| Why do I need a car to see Sri Lanka ? Although distances are not great in Sri Lanka there are almost no dual carriageway roads and it takes a long time to get anywhere. For example , the 73 km through the mountains from Kandy to Newara Eliya takes 3 hours ! If you travel by public transport you will have to add on waiting time to your journeys. Unless you have a lot of time available you need your own transportation. Anyway a car is much more comfortable and you can stop, start and detour however you wish. Why do I need a driver ? Road signs are infrequent and sometimes written only in Sinhala ! Finding your way can be very difficult and time consuming. But your driver knows where the hotels and places of interest are.You don't have to spend an hour looking for 'that place' you read about in Lonely Planet. The driver can also tell you about your options of places to stay and how much they are likely to cost. (Or we can make bookings for you) The roads are poor with trucks , buses, dogs and people frequently leaping in front of you . It can be very stressful. Anyway, you won't want to miss the fantastic scenery so relax, enjoy the views and let the driver worry about the road. |
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| Contact Lanka Explorer at [email protected] |
| Do I have to feed and accommodate the driver ? NO. Most of the places you will stay provide meals and a bed for the driver because he has brought your business to them. What do I do about accommodation ? With the freedom of a car you can just take off with your guide book and find places to stay along the way. However, sometimes, places of special interest like Kandelama Hotel in Danbulla or The Hill Club in Newara Eliya get filled up so you might be disappointed if you really wanted to stay there. You can phone ahead or , to be sure, get us to make reservations for you before you arrive. We are happy to recommend places to stay or to pre book places you choose from your guide book. However, we cannot guarantee the quality of places we haven't recommended. What does Accommodation cost ? Accommodation can cost from 800 rupees a room per night to 11,000 rupees a night ! You can get something comfortable for bewtween 1,500 rps and 5,300 rps. We can advise you on the types and quality of hotels. We can book ALL your accommodation in advance, just some of it or you can book nothing, take your chances and set off with your guide book, car, driver and the open road awaiting you. |