H.O.T Tourism
H.O.T Tourism
5
City ToursMulti-day ToursCultural ToursHistorical & Heritage Tours
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Full view
About
We are pleased to introduce H.O.T Tourism which has been established with the sole intention of adding quality and innovation to the Travel and Tourism filled in the region with our long term experience in the trade. We provide services in form of tours in a wide range of travel fields: leisure groups, round trips, FIT travelers etc.
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Travelers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
766 reviews
Excellent
722
Very good
39
Average
3
Poor
3
Terrible
1
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
Silvi N
1 contribution
Feb 2024 • Couples
Very nice tour of Sri Lanka with a beach holiday booked through Secret Service, carried out by H.O.T, with a perfect guide Susa. Highly recommended! Susa introduced us to the local culture, history and nature. Beautiful flora and fauna paired with culture and religion. Susa was there exclusively for us. Always friendly and punctual. 2 out of 5 hotels were changed to hotels of lower quality 1 week before the start of the trip. The included excursions, silk factory, wood carving, Ayurvedic garden, gemstone factory or tea plantation always ended in a sales event. Always had something of a "butter trip". The food in the hotels was usually very good. H.O.T. organized the transfer to the airport unprofessionally. First there was no indication of when the pick-up would take place (our guide Susa had to arrange this) and then no driver came at the agreed time. The ticket for the completely overcrowded train was also not reserved in advance. A booked and paid excursion to the botanical garden had to be paid for again... We cannot recommend H.O.T.
Written February 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian C
4 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Booked through secret escapes and arrived for an eight day tour of Sri Lanka, we were met by Mohan Savinda a guide and chauffeur for a company called house of travel and tourism abbreviated to H.O.T . Mohan has driven us in a lovely comfortable car to every tourist attraction we had booked and has been extremely professional and punctual on every day and always made sure we knew the details and times of the planned events. Having a full time guide like Mohan is by far the best way of making the most of your holiday and my wife and myself could not have found or arranged all the things we have done this visit without him.Mohan has been by our side throughout and we cannot recommend him enough his knowledge of the roads and hotels is priceless and we thank him so very much for proudly showing us his country and keeping us safe especially on the jeep safari which everyone must do as it’s so exciting . Mohan Savinda has patiently waited and tailored all our requirements to make this a holiday we will never forget. Brian and Angie UK
Written May 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clare S
3 contributions
Jul 2022
We recently returned from our holiday in Sri Lanka. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people. We booked our Hot Tourism tour through Secret Escapes which included a nine day escorted tour with 5 nights by the beach at the end.
We were so fortunate to have Lucky as our guide and Ajith as our driver. The extensive knowledge that Lucky had was incredible, from the history,culture,food,wildlife etc. he had no problem answering all our questions. We always felt safe with Ajith driving, he always ensured the mini bus was in the right place at the right time, we never even had to open the door. I can’t recommend these two enough, they took our holiday up a level!
In total we stayed in 7 hotels, Cinnamon Lodge and Cinnamon Wild really stood out for us but even they couldn’t beat our view at breakfast when we stayed at Melheim Resort. At all of the hotels the staff were so friendly they really couldn’t do enough for you.
The only thing I would have changed was staying longer at Cinnamon Wild, one night just wasn’t enough.
I definitely recommend this tour and am hoping that one day we can return to this wonderful country.
We were so fortunate to have Lucky as our guide and Ajith as our driver. The extensive knowledge that Lucky had was incredible, from the history,culture,food,wildlife etc. he had no problem answering all our questions. We always felt safe with Ajith driving, he always ensured the mini bus was in the right place at the right time, we never even had to open the door. I can’t recommend these two enough, they took our holiday up a level!
In total we stayed in 7 hotels, Cinnamon Lodge and Cinnamon Wild really stood out for us but even they couldn’t beat our view at breakfast when we stayed at Melheim Resort. At all of the hotels the staff were so friendly they really couldn’t do enough for you.
The only thing I would have changed was staying longer at Cinnamon Wild, one night just wasn’t enough.
I definitely recommend this tour and am hoping that one day we can return to this wonderful country.
