Maps:

Quick Links:

Amazon.co.uk
Lonely Planet
Ceylon Tours
Sri Lanka Travel
Gabo Travels
Travel Sri Lanka
Alanka

Recommended:

Itinerary
Sights

Tours & Sites of Interest

While we do present you with the essential details of the country and the basics of what not to miss, a good travel guide to the country is Lonely Planet. The best place to buy it is off www.amazon.co.uk and we highly recommend it! (New for about £9 and used from £7)

The whole point of travelling is to explore the place at your pace and do as you please so let our recommended sites only be an indication of what we would personally do ourselves. The only obligation is that you will be at the wedding on the 31st March so that day is booked in as a day in Colombo! The rest is all up to you!

A good place to start exploring the possibilities are through various websites, especially www.lonelyplanet.com and www.ceylontours.com as well as www.srilanka.com

For special negotiated rates for local tour arrangements (such as chauffeur driven cars, group van hires, etc) contact Gabo Travels through their website www.gabos.com

Gabo Travels and Ceylon Tours are our principal handling agents locally and we have negotiated special discounts to apply to guests attending the wedding. All you need to do is to proceed with the tour arrangements directly through their websites and when sending in an enquiry form, mention that you will be attending “Yuki & Erik’s Wedding”

Recommended Itinerary

For a one week stay (8nights)

In this case you would most likely forgo the extension to the Maldives just because there’s so much to see in Sri Lanka!

For a two week stay (14nights)

Arrange for an escape to the Maldives for at least 3-4 nights. The price range of resorts is large so you are sure to find something that suits your budget! Resorts in the North and South Male Atolls are the most conveniently located for shorter stays.

Alternatively, extend your stay at one of Sri Lanka’s many beautiful beach resorts along the South and Southwest coasts. (See www.gabos.com, www.ceylontours.com, www.srilanka.com or www.boutiquesrilanka.com) See Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Ahungalle, Galle, Unawatuna.

To get an idea of the different resorts available see the following websites:

www.visitmaldives.com
www.maldives.com
maldives-hotelguide.com

You can either book the hotels directly via the website and have Gabo Travels arrange your Colombo-Male flights or do both hotel and flights through them. They offer deals on some of the resorts which you should look at through their website www.gabos.com.

The cultural triangle in the north: Ideally you would base yourself in Dambulla (a village near Sigiriya which will serve as a good centre point of the cultural triangle) and go on daily excursions to the ancient cities which will allow you to really mix the cultural experience with ultimate relaxation. You would see the cities of Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa & Anuradhapura. You can also enjoy the traditional Ayurvedic treatments at the Culture Club Resort in Dambulla.

Time needed: 2-3 days, the driving time to Dambulla from Colombo is approximately 4 hours

Dambulla
Sigiriya
Polonnaruwa
Anuradhapura

The hill country: The historical capital of Sri Lanka Kandy and the tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya are beautiful sights to see and are a refreshing change from the dry lands of the north and the sweltering heat of Colombo. Another must-see on the way either from/to Colombo depending on the route you take is the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage.

See tea factories, tea plantations, play golf, look at magnificent waterfalls, botanical gardens and winding valleys.

Time needed: 1-3 days, the driving time to Kandy from Colombo being a quick 1,5 hours and a further 3 hours to Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya
Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage
Kandy

The south and the beaches: A trip to Sri Lanka will be incomplete without taking in its beautiful yellow sand beaches, harbour towns dating from the Dutch colonial times and the scenic sunset backed coconut trees.

Time needed: As you like! Some people just linger for a day or two, some people stay for 2 weeks….

See small fishing villages, sunbathe, swim, and visit the turtle hatcheries, colonial architecture and more….

Colombo: Well, what can you expect from a bustling city of over a million people? What must not be missed here is the shopping! The Colombo zoo is passable while some temples may be worth having a quick look at.

Time needed: one day for the wedding and perhaps another day or two for shopping?

What to do in Colombo: As a rough guide, here are the best shops (well, at least the ones Yuki insists on going to and then Erik complaining about how much unnecessary things are accumulating….. but Yuki buying them anyway!!) Don’t worry about how to get to these places. Once you are in Colombo, just ask the cab (or tuktuk) how much they will charge you to get to one of the stores, if its reasonable get in and off you go! If the amount is ridiculous or he says it in US$, then you HAVE to haggle!

ODEL
See www.eodel.com

Yes, good quality clothes at super bargain prices. They also have nice silver jewellery, stationary, home wares, decorations, incense sticks and all those little things girls just love!

Paradise Road

Hmm…paradise for home proud people, so many things to add that special Asian feeling to any home! It’s described as an upscale boutique selling high quality Sri Lankan furnishings and handicrafts. There are two main stores, one with the Gallery Café and other one with just the shop which is larger. Go to both if you have the time!

If you go to the Gallery Café, you will have very good food, coffee and desserts. Highly recommended, one of Yuki’s favourite places in town.

Barefoot
See www.barefootceylon.com

Anything but! This is THE place to go for cloth and even more handcrafted items. The café outside is also very tranquil, you can almost forget that you’re in the centre of Colombo!

For other things like tea and jewellery

In addition to these shops you will find a thousand others in 3 of the malls (Majestic City, Liberty Plaza and Crescat) and we will leave the exploring up to your energy levels. Should you want to buy Ceylon tea (and it’s definitely worth it) head to either Tea Tang or Mlesna.

As for jewellery, head to one of the larger well-known shops like Zam Gems or Careem Jewellers who have branches in the Hilton Hotel. If you know your stuff, then you can go to other gem merchants as well!