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Hi,
Yes it is quite normal for drivers on this site to take bookings without requesting any advance payment. If you are in any doubt about accepting then just ensure you have a free cancellation option. Then if there are any subsequent surprises you can easily cancel and find another driver.
Good luck and thanks for your support.
Kind Regards,
JohnHi Una,
I think you will always find a driver at short notice but you will be unlikely to get one with good reviews. These are popular and March is still a busy month in Sri Lanka.
Kind Regards,
JohnHi Alice,
Most drivers will quote you for the full 15 days with a daily charge unless you specify otherwise. As they will not normally be able to use the driver and vehicle for anything else when you do not require it, you will be charged also on those days. One thing to consider is whether you really are not going to need any transport on those days. If you are relying on tuk tuks and local taxis then be aware that these can become expensive as the prices around tourist areas are artificially high.
Some drivers may be able to manage it by using other drivers who are located near your different locations. The only way to be sure is to check with each one when you receive a quote as to exactly what is included. Also consider using the Trip Cost Calculator to see whether it may be more cost effective to keep the same driver for the full 15 days (Remember the cost of day trips as mentioned earlier).
Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!
Kind Regards,
JohnHello,
It really depends on the size of the people and the luggage. In any case a car would be ok for a single journey. If you are planning a tour over multiple days then I would go for a van. It is worth the extra few dollars to have the space to relax. It is not comfortable to sit in the centre seat in the rear of a car and you will not have much of a view.
Hope this helps,
JohnIt is a personal thing and depends very much on your own culture as tipping is not common in the local culture. Drivers will be used to certain nationalities tipping more and some tipping less. Personally I think 10% is more than enough but it would also depend entirely on the experience. There are no norms with this.
Udawalawe is more on the way from the south coast to Ella. It is quieter too but has fewer animal species than Yala.
Hey, you are certainly going to see a lot and travel many kms! Have you considered Anuradhapura (with Wilpattu), then Jaffna, Trincomalee or Pasikudah, Ella (train) Kandy (train) Colombo? Your option is possible but you will be spending long days travelling.
Hopefully one of the drivers will offer some good advice…
I have now given the drivers permission to send you photos. You can request this from them.
Kind Regards,
JohnDo you mean Nissan Caravan? Again, I think there are many different types. You would need to confirm how many passenger seats it has. There are no limits on the mountain roads. 50-seater buses use these roads everyday with no problems. However, if you choose an accommodation located on a small track then there may be some access problems.
Is the driver saying there are 8 seats in total or 8 passenger seats? I would ask to see photos of the inside, then you can decide for sure. As far as I know the model is Toyota Hiace and KDH refers to the engine.
Hi,
I think you will need the KDH 220 which is a 14 seater. The standard KDH 200 is an 8 seater which will not be large enough because it includes the driver and there will be nowhere for luggage. Confirm how many seats there are for passengers. You really do not want the exact number of seats as it will not be very comfortable.
Kind Regards,
JohnHi Emma,
The prices are going to be about the same in this case. I would probably take a driver for the 4 or 5 days so that you do not have the hassle of booking a different one for each leg. Also you can use them in Ella to see the local sights and avoid the tuk tuk mafia!
For travel times you can work roughly on 40-50km per hour as an average speed. In the hill country it may be down to 30km per hour.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Kind Regards,
JohnHi Joacim,
The express way route via Colombo will be faster than taking the windy mountain roads. The prettiest route will of course be through the hills coming directly from the south. However, expect this route to take longer; you will probably average about 30-40km per hour, maybe less. The cost should be around 70-80 LKR per km although some drivers will charge more due to travelling uphill and the time it takes to arrive.Longer distance buses may be a little quicker as they should stop fewer times to pick up passengers. So take any bus heading to one of the main East Coast destinations such as Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Akkraipattu or Pottuvil. All of these buses follow the East Coast road. It is best to avoid rush hour as most school children and workers use these buses early morning and mid afternoon. The cost will be cheap, maybe a few hundred LKR. Tuk tuks charge about 50 LKR per km for a one-way hire.
There are no luxury buses running down the East Coast. You will need to take a local bus to Valaichchenai and then another bus or tuk tuk to Kalkudah. The buses run very regularly, every 15 to 30 mins.
You will find that the entire east coast and Jaffna is quiet at this time of year as it is low season. All the local restaurants will be open as normal but of course a lot of tourist places close at this time of year. The journey from Jaffna to the south is very long. You would want to split this over 2 full days at least. There is a morning train from Batticaloa to Colombo, it takes about 8 hours. I would stay the night in Colombo after that and head south the next day. There are no trains from Jaffna to the east coast. You need to head south first before heading east. See this link for train times.
Kind Regards,
JohnHey Joacim,
As you are spending large amounts of time static in one place the best option is separate one-way hires. I would take the train to Trincomalee and then contact a taxi operator in Arugam Bay and get a quote for both Trinco to Arugam Bay and Arugam Bay to the south coast. It is low season in Arugam Bay and you should get a better deal with one of the local companies there for both transfers.
After that you could easily take the train or express bus from the south coast back towards Colombo and the airport.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Best Regards,
JohnHi Tina,
Certainly you have already been given some ideas! I think the number of nights you are spending in each place is reasonable but you may be trying to achieve too much on some individual days. This is all subjective and depends on how active and busy you want to be during the day. You will quickly decide after a few days whether you are doing too much and can adjust the rest of the plan accordingly.
If you require a guide to give you a tour of the sites then you should choose a Licensed Chauffeur Tourist Guide Lecturer. With regards to the safari, people normally arrange a separate jeep at the park entrance with another driver and tracker. Most drivers will have one or two contacts at the park who they use regularly and will be happy to arrange this for you.
Kind Regards,
John