Olanka Travels Reviews 207

We had a fantastic time , the hotels were excellent and most of all our tour guide was exceptional , he went over and beyond on every occasion.

Great trip. Well organised 14 day tour.

OLANKA TRAVEL
WoW what an experience, from
6 months in the planning I felt very comfortable dealing with Nirmani from Olanka. Planning a 14 day holiday for 10 friends isn't easy, but Nirmani took away all the stress that comes with holiday planning. I cannot recommend a travel company highly enough. And for our Guide Indika Anushan what an awesome guide. Indika went well above his duties to make our experience a life long memory. Indika is a true professional in the travel industry and not forgetting our bus driver Russ who did an amazing job negotiating the roads in Sri Lanka. Fantastic job Russ would travel with you anytime.
Once again thank you Olanka, Indika & Russ for creating life long memories for me & my family.
Cheers Chris

What a memorable trip we have had.
Olanka Travel ensured all our needs catered for and expectations met on our 14 day tour. Our guide Indika went above and beyond, nothing was too much for him. Russ our driver was extremely experienced in navigating his way around the sometimes congested, narrow roads and ensuring our safety was his number one priority.
We would highly recommend Olanka Travel to anyone wanting to experience this stunning country.
We had an absolute blast.
Thank you for making this an unforgettable holiday.
Petra & Mark

Olanka Travels have gone above and beyond booking this trip. The team of Indika and Rus have been awesome to tour the past two weeks with and given us a memorable experience we won’t forget. It will be sad to say goodbye to them but hopefully we come back soon to see them again.
Cheers,
James

Sri Lanka is a wonderful country which delivers everything it promises and more
My guide Thusatra treated me like a King
Please insist on him if you book a trip

We are a group of 7 friends from Australia who have just completed a wonderful 14 days in Sri Lanka organised by Olanka Travels.

From the beginning of planning, Shashini from Olanka has been incredible in listening to our feedback and developing an itinerary that was perfectly suited to our requirements. When the unexpected happened the week before departure and two of our friends from the US could not travel due to the war, she organised for a refund of most of their costs. She continued to stay in touch with us during the trip to ensure that everything was as per our expectations even organising a birthday cake for me. The standard of accommodation and meals were incredible.

On the ground, our driver Dayal was incredibly professional. His driving was of a very high standard that we felt completely comfortable and safe on what can be challenging Sri Lankan roads. We frequently changed plans on a daily basis which he took in his stride and accommodated our needs.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Olanka travels. Guhan

We have had a great experience with Olanka travels. Firstly, the executive Miss.Nuwanjala was super helpful in coming up with the itinerary and all the required bookings. She was more than accommodating to all our requests and last minute changes. Secondly, the person who made this whole Srilanka travel enjoyable was our guide/ driver Mr.Shanuka. He's incredibly empathetic, super knowledgeable and the best part - super jovial. He's always smiling, and will make the whole journey so fun. Honestly we didn't realise how quickly our trip went by because of him. We were very lucky to have him escorting us through Srilanka.

Roshan was an amazing tour guide for our trip around Sri Lanka. He really helped us experience the raw, authentic side of the country, not just the usual tourist spots. His knowledge of local places, traditions, history, and the stories behind each destination made the whole trip so much more interesting and meaningful.
He also knew all the best local spots for food, and took us to some really delicious places we would never have found on our own. On top of that, he always knew the best places to stop and relax, grab an iced coffee, use clean toilets, and take a break comfortably during long journeys.
Roshan was incredibly organised and thoughtful. He would call ahead and make extra arrangements for us, and always coordinated well with the hotels to make everything smooth and stress-free. He is a very safe and reliable driver, always prompt and on time, and made us feel comfortable throughout the trip.
What really stood out was how flexible and accommodating he was. He was always happy to stop for pictures, adjust plans where needed, and make sure we were enjoying ourselves. He was also great company to have around, with really good conversation and a warm, easygoing nature.
I would highly recommend Roshan to anyone visiting Sri Lanka. He goes above and beyond, and truly helps you see the best of the country.

We had an absolutely wonderful trip with Olanka travels for our Maldives trip in April 2026. A huge thank to our travel agent Monila Ebert who was simply outstanding from the very begining. She patiently attended to our every request and kept us informed with clear and timely communication. From arrival to velana airport to from Sri Lanka until the return everything planned to details and we didn't need to worry about anything. We had a wonderful and memorable trip in Maldives thanks to Olanka travels. Highly recommended Monila Ebert and the team for anyone looking for a memorable holiday experience. Will definitely use the Olanka travels again in the future....

Thank ypu Nayomi Fernando for organising our incredible honeymoon and exceeding our expectations. From landing to leaving everything was perfect, and all our requests taken care of!

Our visit to Sri Lanka was fantastic. Nayomi Fernando organized our trip and an amazing job she did as well. Dispute all the travel disruptions nothing was too much trouble for her to re-organize. The hotels were superb with fantastic views. Icing on the cake was our driver Kamal. Again nothing was too much trouble, told us everything we needed to know about the places we visited and suggested a lot of ideas of thing to do which were not on the original schedule (which were very good)could not recommend this holiday enough with Olanka travel (especially if you have Nayomi and Kamal)
An all round fantastic experience

We have just returned from the best holiday ever! It was a 12 night private, taylor made tour of stunning Sri Lanka, arranged via Olanka Travels.
Nayomi Fernando was our destination expert and the service we received from her was first class! We had to make a few changes due to flight issues and these were dealt with extremely professionally.
We had a fun packed schedule which took us around Negombo, Sigyria, Kandy, Nuwaria Eliya, Ella, Yala, Marissa, Galle & Colombo.
Nayomi arranged fantastic hotels with breathtaking views too.

