We hired a car & driver for 12 days during the Christmas / New Year period. We had a very good experience with the company and our driver, Renuka.
The company initially thought we wanted to book a full tour, but flexibly adapted to our request to hire car & driver only. They quoted a lower, reasonable price and gave us a discount for the longer duration. They also suggested to pre-book highly sought after items such as the train tickets in Ella.
Our driver was professional and spoke good English. He never tried to coerce us to engage in activities for extra commission, such as shopping or dining at certain outlets. When asked, he gave us his input on certain places (mostly restaurants), tour companies etc. and never had an attitude when we did not go with his recommendations. For other groups, he also doubled as a guide. While we only hired him as driver, he gave us brief instructions on each dropoff, making our life easier. He also gave suggestions on changing the previously agreed itinerary on-the-fly to fit time constraints and weather conditions.
We wanted to visit Bomburu Ella waterfall at first, but he said the road conditions are really bad. While we already gave up on visiting it, he kept asking around and found a longer way on a good quality road. This turned out to be the most spectacular waterfall we have seen during the trip.
The contract included a steep, early morning drive to Horton Plains on mountainous roads in bad conditions. Not all companies commit to this drive, so check before you book.
The car was as previously discussed at the time of booking, a Honda Fit Shuttle with AC. It comfortably fits two large suitcases, a smaller cabin suitcase and two backpacks, as well as the driver's backpack and water bottles. The driver kept the vehicle clean every day.
The package included a free SIM card as well. We were given two, which was quite useful at times. While free water was provided, we tried to reduce our consumption to reduce the plastic footprint.
Throughout the period, the company was only a message away should we need any help. Payment was upfront in USD cash, which was weird for us at first, but we trusted the company's reputation and this was not a problem.
There was a day in Yala where we didn't need the transport services and a couple of days where we only used it for half a day. It was still worth it for me to hire one car & driver for the entire period. While we could have hired separate transport, this way we had peace of mind that transportation is ready where needed, we don't need to risk a bad quality car or a reckless driver. We could also leave some of our belongings in the car, knowing that we'll take the same car a few days later.
