Good spots for diving in Sri Lanka

[justonebubble]

Are there any good spots or outfits in Sri Lanka you could recommend? Ideally around Bentota or Galle for 3 or 4 days in December of this year.

Or would it be better to find a trip to Maldives instead?

[Michael Purcell]

If I were in Sri Lanka I would go diving, but I wouldn't go to Sri Lanka to go diving. Maldives hands down. Having said that Sri Lanka is definitely worth a visit.

[justonebubble]

Thanks.

I am in Sri Lanka later this year. Just curious to what it is like and the kind of places to look out for

[Eddie Clamp]

Thanks.

I am in Sri Lanka later this year. Just curious to what it is like and the kind of places to look out for

Very little info in our BSAC travel pages on the area: http://www.bsac.com/divelocations.asp?itemid=1222&itemTitle=Sri+Lanka&section=1236&sectionTitle=Indian+Ocean+%2F+Africa

Although there a couple of old reports there.

If you go would appreciate anything you have on the area as an update. :)

[ChristianG]

I am in Sri Lanka later this year. Just curious to what it is like and the kind of places to look out for
I grew up, learned my English, there.

Let's get the diving out of the way first: it is not particularly good and although I did dive there I wouldn't bother if only because the place is so much more.

If you can, if you are there for the festival a must do is the Kandy Esala Perahera (http://www.google.com.au/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=%22esala+perahera%22&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=rto2TJPUCs2LkAW-372mAw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDYQsAQwAw) (careful, there is more than one Perahera, this is the big one), the "showing" of Buddha's "tooth". It is a magnificent spectacle but you need to research your options carefully, simply being "at the roadside" is not good enough, especially if you want some half way decent pictures. I can help if needs be.

In Galle: if you can afford it, treat yourself to Taprobane (http://www.taprobaneisland.com/taprobane.html), arguably the only "hotel" you will ever literally have to wade to.

In Colombo: become a temporary member of the Colombo Swimming Club (http://www.colomboswimmingclub.org/), and stay there. It's very central on Galle Face Road. Even more central is the Galle Face Hotel (http://www.gallefacehotel.com/) of which I have many fond memories. Whatever you do, spend a leisurely day exploring the Pettah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pettah_Market) in Colombo, if you like the flea market, but much more, without succumbing to the bandishments of the local merchants.

How much time do you have? Nuwara Eliya, 6,000 ft up is where the best tea comes from and is a microcosm of pukkah Englishness. I went to school there. Whatever you do, don't drive yourself, hire a driver and car, it's cheap and a lot better than trying it on your own. You can also do it by train but it's a hassle.

Feel free to PM me.

[justonebubble]

Christian,

thank you for all your insights. That's great.

Still hoping to get some diving in. Either in or around Bentota or Galle or if there are any reasonable opportunities then potentially even Maldives.

Cheers,
Tom

[ChristianG]

thank you for all your insights. That's great.

Still hoping to get some diving in. Either in or around Bentota or Galle or if there are any reasonable opportunities then potentially even Maldives.
Ya welcome Tom. :)

AIUI getting to the Maldives from Colombo is pretty easy, there are apparently regular flights with Lanka Air, or whatever they're called nowadays.

You could also consider the Mount Lavinia Hotel (http://www.mountlaviniahotel.com/front/index.php) which is on the beach at the southern (towards Galle) outskirts of Colombo. There's a train that stops pretty well right there (the Colombo/Galle line). I once got very badly stung by a Portuguese Man o' War there whilst surfing, but don't let that put you off, it's rare enough not to have to worry about it, I just got unlucky. Oh, and you could also consider the GOH (http://www.grandoriental.com/), right in the heart of Colombo, within a stroll of the Pettah and our first place to rest out weary heads in Ceylon more years ago than I care to mention/remember. I got very friendly with the two Butlers there at that time, one Sinhala and one Tamil and I loved them both dearly, who took me under their wing in spite of the fact that we didn't have a common language at that time.

Ever since whenever i came back to Ceylon from the UK my first port of call was always the GOH. I don't know how they did it but they always knew and greeted me in front of their phalanx of servants, drawn up in line almost like well regimented soldiers as I went up the few stairs from the oval staircase area.

Sorry, quite literally wiping tears away as I speak, Hector and Veeraswamy are no doubt peacefully resting in their graves today. Hector was the Sinhala, an imposing figure who looked rather like a caricature of a Poonah Colonel, except for his skin colouration, whereas Veeraswamy was typically Tamil, short, stocky, heart of gold. Actually they had one of those each.

They certainly rate as two of my best friends/relationships ever, an accolade I don't dole out willy nilly.

[justonebubble]

What would be the best way to travel to see Colombo, Galle and the Hill Country around Kandy. It looks as though it may be difficult to travel from Galle to Kandy. Is it better to go via Colombo — so perhaps Galle to Colombo one day, stay the night then on to Kandy the next?

Also would it better to go from Colombo to Kandy first and the to Bentota and Galle afterwards or Colombo, then Bentota/Galle and then Kandy and back to Colombo?

[justonebubble]

What's a good spot for diving in the Maldives?

Flights go from Colombo to Male but looking at the hotels they are either exorbitantly expensive or look terrible and seem to be in the middle of the city.

Are there any worth checking out for a few days?

[Eddie Clamp]

What's a good spot for diving in the Maldives?

Flights go from Colombo to Male but looking at the hotels they are either exorbitantly expensive or look terrible and seem to be in the middle of the city.

Are there any worth checking out for a few days?

Wow! That is a tall request :) . Have a look at the Maldive reports written by "divers for divers" here:

http://www.bsac.com/findit.asp?cat=tripreports&section=0001000100150047&view=list&glat=&glng=&gzoom=&keyword=Maldives&submit.x=108&submit.y=23

Going to watch world cup now :D Viva España! ;)

[ChristianG]

If you want to go to the Maldives for diving your options are either a liveaboard or an atoll resort somewhere in the archipelago. Male itself has no diving worth speaking of and can hardly be described as a tourist destination in its own right.

In Kandy, apart from the obvious, and obligatory, visit to the Temple of the Tooth and the Esala Perahera (http://www.pbase.com/banyanman/kandy_perahera) if you're lucky enough to be there at that time, I'd also suggest the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens (http://www.botanicgardens.gov.lk/peradeniya/) on the outskirts of Kandy, quite stunning. Peradeniya Rest House, right at the entrance of the Gardens, would be a good place to base yourselves (you'd be treading in my footsteps). Rest Houses BTW re often a good option, cheap and plentiful. For transport my preferred option would be a chauffeured hire car (do not self-drive, that's a very bad idea, traffic is "hectic" and the roads, especially up-country, sinuous) or the train (be a snob, travel first class). Both are options Kandy/Colombo/Galle.
Those three are not geographically convenient, you basically have to return to Colombo between the other two destinations. You could, I suppose, go overland between Galle and Kandy, with a competent driver, but I wouldn't try it.

[justonebubble]

What's the distance between Bentota and Kandy? Is it possible to get a driver to drive there, probably taking the route via Columbo. — I would imagine travel time might be around 3 hours?

[ChristianG]

What's the distance between Bentota and Kandy? Is it possible to get a driver to drive there, probably taking the route via Columbo. — I would imagine travel time might be around 3 hours?
Nope, I'd imagine it to be rather more than three hours, note, imagine, I have no real idea today but I suspect that nothing much has changed.

So now you're talking Bentota rather than Galle? Halfway between Colombo and Galle? This conversation is getting to be both frustrating and exasperating. :rolleyes: