Отель Royal Palms Beach Royal Palms Beach Hotel

Rested with my husband at the hotel "Royal Palms Beach" from 5.01. to 21.01. 2009. It took almost 3 hours to get to the hotel by private transfer. Roads are terrible! The traffic is left-handed, no one follows the rules: a tuk-tuk can easily cut a big bus! The first impression of the hotel is a shock!! ! Colonial style is certainly not what we saw in the photo on the Internet! Somehow everything is poor and modest. At the reception, we immediately said that our things should not be touched until we see the room - suddenly we don’t like it. As a result, we were given a good room with an ocean view, 3rd floor, next to the royal suite (No. 335). We didn't hear any sounds from the railway (it's next to the hotel) and didn't see the local cemetery (others weren't so lucky). The room was more or less clean, there was a canopy, the plumbing was old, periodically leaked under the sink, instead of a bidet there was a hose in the wall! The pillows are very hard, so I used decorative (putting pillowcases on them). Fed normally, but for some reason the fruit is not a very large selection! At lunch every day you could order freshly caught lobsters, shrimp and lobsters (for a fee: a large plate somewhere around $ 30), which were immediately grilled. Delicious! On weekends, the choice is larger and tastier - locals come. The waiters are already “brakes”, very slow and do not understand Russian at all (a little bit of English), and on such days they serve only their own - tourists last. I got tired of arguing and then I began to bring myself coffee and water: quickly and without nerves! It was very annoying that we came to breakfast at 8 am (to open), and at that moment we were just starting to clean up the area and water the grass, often pouring over our things and books on the sunbeds. For some reason, the proverb does not work for them: “He who gets up early, God gives him! ”. In a word - popuase!! ! Sunrise at 6:30. We often walked along the beach before breakfast. It's still cloudy outside, but the water is already as warm as during the day! There have always been waves on the ocean, there is no calm! For those who do not know how to swim, there is only one way out - to go waist-deep into the water and swing on the waves. The beach is dirty, no one cleans it because it is municipal! It’s better to sunbathe on the territory of the hotel, otherwise the locals will get it - they will stand over their souls for half an hour, shake some batik and lament in a nasty voice: “Hallowe” or “Weah du yu from”. As if my “from” would give them something. We did not go on excursions with the locals - we read in the guest book at the reception that they are very deceiving. We bought a ticket to Kandy with a Russian-speaking guide at the hotel ($ 150). Full day tour - from 5 am to 10 pm. We rode elephants, then a spice garden (prices are 5 times more expensive than in shops near the hotel. By the way, do not buy a miracle remedy for depilation - checked - FAKE!!! ). Then tea plantations and a tea factory. Tea for every taste and cheaper than at home. We bought all our friends and relatives. Next Botanical Garden - very beautiful. And finally, a Buddhist temple. In short, everything is interesting, but you get terribly tired, and it will crack on the road so that you don’t want to go on any excursions anymore! They cleaned our room diligently. On the third day, they already recognized us by sight and greeted us joyfully - every day we left a generous tip on the bed (200-300 rupees or $ 2-3). Maybe that's why, thank God, we did not encounter theft, although I even left jewelry on the dressing table!! ! By the way, about jewelry: they are not needed in Sri Lanka! Everyone dressed in a simple way - T-shirts, shorts, light trousers, sundresses. Only once (for Christmas) someone wore stilettos and smart dresses. Rested mostly Russian - 80%. A few Germans, a few Czechs and English, one family from Kyiv. This hotel is designed for families. There is no youth (they will go crazy from boredom there). There is nothing for one person to do either - no animation, no entertainment. The territory is green and cozy, the kids get high - a huge pool with a paddling pool and a jacuzzi. Goldfish swim in ponds. The climate is very mild - it is almost impossible to get burned. Chipmunks run around the territory (they gnaw on wooden beams on the balcony and furniture, if someone did not close the door on it. BEWARE of local crows!! ! When having breakfast or lunch in an open restaurant, do not leave mobile phones or room keys on the table - crows steal them (while you are choosing a meal)!! ! Twice a week they bring an elephant - everyone is photographed and rides on it (500 rupees). A “young naturalist” walks along the beach with a python, a cobra and a monkey (by the way, it is clean, it even smells like shampoo). The naturalist speaks good Russian, offers to take pictures with his animals (500 - 1000 rupees). Nearby (after 10 steps) hotel "Tangerin" 4 *. The owner is the same, but the difference between the hotels is big, although ours also did not pull on 5 *. In general, the most important thing is that we slept, sunbathed and swam. Rest from noisy Moscow. I used to lie on the couch all day and read books. They can be found in the library near the reception. We often went to the city - sometimes for chips, sometimes for some water. Walk 10-15 minutes. There are many shops with souvenirs, but at the airport (on the way back) souvenirs are much better, better quality and they make a discount of up to 30%. Everything is cheap in jewelry, but you shouldn’t take it for yourself - if only for gifts. The general impression of the island is poverty, backwater, unkemptness!! ! We will not go to Sri Lanka again, because they still don’t understand what service, efficient staff and a clean beach are!!! !