This was my first city tour, ever, anywhere. And I very much enjoyed, as did my wife. It was better than wondering around aimlessly, getting lost and hot and wondering whether you were missing something. And we got facts and insights about history, ethnic groups, all sensitively and thoughtfully discussed. We wanted to see interesting things in Pettah, the commercial district, and Sea Street, and anything else that Thilanka thought we should see. We went to two mosques, a temple, a church that was bombed in 2016, gold district, the market, learnt tons, stopped for tea and lentil fritters. Thilanka brings the same passion he has for birds to people and places. He bought along a professor who had researched the communities in Pettah. He was great also. Service was excellent.

我们非常开心和幸运能够参加Thilanka组织的宝石之旅活动，由他带领我们前往拉特纳普勒进行了一整天的游览。这是一次非常充实而有意义的活动，我们充分享受了这次旅程。我是和我的家人以游览的心态一同前往的，在回来后我家人对Thilanka的称呼都变成了“博士”，因为他用充足的专业知识和细致的讲解征服了我们。 在时间安排上，博士在早上六点就来到了我们的住所，驱车与我们一同前往拉特纳普勒，并且在中途带我们去了非常正宗的只有本地人的早餐店，令人印象深刻的好吃而且便宜！路途上博士给我们细心的准备了自制的中文宝石介绍手册，并通过讲解和展示他的宝石藏品，让我们对宝石有了直接的了解。两个多小时到达后，他先后带领我们前往了他一个宝石收藏家的朋友家里、露天的宝石交易市场、专业的宝石加工店，以及有名的宝石收藏博物馆。本来还有计划前往矿区参观宝石开采的，但是家人们的购买欲望过于高涨，结果临时取消了矿区的计划，再次到达了收藏家朋友家里挑起了宝石。 原计划是四点多开始返程的，但实际上因为我们的原因，将近晚上八点我们才回到住所，但博士一直非常耐心，在我们需要的时候随时提供支持，也不会有任何的催促，让我们感受到了斯里兰卡人的热情，真的非常感谢！ 还有几点非常值得一说。一是在行程结束之后，我们在斯里兰卡继续旅游期间，我们还一直通过聊天软件私聊博士，他给了我们非常多的帮助和建议，包括鸟类观赏、寺庙游览和购物建议，而且每次聊天都会打非常多的文字，充满热情和真诚。二是他并不会推荐我们进行购物，而是更想带我们进行参观体验，但当我们需要购物时，他会尽力帮我们得到更低的价格，让我们非常满意。三是虽然他可能没有在他的爱彼迎体验中标出来，但是实际上他的体验活动是有团队优惠的：如果你参与的人数较多，可以先与他沟通并确定一个更加合适的团队价格，我们一行五人就获得了很优惠的价格与完美的体验。 如果有机会，我希望能够再次参加博士的鸟类观赏和寺庙游览活动，希望下次再会！

 

We were very happy and fortunate to be able to participate in the gemstone tour organized by Thilanka, who led us on a full-day tour of Ratnapura. It was a very fulfilling and meaningful experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I went with my family with the mindset of tourists. After we returned, my family started calling Thilanka “Doctor” because he won us over with his extensive expertise and detailed explanations. In terms of the schedule, Dr. Thilanka arrived at our place at 6:00 a.m. and drove with us to Ratnapura. Along the way, he took us to a very authentic breakfast shop frequented only by locals. The food was impressively delicious and affordable! Along the way, Dr. Thilanka thoughtfully prepared a self-made Chinese gemstone guide for us, and gave us a firsthand understanding of gemstones through his explanations and by showing us his gemstone collection. After more than two hours on the road, he took us to the home of a friend of his who is a gemstone collector, an open-air gemstone market, a professional gemstone processing shop, and a famous gemstone collection museum. We had originally planned to visit the mining area to see how gems are mined, but my family’s desire to buy was so strong that we ended up canceling the trip to the mining area at the last minute and went back to our collector friend’s house to pick out gems again. We had originally planned to start our return journey a little after 4:00 p.m., but in reality, we didn’t get back to our accommodation until almost 8:00 p.m. due to reasons on our side. However, Dr. Thilanka was always very patient and provided support whenever we needed it, without ever rushing us. We felt the warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality, and we are truly grateful! There are a few other points worth mentioning. Firstly, after the experience, we continued to travel around Sri Lanka and kept in touch with Dr. through messaging apps. He provided us with a lot of help and advice, including recommendations for birdwatching, temple visits, and shopping. He always wrote long messages, full of enthusiasm and sincerity, whenever we chatted. Secondly, he didn’t recommend that we go shopping, but instead wanted to take us on tours and experiences. However, when we wanted to shop, he did his best to help us get lower prices, which made us very happy. Thirdly, although he may not have mentioned it in his Airbnb experience, his experience actually offers group discounts. If you have a larger group, you can discuss with him beforehand to determine a more suitable group price. Our group of five enjoyed a very favorable price and a perfect experience. If I have the chance, I hope to join Dr. [redacted]’s bird-watching and temple tour again. I hope to see you next time!

