Piccolo miracolo (15 giorni)

We arranged for an extended 17 day Small Miracle tour through Felician, starting in Negombo and ending in Colombo. We were provided a driver and separate guide for the entire trip, both of who did a great job. Felician stayed in contact with me throughout the trip through my mobile phone and was able to address any concerns that we had. In hind sight we would have liked to have stayed in some of the places for an extra night and scale back on the agenda but this was not a fault of Felician or Lakpura, we had agreed to the agenda long before we came to Sri Lanka. When we look back at this trip, almost three weeks after getting back home, we have so many good memories of Sri Lanka and I can recommend Felician and Lakpura for any future travel plans to Sri Lanka.

We had a wonderful time on a 16 day tour around Sri Lanka. We organised through Felician to have an extra day in Negombo at the start of our tour and to also travel by train from Nanu-Oya Railway Station to Ella. Our driver, Lasith was there to meet us when we arrived and provided a wonderful 16 days touring. In Negombo we toured the fish markets and a tuk tuk city tour. Anuradhapura and Sru Maha Bodhi were interesting, with the day being very hot. Onto Dambulla and Sigiriya - you must climb Sigiriya - Lasith was with us both the whole way. Polonnaruwa and Minneriya were wonderful, with Minneriya and the elephants being one of the highlights of our trip. I was looking forward to Kand and Nuwara Eliya, but was disappointed by the crowds (it was Sri Lankan New Year) and the hustle and bustle of the towns. Tuk tuks and cars everywhere. Our itinerary mentioned walking though the streets with their pretty little cottages, quaint villas and beautiful mansions - didn't see many of these.We did a Horton Plains walk, and although Horton Plains is only 29km from Nuwara Eliya, be prepared for a 1.5 to 2 hour drive due to traffic. Onto Yala where we did a half day safari (along with 350 other jeeps). It was then rest time in Hikkaduwa where we had a wonderful stay at the Hikka Tranz. Unfortunately, during our stay, the suicide bombings took place, so we were restricted to our hotel for a day, and on reaching Colombo our city tour was cancelled due to security concerns. During this time, Felician was checking on us and ensuring that everyone was okay. I can't recommend Lakpura highly enough. Felician answered all my questions, and even when things didn't go to plan (such as not being able to get a seat on the train), Lasith did try his best to get us a seat. We had the pleasure of meeting Lasiths family on our way to Colombo and in Colombo, we caught up with Felician. I must mention that entrance costs are not included in these tours, so remember to have sufficient funds to cover these costs. It was also a surprise to find that the entrance costs provided before our trip, weren't always the same cost at the site we were visiting. You will have the choice of 3 or 4* hotels - I suggest 4* as there is a big difference between 3 & 4*. Both Felician and Lasith were great and come highly recommended. Overall a great trip with Lakpura.