palms and settled in a room on the first floor overlooking the lawn and the Laccadive Sea.
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We arrived at the hotel on 1.02 at 11.00, the check-in did not happen because most likely our room was resold to tourists from China who have "New Year's holidays" in early February. After calling their operator in Kyiv, they were sent for 4 days to the Tangerine Hotel. When the influx of tourists from the Middle Kingdom subsided, we were returned to Palms and settled in a room on the first floor overlooking the lawn and the Laccadive Sea. I liked that you could leave the room through the terrace to the lawn and then to the beach bypassing the reception. Wifi in the hotel was free and quite good. We took only breakfast from the food and it was enough almost until dinner)))) The beach is clean and was periodically removed by a tractor. The sea is quite shallow and relatively "calm" compared to Tangerine. There is practically no outflow. To the right of the hotel there is a dead reef with a lagoon where you can swim with a fairly strong wave in the sea. Snorkelers can take masks and tubes, they saw stingrays, moray eels and other fish. Cleaning took place every day and leaving a "tip" did not affect the quality. The pool is just hot, but they chlorinated it from a bucket by pouring the powder directly into the pool water, after which it was filled with Chinese tourists. (probably some kind of tradition))) In general, I liked the hotel, but if the dates of your trip to Palms coincide with the weekend in China, think 100 times when choosing this hotel.
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In general, you need to travel around the island of Ceylon, and not sit in one hotel) We were in different places, and spent the last 3 days in Beruwela in this hotel. it is calm and quiet there, there are big waves on the ocean, but there is a beautiful large pool and touching chipmunks run everywhere)) the staff is very polite and attentive, beautiful rooms, air conditioning, fan - for every taste)) The food is certainly not very ordinary - but there is a lot of it - there is plenty to choose from! ! but in general it’s boring to sit in a hotel, so we were fishing on the ocean)) traveled along the Bentota River by boat - admired crocodiles, monitor lizards and mangroves !! ! All excursions were taken from private individuals - very inexpensive! We took the hotel only with breakfasts, went to dinner at the Sunflower cafe - next to the hotel - they will catch fish or shrimp at a low price for you and cook it especially for you on your arrival ! ! Very attentive and simple people are all Sri Lankans! ! cannot be compared with the Turks !! ! so turn to Sutty's beach boy - he will organize your vacation in Beruwala for a penny!! ! Thank you Sri Lanka for an unforgettable vacation and amazing experience! ! I will definitely go there again! ! See my impressions in my profile - photos and videos about Sri Lanka.
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In general, you need to travel around the island of Ceylon, and not sit in one hotel) We were in different places, and spent the last 3 days in Beruwela in this hotel. it is calm and quiet there, there are big waves on the ocean, but there is a beautiful large pool and touching chipmunks run everywhere)) the staff is very polite and attentive, beautiful rooms, air conditioning, fan - for every taste)) The food is certainly not very ordinary - but there is a lot of it - there is plenty to choose from! ! but in general it’s boring to sit in a hotel, so we were fishing on the ocean)) traveled along the Bentota River by boat - admired crocodiles, monitor lizards and mangroves !! ! All excursions were taken from private individuals - very inexpensive! We took the hotel only with breakfasts, went to dinner at the Sunflower cafe - next to the hotel - they will catch fish or shrimp at a low price for you and cook it especially for you on your arrival ! ! Very attentive and simple people are all Sri Lankans! ! cannot be compared with the Turks !! ! so turn to Sutty's beach boy - he will organize your vacation in Beruwala for a penny!! ! Thank you Sri Lanka for an unforgettable vacation and amazing experience! ! I will definitely go there again! ! See my impressions in my profile - photos and videos about Sri Lanka.
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Hello. We decided to replenish the piggy bank of reviews about the hotel. When choosing a place to stay, this hotel was second on the list. Because in the first confirmation did not wait decided to go to The palms. The check-in went well - they handed out the keys to the rooms, treated them to a fruit cocktail, carried the suitcases to the rooms.
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Hello. We decided to replenish the piggy bank of reviews about the hotel.
When choosing a place to stay, this hotel was second on the list. Because in the first confirmation did not wait decided to go to The palms. The check-in went well - they handed out the keys to the rooms, treated them to a fruit cocktail, carried the suitcases to the rooms. We were placed on the ground floor overlooking the pool.
The hotel is located on the ocean, surrounded by a mesh fence, the main purpose of which is to prevent the entry of beach-boys into the hotel. There is security. There are pools with fish and turtles, chipmunks run from which the wife was delighted. The territory is large, green and well-groomed.
The room is good, has air conditioning, fan, TV. The bathroom has a hairdryer, shower, bath accessories. The furniture is solid, wooden, but for some reason the bed is on wheels and constantly strives to leave. Consider in the numbers sockets type G, English (British) socket. You need either an adapter or a pencil))) With a pencil in the upper connector, press on the blocker and then you can turn on our plugs without an adapter.
