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Sri Lanka travel advice needed

edited January 2010 in General Charlton
Anyone "in the know" have any idea if it's safe to travel there at the moment?
Seem to be getting conflicting opinions on the internet.

And if not, anyone got any good suggestions on somewhere nice and hot to go that's got beautiful beaches, culture and good food?
Needs to be somewhere that myself and my girlfriend have not been, which means that...

Thailand
Malaysia
Cambodia
Vietnam
India
Goa
Mexico

are all out.

Basically we want to go somewhere like Thailand but we're a bit bored of there now.
Bali was our first choice but the very long flights mean it's probably best to go for 3 weeks and we wanted to keep it to just 2.

any thoughts?...

Comments

  • Oh and nowhere that is going to be "Brits abroad" hell.

    Anyone been to Mauritius before?
  • edited January 2010
    [cite]Posted By: dansmudge[/cite]
    Bali was our first choice but the very long flights mean it's probably best to go for 3 weeks and we wanted to keep it to just 2.

    any thoughts?...


    I'm no expert but i'd have thought Bali was one of the least safest places. I guess nowhere is fully safe in this day and age though.

    Bombs
  • Just back from Sri Lanka. Safe as houses to go there. No problems whatsoever.

    Went to mauritius but couldnt tell you what the place is like as didnt leave the resort.
  • edited January 2010
    Have a look at this mate:

    http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/

    The FCO err heavily on the cautious side so I'd say it's fine.

    The Gambia's supposed to be a bit of an up and coming destination, Thomson have started doing holiadys there.
  • [cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]Just back from Sri Lanka. Safe as houses to go there. No problems whatsoever.

    Went to mauritius but couldnt tell you what the place is like as didnt leave the resort.


    Ah, that's great to know, thanks for that!
    Any highlights you'd recommend?
  • edited January 2010
    [cite]Posted By: dansmudge[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]Just back from Sri Lanka.


    Any highlights you'd recommend?


    Yes, coming home!
  • plenty, on the main tourist trails. But i think KBslittle sis is there now and is travelling more extensively than we did. She will recommend more.

    But i enjoyed visiting the elephant sanctuary, spice markets, tea planatations and also taking a train trip as advised by dowman.

    the rest of the time i did fekk all. You're the second person today who asked re going there. I really hope their tourist trade picks up as they have struggled since the tsunami and their internal war problems.

    First race of people I've met who wished the British still ruled as their own governtment appears to be very corrupt but i dont know enough about that just what some of the Sri Lankans i met told me. So i wouldnt say thats correct tho they sounded fairly corrupt. The poor people deserve better.
  • FAO DANSMUDGE

    Srilanka is ok as far as i know check ouot the FCO (Foreign Commonwealth Office) website they give travel advice to exotic places. Never been to Srilanka would love to though. My suggestion would be North Africa i loved it there and somewere like Morocco you can keep the cost down also lots of culture for you and the GF. Or Egypt of course but that might be a bit full of tourists i have been all across N Africa and love it. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Marutania, Mali and Chad strange but wonderful places.
  • Sri Lanka, been there a few times, business and holiday, some of the nicest people I have ever met, fantastic scenery ... and the food is terrific. Fully agree with Curb_It, I hope their tourist trade picks up - they deserve it.

    Mauritius is wonderful, been a couple of times (and back again later this year) plenty to see, and again superb food.
  • DANSMUDGE -Not sure this will help mate but i have added a link below from the FCO website on travel advice about Sri Lanka.

    http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/sri-lanka
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  • Cheers for the help everyone.
  • Dan, can recommend it, great place and very in tourist like, but get there quick before it changes. I would recommend heading east and north as those are the places most hit by the civil war. We went as far north as trincomalee and the people were fantastic, they deserve better. Also some cracking beaches around baticaloa on the east cost that were deserted other than a few army bases at the time. Arugam bay is a weird hippy, surf dude place on south east corner worth a visit. The lake at Kandy and the city of galle are worth a trip. Plus the tea plantations around Ella. Sigiriya is a great trek, but go early in the morning as wasps and heat make it difficult later. But a cracking place with lovely people is what we found 4 years ago. Try and head north as the people were saying it was the most beautiful part of this jewel.
  • Whitstable's quite bracing this time of year.
  • [cite]Posted By: Ru1986[/cite]FAO DANSMUDGE