Written July 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexandra O
10 contributions
Jan 2023
We have just returned from the most incredible 10 days in Sri Lanka, our guide, Kanchana, met us at the airport and took us on the most amazing tour of Sri Lanka. We booked through Secret Escapes, a package that included flights, hotels, some excursions, all transport and half board dining.
It was seamless, everything was just perfect. Hotels were of amazing quality, incredible food! The planned excursions where brilliant, not being a couple to sit still we also added in a few of our own which our guide was happy to help us with/take us to.
The best bit of having a guide for the trip was that he knew some great lunch spots! We felt so safe and welcome the whole time, I would recommend visiting Sri Lanka to anyone.
It was seamless, everything was just perfect. Hotels were of amazing quality, incredible food! The planned excursions where brilliant, not being a couple to sit still we also added in a few of our own which our guide was happy to help us with/take us to.
The best bit of having a guide for the trip was that he knew some great lunch spots! We felt so safe and welcome the whole time, I would recommend visiting Sri Lanka to anyone.
Written January 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cathy A
London, UK2 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
We travelled to Sri Lanka in February 2024 for 12 nights. We booked via Secret Escapes and could not fault them at all, everything was booked and run smoothly.
We were met at colombo Airport by our guide (Diyath) on behalf of Hot Tourism. Diyath was our guide for the first week and he chauffeured us around in an air conditioned car ( much needed as it is very hot ) and always checked with the hotel reception on our arrival, that there was a booking in our name. He would remain with us until we had been checked in and on our way to our room.
Diyath is an excellent guide and spoke very good English, is very organised, punctual, has a great friendly personality and is very knowledgeable about everywhere we went. Diyath's driving skills and command of the road, especially in bustling towns and cities, should not go unmentioned. He had complete control in a relaxed manner which put us at ease and enabled us to enjoy the sites & scenery of this beautiful country.
We were interested in walking around a local food market and we felt very safe with Diyath walking with us, explaining all the different vegetables etc. He also stopped for us to try different fruits being sold along the roadsides during the trip.
We visited temples, a tea plantation, took the train ride to haputhale which was great, a tuk tuk ride up to lipton seat, which considering one of us doesn't like heights, it was a bit nerve racking in places, but would definantly recommend it to be on your bucket list, as well as the jeep safari to the national park. We experienced a traditional village life, where we tried our hands preparing some delicious sri lankan dishes, which we then had for lunch. A really wonderful experience.
Sri Lanka is a wonderful place but would recommend having a guide and finish the end of your holiday with at least 3 to 5 days at a beach resort.
If you are allocated Diyath as your tour guide, you will not be disappointed and he will help to make your trip to Sri Lanka an amazing one, making wonderful memories.
It was time to say goodbye to Diyath at the end of our tour, and the start of our beach part of the holiday. After 5 days at the wonderful EKHO Surf Hotel, (Bentota), HOTs had arranged for someone to collect us to take us to the airport. They were on time and again an excellent service.
All in all, we give 5 stars each to Secret Escapes, HOTs, and our tour guide Diyath. Thank you for helping make our holiday an amazing one.
We were met at colombo Airport by our guide (Diyath) on behalf of Hot Tourism. Diyath was our guide for the first week and he chauffeured us around in an air conditioned car ( much needed as it is very hot ) and always checked with the hotel reception on our arrival, that there was a booking in our name. He would remain with us until we had been checked in and on our way to our room.
Diyath is an excellent guide and spoke very good English, is very organised, punctual, has a great friendly personality and is very knowledgeable about everywhere we went. Diyath's driving skills and command of the road, especially in bustling towns and cities, should not go unmentioned. He had complete control in a relaxed manner which put us at ease and enabled us to enjoy the sites & scenery of this beautiful country.
We were interested in walking around a local food market and we felt very safe with Diyath walking with us, explaining all the different vegetables etc. He also stopped for us to try different fruits being sold along the roadsides during the trip.
We visited temples, a tea plantation, took the train ride to haputhale which was great, a tuk tuk ride up to lipton seat, which considering one of us doesn't like heights, it was a bit nerve racking in places, but would definantly recommend it to be on your bucket list, as well as the jeep safari to the national park. We experienced a traditional village life, where we tried our hands preparing some delicious sri lankan dishes, which we then had for lunch. A really wonderful experience.
