Uncover the best of Nuwara Eliya the local Way

"We had a really good time during our day trip. We started our trip in Kandy where Deshan picked us up from our hotel. We visited the Ambuluwawa Tower which offers great views. Then we went to a tea factory where we also had a tea tasting. On the way we stopped at some waterfalls before making the last stop at the historical post office in Nuwara Eliya. From booking the trip to ending it in Nanu Oya - everything went perfectly well. We would definitely book a trip with Deshan again :) "

"We had two 1 Day trips with Deshan and then a 3rd day was a one way transfer from Kandy to Colombo. Deshan was reliable , punctual and very adaptable to our requests. We told Deshan exactly what we wanted to see and do , and most importantly what we wanted to avoid ( crowds , commercial experiences , groups etc) Deshan gave us exactly the kind of experience we were looking for . Roads , traffic and those horrible buses can make driving in Sri Lanka ( or being a passenger ) hard to deal with sometimes but Deshan was a great driver and we were in good hands. If you want to see unique parts of Sri Lanka with someone who gets a kick out of being a great host then Deshan is your guy , thanks for the awesome time and the safe delivery to Colombo at the end of our visit !"

"We had a great day with Raj, he was very informative, safe driver and pleasant company. Recommend this day trip to anyone who wants to explore the stunning tea fields. "

"We had a great time with Ranil who was an excellent, friendly, knowledgeable and polite guide. Nothing was too much trouble for Ranil and he tailored the trip to our requests. He is a very safe driver and was easy to talk to. We would thoroughly recommend him. "

"We had a fantastic time on this tour of the tea plantations, stunning views and a brilliant drive (although if you get car sick I would be careful, although the guide was very happy to stop and wait for us to feel better before moving on). Well worth using this trip as a way to get from Kandy to Nunwara Eliya as we did."

"The day started off at 7.30am, and Chandana was on time. We headed on the road, but it was a public holiday on this day, with the Hindu festival of Pongal, so the streets were pretty bare, and traffic was light. This made our day quite enjoyable, since we were not stuck in traffic all the time. Chandana’s vehicle is clean, roomy, air-conditioned, and comfortable, and can easily fit 4 people, although we were 2. He is a cautious driver, and we were never concerned about what was happening on the road. Because it was a holiday, the Pedro Tea Factory was closed, and the Damro Tea Factory was open, but not operational (and therefore not interesting to us), so we went to one in town in Kandy. Chandana put in the effort to find alternate locations when the primary locations were a bust, although I would have liked better preparation on this front, since this wasted time on the road (and there will be a LOT of time spent on the road). Based on our interests, however, Chandana put in the extra mile: at the time of the reservation, we were very interested in visiting a spice garden, specifically to see how pepper is grown, a subject matter of great interest to us. In the end, we decided not to modify the itinerary because it would incur additional cost of both money and time, but Chandana still managed to squeeze this in for us: he took us to a private garden in Kandy, where we experienced some legendary Sri Lankan hospitality: king coconuts from a tree in the garden split open for us, and a tour of a pretty extensive backyard pepper plantation. Absolutely wow! I wish I could attach photos to this review, but this experience absolutely blew our mind! The host was gracious enough to even give us some of the pepper and some of the nutmeg from his trees! This part of the day was extremely memorable, and we will be talking about it for years to come. It is a life memory! Chandana is a cerebral, knowledgeable guide, and we learned a lot during the trip. But there were a few confusions that made the experience difficult: when we read the reviews on the website, some of the reviews were for a different tour, that included the botanical gardens. But the tour we signed up for was for one without the botanical gardens, so we ended up not going (and I had built up the wrong expectations and ended up a little disappointed). There were some gaps, misunderstandings and missed expectations because of a lack of clarity, and I think withlocals.com is mostly to blame for this, not Chandana. My recommendation: for a knowledgeable guide, and for some insider knowledge, pick Chandana for your next tour, you will not be disappointed! But do make sure to review your itinerary carefully and make sure that you hit the marks you want to hit. Be active in the tour, and it will pay dividends. On the whole, it was great, and we won’t be forgetting our day with Chandana any time soon."

"I did a solo trip in 2016. Unfortunately It was only one day. Everything was perfect. Ranil is such a nice man, friendly and really a great storyteller. Day with him was not only about sightseeing tour. He opened my eyes for real Sri Lanka’s life, tradition and cuisine. So don’t hesitate and book a trip. "

"I booked with them a few months back and everything was well organized. Everything was timely and exact! He showed us parts that are tourist destinations and also gave us a tour where locals hang out. The van was excellent and he gave us some tips on where to go and when to go while in Sri Lanka. I highly recommend this company to any would like to really enjoy their time in this wonderful country. I wish I could give more stars!!"

"We had a brilliant day with Vishwa. He was a fantastic tour guide, very knowledgeable and took us to some amazing places we would never have found on our own! Would certainly recommend! "

"I had a wonderful 15 days fun filled stay in Srilanka. The people are so lovely humble, the yummy food and the natural beauty. My stay in this country haven’t being so memorable if haven’t meet some lovely people who made my stay so comfortable and safe. One among lovely people is Ranil. Ranil and his beautiful wife saw to it that I have a comfortable place to stay with a multi cousine srilanka food and also educated me about the culture and history of the country throughout the journey when we travel from one place to another. Thanks Ranil for taking care of me and have an unforgettable journey. "