Another huge highlight of our holiday was Kamal our driver - his professionalism, knowledge and friendliness really made our holiday a truly memorable experience - the best holiday ever!

Both Nayomi and Kamal are really great assets to Olanka Travels and I cannot recommend their services highly enough!

Thank you Olanka Travels, we will be back! 😊

I had the pleasure to interact with Nayomi Fernando! I gave 20 days of my free time in her hands, and she turned those days into magic!
The best tour in my life! Well organized, well managed and well executed!
I can only strongly recommend to ask for their service when visiting Sri Lanka and the other countries in the region!
Thanks for everything,
Roberto from Rome 🇮🇹❤️

Olanka organised my holiday to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. We were assigned a dedicated travel agent named Nirmani. Her service was excellent. My phone calls were always answered and any questions or concerns were clarified. The whole tour was very well planned (Flights, accommodation and private driver). I felt safe at all times.
Our driver, Vidura, was on time everyday and nothing was too difficult for him. He was helpful and took us to the ATM/ tourist shops/ supermarket, on request. Always with a smile.
I highly recommend Nirmani as a travel agent from Olanka. And also Vidura if you require a private driver.

Olanka Travel – Tailor Made Tour, Sri Lanka 12-25 February 2026
Having done a tour of Sri Lanka in a hire car with a local driver about 50 years ago, when my wife wanted to visit Sri Lanka for the first time, it seemed obvious to go for a similar arrangement. I found Olanka Travel on the net. The itineraries the company offered included many of the things we wanted to see and do. Correspondence was established with their representative, Nirmani Jayalath, who responded quickly to requests for information on intineraries, pricing etc. Most importantly, she readily agreed to reverse Olanka’s standard intinerary, which would normally go clockwise round the main tourist sites, starting with Sigirya Fortress/Palace and ending at Colombo. Instead we wanted to start in Colombo, travelling anticlockwise round the island and building to a climax with Sigirya at the end of our holiday. I also emphasised the importance to us of having a driver with a reasonable grasp of English and a good knowledge of the island. Nirmani found Amil Chamara for us, who proved to be an ideal travelling companion. He is a delightful, warm personality, flexible and adaptable and a real enthusiast for his country. He is also an excellent driver, completely aware of local traffic conditions, with whom we felt completely safe.
All contact with Olanka Travel was by email and WhatsApp and all arrangements worked well. The hotels were all of a good standard, varying between pretty high end, modern buildings with infinity pools, safari lodge style hotels and old colonial hotels in hill stations. All were comfortable and clean. There was always a good range of food available, much of it delicious. Food hygiene in Sri Lanka seems to be excellent.
Since a major cyclone had recently swept through large parts of the island, inevitably there had been significant disruption to road and rail transport. Amil was able to adjust our itinerary as we went along to take account of problems beyond his control e.g. part of the railway network had been damaged, meaning we could only do part of the famous rail journey to Nuwara Eliya, but nevertheless each day was satisfying and enjoyable. We were also able to add in some items not included in the original itinerary that had been recommended to us e.g. the Raja Maha Vihara Temple and bridge at Bogoda.
The whole package worked very well and we were very sad to leave at the end of our holiday, which is always a sign that you have really enjoyed yourself and have started to fall in love with a place and its people. I have no hesitation in recommending Olanka Travel and its staff who gave us a great holiday at a reasonable price.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience was bad enough to warn others — avoid this company.

From the outset, the service was chaotic and misleading. Hotels were changed last minute under the excuse of an “upgrade,” only to be switched back again, which immediately showed a lack of organisation and honesty. I was also very clear that safaris had to be included in the price and was explicitly told they were — yet on arrival we were asked to pay an extra €150 per person. This is completely unacceptable and feels deliberately misleading.

Things only got worse during the trip. Several promised elements were simply not delivered, and when we tried to contact customer care, we were met with silence. Being ignored while already on holiday, after paying a significant amount, is incredibly frustrating and unprofessional.

To make matters worse, the hotels were well below the standard advertised and nowhere near what we expected.

The only redeeming part of the trip was our driver, who was excellent throughout.

Overall, this company is unreliable, poorly managed, and does not deliver what it sells. I would strongly advise anyone considering booking with them to stay well away.

Ours was 7 day tour of Singapore, Malaysia and Langkawi. The trip started off with small glitches but professional and orderly way the Olanka team handled the tour was worth praising. The plan was detailed and even small adjustments in schedules were adjusted as per our need. The agents are prompt and always available. #GreatTourOperator

Myself & my husband visited our son who lives in Dubai on Dec 2025 and when there we decided to take a trip to Sri Lanka for 8 days in Jan 2026 . We booked through Olanka Travels and were appointed Nirmani Jayalath as our agent which proved to be a great decision from start to finish . She gave great advice and made super decisions for us with destination choices and hotel decisions , all very enjoyable. We got great attention to detail and Nirmani checked in on a regular basis with us during our trip . We were appointed an excellent driver & guide in Sami . I would highly recommend requesting Orlanka Travel as your travel agent and and ask for Olanka !! Maggi & George Paul

Our trip to Sri Lanka was hassle free and very memorable.Both our advisor Nirmani Jayalath and driver Senerath did a very professional job. Thanks to Nirmani for organising the trip so well right from the start and did a fantastic job. Our driver Senerath was a very accommodating person. Thank you Olanka!