Olanka Travels Reviews 207

We have just returned from a 19 day tour of Sri Lanka organised with Olanka Tours, initially by Chathuri and later, Rush. The tour was organised to accommodate our interests and abilities. We travelled in a van for the 5 of us with a driver/ tour guide, Indika who was so competent, friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable.
We saw so much and yet had time to relax in some excellent accommodation.
I would thoroughly recommend Olanka as our welfare was foremost and the fact that we could change the itinerary on a daily basis was wonderful.
The people in the country were so friendly. It was a delight.

We have just returned from a 21 day tour of Sri Lanka which was planned by Rashmi Wijesinghe. We cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism she gave from start to finish. Our driver, now our friend, Vishan Madushanka was outstanding. He was so knowledgeable, fluent English, always happy, amazing photographer (we have never had so many holiday photos together), great driver and always made sure we were looked after. Vishan and Rash come highly recommended. We loved Sri Lanka and hope to return again one day.

My wife and I and travel companions Phil and Janet have just returned from our 15-day tour around Sri Lanka. Our trip was truly memorable thanks to our excellent chauffeur and guide Asela and the wonderful itinerary thoughtfully curated in line with our requirements by Navodya Jayalath. Asela was such a safe and patient driver/guide always on time and his vehicle was immaculate (cleaned every day with water supplied). We greatly appreciated his pick up from Colombo in the very early hours on day 1 with a midnight arrival!
Asela and Navodya were brilliant to deal with and extremely accommodating to our schedule and preferences. Asela’s insights into the local culture and hidden gems added immense value to our experience. He organised a local guide at Anuradhapura, and jeep Safari’s at Wilpattu and Yala National Parks. He also recommended the best places for Coffee and Lunch and we were never disappointed. We enjoyed the hotels that Navodya selected for our itinerary and the upgrade to sea view rooms and the fact that her communication was terrific throughout the planning. When we arrived in Sri Lanka, Navodya advised that we could contact her anytime during our trip.
We sincerely appreciate Asela and Navodya’s dedication, professionalism, and warm hospitality, and we would highly recommend ‘Olanka Travels’ services to anyone planning a trip to Sri Lanka.

Our trip was a very memorable one. We visited many places and had a very good experience everywhere we stayed. The lady who booked our tour Pubuduni Vitanage was excellent at what she did. Also our driver Sineth was so patient, such a safe driver and so understanding and helpful. Both these staff members need to be recognised for their great work for your trave business. We hope to return again to Sri Lanka sometime and hope we will be able to have people like this that we can deal with. Thank you both PuBuduni and Sineth for being so helpful to us.

The reason for this 5 star rating is based on our driver and guide, Tushara Jayathilaka. We felt safe, respected, honoured and comfortable with Tusha. He was not only our driver, but acted as a travel guide. Tusha wanted us to have a true Sri Lankan experience, and I'm going back to Australia feeling as though I've learnt about the culture, the religions in Sri Lanka, have had history lessons along with a lot of laughs. Thank you Olanka for providing Tusha to serve my husband and myself. I would recommend Tusha as your driver and guide anytime.
Tusha was with us for 10 days. He respected our personal space and knew when we needed him too.

Spent 15 days in Sri Lanka, following a route suggested by Geethanjali Prasangika at Olanka Travels.

I suggest you as a traveler read up on your destinations ( in detail !) and spend some time discussing options with Olanka - you will then eventually end up with a really tailor-made plan & route, well suited to your wishes and budget.

My trip included car and driver (typical for a trip to SL)
and I had the pleasure of having Asanka from KMDN Holidays as my driver - and he was FANTASTIC!

My own personal Limo driver with a car that was always there when I needed it, came fresh and cleaned every morning and with Asanka safely driving me around central and southern SL.

I went on a 10-day trip planned by Pubudini Vithanage. I realized last-minute that I had the following week off, and not only did Pubudini plan the most fabulous tour for me, but she did it with only 48 hours. She was unbelievably responsive, and even after I had arrived, she continued to check in on me each day.
I was a female solo traveler and safety was of the utmost importance to me; she set me up with a fabulous driver / guide who made me feel very safe and comfortable. He was wonderful and with me 24/7. All of the hotels she selected were wonderful, and particular itinerary highlights included the elephant safari in Udawalawe National Park, the turtle hatchery in Bentota, the views from Sigiriya Rock, and seeing the tea country. Sri Lanka has SO much to do and it's hard to plan it all as a foreigner - do yourself a favor you won't regret and let Olanka Travels handle it!! My trip wouldn't have been possible without them.

Our tour across Sri Lanka was truly memorable thanks to our excellent driver and guide, Mr. Dayal Priyantha, and the wonderful itinerary thoughtfully curated in line with our requirements by consultant Ms. Buddini Peris.
Mr. Dayal was courteous, well-informed, and extremely accommodating to our schedule and preferences. His insights into the local culture and hidden gems added immense value to our experience.
We sincerely appreciate his dedication, professionalism, and warm hospitality, and we would gladly recommend ‘ Olanka Travels’ services to anyone planning a trip to Sri Lanka.

My friend and I had a 2 week trip organised by Rash from Olanka Travels. It was great seeing so much of your beautiful country with our driver/guide,Tiron, who was knowledgeable, friendly and extremely helpful. Thank you to Tiron and Olanka Travels for making our holiday such fun and memorable.