What I didn’t like was the inability to put less power on the air conditioner so that it would work at night (it’s still hot), and since it only worked at maximum speed, I had to turn it off due to strong noise. Due to the high humidity, dark mold spots are visible on the ceilings, but this is the cost of the climate and there is not much you can do about it, except to do cosmetics in the rooms every month. Big bugs ran in a couple of times, but the staff is constantly trying to fight them. I was surprised that the tap water was brackish.
Service is ok, not intrusive. Meals are average. We took breakfast and dinner, we were not hungry. Tea, coffee, water they pour themselves. A couple of times in the first days they waited for 15 minutes, then it became normal. Half of the food is spicy, half is normal, there are fruits and desserts. Of the fruits, watermelons and melons are local and not tasty - due to the large amount of moisture, they cannot gain sweetness.
What I didn't like about the hotel is the evening concerts, which can continue after midnight. This happened twice, but not very pleasant.
When checking out due to early departure, we were given breakfast to go - it was 0.5l water, juice, orange, banana and a sandwich.
In general, we are satisfied with the rest. We got in the off-season - during the day it could rain, which lasted 10-15 minutes, but this was enough to reduce the effect of the scorching sun.
About the beach fights. According to reviews, they were looking for Indica, a 2-meter guy. He really turned out to be a very good person. At the first meeting, we said that we didn’t want excursions yet, he didn’t start telling how everything was super with him, but simply gave a business card and we said goodbye. Unlike others who followed and told something. Already from the business card, we learned that it was Indica, and then we only communicated with him. Very helpful with shopping. As he says, good reviews about him are very important to him, so he does not bend prices like others. When leaving, he came to say goodbye, and his wife held back her tears - he became our friend.
We wish you all a good holiday. If you look for flaws, then they can be found in the ideal!
When choosing a place to stay, this hotel was second on the list. Because in the first confirmation did not wait decided to go to The palms. The check-in went well - they handed out the keys to the rooms, treated them to a fruit cocktail, carried the suitcases to the rooms. We were placed on the ground floor overlooking the pool.
The hotel is located on the ocean, surrounded by a mesh fence, the main purpose of which is to prevent the entry of beach-boys into the hotel. There is security. There are pools with fish and turtles, chipmunks run from which the wife was delighted. The territory is large, green and well-groomed.
The room is good, has air conditioning, fan, TV. The bathroom has a hairdryer, shower, bath accessories. The furniture is solid, wooden, but for some reason the bed is on wheels and constantly strives to leave. Consider in the numbers sockets type G, English (British) socket. You need either an adapter or a pencil))) With a pencil in the upper connector, press on the blocker and then you can turn on our plugs without an adapter.
What I didn’t like was the inability to put less power on the air conditioner so that it would work at night (it’s still hot), and since it only worked at maximum speed, I had to turn it off due to strong noise. Due to the high humidity, dark mold spots are visible on the ceilings, but this is the cost of the climate and there is not much you can do about it, except to do cosmetics in the rooms every month. Big bugs ran in a couple of times, but the staff is constantly trying to fight them. I was surprised that the tap water was brackish.
Service is ok, not intrusive. Meals are average. We took breakfast and dinner, we were not hungry. Tea, coffee, water they pour themselves. A couple of times in the first days they waited for 15 minutes, then it became normal. Half of the food is spicy, half is normal, there are fruits and desserts. Of the fruits, watermelons and melons are local and not tasty - due to the large amount of moisture, they cannot gain sweetness.
What I didn't like about the hotel is the evening concerts, which can continue after midnight. This happened twice, but not very pleasant.
When checking out due to early departure, we were given breakfast to go - it was 0.5l water, juice, orange, banana and a sandwich.
In general, we are satisfied with the rest. We got in the off-season - during the day it could rain, which lasted 10-15 minutes, but this was enough to reduce the effect of the scorching sun.
About the beach fights. According to reviews, they were looking for Indica, a 2-meter guy. He really turned out to be a very good person. At the first meeting, we said that we didn’t want excursions yet, he didn’t start telling how everything was super with him, but simply gave a business card and we said goodbye. Unlike others who followed and told something. Already from the business card, we learned that it was Indica, and then we only communicated with him. Very helpful with shopping. As he says, good reviews about him are very important to him, so he does not bend prices like others. When leaving, he came to say goodbye, and his wife held back her tears - he became our friend.
We wish you all a good holiday. If you look for flaws, then they can be found in the ideal!
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• 9
I liked the hotel! We chose a hotel with a beautiful area and interesting architecture. Therefore, the choice fell on this hotel. Many rooms have a "seaview" which is good news. The condition of the rooms is residential))) Nothing broken was noticed, the only thing is that the deluxe rooms have a different bathroom, we had it after the renovation, and the guys we know before.
