Kimkim Trip Reviews for Sri Lanka

I worked with three different trip specialists (Ramith was at the very beginning), but as always, it was a simple process with a rewarding trip at the end. Loved Sri Lanka and loved the experience there!

Hotel Review

Flameback Eco Lodge

Weerawila

This place is a gem. Such a neat "glamping" experience with beautiful surroundings in a natural Sri Lankan setting. Wildlife galore, and the service was 10/10. We loved it!

Authenticity & Character

Just stay here, and you'll understand!

Location

You feel like you're off the grid, but you have all the amenities needed to be comfortable.

Staff

They think of things you'll need or want before you even think of them or want them. Top notch.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very well kept, clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Morning Safari in Yala National Park

Yala National Park

Lots of great animal sitings! Got to see a rare siting of a sloth bear. :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Beautiful and a must see.

Quality of Experience

10/10 with sites, views and food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had the best driver who had a lot of knowledge and lots of great suggestions. Truly made the trip special for us and went above and beyond.

Transport

No dogs were killed which was all I was worried about. If you've been to this country, you'll understand! Lol

Dhanushka did an amazing job in understanding the sort of trip we were looking for a friend reunion, he was checking in regularly to make sure we were well taken care of and promptly took care of a couple of last-minute accommodation changes. The itinerary was well thought out, the very active parts of the trip at the beginning and then mellowing down towards the end.
Dhanuka, our tour guide was a bright and cheerful face that would greet us every morning as we took off on our excursion (s) for the day. He would check in to see if we wanted to stop by at an attraction that may not have been on the itinerary. He gave great recommendations for food. Dhanuka made the trip very memorable for us, he kept us safe and always gave us a heads up on any do's and don'ts.

I cant recommend Dhanuska and Dhanuka enough for such a well thought out and planned trip!

Dhanuka was an amazing tour guide! So friendly, helpful, and informative. He showed up early for every pick up and was able to accommodate and last minute requests and changes we asked of him. He never stopped smiling and was friendly from the moment he picked us up at the airport until he dropped us off 9 days later. Would recommend him to anyone that is looking to have a relaxing, yet busy Sri Lankan experience.

Dhanuka was an excellent tour guide and made our trip memorable. And Dhanushka did a great job of planning the itinerary for us.

Sri Lanka exceeded our expectations! What a beautiful country with warm, welcoming people. Ajeed was a FABULOUS guide! He is incredibly knowledgeable about Sri Lanka and he tailored the trip to make each day memorable. The UNESCO sites are rich with history. Bandu our driver expertly navigated the busy roads keeping us safe.

Our trip to Sri Lanka was wonderful. Dhanushka was a joy to work with in planning the perfect trip, and he even came to meet us in Colombo. Our guide Ajit and driver Bandu were also fantastic. We went to Colombo, Dambulla, Polonnurawa, Mineriya, Kandy, and the hill country. I think my favorite parts were the elephant safari in Mineriya and the Cave Temples in Dambulla. All of the accommodations were great. It was also very affordable! I highly recommend Dhanushka and Koon Holidays!

Excellent trip and communication. Was my first time booking a trip online and the communication was strong and the airport pickup was smooth. Will visit again. Thank you!

Our chauffeur Kapila was very knowledgeable and flexible on travel times as needed.

Best memories:
* Lounging next to monkeys at the Heritance Kandalama
* Sunrise breakfast at Fox Kandy
* Learning country history at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
* Seeing dozens and dozens of elephants and a few crocodiles at the Udawalawe National Park
* Galle Beach and Galle Fort
* An air-conditioned car (it does get hot in the summer)

Our guides name was Agith, he was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and patient making sure to explain every attraction we visited with meticulous detail. A real pleasure to spend time with. Dhanushka, the trip oraganizer was always available and replied to me messages immediately. We only spent 5 days in Sri Lanka, but we felt like we managed to experience way more.

