Sandun Jayasundara

My guide, Solomon, was always on time and knowledgeable about a site. I was walking on a sore foot and he was sure to help me navigate all steps. However, I had some difficulty understanding his English but I have hearing aids and had trouble understanding many of the Sri Lankans, so I don't know if it was his English or my lack of hearing well. My major complaint was that we had arranged for me to meet a friend of mine in Colombo on the last day of the private tour and we never made it to... read more

My guide, Solomon, was always on time and knowledgeable about a site. I was walking on a sore foot and he was sure to help me navigate all steps. However, I had some difficulty understanding his English but I have hearing aids and had trouble understanding many of the Sri Lankans, so I don't know if it was his English or my lack of hearing well. My major complaint was that we had arranged for me to meet a friend of mine in Colombo on the last day of the private tour and we never made it to Colombo on time to meet him. I really felt that Solomon did this on purpose as I got the impression that he thought my friend was my Gate 1 guide before my private tour and that my friend was encroaching on his territory. Actually, it was someone I had met on a tour in Europe and who had convinced me to visit Sri Lanka. To meet him again was to be a highlight of my time in Sri Lanka and I was very disappointed. Solomon did not know that a boat from Delft Island was canceled, so we had to wait two hours for another boat to leave. He said that there was no place to eat lunch on the island so I was starving but he did find a place that I could buy some cookies. The Big Game Camp was recommended as a place to stay. It was the worse overnight accommodations that I have had anywhere--a tent that was too dark even during the day and the worse place to rearrange items for my flights home the next day. I was not told in advance that the scheduled trip to see the dolphins would require leaving the camp at 5 a.m. in the dark from the dark tent and the trip would have been on a fishing boat, which my friend had warned me was unsafe. I decided to not go on it, which resulted in having my last day on the tour just driving around. The boats going to and from Delft Island was enough of an experience already as they were far from being tourist boats. All in all, my private tour of Northern Sri Lanka was quite an experience, an adventure, though I wish that it had worked out a bit better.

Highlights
• The archaeological sites. The English-speaking guides were excellent.
• Cycling off the beaten track (except for the Horton Plains descent)
• The Temple of the Tooth Relic
• Kandy
• Sri Lankan food- especially at local restaurants
• Mountain scenery
• Horton Plains walk
• Udawalawe Big Game Camp and Safari
• Cycle through Sinharaja forest
• Meeting local people and school kids.

Cycling Guide
Our cycling guide, Manjual, was very hard working, easy going, and a joy to travel... read more

Highlights
• The archaeological sites. The English-speaking guides were excellent.
• Cycling off the beaten track (except for the Horton Plains descent)
• The Temple of the Tooth Relic
• Kandy
• Sri Lankan food- especially at local restaurants
• Mountain scenery
• Horton Plains walk
• Udawalawe Big Game Camp and Safari
• Cycle through Sinharaja forest
• Meeting local people and school kids.

Cycling Guide
Our cycling guide, Manjual, was very hard working, easy going, and a joy to travel with. His organizational skills were excellent, and he responded to unforeseen incidents very well. He was a strong cyclist with good cycle maintenance skills. He was honest and trustworthy, and very resourceful and always concerned about safety. His positive personality is his key strength and he worked hard to make sure we were happy and had a good time.

Driver
Our driver Santha was easy going and a very careful and safe driver. He also helped out on other tasks and fit in with the group very well. A good person to have on a tour and we were happy with him.

Sandun, the trip planner, could not have been more helpful. He answered questions promptly and always courteously and professionally. He helped me through the someone arduous process of securing permits to fly a drone, and made sure that my itinerary included a variety of sites, including temple visits, World Heritage Sites, mountains, valleys, hikes through rice paddies, a safari to see wildlife, and a day at the beach. Many thanks to him and appreciation for all of his hard work. My driver throughout my two-week stay made sure I got to each destination safely without incident.

