Ayurveda at Palm Garden Ayurveda Resort, Sri Lanka

Hello! We're back from Sri Lanka after almost a month there)))) Here are short answers to the questions that bothered me)) 1. Train tickets: it's best to book about a month ahead. They sell online without problems, but they cost more. Standing in +34 heat with no air conditioning (2nd class train) is quite the experience)) 2. You can change money at the airport (how much is up to you). We changed at 307.5 each, then during our trip the rate moved between 304 and 314 rupees. 3. SIM card: Dialog. We bought 50 GB at the airport for 2,500 rupees. It was more than enough. We worked and watched series. In Colombo this plan was 400 rupees cheaper. 4. We visited 5 beaches. The best one, with no waves, is definitely Mirissa, but it's also more expensive. 5. Colombo has no shopping, none at all. We stayed there 2 days and regretted it. The malls are empty. 6. Definitely worth a visit: Ella. It was my favourite. Book a cosy hotel with a mountain view and just walk, walk, walk. 7. Some people recommend Beruwala beach because it's calm with no waves. There are no waves, but the water is murky and swimming is really unpleasant. There are spots near the Cinnamon hotel, but there are waves there too. 8. Alcohol: if you drink strong spirits, BUY DUTY FREE. Maybe some people love local drinks, but unfortunately we didn't. We tried Kalipso and arrack(((. If you like wine, it's around 1,200-1,500 RUB here, with excellent Australian and New Zealand wines. 9. Sri Lanka is expensive compared with India and Vietnam. Multiply by 2. 10. Beautiful nature, beautiful ocean, amazing mountains ❤️ 11. There's an elusive feeling that everyone wants something from you))) But you get used to it quickly 😁 This is a subjective review, and I didn't mean to offend anyone ☺️

A wonderful tour. I finally fulfilled my childhood dream of riding an elephant, and we got to watch them too. A bonus: a little monkey grabbed my finger. I'm usually indifferent to "buildings" (architectural monuments), but the climb to Ambuluwawa was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. And our guide Yasir's surprise was the best. Thank you for not reciting facts from Wikipedia, but showing us the island from the inside, with a more personal and heartfelt approach! We recommend it to everyone! P.S. My wife is still thrilled about the train!

I want to write a review about working with Madu Tour and Olga: We had only 8 days in Sri Lanka, but we managed three tours, and each one left only positive impressions 🤩 The first was a two-day tour, Heart of Sri Lanka. It's a great route, with a wonderful guide and driver. Everything was safe and calm. They showed and explained everything, helped with everything and answered every question. Spending the night at a hotel by the waterfall was an extra bonus 🥰 We recommend it to everyone. The second tour was Galle Fort, a turtle farm with sea turtle feeding, and a jewellery factory. It was excellent! There were only four of us, and we got to see everything. For the third, we booked a private tour (special thanks to Olga for her patience in choosing it): an elephant orphanage and the Royal Botanical Garden. Thank you for the fairytale, Madu Tour! Thanks to all the guides and drivers. Thanks for the photos taken on personal phones!!! For the messages! You're the best, you're super! I wish you prosperity and good clients! We'll recommend you to all our friends! ❤️❤️❤️

My partner and I spent 2 weeks in Unawatuna. At first, Sri Lanka greeted us with rain and total darkness along the coast in the evenings. Not a soul, not one open place. We already thought the holiday would be super boring... However, after a couple of days the rain stopped, people came out onto the streets, it got lively, and we were able to soak up the atmosphere of Sri Lanka. The nature is stunning, though Thailand is still number one! Bargain with the locals. Tuk-tuk drivers try to scam you :) From Unawatuna to Galle, 1,000 rupees is the absolute maximum!!!! Be sure to make the effort to go to the centre of the island, and also visit Galle and Mirissa along the coast. I recommend stopping by these places: ○ Unawatuna: Eco Cafe (run by a girl from California), Wild and the Sage, the best coffee! Definitely visit Turtle Beach 🐢 ○ Mirissa: Peti Peti, a great place with delicious food. And of course, the views. ○ Visit Sigiriya and climb it!!! It's worth it, trust me, whatever anyone says. Paying through the guys' channel was very convenient. I didn't have to worry about cards at all.

Hi everyone! My dream of flying to Sri Lanka came true... I felt such joy, goosebumps all over!)))) Swimming in the ocean is one thing, but a two-day tour is a completely different kind of pleasure!!! I saw the Nine Arch Bridge (gestalt closed 😁), rode the train, bathed with an elephant, fed monkeys, which are very well behaved here 🙈, picked tea on a plantation, climbed Pidurangala to see Sigiriya... I could list things forever. All the places are different, very interesting and educational... and all of this thanks to the best of the best guide, Ishar 🤩. Ishar, you made this tour unforgettable!!!!! Thank you so much for your responsiveness, kindness, attention and individual approach to each member of the trip. You answered all our 100,500 questions, and you didn't recite Wikipedia. Instead, you told us everything in a vivid and incredibly interesting way. Thanks to you, I saw Sri Lanka with completely different eyes, and I'm left with huge impressions!!!!

I lived in Mirissa with my children for 2 months. It's a very welcoming town. The hotel is next to the beach and a shop. I was very worried about going with children because of the lack of hygiene standards and various illnesses. But once I arrived, I immediately relaxed and settled in. (We didn't get any intestinal infections.) I didn't see much wildlife there, which is a bit sad. Sri Lanka is becoming more Europeanised every year, but I'm glad I saw it in its in-between state. I'll definitely come back.