I had not used Kim Kim prior to booking this trip to Sri Lanka. Shehara was was very flexible when it came to the planning, especially when I came back extending the dates twice.
Our local guide was incredible, he was very knowledgable and was always looking for things for us to see and experience (e.g. for example stopping at a roadside stall for us to try fresh Jackfruit, taking us through the markets in Kandy to try various local delicacies and walking with us to a waterfall in Ella in our downtime so we didn't get lost, none of this was part of the trip plan).
Sri Lanka was an incredible place and we had the best trip, made so by the planning of Kim Kim and he support of our local guide.

Hotel Reviews

Ru Boutique

Kandy

This hotel is in a great location on the lake in Kandy. We had a fantastic room which had a huge balcony overlooking the lake. The hotel has a small pool which was great to have a quick dip. It was fine for us as we think we were the only ones there but it may be harder too use if the hotel was full. We had lunch in the hotel and the portion were large and the food was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

There were a lot of flies in the dining area during lunch and breakfast.

Hide Ella

Ella

Fantastic hotel! The most incredible room down the Ella gap. This hotel is something special. They upgraded our room for our stay. This meant we had a balcony and hot tub to enjoy the room further. The rooms were modern and clean. The pool area was spectacular being surround by jungle. The hotel is well located for everything Ella has to offer and we could not recommend this hotel enough.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kumbukgaha Villa

Sigiriya

Kumbukgaha Villa was a beautiful and serene place to stay. It was the perfect location for visiting Sigiriya Rock and also doing an afternoon safari. We were the only ones staying at the time. We had dinner at the villa the 2 nights we stayed and both nights were treated to a feast of Sri Lankan food. There was definitely no complaining of being hungry. The room was lovely, it had a little terrace out the front with a table and 2 chairs. The bathroom is a private courtyard off the room which has an outdoor shower, sink and toilet. This is completely private and a lovely idea. We went in the pool on both days we were there which was a lovely way too cool down after a busy morning of sightseeing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jetwing Blue

Negombo

We only stayed here one night on arrival. We arrived late in the evening but the staff were very helpful upon arrival. The location of the hotel was very convenient, not far from the airport and right on the beach, it was a lovely place to wake up on the first day of holiday. The cleanliness of the room was ok but the spare pillows in the wardrobe were dirty and there were a lot of ants around. Breakfast was quite an extensive buffet and it was great to be able to try different things. From the hotel we went to the local fish market with our guide and also had a walk on the beach before departing.

Authenticity & Character

This is more of a chain hotel so it did not have as much character as the other hotels we stayed in

Location

Lovely beachside location

Staff

Staff were friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overall the cleanliness was fine, there were however spare pillows in the wardrobe which we were made aware of. When we looked at these later in the evening they were dirty and there were ants on them.

Taru Villas Rampart Street

Galle

This was a beautiful boutique hotel in the old town of Galle. It only had 4 rooms but we were the only ones here due to it being low season. The room itself was spacious and had a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The bathroom was accessed via the door on the balcony and had a good shower with shampoo, conditioner and body wash. The bed had a mosquito net which the staff pulled around the bed during turndown service. Whilst there were not any visible mosquitos it was still appreciated. We did not use the pool as we were only there 1 night but it looked lovely. Breakfast was freshly made and we opted for coconut rotis with sri lankan curries. All were delicious however there is the option for a western style breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful setting and only 4 rooms makes this an intimate stay.

Location

In the old town of Galle. Walking distance from all the sights.

Staff

Very friendly and could not do enough for you, this was similar to every hotel in Sri Lanka. The people are amazing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely room and spacious balcony.