Wonderful country for relaxing vacation especially at Kandy, Sigirya-elephant orphanage & boat ride, Newarka Eliya & beautiful beaches.
Many thanks to our tour guide, Roshan for his great driving skills, friendliness, patience & being so helpful.
You made our trip so enjoyable. :)

I was nervous about using Olanka from the UK but I had a huge quote from Trailfinders and decided to arrange the whole trip myself for a huge saving. Most of the hotels I booked myself but a couple were unavailable to book privately so Olanka booked them for me. They arranged a great driver in Shanuka and everything went perfectly,

We’ve had a brilliant two weeks holiday organised by Olanka Travels. Our guide and driver, Tiron, was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Lovely country with super friendly people.

Our driver was a god send! We had an incident at Sri Pada (our fault) that required surgery. Our driver and Olanka stayed with us the entire time providing assistance. We cannot speak highly enough of the whole team. As I mentioned Nishantha our driver was just exceptional, without him I am just not sure how we would have got through the experience. Whilst our individual journey had its issues, this was of our making, and the Olanka team were so supportive.

I used Olanka Travels to organise our holiday in Sri Lanka for seventeen nights. This was my first visit to SL after 24 years. My communication with Olanka started in early 2025. Savithri Perera was my tour consultant.

The service I received was absolutely outstanding. Savithri was professional, caring, patient, friendly and had excellent knowledge about our needs and what is available for offer. Me and my family are very thankful.

I must mention our tour guide and the driver, Tharanga and Subash. They provided an excellent service throughout.

In summary, Olanka Travels is an excellent company. I highly recommend them to anyone who wish to holiday in Sri Lanka. Thank you Olanka.

A fabulous time organised to see many interesting people and sites. Expertly guided by my guide. We remain friends today

We’ve just returned from a wonderful 14‑day tour of Sri Lanka and couldn’t be happier. Rush from Olanka Travel organised everything from start to finish with professionalism, warmth, and endless patience. Our plans changed several times — dates, inclusions, even destinations — and nothing was ever too much trouble. Despite booking fairly last‑minute in peak season, she still secured us excellent accommodation and kept the whole process smooth and stress‑free.
We’re two sisters travelling from the UK and Australia, and Rush coordinated our transfers perfectly. When the UK flight was delayed by 12 hours, she rearranged everything so calmly that a stressful situation became manageable.
Our driver, Saliya, was another highlight. Calm, reliable, and always smiling, he made every journey feel safe and enjoyable. Sri Lankan roads can be lively, but with Saliya we were in the best hands. He also took our interests to heart — even adding a couple of garden visits after I mentioned my love of botany — which made the trip feel truly personal.
Sri Lanka gave us experiences we never would have found on our own: history, scenery, wildlife, food, and the warmest people. Every day was memorable.
If you’re planning a trip to Sri Lanka, we highly recommend Olanka Travel. Ask for Rush — she’s exceptional — and if you’re lucky enough to have Saliya as your driver, you’re guaranteed a wonderful journey.

Rush from Olanka Travel organised our tour from start to finish. She was AMAZING!! Our itinerary and pax changed throughout the process. Rush was patient and organised, nothing was as issue for her. I was a little apprehensive because everything ran so smoothly. It was so easy to book with Rush. Even though we were travelling during peak season she still managed to get 9 people in to some great accommodation.

We had a mix up when we arrived in Sri Lanka (at 11:30pm) completely out fault and Rush fixed our issue without a hassle. Rush organised the most amazing tour guide Asanka, we will never travel to Sri Lanka without Asanka as our tour guide. He was knowledgeable, patient, funny and went above and beyond for every person on the tour. Our family will never forget the memories we made with Asanka. We absolutely adore him. If you are planning to visit Sri Lanka ask for Asanka, you will not be disappointed.

Lastly we had the most amazing driver Lacmel. He made sure we arrived safely at every destination. The roads are not for the faint hearted, he was a true champion!

The package Rush put together was 14 days of absolute joy. We did some amazing activities that would not have even been on our radar if we didn't have Rush and Asanka organising. Do yourself a favour and book through Olanka Travel, ask for Rush and Asanka!!!

I usually plan my trips myself, but due to the short notice, I decided to use a local agency to help organise my trip to Sri Lanka.

Savithri, who was very friendly and helpful, designed an itinerary based on my preferences and accommodated all my change requests regarding destinations and locations.

Roshan, my driver—who also became my travel companion—was very kind and attentive. His driving was very safe, and he was always patient, making sure I was comfortable.

The trip went very well overall. If I could change one thing about the arrangements, it would be the location of most of the hotels. While they were very nice and comfortable, they were often far from village centres, and as a solo traveller, I had limited opportunities to explore the surroundings on my own.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country, and the people are incredibly friendly.

We have had a great visit to SriLanka. Especially thanks to our driver Nishantha for his kindness, professionallity and hospitality. It was a wonderful journey. Thanks 🙏

We booked a 14 day personalised itinerary with Olanka Travels. Mery accommodated our needs accordingly. A big recommendation for our driver Amila. He was polite, always on time, spoke fluent english, with excellent local knowledge on Sri lanka, animals, Flora, fauna & medicinal foods. Added to this, he also took us to reliable & safe food outlets, & even changed our AUD $ as necessary. Being a wildlife volunteer rescuer, this knowledge was also shared. I would not hesitate to recommend Olanka Tours.