Might be worth repeating the trip...
We rested with my beloved wife at the Tropical Villages hotel for 15 days. Impressions are generally positive, but there were some nuances. . . Therefore, I will write about what I liked and what spoiled the mood a little. I'll start with the hotel. Very, very good, excellent service, it is possible to choose a room for yourself (we moved three times, rooms are cleaned and linen and towels are changed every day, mosquito treatment is done daily in the evenings. There are always bags of tea, coffee, milk in the rooms - we are very liked it. On demand, they bring what you need (for example, we needed salt, because we bought shrimp, lobster). It is better to choose a room on the second floor, it is not so damp (if you are relaxing during the rainy season. However, some balconies on the second floor, a wall with a large through rectangular window separates it - it’s not very convenient if both you and your neighbors decide to drink coffee on your balconies at the same time. A cheerful chipmunk can come running to visit you on the balcony, it’s very interesting - there are a lot of them running around the hotel. There was a minor annoyance - we left 3 bottles of whiskey, tequila and arak in the room, hoping that they would be enough for us for the whole holiday. However, one day they noticed that there was very little from the contents - the attendants, apparently, decided that this was a tip. Being on the territory of the hotel, it seems that you are in a tropical forest. Occasionally we saw a small monitor lizard, which from time to time made walks near the houses - very exotic, we liked it. It is highly desirable to come to this country with good knowledge of the English language. I speak good German, but it is not as developed in Sri Lanka as English. During the rest, we had to seek medical help from a local dentist, who asked for $ 180 for a tooth treatment. It was only possible to communicate with him in English. Unfortunately, none of the compatriots wanted to help us with the translation. And in general, the impression was created (and not for the first time) that Europeans are much more friendly and sociable towards each other than Russians. . One German woman, seeing that my cheek turned into a ball after treatment at a local dentist, volunteered to help me with advice and medicines (she turned out to be a dentist). Yes, and other Germans, out of courtesy, asked how I felt when they met. It was very touching and pleasant to feel the care and attention of completely strangers. Now about the locals who hang around all day near the hotels and on the beach. In my opinion, for the most part they are small and large extortionists who see you as a big white wallet with money. All of them offer various assistance, ranging from escort around the city, ending with sightseeing tours around the country. Remember - everywhere and always you will be charged a commission - nothing is done for free. For example, a tuk-tuk driver (locally a taxi) comes with you to a store, ostensibly to show you where you can buy the goods you are interested in at the lowest prices. It is believed that since he brought you there, it means that the owner of the store or the seller must pay him for it, naturally, at your expense - overestimating the price. You negotiate with the taxi driver about one price, and at the end of the trip he starts whining that you give little money. It is quite natural to keep silent about the entrance tickets during the tour and put you before the fact. Therefore, my advice is to avoid accompanying people and to specify the cost of the service very clearly in advance if you still decide to use the services of the local population. In general, the Sri Lankan people are very pleasant, they always smile and say hello when they meet. A few words about excursions. My wife and I went to Kandy for 2 days with a visit to the 8th wonder of the world - Mount Sigiriya, a botanical garden, Buddhist and Hindu temples, an elephant nursery. Unforgettable experience, I highly recommend. A trip for two cost us $ 230, including the cost of entrance tickets. Prices originally started at $370. The trip is very tiring, because the speed on local roads does not exceed 60 km/h. Every day we swam in the ocean on the waves - very cool. On the whole, we liked it.