Activity Reviews

Tour a Tea Plantation & Factory

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Little Adam’s Peak

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Nine arch bridge

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Elephant Transit Home

Sri Lanka

This was my favourite activity. It was lovely seeing all the baby elephants have their milk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Galle

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pay homage to Temple of The Tooth Relic

Kandy

We went in the evening for the ceremony. It was a beautiful thing to see

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Safari at Minneriya National Park

Sri Lanka

Got to see lots of elephants, including baby elephants. We also saw plenty of different types of bird, some buffalo swimming and some lizards.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Fantastic view from the top, spectacular to be standing in a place of such history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights:
- Our driver
- Sigiriya guided tour
- Traditional meal in Dumballa
- Tea factory tour and tasting in route to Sri Padya
- Guided sunrise hike up Sri Padya
- Free time in Galle
- Hotel Welligama

Recommendations:
- Better communication regarding travel duration (too much time in car)
- More transparency regarding how trip fee is being used (hotels, guides, activities, food, etc.)
- Ensure drivers know best route between destinations (fewer kilometers does not always mean fastest route)

Srilanka is a perfect destination; combining nature, beach, cultural sightseeing with people welcoming you with smiling faces. Dhanushka put together a tailored tour helping us out until and after the booking for a great honeymoon vacation. A special mention also goes to our driver, Kapila -a true gentleman and the best chaffeur/guide. He looked after us and watched out for our well-being throughout the 10 day period. He was always on time and ready when needed. Would definitely recommend.

Activity Reviews

Safari in Udawalawe National Park

Udawalawe

Was not lucky to see a leopard in the safari; but an overall satisfactory experience. Close encounters with a lot of elephants, crocodiles and many types of birds.

Visit to Peradeniya Botanical Garden

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Diyaluma Waterfall

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time in Sri Lanka. Dhanushka has been an amazing help in planning the trip, and he was always reachable and responsive, he made sure to make regularly check-up on us, and accommodating to every request we had.
Our guide and chauffeur Priyantha was also great, he was very flexible in accommodating our asks, and he always suggested ways and activities we can enhance our trip, he was also very knowledgeable of Sri Lanka’s history and culture, and of the best rest-stops and restaurants while on road trips.

Sri Lanka is truly the wonder of Asia, it has amazing nature, culture, and food. We specifically enjoyed the Village Trip nearby Kandalama, which was like a trip in time, Horton Plains and Tea Production nearby Nuwara Eliya, and the Spices experience.

Sri Lanka people are very friendly, weather it is the hotel staff, or tour guides, or a random you are meeting at the street. The food is very delicious and has many varieties, and the fruit is as fresh as you can get.

Activity Review

Rural Village Trail in Habarana (Cycling, Boat Trip & Lunch)

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was breathtaking....We were met at the airport in the middle of the night by Ruwan who was to be our fantastic, knowledgable and generous driver and guide throughout our 16 day trip. I highly recommend to ask for him specifically. He made sure entries into all the sites went smoothly and he was a safe and careful driver on very tricky roads. We were greeted at the hotel at 3am with fresh juice and a lovely hotel team. Next morning we met Ishan who was our amazing guide as well, predominantly but not only , when we were on our bicycles which was up to 6 hours a day. He cycled us, a party of 4 - 50 something old parents and 2 strapping 20 something old sons, through the gentle quiet roads, through forests pointing out all kinds of stunning scenery, the magnificent birds that he knew by name, up and down hills and through jungles. All are requests for what we were interested in...mainly the Sri Lankan life and as little as possible touristy places, were met gracefully. Every evening we sorted out the route for the next day....exactly according to our ability, interests and his advice regarding the best path, scenery. Both Ruwan and Ishan I can recommend very highly for their unfaltering reliability, knowledge, humor, kindness and understanding....The hotels were all superb...quiet places that all provided breakfast on the go and a wonderful dinner. We particularly enjoyed the camp sites in the countryside with fabulous views and our own lake to canoe in. Yasantha was in touch with our guides throughout and had been in touch all the time as we planning...with patience and understanding helping us plan our trip and with irreplaceable advice. I recommend everything about the trip.....Even after the trip was over our wonderful guides offered unlimited support to our son who stayed in Sri Lanka another 2 weeks. We would like to thank all of the kimkim team that provided the platform for Yasantha Ishan and Ruwan and for a life long memorable holiday.