This was an incredible experience, in large part to the hospitality of my guide, Thilanka! His knowledge of Colombo, its history, flora, fauna, and everything in between was astonishing. It was a full day tour but he provided plenty of water, many enjoyable conversations, and shared all three meals with me. This has been one of the best AirBnB experiences I’ve had to date. I would highly highly recommend this tour, especially if it’s with Thilanka!

Thilanka was our guide for the Colombo–Galle tour and made the whole day. Kind, patient and attentive, Thilanka always made sure we were comfortable without ever rushing us. The knowledge runs deep: history, culture, food and everyday life along the coast, all shared with warmth and good humour. Every question got a thoughtful answer. The service was top-notch from start to finish. If you’re travelling between Colombo and Galle, I can’t recommend Thilanka highly enough.

This was one of the best tour experiences we’ve had. While the tour was simple and not very long, Thilanka listened to our needs and gave us exactly what we were looking for in such an exceptional way. I won’t hesitate to contact him again for our next travel needs.

Everything was handled so well. And, on a personal note, I loved that he was always there when we needed him – helpful and knowledgeable – without being intrusive. Some guides can’t stop pushing their agenda or talking the whole time, but Thilanka struck the perfect balance, and I learned a lot from him. The whole family warmed to him and we felt that we were always in good hands.

His driver was also excellent being safe and considerate. Thilanka’s advice on every element of our trip proved spot-on. The whole trip, from planning to drop-off, felt like a collaboration. Highly recommended.

Thilanka is highly gifted, is absolutely passionate about what he does, and knows everything about everything! He was quite outstanding! He has a wealth of knowledge about Sri Lanka! A master at his craft but what makes the difference is he loves what he does and enjoys meeting people from different countries! I learnt so much! He picked great locations and gave me a great introduction to Sri Lanka and a wide overview of what Sri Lanka offers! From temples to wetlands to humble authentic local experiences to modern day Colombo! Besides that, he exudes a kind and generous spirit in how he carries himself. He was understanding, flexible, calm, funny, patient, giving, caring, accommodating, enthusiastic, positive and such a great human being. It was a privilege and pleasure to be in his company. I felt comfortable, safe, and fully trusted in his decisions to plan the tour! It was so amazing that I booked another tour with Thilanka! Please do not hesitate to book him if you are considering

I am a Sri Lankan and have lived here for nearly 40 years, but this was the first time I learned about the differences in the artistic styles of Buddhist image houses built between the 18th and 20th centuries. I believe many Sri Lankans are not aware of these fascinating differences. Therefore, I highly recommend this tour to all Sri Lankans as well as visitors from abroad. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn about our rich cultural heritage and have a truly remarkable experience, just as I did.

Thilanka è assolutamente la guida perfetta per scoprire questa magnifica terra ed il sorriso delle persone che la popolano.

Persona estremamente professionale, competente, organizzata e di una disponibilità davvero rara, ci ha accompagnati in un percorso di scoperta di Colombo e dintorni, birdwatching compreso, molto interessante e completo.

Grazie, grazie e ancora grazie 🙏🏻

 

Thilanka is absolutely the perfect guide for discovering this magnificent land and the smiles of the people who live there. An extremely professional, competent, and organized person with a truly rare level of helpfulness, he accompanied us on a very interesting and comprehensive journey of discovery in and around Colombo, including birdwatching. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again 🙏🏻

We had an amazing time on this tour. The host Thilanka was extremely knowledgeable and we had a great time with him. We visited a gem market which was really interesting to see the process of how rough gems are traded. We also met with his friend Kushan who knew so much about the gem industry. He showed us his collection with all the different gems that are produced in Sri Lanka. We saw how stones go from the mines to cutting and polishing into the finished product. We also visited an amazing gem museum which was wonderful to see. The driving was also really nicely planned with a great local breakfast spot on the way and amazing scenery and a temple on the way back. I’d highly recommend this tour