Hello!!!! Of course, you could write a lot about this wonderful country. I'll keep it short. We managed to attend a local wedding, visited people at their homes, and were invited very often. People are friendly, welcoming and always ready to help. This is our 4th visit. What matters most is the mindset you travel with. Those who look for crap will always find it. We loved Sri Lanka. Yes, I lost my phone twice. It fell out in a tuk-tuk. Both times it was returned to me, and they even brought it to the villa. Very honest people.

I want to thank Olga @OlgViza for her quick help with my visa for India. My partner and I applied together for 5-year visas. I was approved while I was in Thailand, but he was not. We were flying out in 5 days. In the end, Olga sorted everything out, and the visa was granted in 3 days, despite a previous refusal and one overstay. Even in our messages, I could feel her confidence in a 100% result. Huge thanks to the whole team! 🔥❤️ It's also great that you can handle urgent cases by simply sending your documents, without having to travel and sort things out yourself 🙏 I definitely recommend you. We still have a thousand nerve cells and plenty of free time :))) P.S. Before Olga, I spoke with 2 other people, and neither of them guaranteed a 100% result!

Huge thanks for the transfer. We booked a car from Pasikuda to the airport. The car arrived early, and the driver was polite. We had a great trip. Cash and card payments are accepted, including international cards. Keep it up 👍

I want to leave a review and thank the organisers for an unforgettable trip to the Heart of Sri Lanka with our guide Ishara. Our adventure began with a visit to the magnificent Dambulla Cave Temple, a real gem of Sri Lanka! Ishara gave us an amazing tour of the ancient caves, where we saw 150 Buddha statues from different eras and stunning 12th-century murals. The golden Buddha statue in the main cave was especially impressive, as was the story of how monks protected these sacred sites for more than 2,000 years. After the temple, we went shopping for fruit, where Ishara helped us choose the juiciest pineapples, papayas, different types of bananas, passion fruit and avocados. Then we visited a spice garden, where we learned how cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla are grown, and bought natural ayurvedic products. Next came a fun ride in buffalo carts. We were even allowed to drive these gentle giants ourselves! A romantic boat ride on the scenic lake gave us unforgettable moments. We saw exotic birds, and one of our group members was unexpectedly presented with a beautiful bouquet of water lilies. In the village of Sigiriya, we learned about the traditional way of life of the Sri Lankan people. The day ended unexpectedly with a photo session with an elephant! It wasn't planned, but Ishara arranged this unforgettable encounter. The cooking masterclass was a real highlight. We learned to make authentic Sri Lankan dishes under the guidance of local women. Ishara is an amazing guide who knows all the secrets of his country and knows how to create truly magical moments! ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you, guys! Quick and clear. I didn't expect this to be possible in Sri Lanka, especially the money transfer. I had my doubts about reliability, so I decided to write a review and share my positive experience. Everything worked. Best of luck! 💪

Hello everyone! Thank you so much! The transfer went perfectly. It was a great alternative to leaving with a tour operator at 06:00 from the hotel! We got a good night's sleep, had breakfast, got into a comfortable minivan and reached the airport in comfort! The trip from Bentota to Mattala Airport took just 2 hours 10 minutes! The driver arrived at the hotel 15 minutes before the agreed time! In short, everything went wonderfully! I will recommend your service.

Hello, I had an amazing 3-day tour of Sri Lanka, thanks to our fantastic tour guide and driver. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable, kind and caring. He made sure every part of the trip was enjoyable, informative and perfectly organised. The driver was just as wonderful: always punctual, professional and making us feel comfortable throughout the journey. Together, they made this trip truly unforgettable. I highly recommend them to anyone visiting Sri Lanka. You'll be in great hands.

We rented a small Suzuki for 9 days. It has a manual gearbox, but that wasn't a problem. We drove from the south through the mountains to the airport. The car had no issues. Paying was very convenient, with no need to juggle different currencies. The deposit was returned right after we returned the car. Highly recommended 👍 We'll use your services again next year!

Hello, dear group members 🤚 On 13 July 2025 we went on 🐘 the two-day combo tour "Ella, Sigiriya and Elephants at Pinnawala Hotel" (https://www.bigtravelchat.com/ru/lk/tours/sigiriya-slon). @Olga_BigTravelChat was a great help with choosing the tour and organising everything. The guides were Uditha Darshana (Udit) and mr.beard_srilanka (Sandy) from Madu Tour. They were really cool guys. We had a lot of fun! They told us everything and showed us everything, and we're very grateful to them 🙏 Their English is very good, and their knowledge of tourism is excellent. Whatever we asked, the answers were clear 👍 We also want to thank the whole team. Nobody got lost, nobody waited long, and everything ran smoothly ✊ Now about the tour: everything was interesting, of course, but Sigiriya stood out (an amazing place), the tea factory and the surrounding plantations, and the wonderful Elephant Bay hotel with great rooms, a river view and elephants bathing 🐘🐘🐘 At the end, Udit arranged a lunch-dinner in an authentic local village. We got there by ox cart and by boat. It isn't that far, but it felt very atmospheric 🙏 The village women cooked and served the food, and showed us how to make a coconut salad (first they showed us how to peel a coconut and grate it). Overall, the village lunch-dinner was the cherry on top of the whole tour 👍👍👍 The ride back was memorable for tasting local arrack, songs and dancing 😊 Once again, we want to thank the organisers Udit and Sandy, it was really cool 💪 and the whole team too. We wish everyone growth and prosperity. Suba Petum 🙏🙏🙏