St. Andrews Hotel

...continued (http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/17160-Kandy-Earls_Regency_Hotel-Holiday-Review.html)
The trip to Nuwara Eliya
This trip was also an inclusive package of driver, car and half board accommodation at the St. Andrews hotel in Nuwara Eliya overnight. The driver Harry, picked us up from the hotel at 7.30am for the long trip to Nuwara Eliya, but had planned stops on the way. The first was a tea break and on to a woodcarving workshop which we felt was rather expensive and didn’t make a purchase. We were next taken for lunch at a local restaurant and had a selection of delicious traditional dishes served with rice and costing £4 sterling each including drinks. We then made our way along the steep winding road up to the tea plantations at Nuwara Eliya, which is 6,000 feet above sea level. The road was being widened and very difficult to drive on. However, once up in the mountains the contrast from the coast was amazing. The area is so lush; with tea plants as far as the eye can see. Tea pickers were working on the slopes. Harry informed us that they were earning less than £1 per day. An interesting break in the journey was a stop at a tea factory, where we were shown how tea is processed and purchased a pack of the best high grow B.O.P.F (Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings) tea. Harry continued to Nuwara Eliya, driving us through the town before taking us to the hotel. They call the area ‘little England’ as the houses and gardens are very English. The climate here is very much fresher than on the cost, requiring an extra layer at night.
We arrived at our hotel, the St. Andrews at around 6.30pm, registered, and shown to our room. The room was amazing, it was a beamed duplex room with twin beds on a mezzanine and a king sized bed in the main room. The hotel was originally a plantation owner’s bungalow but had been extended and converted some time ago but maintains its English character. We changed for dinner and had a drink in the bar beforehand, which was itself reminiscent of a country pub.
Dinner was a set menu but what a meal and what service. They were both immaculate.
We arrive back at our room to find hot water bottles had been placed in our bed.
Harry picked us up at 9.00 am, ready to make the long trip back to the Mount Lavinia, stopping for lunch on the way, which took around 6 hours. This trip cost £90 each.
The trip to Galle
This trip had been arranged literally the day before when we had organised a car and driver to take us into Colombo. We had expressed an interest in going to Galle and Manjuka, the driver said that he could take us for £40 and we could go the following day, which we agreed.
Manjuka picked us up at 8.30 am and took us firstly to a woodcarving workshop, which was in an idyllic spot. There were many carvings to choose from, some costing in excess of £1500 sterling. We found the prices to be very reasonable in comparison to some shops that we had previously visited in Colombo and purchased a Buddha approximately 20cms high, for £13. We were also given a small carved elephant as a gift. Lunch was at a lovely restaurant off the beaten track, serving excellent food at typically no money.
We next visited a turtle hatchery that had been devastated by the tsunami, killing virtually all of the turtles. They are now slowly building up their stocks. The hatchery is reliant on donations and purchases eggs dug up from beach, which are otherwise eaten. They are then hatched and kept for three days then released into the sea. We were very impressed with the work that they are doing at the hatchery and would recommend a visit.
After lunch we carried on towards Galle. As we passed through Hikkaduwa, we both began to realise the devastation that was caused by the tsunami. Ten months after the event, people were still living in tents and wooden structures no better than garden sheds. A temple set on a small island 200 yards from the beach had taken the full impact of the wave and had survived miraculously completely intact. The train that had been de-railed killing over 150 people was still in view at the side of the track almost as a monument to the disaster. Amazingly through all this, the people got on with life with a smile. As we reach Galle we saw the famous fort. Manjuka escorted us part way around the walls of the fort after which we then began our journey back to The Mount Lavinia.
Shopping in Colombo
Colombo is a bustling extended city but has some really good shops. The following are but three that we visited and would recommend.
Odel – is a department store selling clothes. Their ‘T’ shirts are particularly good value for money at £2.00 sterling each. They also sell designer clothing but it’s quite expensive. There is also a bistro where you can have a coffee or a bit to eat. They have a web site at www.odel.lk
Paradise Road – is a shop selling textiles, wooden carvings, pictures and pottery. They also have a nice little bistro that serves reasonably priced excellent food. Prices generally are reasonable. There are four shops in Colombo and their web site address is www.paradiseroadsl.com
Barefoot – is a similar shop to Paradise Road but has a good range of hand-made items ranging from textiles and bags to clothes and stone carvings. Their web site address is www.barefootceylon.com
In conclusion, we would both highly recommend a visit to Sri Lanka. Many people that we met had arranged a 7-day tour before taking their second week at a hotel. Almost all felt that the tour was very tiring and suffered from ‘too much information’. We feel that arranging short tours from a hotel base is by far the best solution as you have time to recover and reflect before the next, and it need not be more expensive. There is also the added benefit of flexibility. You decide what you want to see and do.
Ann & Barry Hyde
UK