    My suggestion would be North Africa i loved it there and somewere like Morocco you can keep the cost down also lots of culture for you and the GF. Or Egypt of course but that might be a bit full of tourists i have been all across N Africa and love it. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Marutania, Mali and Chad strange but wonderful places.

    My lad is driving for charity through Western Sahara right at the moment, having driven down from Cornwall on Boxing Day, and through France, Spain and Morocco.

    He should be at the border with Mauritania tomorrow, where they hopefully they have their armed escort to meet them.
    Mauritania is bandit country right now.

    When they get to Bamako in Mali, they donate the car to charity.
    It's auctioned off and the proceeds go to help the local community.
  • As far as 'travel' in Sri Lanka goes I got told by an old work colleague a story I shall now share. How true it is I do not know but this guy had travelled the world and it was such an absorbing story it has stuck with me and I'd now like to know if there is just a shred of truth to it.

    When he was at the airport with his wife and they were getting on the minibus transfer the rep/guide told them that there were going to be roadworks along the route they were taking to their resort, and they were not to be alarmed or to act alarmed if they saw some unusual behaviour going on.

    In short he told him that if Sri Lankan men (this could be restricted to native construction workers, I know and have worked with a few Sri Lankans and never witnessed this) felt the urge, and got the horn, they just flaffed on off where they stood. And there was a very real chance they could see some chaps indulging in self love.


    Meant to be a beautiful country though and would love to go one day, if for no other reason than to put my NRSWA ticket to good use on a road laying gang!!!
  • Indonesia is a good choice and Boracay in Philippines is a nice place to go. If you want any advice, let me know.
  • I backpacked through quite a lot of Indonesia and I wouldnt say it wsa a good choice at all. Although depending on what part you had in mind. I can vouch for Borocay tho. lovely.

    Carter i really dont believe that? the part we stayed in is a strong catholic area and couldnt imagine it. And believe me as i had picked up someone elses bags i went to and from the airport 3 times the morning i arrived and didnt see any self love.
  • [cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]I backpacked through quite a lot of Indonesia and I wouldnt say it wsa a good choice at all.

    You're right, it's a big place and you need to choose well. Didn't you like Bali and Lombok?
  • Yes I did like those too. but was thinking of mainland Indonesia which i found difficult at times and got qute ill. He said Bali is too far anyway.
  • Thanks so much for all the advice everyone.

    After much discussion last night we have decided to just take 3 weeks off and go to Bali at the beginning of Feb.

    I've been looking into the weather at the moment and it seems it's near the end of the rainy season which means the possibility of an hour or so rain in the daytime.
    But it shouldn't mean completely rainy days, can anyone who's been confirm if I'm about right in this?


    (Still very keen on Sri Lanka but that will have to wait till next year.)
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  • i was there in september time so cant. My mate is there at the moment has been since the middle of Dec so will ask him... the lucky swines.
  • [cite]Posted By: dansmudge[/cite]After much discussion last night we have decided to just take 3 weeks off and go to Bali at the beginning of Feb.

    Book yourself a little side trip to Lombok. You won't regret it. You can get a cheap flight (or ferry, if you prefer) between the two islands.
  • Bali - have been a couple of times, once in February. It was very warm, lots of sun, not a bad time to go.

    You might get a couple of thunderstorms but nothing too bad.
  • [cite]Posted By: stonemuse[/cite]Bali - have been a couple of times, once in February. It was very warm, lots of sun, not a bad time to go.

    You might get a couple of thunderstorms but nothing too bad.

    That is exactly what i wanted to hear!
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