Sushil Kumar Singh’s Sri Lanka Trip with Thrillophilia

Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKDTCO9SQEB
Rating: ★★★★
Traveller: Dr Sushil Kumar Singh, Kiran Singh, Prabhat Ranjan Singh
Trip Duration: 7 Days | 6 Nights
Date of Travel: 21 Feb 2026 - 27 Feb 2026
Package Booked: Scenic Sri Lanka with FREE Ella Train Ride

Sushil Kumar Singh had already travelled with Thrillophilia twice before this Sri Lanka trip, so the family did not spend weeks comparing websites or worrying about how things would work on arrival.

At 65, he and his companions wanted a holiday that moved at a comfortable pace. Beaches, greenery, decent food, maybe some history. Nothing too hectic.

Thrillophilia’s Sri Lanka package looked manageable on paper, though there was still that usual pre-trip confusion about luggage weight and medicines and whether Sri Lankan food would suit everyone. Sunny from the team kept helping with those small things that somehow become big things before departure.

The trip started in Colombo after a long flight from Varanasi. By the time they reached the hotel, everyone was too tired to explore properly. One person still insisted on going downstairs for tea at nearly midnight because “new country mein first chai toh banti hai.” The tea tasted different. Slightly stronger. Nobody could decide if they liked it or not.

The next morning changed the mood completely.

Somewhere Between Kandy and Pinnawala

The road to Kandy had those endless green stretches people usually post online, but honestly, what stayed with them more was a roadside fruit stall where the driver stopped for king coconut water. It was humid, slightly sticky weather, and that drink fixed everyone’s mood instantly.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was crowded. School groups everywhere. Still, watching the elephants walk towards the water together had something calming about it. One elephant kept spraying water at random people standing too close. Prabhat Ranjan Sinha almost escaped. Almost.

Kandy itself felt quieter than expected. In the evening, they drove around the lake while lights slowly appeared around the city. Later came the Kandyan dance performance. Loud drums, fire acts, sharp movements. Sushil admitted later that he thought it would be “just another cultural program,” but it turned out to be one of the better evenings of the trip.

The hotels were good overall. A little far from the city sometimes, which became mildly irritating after long drives. But then again, those quieter locations also meant waking up to bird sounds instead of traffic, so nobody complained too much.

Ella Was Everyone’s Favourite. Somehow.

Not because it had the most famous attraction. It just felt good there.

The drive itself was half the experience. The tea plantations, the mist sitting lazily on the hills and tiny houses painted blue or pink for no obvious reason.

At one point, the vehicle slowed because a dog refused to move from the middle of the road, and the driver casually said, “He sleeps there every afternoon.”

That became an inside joke for the rest of the trip.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress came before Ella, and the climb was definitely tougher than expected. Halfway through, everyone pretended to admire the view when they were actually just trying to catch their breath. But reaching the top felt satisfying in that very old-school travel way. No fancy café waiting there. Just wind, ruins, and a huge stretch of green land below.

Ella had cooler weather. Ravana Falls was crowded near the entrance, people clicking photos nonstop, but the Nine Arch Bridge area felt calmer once they walked a little further. The tea factory visit was interesting too, mostly because the smell of fresh tea leaves stayed in the air the whole time.

And yes, everyone bought tea packets even after saying they wouldn’t.

Galle, Beaches, and Minor Travel Chaos

By the time they reached the southern coast, the trip had settled into a rhythm. Wake up. Eat slowly. Drive. Stop somewhere scenic. Repeat.

Mirissa Beach was exactly the kind of place where nobody wanted to do much. Just sit quietly and watch the water. Coconut Tree Hill had tourists lined up for photos, which was mildly funny because ten people were trying to create “candid” pictures at the same time.

Galle Fort felt different from the rest of Sri Lanka. Old buildings, sea breeze, tiny cafés hidden inside colonial streets. One evening, they walked around there without checking maps and ended up near the lighthouse just before sunset.

There were a few issues with the vehicle support during parts of the trip. Some delays. A little confusion once. Nothing disastrous, though travel rarely goes perfectly anyway.

Back in Colombo before departure, the group visited places like Gangaramaya Temple and Galle Face Green. But by then, conversations had already shifted toward future trips.

That probably says enough.

Sri Lanka gave them good weather, slower mornings, lots of greenery, and a week where nobody seemed in a hurry for once. Even after returning home, Sushil Kumar Singh had already started discussing where the fourth trip with Thrillophilia should happen.

Also Read: Archana and Krishna Kumar's Sri Lanka Trip with Thrillophilia