Having decided to visit Sri Lanka on the way back to Australia after spending Christmas and New Year's Eve in the UK, we investigated options and decided on a slightly modified version of the 12 day Highlights of Sri Lanka tour featured on kimkim's website. Kimkim put me in touch with Sandun from Experiential Journeys, who modified the itinerary to include the Millennium Elephant Foundation and the Hundunugoda Tea Estate, both of which had been featured on an Australian television show we'd... read more

Having decided to visit Sri Lanka on the way back to Australia after spending Christmas and New Year's Eve in the UK, we investigated options and decided on a slightly modified version of the 12 day Highlights of Sri Lanka tour featured on kimkim's website. Kimkim put me in touch with Sandun from Experiential Journeys, who modified the itinerary to include the Millennium Elephant Foundation and the Hundunugoda Tea Estate, both of which had been featured on an Australian television show we'd seen. Having had a great experience a year ago with a holiday in Iceland organised through kimkim , we had high expectations of our Sri Lanka trip, and were not disappointed. On arrival in Sri Lanka, we were met at the airport by our driver and guide, Lakitha, who looked after us very well for the next 12 days.

The itinerary we had chosen included both cultural sites and wildlife experiences, but the highlights were undoubtedly our elephant experiences, firstly at the Millennium Elephant Foundation, which is basically a rescue and retirement home for working elephants who would not survive if released into the wild. We walked around the grounds with Rani, who had a snack and a drink along the way, then some of us chose to help bath her in a stream using coconut husks. This was a much better experience than an old-fashioned elephant ride; better for us, and better for Rani. Almost as good was our early morning wildlife safari in Udawalawe National Park, where we lost count of the wild elephants we saw in their natural environment and an abundance of other beasts and birds.

All of the hotels we stayed at were good to excellent, but the Thambapanni Retreat at Unawatuna deserves special mention. We had mentioned in passing to our guide Lakitha and to the hotel manager that we would be dining at the hotel to celebrate our wedding anniversary. When we came back from a day exploring Galle with Lakitha, our bed had been decorated with flowers and leaves, spelling our a happy anniversary message, which we thought was a nice touch, and when we headed to the restaurant for dinner we discovered that we had a special , beautifully decorated, table setting in the garden adjacent to the restaurant, and we were looked after very well, enjoying a great meal of fresh jumbo prawns, cooked to order, followed by a surprise anniversary cake. We discovered later that Lakitha had mentioned our anniversary to Sandun, who has conspired with the Thambapanni Retreat hotel manager to make our anniversary a special and memorable event.

We usually self-drive when travelling to places like the USA, Europe, UK and Iceland, but we accepted the consensus advice that we'd be better off travelling with a driver/guide, and that turned out to be an excellent decision. Lakitha not only kept us safe on the roads in the face of interesting overtaking manoeuvres by oncoming traffic, but he looked after the details of our site visits, including local guides, and ensured we got the most out of our time in Sri Lanka. He turned a good itinerary into an excellent experience.

Thanks kimkim, and thanks very much Lakitha and Sandun.

Ajith was our guide and he was very good. Loved the walks

Enjoyed Sri Lanka immensely. Beautiful country with charming, friendly, courteous people. Very scenic country with diverse landscapes, interesting cultural experiences. Sandun was very responsive to our requests, very informative about trip planning and willing to adjust the itinerary numerous times as we decided on a final agenda.

The itinerary was excellent as it was varied - however I had mentioned to Sandun that due to relatively recent spinal surgery I did not want to do major hill/rock climbing - this was overlooked. We were instructed by our guide Thilak to climb Lion Rock and trek the Horton's Plains trail. I did manage both excursions however was really worried (freaking out) when climbing to Lion Rock - I was terrified that I would fall. Luckily I had a very helpful guide on the Horton's Plains Trek who helped... read more

The itinerary was excellent as it was varied - however I had mentioned to Sandun that due to relatively recent spinal surgery I did not want to do major hill/rock climbing - this was overlooked. We were instructed by our guide Thilak to climb Lion Rock and trek the Horton's Plains trail. I did manage both excursions however was really worried (freaking out) when climbing to Lion Rock - I was terrified that I would fall. Luckily I had a very helpful guide on the Horton's Plains Trek who helped me negotiate the tricky bits. We did not do the last trek as I felt that I might not make it to the top.
Everything about the trip was memorable - so many wonderful sights were seen - though I guess we really enjoyed the Safaris.
Thilak also added in a few excursions which were good - in particular the Village Visit. Though with these excursions we felt pressure to buy products.
We found the Sri Lankan people to be friendly and welcoming.

Very responsive service and flexible in helping to make arrangements. Would have preferred a number of alternative suggestions along the way, however. We had a very effective driver for the holiday, though a good tip to note is that a driver does not equal a guide. Be careful of your expectations. Our trip involved lots of driving around and several hours each day (almost) in the car. It might be worth considering asking for "upgrade" options for a more comfortable vehicle, when considering such an itinerary (would also have been nice if the specialist had made such options available).

