MadelineBeeUSA
17 Jun 2021
OH. MY. GOSH. I could write a book about how amazing my experience in Sri Lanka was thanks to Kingfisher Tours. I have traveled to 46 countries and my vacation in Sri Lanka, as a whole, is going to be my most memorable for sure. Unfortunately, I scheduled my trip to Sri Lanka prior to their third lockdown and was traveling through with the lockdown and curfew in place. While I thought this would hinder my experience, Aashik at Kingfisher Tours made sure that I did not miss out on any of the main things I wanted to do and see.
In order to adhere to government restrictions, I was required to stay in level 1 safe and secure hotels. Aashik adjusted the itinerary of the normal 3-day tour through Sigiriya, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya to abide by the restrictions and worked with the government to ensure my visa and itinerary were approved. Upon picking me up from the airport, he showed me the city highlights on the way to the hotel. He had already arranged for my initial PCR test to occur once I arrived at the hotel where I would be quarantined until my negative result. Let me tell you, the Mövenpick Colombo is fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone!
The day after my negative result, I was picked up by my lovely driver Aswar. I cannot say enough good things about Aswar. RECOMMEND HIM when booking your tour. You will not be disappointed! He was so friendly, knowledgeable, funny, kind, and patient with me while I asked dozens of questions about anything and everything. He was a very safe driver and made sure I was comfortable in the car the entire time. Aswar really went out of his way for me during the tour. He picked up on the fact that I was fascinated by the wildlife (monkeys, cows, elephants, horses, birds, etc.) and made sure to stop the car whenever he saw something he thought I may want to take a photo of. As I was traveling alone, he often offered to take pictures of me and had great photography skills! He even stopped at a street vendor and bought me a King coconut, which is native to Sri Lanka.
Due to the lockdown, most of the usual tourist attractions were closed, but Aswar coordinated with a Jeep safari driver to make sure I was able to tour through the jungle since the national park was closed. Nishntha was my driver/guide and told me that he would try very hard to make sure I saw elephants. We saw FOUR wild elephants on our trip through the jungle as well as two different types of monkeys, many different birds, and a ton of cows! I absolutely love animals so this was a total highlight for me! It didn’t end there. We drove through the village and I was able to observe people going about their daily routine. We drove through areas with large rice paddies and stopped near a woman’s land who grew peanuts. Nishntha and Aswar asked her to pull some peanuts for me to look at. Finally, Nishntha arranged for me to have a meal cooked over a fire in the middle of the jungle. Another man aided him in building a fire and lighting makeshift torches (papaya stalks with oil and coconut husk) before a rug was laid down for me to sit on. Nishntha then proceeded to show me the process of pressing out the roti dough onto an oiled leaf before placing it on a cast iron pan over the flame. After it was finished cooking, I added coconut sambol to it and devoured it! Nishntha even brought bananas for me from his home garden. This was such a unique experience that I will never forget! Make sure you ask to take the keep safari with him when you visit!
As stated before, Aswar outdid himself to help me see the sights. I was taken by tuk tuk to the entrance of the Rock Cave and Temple for a completely private tour. I was literally the only person there. The next day, I was driven up to Nuwara Eliya for pictures of the tea plantations, multiple waterfalls, the city, vegetable fields, the horse track, rubber trees, and more. It was the most beautiful drive I’ve ever taken. Aswar was able to point out everything on our way up the mountain and carefully drove us down the mountain, though it was raining very hard at some points. He dropped me off at the airport where I was very sad to say goodbye.
Aashik and I have been in touch since I reached the airport, just so he could ensure everything went smoothly. He was easy to contact the entire time I was in Sri Lanka and helped me navigate the delicate processes of international travel during a worldwide pandemic. Again, BOOK THIS TOUR COMPANY if you are looking to see Sri Lanka and get the most bang for your buck without sacrificing comfort. I will absolutely be coming back, likely next year, and booking my journey through Aashik at Kingfisher Tours.
Thanks again to all of my guides. You truly made this trip magical.