Sri Lanka is a wonderful place but would recommend having a guide and finish the end of your holiday with at least 3 to 5 days at a beach resort.
If you are allocated Diyath as your tour guide, you will not be disappointed and he will help to make your trip to Sri Lanka an amazing one, making wonderful memories.
It was time to say goodbye to Diyath at the end of our tour, and the start of our beach part of the holiday. After 5 days at the wonderful EKHO Surf Hotel, (Bentota), HOTs had arranged for someone to collect us to take us to the airport. They were on time and again an excellent service.
All in all, we give 5 stars each to Secret Escapes, HOTs, and our tour guide Diyath. Thank you for helping make our holiday an amazing one.
Written March 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StuartCraig
Bourne, UK174 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
We had an amazing 14 day tour of Sri Lanka with our guide Sarath and our brilliant very safe driver Riann.
Nothing was too much trouble for either of them and they became part of our small tour group giving us great information and providing many amusing stories and anecdotes.
The itinerary was modified along the way to maximise the experience for us all and nothing was too much trouble for Sarath on the tour of this fantastic country.
It was a great experience meeting and talking with many locals who were all lovely, genuine and friendly people so relieved to be seeing tourism return
Nothing was too much trouble for either of them and they became part of our small tour group giving us great information and providing many amusing stories and anecdotes.
The itinerary was modified along the way to maximise the experience for us all and nothing was too much trouble for Sarath on the tour of this fantastic country.
It was a great experience meeting and talking with many locals who were all lovely, genuine and friendly people so relieved to be seeing tourism return
Written March 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PPat123456
1 contribution
Jan 2023
We booked our holiday through Secret Escapes which was locally organised by H.O.T. We were greeted at the airport by 2 representatives from H.O.T as well as Mohan Savinda who was then our guide and driver for the following 10 days tour around Sri Lanka. We were extremely lucky and thankful to have had Mohan as our guide and driver and we would highly recommend him. He is a very kind, warm and knowledgeable person and a very experienced guide. He tailored our trip so we were able to visit multiple locations and managed to get so much sightseeing done and maximise the time we had at places! He made our trip memorable and catered to all our needs and requirements. Most importantly he drove us everywhere safely and ensured we had no problems whatsoever. He also added a personal touch to ensure we got a real sense of Sri Lankan culture, food, history etc. He was also very flexible and planned the best routes and adapted where necessary so that we could enjoy all the activities with the maximum amount of time and also have a relaxing experience. Overall an amazing tour around Sri Lank with Mohan who was not only our guide and driver but became a good friend during the process too. We definitely would use Mohan if we were to come back to Sri Lanka in the future as well as recommend him to friends and family. Thank you so very much Mohan for an unforgettable experience!!
Written February 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jemma G
Redhill, UK2 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We've just returned from a fantastic trip to Sri Lanka. We booked our Hot Tourism tour through Secret Escapes which included a ten day escorted tour with 5 nights by the beach at the end in the wonderful Cinnamon Bey hotel. Food was amazing. The buffet was incredible, such choice!
We saw some amazing things and stayed in some lovely hotels. We saw elephants, water buffalo, a leopard, had a train ride, visited a tea plantation, went to Sigiriya rock visited Dambulla temple and caves. Sri Lanka is beautiful country with very friendly people, would thoroughly recommend a visit when the situation has calmed down.
We couldn't fault our tour guide Ananda who drove us around. He couldn't do enough for us, really catered to our needs as a family. We felt very safe and reassured in his hands. Definitely go with him.
We saw some amazing things and stayed in some lovely hotels. We saw elephants, water buffalo, a leopard, had a train ride, visited a tea plantation, went to Sigiriya rock visited Dambulla temple and caves. Sri Lanka is beautiful country with very friendly people, would thoroughly recommend a visit when the situation has calmed down.
