Rikaz Mohamed

We had heard great things about Sri Lanka from friends, but our trip was still full of surprises! The planning was smooth, with Rikaz helping us make changes when we realized we had a bit more time. When we were actually on the ground, Dan helped with everything, and the whole trip went off without a hitch. The whole family enjoyed the mix of adventure and relaxation, from hiking up the fortress of Sigiriya to walking the southern beaches... to having to maneuver the van when a wild elephant decided to cross the road. It's a must-do!

Had a wonderful experience in Sri Lanka thanks to Rikaz’s help with planning the itinerary. The cost was also very reasonable considering it took the stress off researching and booking our own hotels and tourist sites to visit.

The trip to Yala National Park was so memorable - we saw elephants, so many bird species, crocs, deer and the elusive leopard. The safari lodge that was booked for us was also wonderful. Beautifully designed, nice pool to swim in after long rides on the safari jeep and with all the amenities we needed. Service was top notch and the food was so yummy!

Our stay in Mirissa was great too - the beachfront Lantern Boutique Hotel had beautiful crashing waves at its doorstep 24/7 and the beach was a short drive away. There were local family owned eateries where we had authentic Sri Lankan food and a delicious grilled seafood dinner by the beach.

The itinerary was well thought out and our amazing driver Aruna also took the initiative to bring us to additional places on request. We went to a turtle hatchery, elephant sanctuary, wood carving demo, snorkeling with turtles, whale watching and more!

I would definitely recommend Kim Kim for your next vacation!

We are particularly grateful to our guide, Aruna, for his professionalism and his kindness. By leading us on this journey, he helped us discover a magnificent and endearing country, making this experience a memorable one. A perfectly organized and easy stay with unique hotels.
Our best visits/activities: Dambulla cave temples. treks in nature, breathtaking landscapes, flying Ravana, cooking a curry in a village garden, train journey between Kandy and Ella, elephant orphanage, crossing paths with wild elephants in different places.

Hotel Reviews

Jetwing Lake

Dambulla

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kandyan Manor Homestay

Kandy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hide Ella

Ella

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ginganga Lodge

Bope

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Centara Ras Fushi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore the Dambulla Cave Temples

Sri Lanka

My wife and I spent a wonderful six days on tour across Sri Lanka with Dami (Daminda Bandara). I think we drove a little under 700 miles. Everything went very well: we saw lots of magical sites, ate delicious food, and engaged in exciting activities. The tour was very well planned.

Dami was a fantastic tour guide and driver. He is outgoing and friendly, and a very enjoyable travel companion. A proud Sri Lankan, Dami provided us a good history of his native country and of the various sites we visited including Sigiriya Rock, various temples, and a game drive. He is also an expert on native birds and could identify even the smallest birds from a distance. Impressive!

Throughout our tour Dami was an attentive guide and a good listener. On his advice we switched things up on the tour agenda so that we could climb Sigiriya in the cooler morning rather than the heat of the day. Dami learned we liked various foods, e.g., beetroot and chocolate, and he made sure we got to try some Sri Lankan beetroot curry and chocolate. Dami also pulled over on our drive to show us various sites and locals at work. For example, we stopped to see how coconut oil is made.

During our climb and descent of Sigiriya Rock Dami was very helpful to my wife who was leery of the uneven and gravel-covered steps.

Dami ensured we were well fed with high-quality food throughout the trip. All the lunch sites at which we stopped were delicious. One lunch might well be the best meal we will have had this year, at the Old Palm House in Galle.

Importantly, Dami is a careful driver and ensured that we were safe throughout the trip.

Overall, we give Dami the highest rating and would whole heartedly recommend him to others as a top-notch tour guide.