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I liked the hotel! We chose a hotel with a beautiful area and interesting architecture. Therefore, the choice fell on this hotel. Many rooms have a "seaview" which is good news.
The condition of the rooms is residential))) Nothing broken was noticed, the only thing is that the deluxe rooms have a different bathroom, we had it after the renovation, and the guys we know before. This was expressed in a visually improved washbasin and a converted shower cabin (the cabin comes without a pallet, "trapik") But as for me, this does not overshadow the rest. I advise you to take the second or third floor. From there, the view is better, and there is less chance that someone will climb into your room. And a bunch of different guests can climb into your room))) The first is chipmunks or palm squirrels as they call them. There are just darkness all over the island. Therefore, without problems, these furry balls, moving along the walls, get to your room))) We bought a large package of cashew nuts and hazelnuts at home, by the end of the holiday we already had our own army of chipmunks with which we could enslave Lanka !! ! ; )
There are also a lot of harmless hickons running along the walls, and once a monitor lizard climbed up a sheer wall to our balcony, he hid between the roof and the side wall of the balcony, hanging his tail right at the moment when we were drinking whiskey on the balcony O_O This is where we sobered up . Having gathered a council of: the hotel administrator, the head of security, the chef, the waiter (he spoke Russian and considered it his duty to be here), the housekeeper, and three more workers who brought the stairs a mop and dichlorvos))) Well, they all together found out who it was hung out his tail, found out that the monitor lizard. Then we saw him when he drank from the pool. ; )
The pool is small, but it is enough to cool off and play ball.
There is free wifi in the lobby. In general, this is the main entertainment))) For the evening they invite either musicians or a snake charmer, it all looks like amateur performances))) You need to remember this is not Turkey or even Egypt. After the performance, they like to collect baksheesh, like everywhere else. The lobby bar also leaves much to be desired, cocktails remain cocktails only on the menu, for example, ordering Sunrise tequila you will be very surprised by its appearance and serving. But that's not what you're going there for. There is always a bottle of duty-free whiskey in the room, which you can drink quietly by the pool))) or loudly followed by night baths; ) or local Calypso rum! Excellent rum. everyone is taking gifts. ; )
Near the hotel, if you go ashore, then to the left, there is a Sun Flower bar. In it you can drink fresh juices and beer, at very good prices, as well as have a delicious meal if you are already tired of eating in the hotel restaurant. Many wrote that there is a Fresh bar further along the coast, they say it’s better and tastier there, but when we were there it didn’t work, only our bar worked on the coast.
Also read my full review of the trip.
The condition of the rooms is residential))) Nothing broken was noticed, the only thing is that the deluxe rooms have a different bathroom, we had it after the renovation, and the guys we know before. This was expressed in a visually improved washbasin and a converted shower cabin (the cabin comes without a pallet, "trapik") But as for me, this does not overshadow the rest. I advise you to take the second or third floor. From there, the view is better, and there is less chance that someone will climb into your room. And a bunch of different guests can climb into your room))) The first is chipmunks or palm squirrels as they call them. There are just darkness all over the island. Therefore, without problems, these furry balls, moving along the walls, get to your room))) We bought a large package of cashew nuts and hazelnuts at home, by the end of the holiday we already had our own army of chipmunks with which we could enslave Lanka !! ! ; )
There are also a lot of harmless hickons running along the walls, and once a monitor lizard climbed up a sheer wall to our balcony, he hid between the roof and the side wall of the balcony, hanging his tail right at the moment when we were drinking whiskey on the balcony O_O This is where we sobered up . Having gathered a council of: the hotel administrator, the head of security, the chef, the waiter (he spoke Russian and considered it his duty to be here), the housekeeper, and three more workers who brought the stairs a mop and dichlorvos))) Well, they all together found out who it was hung out his tail, found out that the monitor lizard. Then we saw him when he drank from the pool. ; )
The pool is small, but it is enough to cool off and play ball.
There is free wifi in the lobby. In general, this is the main entertainment))) For the evening they invite either musicians or a snake charmer, it all looks like amateur performances))) You need to remember this is not Turkey or even Egypt. After the performance, they like to collect baksheesh, like everywhere else. The lobby bar also leaves much to be desired, cocktails remain cocktails only on the menu, for example, ordering Sunrise tequila you will be very surprised by its appearance and serving. But that's not what you're going there for. There is always a bottle of duty-free whiskey in the room, which you can drink quietly by the pool))) or loudly followed by night baths; ) or local Calypso rum! Excellent rum. everyone is taking gifts. ; )
Near the hotel, if you go ashore, then to the left, there is a Sun Flower bar. In it you can drink fresh juices and beer, at very good prices, as well as have a delicious meal if you are already tired of eating in the hotel restaurant. Many wrote that there is a Fresh bar further along the coast, they say it’s better and tastier there, but when we were there it didn’t work, only our bar worked on the coast.
Also read my full review of the trip.
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