Your rating of this hotel:
4.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
4.0
Service:
4.0
Cleanliness:
5.0
Food:
5.0
Amenities:
4.0
It is necessary to write a review about Sri Lanka after resting from the road! Such a long journey and overcoming four time zones is not such an easy fate even for trained travelers. And it is not known what is better - a non-stop flight or "grounding" in the UAE area. We - a corporate party of 14 Ukrainians - flew Fludubai. I was not afraid of the "low-cost hunger" and short connections, and, I must say, we did not lose - everything is convenient. In the Emirates, we managed only a little and a chocolate bar from a dutik, we flew to Colombo using a navigator - a route map built into the backs of the seats. Ceylon met us with a morning slumber, the airport - with an orange Buddha in a lotus position with some intricate finger gesture. We paid $25 for a visa, got our luggage and started…
Met as many as four people (what an honor, I thought). Then I realized that everything in Lanka has a bunch of freeloaders who want to receive dividends from any commercial action.
In general, one held a sign, another guide (about him separately), the third driver, and the fourth brought our suitcases in and out of the bus. The last three accompanied us throughout the entire period of the excursion program, which, like the rest on the ocean, was provided by the host CONCORD EXOTIC VOYAGERS. The bus was decent, and even left-hand traffic, coupled with a complete lack of traffic logic, did not spoil the impressions. Since we arrived at half past five in the morning local time, the capital was found sleeping.
Our path immediately lay on Sigiriya - the most physically difficult excursion. Two days merged into one, but endless. We had breakfast in a restaurant, rather modestly and not tasty. As it turned out later, it didn’t taste good to us. We are accustomed to soft, moist, not spicy and salty food, and the Sri Lankans, due to the climate, to dry, very spicy and not salty. The taste and color.
Only four out of fourteen climbed to Sigiriya, souvenir shops under the mountain (do not rush - it will be cheaper further). Our nice guide ingenuously (like most Sri Lankans) tried to warm up the tourists on the entrance tickets included in the price of our tour (they say, if you can’t climb, why enter the territory - it’s better to look from afar). We gently but firmly declined the offer, wandered under the mountain and selected tickets with a video presentation - the discs are wonderful. We spent the night in Sigiriya Village and this is the best of all the hotels in which we later lived. Dinner struck with pineapples and bananas - these ingredients are present in unlimited quantities in all restaurant menus.
In the morning there was Dambulla, where we climbed the mountain for a long and hard time (taking into account the heat, tropical humidity and poor fitness). Buddha is a good God.
This became clear on the third ascent to the next temple))) There - barefoot, you can wear footprints or socks, but then you have to redeem your shoes left under the temple for money! In general, we quickly got used to trying to cheat crazy white tourists for money. And yes, you don't need to pay large sums. Honest efforts not to stand with your back to the Buddha were not always successful - in some places the statues of God stood in a round dance, and no matter how you stand up, you will definitely offend someone. Well, yes, if you are respectful, then everything will work out. We saw mass monkeys only in Kandy, we did not particularly try to feed them, warned of their unpredictability. There are even signs on the balcony doors at the Hill Top Hotel in Kandy warning not to abuse the balcony to avoid monkey infestations.
By the way, learn English or stock up on phrase books - a good school base is enough, good English, on the contrary, can confuse any Sinhalese (southern resident). We simply did not encounter Tamils (northern). In the Kandyan Spice Garden, succumbing to the general hype, we scored a hell of a lot of Ayurvedic products. Then, the same thing, but ten times cheaper, we found in another garden and another pharmacy, which was literally opposite our beach hotel Club Koggala Village. They also found handicraft, but pretty decent leather shoes and awesome bags, there are also wooden handicrafts. Do not rush to buy puzzles, elephants and masks in one place - they are all identical in many stores in the country and even in Galla itself and the surrounding area.
The batik factory is beautiful, but expensive. The same batik, but cheaper in various shops and shops. It is also cheaper at Colombo airport.
For example, I bought a large-sized shirt for my husband at the factory for 40 bucks, and in Colombo near the dutik for 30.
Now about Club Koggala Village. In the hotel there is a representative of the meeting party, a sociable young man named Max, who, in principle, does not refuse to help anyone from Russian speakers. The hotel is dominated by Germans (burghers), but there are so many of them everywhere that you want to go to Germany and quickly capture it while there is no one there. We had an all inclusive, which meant: breakfasts, lunches, dinners, tea and coffee with biscuits in the form of an afternoon snack + all alcoholic and non-alcoholic (except foreign) drinks in the bar, open until midnight. The rooms have beds, bedside tables and tables on stone pedestals, air conditioners and ...everything. One bar of soap per stay. The change of bed looked like literally a change of sides of a dirty sheet according to the principle "where the legs were - now the head. "
At first there was one sheet for covering, after convincing requests there were two, but after cleaning the second disappeared again. Top dressing with tips did not affect the quality of service, so we left this idea. There was no respect for the towels - either there were two of them, then both were taken away after cleaning, then they were brought three times two at a time and there were six of them. Sunbeds are occupied in the morning, they are all near the pool, because it is impossible to swim in the open ocean. Its power and greatness can be felt only in practice, so I’ll just repeat - it’s impossible. It's easier in the lagoons, but even better in the pool. The pool is chlorinated by the simple method of pouring bleach into it from a mug, but this did not spoil the impression. Tukers act as intermediaries in trade - a local mafia on wheels, in comparison with which our "Zborov" boys are just small children.
Do not drink with beach boys (beach boys) and tukers (local carriers) or otherwise bring them closer to you. We are mentally different and it is dangerous. The fact of the transaction is considered to be a “strike on the hands”, as in English colonial law (a former colony, after all). In principle, if there is reason and tact, everything will be fine.
Now about the prices: the “red” price of a tuk-tuk trip to Galla is 500 Sri Lankan rupees (for convenience, remove the last two signs and get the equivalent in dollars), do not neglect the telephone numbers of tuk-tuk and experienced advice - this will save you money. For example, I had a wonderful boy named Chathu (Chatu), tel. : +94711755198. Communication looked somewhere like this: “Hello, Chatu! Ai liv in ze Koggala Village, ai yon tu go tu ze Galla. ” The answer is also not intricate - something like "ten minits". And ten minutes later you find a green tuk-tuk and a driver in a red cap at the exit of the hotel.
Specify the name, immediately agree on the price of the trip there and back (I repeat - 500 rupees) and go. Tuker is waiting for you or arrives at the time you have appointed, offers options for routes - do not refuse, sometimes it can be interesting and does not affect the price if you have agreed in advance. If in doubt, it's best to ask again on the way if a deviation from the route will cost you more. There are also fixed prices in Lanka. For example, for coconut - 50 rupees, magnets - from 200 rupees or $ 2. Tea in any market, but in the Mlesna brand store in Kandy I liked both the prices and the choice. Wooden products, fakir pipes, coconut rattles, wooden puzzles, souvenir plates, fans on a stick and Buddha figurines are a common set of tourist purchases. Jewelry with stones in different versions is everywhere. For example, I bought a silver ring with a large bloody garnet for 80 bucks, a leather bag with elephants for 40.
My conclusion: the formula first excursion, and then the hotel is the best option. We experimented with buying excursions at the hotel and realized that it was not right.
My main conclusion: Lanka is beautiful, the song is about Chung-Chang, where it is constantly)) - entirely about Lanka. It is all covered with greenery - absolutely all. So far, the Sri Lankans are leisurely amateurs, thinking little in the service. But why - they have everything. However, after Lanka, I want to open the Internet and read the history of the country - both the colonial and the civil war period. And, of course, learn more about Buddhism. It is impossible to forget Lanka, and it will certainly be pleasant to live with such memories. My phone: 050-307-14-99. There will be questions - I will try to answer, although my opinion, like any other, is subjective. Happy travels!
Met as many as four people (what an honor, I thought). Then I realized that everything in Lanka has a bunch of freeloaders who want to receive dividends from any commercial action.
In general, one held a sign, another guide (about him separately), the third driver, and the fourth brought our suitcases in and out of the bus. The last three accompanied us throughout the entire period of the excursion program, which, like the rest on the ocean, was provided by the host CONCORD EXOTIC VOYAGERS. The bus was decent, and even left-hand traffic, coupled with a complete lack of traffic logic, did not spoil the impressions. Since we arrived at half past five in the morning local time, the capital was found sleeping.
Our path immediately lay on Sigiriya - the most physically difficult excursion. Two days merged into one, but endless. We had breakfast in a restaurant, rather modestly and not tasty. As it turned out later, it didn’t taste good to us. We are accustomed to soft, moist, not spicy and salty food, and the Sri Lankans, due to the climate, to dry, very spicy and not salty. The taste and color.
Only four out of fourteen climbed to Sigiriya, souvenir shops under the mountain (do not rush - it will be cheaper further). Our nice guide ingenuously (like most Sri Lankans) tried to warm up the tourists on the entrance tickets included in the price of our tour (they say, if you can’t climb, why enter the territory - it’s better to look from afar). We gently but firmly declined the offer, wandered under the mountain and selected tickets with a video presentation - the discs are wonderful. We spent the night in Sigiriya Village and this is the best of all the hotels in which we later lived. Dinner struck with pineapples and bananas - these ingredients are present in unlimited quantities in all restaurant menus.
In the morning there was Dambulla, where we climbed the mountain for a long and hard time (taking into account the heat, tropical humidity and poor fitness). Buddha is a good God.
This became clear on the third ascent to the next temple))) There - barefoot, you can wear footprints or socks, but then you have to redeem your shoes left under the temple for money! In general, we quickly got used to trying to cheat crazy white tourists for money. And yes, you don't need to pay large sums. Honest efforts not to stand with your back to the Buddha were not always successful - in some places the statues of God stood in a round dance, and no matter how you stand up, you will definitely offend someone. Well, yes, if you are respectful, then everything will work out. We saw mass monkeys only in Kandy, we did not particularly try to feed them, warned of their unpredictability. There are even signs on the balcony doors at the Hill Top Hotel in Kandy warning not to abuse the balcony to avoid monkey infestations.
By the way, learn English or stock up on phrase books - a good school base is enough, good English, on the contrary, can confuse any Sinhalese (southern resident). We simply did not encounter Tamils (northern). In the Kandyan Spice Garden, succumbing to the general hype, we scored a hell of a lot of Ayurvedic products. Then, the same thing, but ten times cheaper, we found in another garden and another pharmacy, which was literally opposite our beach hotel Club Koggala Village. They also found handicraft, but pretty decent leather shoes and awesome bags, there are also wooden handicrafts. Do not rush to buy puzzles, elephants and masks in one place - they are all identical in many stores in the country and even in Galla itself and the surrounding area.
The batik factory is beautiful, but expensive. The same batik, but cheaper in various shops and shops. It is also cheaper at Colombo airport.
For example, I bought a large-sized shirt for my husband at the factory for 40 bucks, and in Colombo near the dutik for 30.
Now about Club Koggala Village. In the hotel there is a representative of the meeting party, a sociable young man named Max, who, in principle, does not refuse to help anyone from Russian speakers. The hotel is dominated by Germans (burghers), but there are so many of them everywhere that you want to go to Germany and quickly capture it while there is no one there. We had an all inclusive, which meant: breakfasts, lunches, dinners, tea and coffee with biscuits in the form of an afternoon snack + all alcoholic and non-alcoholic (except foreign) drinks in the bar, open until midnight. The rooms have beds, bedside tables and tables on stone pedestals, air conditioners and ...everything. One bar of soap per stay. The change of bed looked like literally a change of sides of a dirty sheet according to the principle "where the legs were - now the head. "
At first there was one sheet for covering, after convincing requests there were two, but after cleaning the second disappeared again. Top dressing with tips did not affect the quality of service, so we left this idea. There was no respect for the towels - either there were two of them, then both were taken away after cleaning, then they were brought three times two at a time and there were six of them. Sunbeds are occupied in the morning, they are all near the pool, because it is impossible to swim in the open ocean. Its power and greatness can be felt only in practice, so I’ll just repeat - it’s impossible. It's easier in the lagoons, but even better in the pool. The pool is chlorinated by the simple method of pouring bleach into it from a mug, but this did not spoil the impression. Tukers act as intermediaries in trade - a local mafia on wheels, in comparison with which our "Zborov" boys are just small children.
Do not drink with beach boys (beach boys) and tukers (local carriers) or otherwise bring them closer to you. We are mentally different and it is dangerous. The fact of the transaction is considered to be a “strike on the hands”, as in English colonial law (a former colony, after all). In principle, if there is reason and tact, everything will be fine.
Now about the prices: the “red” price of a tuk-tuk trip to Galla is 500 Sri Lankan rupees (for convenience, remove the last two signs and get the equivalent in dollars), do not neglect the telephone numbers of tuk-tuk and experienced advice - this will save you money. For example, I had a wonderful boy named Chathu (Chatu), tel. : +94711755198. Communication looked somewhere like this: “Hello, Chatu! Ai liv in ze Koggala Village, ai yon tu go tu ze Galla. ” The answer is also not intricate - something like "ten minits". And ten minutes later you find a green tuk-tuk and a driver in a red cap at the exit of the hotel.
Specify the name, immediately agree on the price of the trip there and back (I repeat - 500 rupees) and go. Tuker is waiting for you or arrives at the time you have appointed, offers options for routes - do not refuse, sometimes it can be interesting and does not affect the price if you have agreed in advance. If in doubt, it's best to ask again on the way if a deviation from the route will cost you more. There are also fixed prices in Lanka. For example, for coconut - 50 rupees, magnets - from 200 rupees or $ 2. Tea in any market, but in the Mlesna brand store in Kandy I liked both the prices and the choice. Wooden products, fakir pipes, coconut rattles, wooden puzzles, souvenir plates, fans on a stick and Buddha figurines are a common set of tourist purchases. Jewelry with stones in different versions is everywhere. For example, I bought a silver ring with a large bloody garnet for 80 bucks, a leather bag with elephants for 40.
My conclusion: the formula first excursion, and then the hotel is the best option. We experimented with buying excursions at the hotel and realized that it was not right.
My main conclusion: Lanka is beautiful, the song is about Chung-Chang, where it is constantly)) - entirely about Lanka. It is all covered with greenery - absolutely all. So far, the Sri Lankans are leisurely amateurs, thinking little in the service. But why - they have everything. However, after Lanka, I want to open the Internet and read the history of the country - both the colonial and the civil war period. And, of course, learn more about Buddhism. It is impossible to forget Lanka, and it will certainly be pleasant to live with such memories. My phone: 050-307-14-99. There will be questions - I will try to answer, although my opinion, like any other, is subjective. Happy travels!
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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