I planned a return trip to Sri Lanka, my native country, after 50+ years. I had my husband, two sons and their partners with me. I didn't quite know what to expect from this trip. Beyond Escapes, after some initial communication difficulties, came through for me for a 10 day tour with hotels, car and a driver. They worked with me to adjust the itinerary to my needs, change the hotels as I requested and also pointed out some travel logistics related to air travel. From the initial pick up at the airport to everything in between, our driver Mr. Ceasor made it so relaxing, fun and exciting. First of all his English was excellent; his knowledge of the country, history and politics was helpful and interesting. He was always on time, but always relaxed with the “you are on holiday” attitude, so we were able to set our schedule as we went along. We’re foodies, and Mr. Ceasor’s access to the local food scene and restaurants was really wonderful, especially for those in our group who were native Sri Lankans! We loved the way Ceasor would stop at a local restaurant (at our request) and find us a table, order us all types of Sorties/Rotis, explain what was in each and let us dig in. We felt so much more relaxed and comfortable sampling the ‘real’ Sri Lanka than if we had tried doing this without Ceasor and Beyond Escapes. Also, this was our first time traveling with a tour company and driver – usually my husband and I rent a car and figure things out as we go. But we are so glad we chose to hire Beyond Escapes and Ceasor – they really made the trip so much easier, relaxing and incredibly fun. So, if you are looking for a stress free first time experience in Sri Lanka, I highly recommend Beyond Escapes and especially Mr. Ceasor for a fabulous time. It’s well worth it!

On my second day of exploration, I visited a countryside local family house to learn how to cook and savor typical Sri Lankan 🇱🇰 dishes. We went to the local market where we handpicked the fresh vegetables, fruits, and the meat ingredients for our meal. Under the guidance of the mother of the family, I learned some secrets of creating traditional Sri Lankan dishes. The driver and the entire family made feel like it was my home. If you come to Colombo, I highly recommend Aktivitar to book this amazing tour.

We recently booked via beyond escapes, and my experience was wonderful. The staff were exceptionally friendly and ensuring all our needs were met promptly. The hotel rooms were clean, comfortable, and well-equipped. The location is perfect, close to major attractions. The breakfast was amazing. Overall, I highly recommend Beyond Escapes.

We went with a group on an overnight safari adventure in Sri Lanka. Beyond Escapes was consistently late at every itinerary point --- Late to pick us up on the first day; late arrival to the lunch at Leopard Nest; late to take us to the dinner; late to take us back to the hotel for the night; late picking us up the next day -- and so late that we were not able to stop for a lunch which we PRE-PAID and I have yet to receive any refund for the money we paid for that lunch. I understand being a little late due to traffic and other unforeseeable situations, but this was every event. The lunch on the first day at Leopard Nest was held outdoors in temperatures over 90 degrees. It was miserable! The dinner was at a beach location and, while the sun set, it was still unbearably hot and yet there was a bonfire going as well. We were late going into the Yala park, so we didn't get as much time to enjoy the safari (and the safari was the main reason we booked this trip) as everyone had to leave when the park closed. I If I could give Beyond Escapes a zero rating, I would.

One of the highlights of our holiday. If you want something completely different and get back to nature, this is the place for you. Some of the rooms are built in treetops with incredible views across the jungle. Our experience waking up at dawn and listening to the incredible sounds of the jungle coming to life was magical. We even heard an elephant trumpeting. We had two unforgettable meals - one dinner and one breakfast. The dinner was a barbeque in a clearing lit by flaming lanterns. Our table was a huge slab of stone and we felt like a king and queen. The barbeque was wonderfully well cooked and arguable the best meal we had in Sri Lanka. The breakfast took place on top of a rock in a clearing in the jungle while out on a nature ramble. Again, a unique experience which we will never forget. The staff couldn't have done more for us and made us feel very special. We will certainly return.

This was a great tour, pickup was on time to Hotel, travellled out to Yala, a couple of stops one included our driver buying us water and snacks for the journey which was expected but very much appreciated. We saw lots of animals on our tour, this was the kids favourite adventure on our holiday to Sri Lanka. The beach BBQ was a highlight for me, the food was great, slightly over catered I thought but was great after an arvo Jeeping around, well worth the $$$

Our guide/driver was very pleasant and respected our wishes about everything we wanted to do. He even called his daughter to help us find a song we liked. The trip also promised 4 star hotels and it really delivered beyond our expectations in this regard. The hotels were very good and well situated, with good food and staff. The only downside with the tour was that some of the activities felt a bit like tourist traps, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. We appreciated that we got to see a lot of things in a limited time, and that the return back to Colombo was included in the tour.

Beyond Escapes is a very good travel agent, very reasonably priced, very helpful. Our driver cum guide Mr. Ceasor was a great guy, overall our experience was good. Hotels arranged by them were also quite good.

We've had a great half day trip to the wonderful Bundala National Park. Great landscape, very friendly driver and a professional tour guide from the Park. It was just the 2 of us in the Jeep. We saw.monkeys, Eagles, Elephant and lots of wonderful birds.

A lovely morning exploring the Brief garden and then a guided tour round Beavis Bawa’ s bungalow by a knowledgable guide then on by tuck tuk to the Geoffrey Bawa estate where we were met and shown around by a guide also. A wonderful experience. Would recommend.

Very good Afternoon Safari at Minneriya . Thoshan our driver was very knowledgeable about the elephants & made sure we saw as many as we could . Thank you

This was a challenging visit from the start and turned out to be quite an adventure which we were not expecting. There had been continued heavy rain for a few days which made the road to the hotel impassable even with 4x4 vehicles so we had to walk in mud and a rutted road for a short distance. Our luggage was carried across for us by a hard working team. We were well welcomed by staff but again it was a challenge to get to our treetop suite because there were only muddy paths with a few paving slabs here and there. To go out again we had to reverse our travel in! We had lunch on arrival with no choice. All the food was set menu and be aware that they may not be able to cater for special diets. We went back out straight after lunch for the Yala Safari. Unfortunately due to heavy rain the main part had been closed and we had over an hour journey to get to the part of the park which was open. Our driver /guide tried to find as many animals as possible in this smaller area but we missed the bears, leopards and only saw elephants on the approach road. It took a long time to arrive back and we had to negotiate the walk between vehicles in the dark. We had to go straight to dinner. A BBQ which was OK. Although wine and beer was included it was not topped up. Rooms were spacious with an open wardrobe. Air con but just a sheet on the bed and poor pillows. There was a shower unit in the bathroom which was tricky to use. Our sleep was interrupted by outside noises so maybe pack some ear mufflers. Unfortunately our morning excursion to have breakfast by the lake was cancelled due to flooding but initially we were not told this. There was certainly an element of poor communication but all the staff worked hard to make our stay as memorable and comfortable as they could.

Very well organized tour and our guide/driver was exceptionally talented and professional. Sri Lanka is already beautiful, it was enhanced by the capable beyond escapes!

The trip started out with Tuk Tuk drive through the morning rush. A bit scary for us but the driver was skillful and after a while we got accustomed. We went to different temples in the rural area of Colombo. All of them very interesting and the guide explained each place and ritual clearly to us. We stopped for coconut refreshment and for lunch (with huge portions). We went on a Friday and none of the temples were crowded, which we found were pleasant. Very happy with this tour and can strongly recommend it.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Beyond Escapes for an incredible adventure! Their expertise in crafting a well-balanced itinerary allowed us to explore hidden gems and iconic landmarks alike. The guides were not only informative but also passionate about sharing the beauty of the country. Accommodations exceeded expectations, and the seamless transitions between locations made our journey stress-free. Beyond Escapes truly delivers an unparalleled travel experience. Can't wait for our next adventure with them!"