We were vacationing on the south coast of Sri Lanka
We vacationed on the south coast of Sri Lanka in October 2013. We stayed at the Club Koggala Village. The hotel is cheap, but we initially planned to only sleep there, and spend most of the time in search of new experiences. The room is neat, the bed is comfortable, shower, balcony, daily cleaning of the room and drinking water (every day they bring two bottles of 0.5), air conditioning. If you like coffee, then take a kettle and a supply of coffee with you, as the local one is really terrible. A good knife will also come in handy - to cut fruit.
The pool at this hotel is good, the beach is wonderful, the ocean is clean. Beach-fights hang out on the beach, tuk-tukers outside the hotel gates. Both of them will in every possible way attract your attention and offer their services. The first days we shied away from getting to know them in every possible way, we looked closely, but on the third day, after an unsuccessful experience of cooperation with our tour operator, we nevertheless “fell” into the reliable hands of the Sudzhi tuk-tuker (or the Judge, as he introduced himself for our convenience), which they later never regretted. From that moment on, he was with us every day. Responsible, patient, slightly Russian-speaking, which was convenient for us, who do not know English well. We visited Suji twice, where we ate very tasty, and his mother and sister taught me how to wear a sari. When we were surfing, our tuk-tuker kept my bag of money and took pictures of our attempts to become cool surfers at the same time. Our excursions were sometimes formed spontaneously, and only after you ask how much it costs, and the cost has always surprised us with modesty. Our caution has grown into complete trust. Not all locals were so decent. But in a week, hitting the right person, you get a good friend and helper. They can be trusted. Two, three trips will be enough for you to understand from what test your assistant is. When it comes to long trips, the service is no worse than travel agencies and everything is much faster in time (and this is very important), complete freedom of movement (you can stop or adjust another route along the way) and most importantly - cheaper. A week later, you begin to navigate the prices (as it seems to you), but even here there were sometimes situations where the Judge whispered to us in Russian - “bargain”. Sometimes it was easier to just send him for a purchase and not "shine" himself. Once we bought a shampoo, later we noticed that the price tag on it differs from what we paid. Though a trifle, but it was a shame. Not a market, but still a shop. In the morning, Suji returned the difference in money that he took from the seller. A trifle, but nice. A kind of "roof")))). We didn’t get delighted from the local food (acutely), but we tried a lot as an acquaintance. In response, the stomach gave weight, but held out. Fortunately, everyone knows our peculiarity and cook non-spicy food by default. Earlier we read that on Wednesdays there is a local market near Kogall. They asked - none of the people around knew anything about it. Our tuk tuk was also apparently not up to date. But during the night I made inquiries and in the morning, happy, proudly declared: "Let's go to the market. " And really, it's a great show. You will not see such abundance on a normal day. You can go there on foot, but a local guide will not hurt nearby. Too many unusual products. We bought a banana flower and gave it to the Judge, after which his mother prepared a salad from it for us. Sometimes we ate at nearby restaurants. They were not always satisfied. If we get lucky.
Separately, it is worth talking about a trip to Sinharaja: I had to find a couple more and go there by car. But on the planned day, we were only the two of us and decided to go by tuk tuk. Driving for an hour more (about 4 hours) but also more impressions. Along the way, peacocks, iguanas, monkeys, monitor lizards - almost a safari. A low speed allows you to look at the local surroundings and stop in time for photo sessions. Closer to the finish line, the cross-country ability of the tuk tuk exceeded all our expectations. And then there's Sinharaja. About the service, accommodation, guide - the Judge agreed. We spent the night in a nice bungalow, and in the morning we went for a walk. You will not see an abundance of animals, but the forest is impressive. And, of course, leeches, they read a lot about them, but the first acquaintance is still unpleasant. The locals smeared salt on their feet. I wouldn't say it's very effective. We tucked clothes into socks and just examined ourselves after a while. The result - they removed 20 pieces from themselves, but not a single bite. After two hours of walking, you begin to get used to them and treat them more calmly. Very happy with our trip to Sri Lanka. Spent a little more money than expected, but this is due to shopping.
A couple more tips. Do not take ballpoint pens for children as gifts - they are overfed, and they cost a penny in the store . . A pack of cigarettes for a man is what you need, given their prices and salaries. Any coconut - no more than 30 rupees. This is their law. Natural silk is expensive (silk sari from 10.000 rupees and above), or it is not natural, no matter what the merchants tell you. If you want to eat shrimp, order from the locals. You don't have to travel far to ride an elephant. The skating itself did not impress me personally. Buy a local SIM card, this is both cheap internet and very convenient. Watch out for the sun, even when it's not there. Definitely haggle!! ! Take a ride on a local bus: cheap and impressive (To Galle from Kogala costs no more than 30 rupees). The train is even cheaper.
P. S. Phone Sudzhiya (Judge): +94770563703. (You can just ask at the gate at the tuk tukers). Send greetings from Eva and Sergey from Belarus and I am sure you will be satisfied with his services.
If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer