2 independent reviews for Sri Lanka tailor made tour & Maldives holiday
Reviews for Sri Lanka tailor made tour & Maldives holiday
Steve Harridge review 9 Dec 2021
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Swimming with the reef fish at the Dhigali Resort in the Maldives, absolutely excellent2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Aleem was very good, particularly when Turkish Airlines made some serious mistakes at Istanbul Airport. Aleem was very good with support, even though he hadn't booked these flights. If you're going to the Maldives, don't go too cheap. Go for an inclusive package, something we have never done before, because we don't normally 'do' that sort of trip, but the cost of things on an isolated island will be expensive if you break the cost down, and it will detract from the enjoyment of the vacation (or it would have done with me!)3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Other than providing employment and, in the case of Sri Lanka, injecting some extra cash into an economy hard hit by the pandemic (although you could say that of British resorts too, which is why we have also supported them), no.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Very good. In this case, it wasn't just being in the sun for a goodly while (and I suppose that going for as long as we did has some environmental benefit in that the damage done by the long-haul flights was spread over a longer period away), getting away from UK in late Nov / early Dec is good, and simply jumping the fence after too long caged up lifted the spirits. The trip started badly because of Turkish Airlines and we will never travel with them again because their ground staff are more or less brain dead (their flights were fine) but the administrative hassle, with both them, and the post-Covid malarkey, was hard work and was only fun (more as a challenge) after the event.Jane Meesters review 3 Mar 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Hard to choose, but the visit to the Temple of the Tooth was fascinating - as was the Navam Perahera festival in Colombo (an add on - it wasn't mentioned by the tour company but I found out about it on the plane out.) And the elephants were wonderful!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Do plenty of research before you go, take the Lonely Planet guide book, a bird book (if that interests you - we saw 98 species!!) and a good map. Make sure you tailor the trip to what you want - it took several goes for us to negotiate the perfect package. Don't try and do too much; journey times are longer that you think! Ask your guide to stop at places where you would like to visit.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I presume entrance fees to national parks support conservation. A couple of the hotels/lodges were going plastic free - but not all. I chose smaller hotels which hopefully benefited small local businesses.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The itinerary was superb overall; a good balance of wildlife, history and culture.. Aleem from the tour operator was very helpful organising everything to suit us. However I heard a few things about the local agent not paying their bills - local people didn't think much of them. The car and accommodation was comfortable. Our guide was helpful and friendly - however his driving was hair raising at times. His spoken English was OK but could have been better. We had asked for an experienced guide knowledgeable about local birds and wildlife - my husband's hobby. Our guide was a 21 year old student, taking time out of college...Holiday Reviews
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