Ланкийский вояж Sri Lankan voyage

Rested three of us in the period from 20.03 to 29.03.

They flew from Kyiv Air Arabia with a change in Sharjah from News Travel. The flight takes a total of just over 9 hours, but there were absolutely no delays, everything was on schedule. All food and drinks on the plane are paid; on average, it takes 5-6 hours to eat per person. They arrived in Colombo at their time at 3-15 in the morning, went through border control, exchanged currency (change at the airport, as there is the most favorable rate (1ue = 126rupi) and be sure to keep the receipt, this gives you the right to make a reverse exchange if necessary) . After about an hour, everyone was put on the bus and we moved to our destination.

At first, of course, there was a slight shock when we saw the local driving style and traffic in general, but then it became somehow even familiar)) They drive on the right side, the rules are observed very rarely, but I’m glad that they don’t drive very fast (60.70km/h) and the one with the loudest signal is considered right))) Nevertheless, during the entire period of the trip, we did not observe a single accident. The transfer to the hotel takes about 4 hours, so by 8 am we were already there. There were no problems with the settlement, at the reception they checked all the data and after 10 minutes we were already in our room. They gave us a room on the first floor, at first, of course, they thought to exchange it and take it on the second floor, but then they realized that it’s even better, you get out of the room, there are sunbeds right in front of you, there is a pool and the ocean nearby, a minimum of body movements and everything is in front of you. The room is clean, air conditioning, ceiling fan, everything worked without problems.
Regarding cleaning, if you want the room to be cleaned, then leave the key at the reception when you leave. Sockets in the rooms are of the English type, but we didn’t need adapters, a ballpoint pen or something of a similar shape is enough and the problem is solved)

Now for the hotel. The hotel is located right on the ocean, very green, surrounded by a mesh fence around the perimeter and guarded by two posts, from the side of the road and the beach, so there can be no strangers on the territory. On the territory there is a small pond with fish, several chipmunks live, a small pool and a bar near it. During our stay, there were not many people, there were always free sunbeds. On the territory of the hotel, near the far right of the fungus, WiFi catches, so in the evening everyone who wants to sit on the Internet gathers there)

Nutrition. We took breakfast and dinner. Breakfasts are monotonous, but everything was delicious - freshly squeezed juices, bacon, eggs, fruits, jams and more.
But I really liked the dinners, meat, fish, various side dishes, fruits and ice cream. But drinks and water are already for denyuzhku. Very good beer, called Lion, in the hotel a bottle of 0.65 l costs 300 rupees (about $ 2.3). In the store, a bottle of beer costs 160 rupees. We went to lunch at the Top Secret cafe, if you stand facing the ocean, then go to the right of the hotel about 70-80 meters. They cook very tasty and inexpensive, tips are not included in the bill. On average, it cost us $6-7 to eat per person and drink beer.


Beach. Clean sand, open ocean, wide coastline dotted with hotels and guest houses. The ocean, of course, cannot be compared with anything, soft caressing water, moderately salty (it does not hurt the eyes like in the Mediterranean and Red Seas), but at the same time it has great strength and power. You can swim only along the coast, otherwise it can carry away. It is very easy to enter the water, but getting out is quite problematic, the force of the water is addictive, so splashing and floundering only along the bank.
Waves sometimes reached 3-3.5 meters in height. If you are eager to swim in calm water, then leave the hotel, take a tuk tuk (100-150 rupees) and tell him to go to the Dolphin restaurant (about one and a half kilometers from the hotel, you can walk). There is a lagoon where you can swim in calm water, plus you can see a lot of living creatures there, small monitor lizards crawl and two huge ocean turtles come, fed by tourists and locals. Be sure to take a sunscreen with a high degree of protection, as the sun is not gentle there from 11 to 16.

Tours. Right next to the hotel across the street is a small agency. We went on an excursion along the river to the lagoon, with a stop at a turtle farm and a temple ($ 18 per person came out) and the second excursion was Merissa, a visit to the temple in Matara, Dondra (lighthouse and Blue Hole) - $ 22 per person. But be prepared for the fact that they know only a few words in Russian, so everything will have to be listened to in English.
We also went by bus to Fort Galle, it turned out a penny for our money, about half an hour drive from the hotel.

On Sundays in the center of Hikkaduwa, fruit and vegetable vendors come to the market, you can buy everything very cheaply. I share a little experience - you can buy large shrimp in the market and ask at the hotel, they will prepare the whole thing for you and serve a table, and for all this pleasure you will be charged no more than 200 rupees (less than two dollars). Along the road leading to the center of the village, there are a lot of different shops with souvenirs, tea and drinks. Alcohol is sold only in specialized stores, there are two of them. Be sure to try the Sri Lankan red rum, two types, it costs about $ 11 per bottle.

In general, we were very satisfied with the rest, a wonderful quiet hotel, an open ocean, an interesting country, a sea of ​ ​ ​ ​ positive and impressions! ; )