I joined the 2-week ‘Jewels of Sri Lanka’ tour in mid-July, and from the number of various tours I’ve done in different countries, I can honestly say this was by far the best in terms of value for money, coverage of the country, comfort, organisation and enjoyment. Priyantha and his team organised our itinerary perfectly around local timings & events to ensure we got the best from the tour, always thinking about how to show us the best experiences of his country in the most efficient and enjoyable way. His passion for tour-leading and pride of his country was evident, which always made you feel reassured that you were in the best hands… from stopping to sample local fruits vegetables, to negotiating the best rates for additional activities and redistributing to us any commissions he received for the group buying souvenirs at designated stops. All money put into the ‘tipping kitty’ at the start was given to the hotels/restaurants/guide by someone from our group, with a reconciliation provided at the end to show how it was all spent for complete transparency. At the end of the tour, Priya gave us all a package with souvenirs being our used tickets for every attraction along, with recipes from our cooking class, along Sri Lankan and Buddist flags to remember our trip, which was really thoughtful. I compared a lot of tours before choosing this one, and I’m confident this had the better itinerary to see the best of the country in the most time-efficient way. Whilst we fitted a lot into the two weeks, almost every day had some free time (from a few hours to a spare day for the beach). There were two other females travelling alone so each night we would rotate so that we would have a room to ourselves every third night (as the tour is on a twin-share basis) without paying a single supplement. All accommodation was far above what I’d expect for a budget tour, and the bus was always immaculately clean and tidy, with cold fresh water available. Priya was always willing to organise anything additional for us… from an extra safari trip to find the illusive leopard in Yala National Park, ensuring we had the resources to climb Adam’s Peak off-season, to a discounted transfer to the airport. In terms of a grassroots experience, I would definitely recommend this tour for anyone wanting to see the real Sri Lanka… whilst we stayed in some tourist accommodation, we would often eat or stay in local guesthouses and use local guides with specialist knowledge of an area to get off the beaten track. Overall, this was a great 2-week trip, which made me feel like I’d seen and experience most of the country but at the same time, would definitely return to see more. Thank you Tucan, and especially Priyantha! Tracey – Sydney, Australia