We couldn't fault our tour guide Ananda who drove us around. He couldn't do enough for us, really catered to our needs as a family. We felt very safe and reassured in his hands. Definitely go with him.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sightsee586991
Stockport, UK6 contributions
Mar 2020
We were met at the airport by our guide, Lishan Abeygunawardana, who looked after us superbly for the next 5 days. We had a 4 hour drive up to Dambulla and Habarana where we stayed for 2 days, visiting a local village to enjoy cooking lunch with the locals and then an elephant safari in a national park. We visited the awesome Sigiriya Rock, a World Heritage Site. It was worth the 1400 step climb to learn about the ancient citadel. The views from the top were amazing. We then drove to Kandy for the next 2 nights and toured the Temple of the Tooth. Lishan then drove us down to Beruwala on the south west coast for a few days of R&R by the beach.
Each of the hotels we stayed at were different but all clean and comfortable.
Lishan could not have been more attentive during our trip. He is an excellent driver (necessary on Sri Lankan roads) and his knowledge of the history of Sri Lanka and its culture was very impressive. He made our experience most enjoyable and we look forward to returning in the future to further explore this beautiful island with its lovely friendly people.
Each of the hotels we stayed at were different but all clean and comfortable.
Lishan could not have been more attentive during our trip. He is an excellent driver (necessary on Sri Lankan roads) and his knowledge of the history of Sri Lanka and its culture was very impressive. He made our experience most enjoyable and we look forward to returning in the future to further explore this beautiful island with its lovely friendly people.
Written March 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest,
Thank you very much for the precious time you have taken to write a comment for us in our page.
It really means a lot for us.
We hope that you had a wonderful trip and very comfortable guide in your trip to Sri Lanka,
Your comments would be much encouraging for guide too. we will pass this to him as well.
We the H.O.T Team, wishing you a very safest and healthiest stay home.
We would like to see you again in our wonderful country.
AYUBOWAN!!
Written October 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Robert S
2 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
We completed a Sri Lanka 18 night tour booked via Secret Escapes and hosted by H.O.T Tourism. We were met by our driver Ravi at the airport and taken to our first stop off at the Club Hotel Dolphin. Ravi was excellent throughout and fluent in English. He explained clearly to us what our itinerary would be, what stops we would be making and the 'optional add ons' should we choose to do them. He confirmed again at the start of each day what we would be doing, where we would be stopping etc and helped us to ensure a smooth check in at each new destination.
Our accommodation throughout was very good, clean, well presented and good facilities. Food was very good with plenty of choice both Sri Lankan and dishes more familiar to us.
We enjoyed all of the excursions included in the itinerary but would highlight in particular: the village tour/ cookery demonstration, where we were invited to take part and the food that 'we cooked' was delicious; the evening cultural show in Kandy which far exceeded our expectations; the tea factory visit where again we got hands on picking tea and the Tuk Tuk ride to Lipton seat. Our Tuk Tuk driver was very enthusiastic and ensured that we got the best photos to remember our trip.
We visited several sites of historical and cultural significance during our trip and Ravi was able to give us very good detail and explanations throughout for example when visiting temples and completing city tours.
In summary we had a great time, we did find some days quite long due to the distances we travelled and with fitting in so many excursions. However with 4 full days 'on the beach' before leaving we were able to re-charge. The trip exceeded our expectations and we would recommend similar to anyone who is considering visiting Sri Lanka.
Our accommodation throughout was very good, clean, well presented and good facilities. Food was very good with plenty of choice both Sri Lankan and dishes more familiar to us.
We enjoyed all of the excursions included in the itinerary but would highlight in particular: the village tour/ cookery demonstration, where we were invited to take part and the food that 'we cooked' was delicious; the evening cultural show in Kandy which far exceeded our expectations; the tea factory visit where again we got hands on picking tea and the Tuk Tuk ride to Lipton seat. Our Tuk Tuk driver was very enthusiastic and ensured that we got the best photos to remember our trip.
We visited several sites of historical and cultural significance during our trip and Ravi was able to give us very good detail and explanations throughout for example when visiting temples and completing city tours.
In summary we had a great time, we did find some days quite long due to the distances we travelled and with fitting in so many excursions. However with 4 full days 'on the beach' before leaving we were able to re-charge. The trip exceeded our expectations and we would recommend similar to anyone who is considering visiting Sri Lanka.
Written March 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Showing results 1-1 of 1
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.