Mr. Thilanka is a passionate and skillful birding guide as well as a wonderfully kind person. His communication was very clear, he was very understanding and recommended good places for us to see.

He took a lot of effort to make our trip fun. He could identify birds based on their calls, and was skilled at spotting them. His directions regarding where to look to see them were very helpful and clear, and he was patient if it took some time for us to spot the birds and made sure we saw it.

Because of his expertise and connections with locals, we were fortunate enough to see some good birds including many endemic, and even a Serendib scops owl perched in the jungle! He also coordinated a local lunch and dinner for us. It was fun getting to know about him and his life in Sri Lanka as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip with Mr. Thilanka and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a birding or tour guide in the area. We are hoping to come back and do another tour on our next trip!

 

When we first met, Thilanka began by explaining to me that the intricate fabric of Sri Lankan culture could be represented by the diverse range of plants, nature, and wildlife just in my neighbourhood. He began to point out the plants in the neighbourhood I ordinarily walked by many times for the couple of days I had already explored Colombo before booking this tour, and illuminated their significance in telling the story of the island. Within the first ten minutes of our conversation, I had learned so much.

I am a PhD student in Sociocultural and Linguistic Anthropology from Toronto. Thilanka curated the perfect tour, explaining etymologies, history, insights on contemporary life, and beyond to understand the rich, beautiful, multicultural nature of the island.

There are not enough characters to thank, recommend, and share the joy of spending time with Thilanka. He may be the smartest, most patient,and most compassionate man I know.

Thank you so, so much. I hope we stay in touch.

Really great experience from hotel pickup, to customizing a tour for my interests (fruit, cricket, trains), to dropping me off at my doorstep with some tasty fruit treats to keep going for the rest of the day. Huge thank you!!

Our multi-day tour through Sri Lanka was an absolute highlight – largely thanks to our amazing guide, Thilanka. From the very beginning, he impressed us with his warm, friendly, and exceptionally well-organized manner. It was clear how much thought, effort, and passion he put into planning and executing every part of the tour. Each stop was perfectly coordinated, allowing us to relax and fully enjoy the experience. He brought us to hidden spaces for lunch etc!

Thilanka’s knowledge of Sri Lankan culture, history, and nature is truly extraordinary. Whether we were visiting the stunning temples in Kandy, exploring the scenic highlands and lush tea plantations, or embarking on a safari through the national park – he always had fascinating and insightful information to share. The wildlife tour Udawalawe, in particular, stood out, as he explained so much about the local flora and fauna, making the experience incredibly enriching. We felt more like traveling with a friend than with a guide!

One of the best experiences of my life on Airbnb!!! Thikanka and I started chatting as strangers but by the end of the trip we are friends now!!!! 🥰🫶🏻 We did one day Sigiriya tour – it was lil difficult as its far from Colombo but Thilanka agreed to do it for us. After that it was a magical day – covering two unesco sites and had best lunch at a local village house! Couldnt ask for more – thanks buddy for making it a perfect day!! 🙏🏻 He has immense knowledge of everything- be it history, architecture, biodiversity, food and what not!! And the best thing he shared stories in such a way that you become interested!! Loved his passion for what he is doing!! 🫶🏻 Super flexible and kind! ❤️ Highly recommended- you ll love this man!! Haha 🙌🏻

We had an unforgettable day trip to Sigiriya with Thilanka — a passionate travel enthusiast and incredible guide! From Colombo to Sigiriya and back, he filled our journey with fascinating history, wisdom, and hilarious stories that brought Sri Lanka’s past to life. His warmth, kindness, and deep knowledge added so much colour and meaning to our experience. We felt truly immersed and cared for every step of the way. Highly recommended — 5/5! Thilanka, if you’re ever in Bangalore, we’d love to host you!

It was a highlight of my time in Sri Lanka to go on a birding tour of local wetlands in Colombo with Thilanka. I booked the tour the evening before and he responded immediately to schedule our departure at 5am. We spent about 3.5 hours walking through Diyasaru Park at sunrise and saw nearly 50 species – as well as a monitor lizard, crocodile, and other animals. Thilanka shared a lot about Sri Lanka’s unique biodiversity and his experiences of traveling around the world on various birding excursions. We also spoke about Sri Lanka’s history, culture, and politics. He brought along fruit and coconut water for us to snack on. He’s a great guide and I can’t wait to come back for another visit so that I can go on a longer tour with him to a nearby national park. He’s very flexible and personalizes each tour in terms of length and focus. Couldn’t possibly recommend a better person!

My friend and I recently took a last minute trip to Sri Lanka and Thilanka was wonderful (and crazy!) enough to accept our 5am request for a day tour! We had nothing planned and he organized the most amazing day where we tried local foods, visited a temple and a couple spots and toured a national park where we got to see a 2 week old baby elephant. Thilanka is a wonderful guide and such a kind person. Would highly recommend!

This is the rarest gem of airbnb experiences. Everything was perfect. Thilanke is extremely knowledgeable and very passionate about what he does. I had a great time. It was a very bespoke experience and definitely great value for money. Here is what we did during our tour: 1. Typical Sri Lankan cuisine for breakfast 2. Lunuganga / Geoffray Bawas personal estate 3. We had the opportunity to talk personally Mr. Bawas last butler. 4. Ancient village temple & 2 image houses. 5. Bentota beach , Railway station and some of Bawas structures/ designed. 6. Galle Fort admiring diversed architecture & ethnicity 7. Lucky to see the 1st day of Ban/SL test cricket match. Live happening 8. Local food experience in a typical local restaurant.