Hotel Reviews

Fairview Hotel

Colombo

Very convenient and quiet in the midst of busy Colombo...Very comfortable and clean. Relaxing...perfect place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lady Hill Hotel

Galle

Very interesting renovated hotel....super staff lovely swimming pool great views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Big Game Camp - Udawalawe

Udawalawe, Angunakolapelessa

Ecocamps are a must for any trip in Sri Lanka....they are outstanding....on everything....

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blue Magpie Lodge

Sinharaja

Loved it. Great large room. Beautiful surrounds. Very kind staff and great food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kinchigune Adventure Camp

Belihuloya

Camping for real in the heart of the country surrounded by birds, monkeys. The guy who runs the place was fantastic, welcoming and knowledgable. And the lake was incredibly warm and we could swim and canoe. Breathtaking scenery and wild life....birds, buffalo, dear....

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Camping with all its charm!

Lake View Comfort Bungalow

Nuwara Eliya

Unexpectedly unique place. Lovely staff cooked us a delicious meal. Great scenery all around us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thilanka Hotel

Kandy

Stunning room. Great views....lovely dinner including live music and European food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amaara Forest

Sigiriya

Loved it. Lovely rooms Beautiful surroundings, cool refreshing pool. Great service. Nearby lots of historical sites at Sirygia.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Big Game Camp -Wilpattu

Wilpattu

Middle of the jungle, camping in incredible style. Fantastic dinner and night nature walk....unforgettable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Morning Star Resort

Negombo

Loved it, great garden lovely dinner perfect swimming pool

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just a short ride from the airport. Quiet steet

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cycling Trail in the backyards of Sigiriya

Sigiriya

Ishan was a wonderful cycling guide and was the best we could have imagined. He fulfilled our dream of a cycling holiday....we cycled through villages, past lakes with countless birds, though forests and jungles and even through bustling towns...always with our warfare and satisfaction foremost in his thoughts....thank you

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Tour in Colombo

Colombo

Ruwan took us on a fascinating tour of the city. Memorable, interesting and diverse. Help us with some lasting minute shopping as well making sure we got a good deal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing trip and were able to see so much in five days with a full itinerary. Our driver guide Kapila was an amazing driver and we always felt very safe. He also went out of his way to give us all the great and special experiences we wanted to make this a most memorable trip. Our tour operator Dhanushka was very professional and accommodating and helpful in order to make sure we received the best trip possible with the most positive and enjoyable experiences. Very well planned five full days of sightseeing. The people we interacted with were all extremely friendly and the staff at the hotels were very kind and helpful and provided excellent service. Our boat trip on Athena lake was peaceful and gorgeous. Our rafting trip on Kelani River was loads of fun with gorgeous views, We purchased an optional additional lunch which was a traditional wood fire cooked meal in a mud/coconut leaf constructed bungalow and was a very unique experience. To walk among the ancient historical sites that we visited was just awesome. Our elephant safari was magical. We saw so many elephant families with babies up close to our jeep and even saw elephants along the highway! Loved the beautiful scenery while driving through the forests, country side and mountains and the bustling towns as well. We also saw lots of monkeys during our trip which we enjoyed watching up close. The cultural show with traditional Kandyan dance was fabulous! So many highlights from our trip that we couldn’t have asked for a better itinerary and are so happy we booked with KimKim and the local tour company who gave us this amazing trip that we will never forget! We only wish we had more time to see more of this beautiful country. Been wanting to visit Sri Lanka for so many years and am happy to finally have experienced this wonderful destination. Was a long flight to get here (20 hours) but was more than worth it! Thank you for the memories!