The suggested itinerary was good. The quality of the accommodation was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't have picked it better myself.

The motorcycle hire company "Club Sha Lanka" provided a clean bike that never let me down. There was a US$300 deposit that was required, which I was wary about paying, but glad to say I got it back with no issues.

Communication with kimkim was good, and readily available through my holiday should I needed clarification on anything.

Only gripe -... read more

The suggested itinerary was good. The quality of the accommodation was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't have picked it better myself.

The motorcycle hire company "Club Sha Lanka" provided a clean bike that never let me down. There was a US$300 deposit that was required, which I was wary about paying, but glad to say I got it back with no issues.

Communication with kimkim was good, and readily available through my holiday should I needed clarification on anything.

Only gripe - better directions were / are needed to find the Big Game Safari camp (Uda Walawe). This would have been impossible to find if I didn't have a phone. The manager at the camp very kindly sent a vehicle to come and find me so I could follow him back. There really needs to be GPS coordinates or detail instructions / map provided.

A large part of our trip was really great. We very much enjoyed the ancient sites and safaris. The Ecolodge and hiking in the rainforest were both incredible experiences. We did have a couple things we were quite frustrated with:

Our driver for the most part was good- he got us to where we needed to go safely. I left my wallet at a hotel in a previous city and he arranged to get it back for me which was incredibly helpful. However, he kept bringing us to these terrible tourist traps where he... read more

A large part of our trip was really great. We very much enjoyed the ancient sites and safaris. The Ecolodge and hiking in the rainforest were both incredible experiences. We did have a couple things we were quite frustrated with:

Our driver for the most part was good- he got us to where we needed to go safely. I left my wallet at a hotel in a previous city and he arranged to get it back for me which was incredibly helpful. However, he kept bringing us to these terrible tourist traps where he would get a commission if we bought something. Everything at these places was very overpriced. We wanted to get a carved elephant to bring home with us and he kept refusing to bring us to other places telling us he knew of a better place in Kandy. When we got to the shop we realized it was a scam (with terrible reviews online) and that everything was outrageously priced. He also brought us to places for lunch that would feed him for free for bringing us in. It would have be okay except a few of the places were dirty with bad food and 2-3 times more expensive than normal local places.

We also had an absolutely terrible night at one of the hotels. The hotel was outdated and very dirty. There were stains on our pillows and curtains, hairs in the bed that weren't ours and a dead lizard. We asked hotel to fix this and when we returned to our hotel room the same stained pillows were put back on our bed and the lizard was placed on our table. We have never been treated this way and thought our requests were not at all unreasonable but the staff seemed to be offended at our request? So they left a dead animal on our table. I have been in contact with Sandun about this for the last month and he kept saying he would follow up with the hotel (I was under the impression that we might get a refund or something) but I haven't heard anything which is further frustrating.

Our driver Thasim was exceptional - made an effort to accommodate our requests and suggested other activities we may have been interested in. Went over and above any expectations we could have possibly wished for.
So many great experiences during our trip!

We were particularly happy with our driver, Sandalal. Our 23-day tour from north to south covered a range of cultural, religious, archeological and natural sites and with Sandalal’s knowledge of his country we were able to visit even more than was outlined in the itinerary. Sri Lanka is a truly wonderful experience. Its people and their delicious food enhanced our three weeks even further.

Chaminda was our excellent Tour Guide with Atullah the Coach Driver & Sushi the Luggage/spare driver assistant. They were a top team that just got better & better every day of our intensive tour. Chaminda in particular led the way with a passion for everything about Sri Lanka. His knowledge was v wide & informative & could answer any query !! He couldn't do enough for us often going to a lot of trouble to make sure stays at hotels etc were the best they could be. All of us will recommend him... read more

