Sri Lanka Holiday with Private Driver

We (my wife and two boys 12 & 15) just got back from an amazing 13 night trip to Sri Lanka arranged by Lahiru and driven by Yohan. We had an itinerary in mind when we reached out to Lahiru to discuss our trip. We chatted through e-mail and WhatsApp and refined the itinerary based on his helpful suggestions. We booked our accommodation independently apart from one night in Udawalawe which Travelnlanka booked for us (it was lovely). We started our trip with 4 nights in Habarana to explore the cultural triangle, then travelled to Nuwara Eliya (via Kandy), Ella (by train), Udawalawe, Mirissa for 3 nights and Bentota (via Galle) for three nights. We had booked train tickets for the Odyssey which was cancelled due to the cyclone. Yohan took us to the station to arrange our refund and helped us book on to the train for Ella which was spectacular. We packed in so much to the first week with my personal highlights being sunrise on Lion Rock, safari in Udawalawe and snorkelling with Turtles (the boys would pick the zip wire in Ella which was recommended by our driver Yohan after I mentioned they were adrenaline junkies). I would say that our excellent driver Yohan made this trip more memorable. We felt safe at all times even with some of the mountain roads still being damaged after the Cyclone. He took the stress out of everything from calling ahead to our accommodations to arrange our arrival, booking restaurants and suggesting activities and changes to our itinerary whilst we were on the go. We will never forget our time spent with Yohan and would highly recommend him and Travelnlanka.

We are just back from a fabulous trip around beautiful Sri Lanka. For all those thinking of cancelling due to the cyclone please don’t. We travelled around Siguria, Kandy, Nuwera Eliya, Yala and then on to Bentota with stop offs at Ella and Galle and are so pleased we did not alter our itinery to miss any of these amazing destinations. While travelling times were longer than usual in some areas, they were all accessible and open. We can strongly recommend our great driver Kaveen from Travelnlanka. From his excellent driving with great care and safety first,sharing of local knowledge, joining us on our climbs and hikes, stopping to show us things of interest, great personality and sense of humour, having Kaveen as our guide truly made our trip a memorable one. I found Travelnlanka through reviews and communicated with Lahiru from Travelnlanka to organise the details via WhatsApp. The process was very easy and Lahiru made helpful suggestions to fit in with our plans for the visit.

We have had a wonderful 10 days in Sri Lanka with Menaka, who has become part of our family and our children will really miss him. We landed in Sri Lanka during the cyclone and Menaka has gone over and above to make sure that we have had an amazing holiday, despite the need to change our plans at short notice and his own family home being affected by the flooding. He always made sure that we were safe and well looked after. Assisting with booking trips of a life time for our children to see elephants and turtles up close. Even arranging a boat tour that we saw crocodiles that our 2 year old had been desperate to see. He is so kind to children and even ours who can be nervous around others really warmed to him (nick naming him America) and would always ask where he was if he was not with us. We would recommend him to anyone visiting and will be sure to be back in touch when we return to Sri Lanka

We were a group of four , two couples we were lucky enough to have Yohan Madushanka as our private driver for 8 days . Yohan was very polite , his English very good and most of all an extremely safe driver which we felt very comfortable with . Some of the roads especially the mountain ones are not very safe so you need to have someone who drives well , Yohan was our man ! Nothing was ever too much trouble for him , we loved his restaurant picks and loved the experience to stop on the side of the road to experience some curd . When we come back to Sri Lanka we will be requesting Yohan as he is the best Thanks again Yohan Karen ,Adam , Cheryl and Bert

I used TravelNLanka to hire a driver for my trip to Sri Lanka from November 6–14, and the experience was absolutely wonderful. Communication before my trip was easy and reassuring, which was especially helpful as a solo female traveler planning most of my itinerary. Upon arrival at Colombo Airport, I quickly found my driver, Charuka, holding a sign with my name and the TravelNLanka logo—a thoughtful touch that made navigating the busy airport simple. He welcomed me with a necklace as a gift, which was incredibly kind and thoughtful. Over the course of the week, Charuka became more than just a driver—he became a friend. He is an excellent driver and also accompanied me to many sites, providing history, context, and thoughtful insights that made the experiences far richer. Throughout the trip, he was overwhelmingly kind, attentive, and considerate, always opening doors and ensuring I felt comfortable and safe. Charuka also offered suggestions, adjusted the itinerary based on my energy or preferences, and frequently shared lesser-known places to visit that I would have missed otherwise. He even took photos of me—a huge help as a solo traveler—and made my trip far more memorable and enjoyable. Our conversations about the people, history, and culture of Sri Lanka, as well as life in general, were thoughtful and meaningful. I cannot recommend Charuka and TravelNLanka highly enough. They made me feel safe, cared for, and genuinely supported throughout my entire trip. I am so grateful for this experience and now count Charuka as a friend. Anyone traveling to Sri Lanka would be lucky to have him as their guide.

We had the absolute pleasure of having Sandun as our driver during our 10-day trip around Sri Lanka, and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better. From the moment we met him, he greeted us with a warm smile and made us feel instantly welcome. His deep knowledge of Sri Lanka, its history, culture, and hidden gems, added so much richness to our journey, and his pride and passion for his country truly shone through. Sandun was wonderfully flexible throughout our trip, always happy to adjust plans when we made last-minute changes to our itinerary. Nothing was ever too much trouble. He was also fantastic with our 2-year-old daughter, who absolutely adored him,his kindness and patience with her made travelling as a family so much easier and more enjoyable. We couldn’t recommend Sandun more highly. He helped make our Sri Lankan adventure unforgettable, and we’re so grateful for his warmth, professionalism, and genuine care. If you’re considering a driver in Sri Lanka, Sandun is the one!

We spent 12 nights travelling Sri Lanka with Kaveen as our wonderful driver and could not have asked for a better leader on our journey. Kaveen was always very considerate and knowledgeable and ensured our safety, especially as a family of 5, at all times. He was a great asset and made our trip very memorable. Highly recommended to all.