Activity Reviews

Rain forest trail in Kitulgala

Sri Lanka

We did not do this activity due to the rain and did the river rafting instead which was beautiful and so much fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Kandy: Temple of the Sacred Tooth visit

Kandy

Quality of Experience

Transport

Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sri Lanka

Unbelievable! It’s a climb to the top but they help and it’s worth the climb!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Safari in Minneriya National Park

Sri Lanka

Magical!!! So many wild elephants up close and lots of babies. Other animals like deer and monkeys and lots of birds and eagles too!

Quality of Experience

Lo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Ancient Polonnaruwa

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Vehicle & Driver

Sri Lanka

Kapila is an excellent driver! Very safe and showed us everything we wanted to see and take pictures of

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening boat ride in a catamaran & BBQ dinner

Sri Lanka

Very beautiful and peaceful boat ride along the calm waters of the lake followed by a lovely outdoor dinner poolside

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Dambulla Cave Temple Complex

Sri Lanka

Very impressive!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Enjoy a Refreshing Snack at a Roadside Food Stall

Sri Lanka

Quality of Experience

King coconut water stop and watching the monkeys

Transport

Colombo Lotus tower visit

Colombo

Quality of Experience

Transport

Explore Lively Colombo

Sri Lanka

Transport

Picked us up in early morning from airport so we could check in and rest before our tour later in the afternoon

Our guide was the absolute best. We were so lucky to have him and all arrangements were as promised Everything went very smoothly and could not have asked for more. The people at all the hotels were so kind and couldn’t do enough for us. The whole experience was amazing.

We did a 2 weeks round trip of Sri Lanka with KimKim. Everything was perfectly organized by our agent Yasantha. Our driver Denver was the best. Very good and safe driver. He showed us all the special places and hidden waterfalls, knows the good local restaurants and the best Nature Guides. There was daily follow up between Yasantha and Denver to make sure everything went ok. Even when we wanted to make changes to the trip, Yasantha arranged it immediately. When another lockdown was announced there were some places that we couldn’t visit. Even the same day they made other arrangement to replace these activities.
The nature guides of EcoTeam are excellent. They can spot you any animal or bird.
We had an exceptional trip : all the main tourist areas and parks we visited as the only foreign tourist. It is safe to travel during corona.
I can fully recommend KimKim as an agent. We actually are arranging our next trip with them.

We had an amazing trip to Sri Lanka. Mohit, our agent, was very attentive to our requests and planned a great schedule for us. All arrangements including hotels, transportation and sightseeing trips were wonderful. Our guide and driver, Mr Assange, was really good, a careful driver but engaging and reliable. We will definitely be using KimKim again.

We were delighted with our Sri Lanka trip. The organization was great and when we were dissatisfied with one of our hotels, Yasantha quickly made alternate arrangements that were perfect. Our guide/driver, Kumar added to the overall enjoyment of our visit to Sri Lanka. He is an excellent reflection on the Kim Kim operation, along with Yasantha.

There are too many highlights to cover. We REALLY enjoyed the Horton Plains hike; and, of course, Sigiriya, and the cave temples of Dambulla.

Our guide/driver LaLa was very professional, always on time and drove with great care. The hotels recommended were excellent throughout. We restricted ourselves to the southern part of Sri Lanka which worked well for us as distances between our stops were short but take a long time. We spent a long time sitting in the car where every town looked the same. Sri Lanka is very green and surprisingly to us very clean unlike other similar countries. The people throughout were fabulous, happy smiling faces greeted us everywhere. We enjoyed a lovely holiday, well and efficiently organised and executed.
Would happily recommend Shalindra in Kim Kim who was patient and very efficient in helping us plan this memorable trip.
Best wishes to all.

Great trip and guide and local people who provided services as per the plan

Hotels all good with one exception on the last night when a local disco partied all night preventing sleep. This should have been known easily by Kim Kim with a little bit of research into reviews of the hotel by other people. This hotel should NOT be used again. Very disappointed that our trip conclude on this sour note