October 2010

Jungle Tide is beginning to take off! Since our last update we’ve registered on Trip Advisor www.tripadvisor.com and are now top of the list if you search for guest houses in the Kandy area, thanks to the excellent reviews our guests have placed there. Take a look! As a result we’re getting a couple of enquiries every week, about 25% of which are turning into bookings. So if you’re thinking of a Sri Lankan holiday next year and want the best choice of dates, get in touch.

As we’ve mentioned before, best times to come if you want wall-to-wall sunshine are December to the end of April, but the weather’s generally good in July, August and September as well. Even the monsoons don’t mean continuous rain – there’s plenty of sun in between but the rain, when it falls, comes down in biblical quantities.

Also, as previously noted, late July/early August is the time of the Kandy Perahera and we’re one of the few places in the area that doesn’t triple its prices for the occasion.
What we didn’t know before is that the southern coast of Sri Lanka is one of the world’s best places for whale watching, between December and April, and is the only place in the world where you might see both blue and sperm whales at the same time. Not near our house, but a few days on the coast and a few days up in our hills makes for a good Sri Lankan experience.

Martin and Rani, who look after the house for us, are every bit as wonderful as we had been led to believe. They keep the house spotless, cook excellent local food, are working wonders with the gardens, show guests around the local village and walks and are just exceptionally lovely people. They think we’re the world’s best employers; we think they’re the world’s best staff.

We’re due to visit again late January so will update after that.
Best wishes