Chaminda was our excellent Tour Guide with Atullah the Coach Driver & Sushi the Luggage/spare driver assistant. They were a top team that just got better & better every day of our intensive tour. Chaminda in particular led the way with a passion for everything about Sri Lanka. His knowledge was v wide & informative & could answer any query !! He couldn't do enough for us often going to a lot of trouble to make sure stays at hotels etc were the best they could be. All of us will recommend him to anyone we know who'll visit Sri Lanka in the future as we'll be confident they'll be so well looked after by Chaminda.
Brief precis of highlights; Galle Fort & history that set the scene for understanding recent Sri Lankan settlement history. Then because a couple of us had heard about Horseshoe Bay on the way to Yalla Nat Park, the Coach stopped there for a couple of hours. Stunning surf/beach setting.........just idyllic & one of us surfed & another swam out to enjoy a beaut swim. We all liked Ella v much + trek up Little Adams Peak. After that, a short walk to nine arches railway bridge was stunning where we watched train go over. V nice stay at Mountain Heaven too. Sigiriya Rock an outstanding visit. Spent a while there & at the summit. Afterwards a lunch put on by Villagers near a lake in their humble place was a real highlight. At least 8 ethnic dishes cooked over open fire & mostly prepared in front of us, that were delicious.........all of us declared best Sri Lankan meal by far !! Dambulla was good with the Cave Temples. While in Kandy went to an excellent Cultural show in a local hall prior to the Perahara Festival that night. Visit to the Tooth Relic Temple as well as watching all the elephants in the surrounds was great. Visit to Polonnaruwa was good even though v v hot !! Chaminda knew the history so well. We wanted to go to the Pilliwarra Elephant orphanage as a side trip & what a terrific occasion that was !! 3 of us drew tickets to bottle feed elephants, watched up to 40 elephants in river, then they all walked freely right past us in the access lane back to enclosures. Breathtaking !! Finally a drive around Colombo at finish excellent with a stay at Mandarina just beaut.....................best pool ever too on rooftop !!

My trip to Sri Lanka was a true pleasure. I wish to thank my guide, Mark, for his expert care. I felt at ease and well cared for throughout my 10 day stay.

I can't say which region was my favorite to be honest. I traveled in the North and through the cultural triangle. I loved all of it but ,Jaffna, perhaps, stole my heart. I think, because of how much the people have had to endure and have come so far in rebuilding life there.

The beauty of the island is truly amazing. I was greeted so warmly by the people there and I met some forever true friends. Lovely. Thank you.

La was a very attentive guide and good driver. He ensured that we understood the schedule on a day to day basis to enable a smooth routine.
Our schedule was interesting with a good variety of sightseeing and physical activity.

We had a fabulous 5 days in Sri Lanka. The set up of our itinerary by Sandun was expertly done and contact with Sandun was extremely easy. The accommodation choices were super. Each of the hotels chosen were great places to stay and the people there were extremely friendly and accommodating. Our driver/guide, Tony did a fantastic job. We cannot recommend him highly enough. The various places we were taken to along the way were all great places to visit. We thoroughly recommend using Kimkim for any visit to Sri Lanka.

The trip was great, very enjoyable, relaxing and beautiful. I had a wonderful time, the suriya resort was very welcoming, comfortable, and just a nice place to be. The staff were fantastic as were the facilities. My kimkim facilitator Sandun was informative, helpful and patient with me, and made the entire process very easy.

We had a fantastic holiday in Sri Lanka. It is such a diverse country that it is hard to identify a single highlight, but the safari at Wilpattu, the luxury of Tea Trails at Hatton, and Galle were certainly memorable. Sigiriya, Kandy, and Trincomalee were also very enjoyable and interesting.

Our driver, Rukan, was very good. Nothing was too much trouble and he got us where we needed to be safely and in good order. He was knowledgeable about everywhere we went and if he ever didn’t know where... read more

We had a fantastic holiday in Sri Lanka. It is such a diverse country that it is hard to identify a single highlight, but the safari at Wilpattu, the luxury of Tea Trails at Hatton, and Galle were certainly memorable. Sigiriya, Kandy, and Trincomalee were also very enjoyable and interesting.

Our driver, Rukan, was very good. Nothing was too much trouble and he got us where we needed to be safely and in good order. He was knowledgeable about everywhere we went and if he ever didn’t know where he was going we didn’t notice.

The accommodation we booked was always close to what we expected and in some cases much better. Jungle Beach at Trincomalee was very comfortable and restful, Heritance Kandalama was fascinating architecturally, and Tea Trails at Hatton was wonderfully indulgent. We also enjoyed Fort Printers in Galle; it was centrally located and very comfortable.

Our driver Mahesh was great. The van was beeping the entire time, some programming problem. We were in the van a lot and this was very annoying. The hotels were just okay, not 4 or 5 star like we asked. Some of the bathrooms were sub-par. The Colombo hotel was way out for the main city, which was very disappointing! We asked to go to a spa for a massage and they place was not good.