Review Author: psureshbabu1975, Singapore

Review Date: 30 Sep 2017

Review Body: I wrote to 6 Tour Companies in Sri Lanka before planning our family Tour and selected Lakpura Travels because of the exceptional customer service of their Tour Coordinator, Malsiri Peiris. Only Malsiri managed to offer an itinerary best suited for our Group consisting 4 different age groups. His initial conversation with me was enough to select him from the rest, He was easy to work with, highly committed and knowledgeable when planning. I had so much confidence in him and confirmed the Tailor made Family Tour he offered, our 1st to Sri Lanka. During the Tour, Malsiri was in contact with his Driver, with me, with Hotels booked, to ensure a flawless Tour. I decided to change my plans suddenly at the very end. Although it was during the Peak Season, without grumbling, he managed to get us a similar Hotel in Colombo which was not a destination in our Itinerary. I learnt that Malsiri always looks after his Clients well. I have travelled before to several countries, but never have I come across a Tour Coordinator so unique like Malsiri Peiris who was so passionate, understands his Customer needs, trustworthy and friendly. We were given a very safe and a friendly Driver called Lal. Lal was more than a Driver to all of us specially to our small kids who enjoyed his company throughout . Lal was never late, so we didn’t have to rush and didn’t miss anything, everything was organized by Malsiri giving enough time for our group to enjoy in our own space. In spite of his limited knowledge, Lal managed to show us useful things we didn’t know before. We visited Sigiriya, Minneriya to see Elephants in the wild on a private Jeep Safari, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy, Peradeniya, Nuwara Eliya. Also some visits to a Spice Garden, Gem Crafting and Woodcarvings. For those who are planning to visit Sri Lanka… I shall recommend Malsiri Peiris, probably the most committed Tour Coordinator you could find and his safe Driver Lal.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Seevali D, Sri Lanka

Review Date: 13 Aug 2019

Review Body: I booked a safari through TripAdvisor to visit Minneriya national Park through the tour operator 'Lakpura LLC'. I had mistakenly booked the safari for 20th August 2019 instead of 20th July 2019. I did not realise this mistake until I phoned Mr Nalinda from Lakpura LLC on the 19th July. It was he who pointed out my error and graciously rearranged the safari for 20th July. He also suggested that we travel to Kaudulla instead of Minneriya as the elephants were there. I greatly appreciated his helpfulness, professionalism and the three courteous telephone conversations. He informed me that the safari jeep driver Asela would pick us up at 1430 near our hotel 'Sorowwa Resort & Spa'. On the 20th July 2019, we were promptly picked up by Asela from our hotel and driven to Kaudulla. The jeep was a six seater four wheel drive with comfortable seating. As we got on to the jeep he handed over a cold bottle of water to each of us. On arrival at Kaudulla park, Asela went to the park offices and purchased our tickets. (Note - the park fees not included in the safari costs). Asela continued to chat with us all along this adventure giving us tips on how to maximise our experience. He took us to spots where elephant mums, youngsters, kids and babies were frolicking in the water, enjoying their grassy meal and simply walking about completely unconcerned with the many human visitors in at least 100 safari jeeps. Asela stopped his vehicle at spots where the light was optimum for photography. I also greatly appreciated his turning off the engine to minimise camera shake during photography!! It was not a sunny day - but partially overcast. I take this opportunity to thank Lakpura LLC and Asela for providing us a memorable afternoon to observe large groups of elephants at close range, in their natural habitat, numbering over a hundred.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Richard J

Review Date: 03 Mar 2019

Review Body: Honestly if you’re looking for the best tour group to book with choose this one. Our driver was called Subhash and he was an absolute legend, he had been waiting at the park entrance from 4:30 in the morning to make sure he got the best spot, from that point he raced into the park at full speed and somehow got us to be the 2nd people into the park. I’ve never seen someone run so fast, he got the tickets and legged it back and we were in the park by exactly 6am, at 6:05 we were the first people of the day to find elephants. Subhash knew exactly where to go because he had seen them there the evening before. The incredible Sunrise view whilst watching a group of elephants in the jungle is literally the highlight of 2019 so far. We loved it, the rest of the morning we saw so many animals, Deer, water buffalo, a Jakal, some Eagles, loads of peacock, and a super rare owl, and loads and loads of colourful birds that I can’t remember the name of. Subhash was somehow able to spot animals ages before we could even if they were behind trees or bushes, he literally made the tour incredible. I don’t think you would have a better tour from any other tour group. Subhash is a legend and is incredibly talented in what he does. Very very glad I booked with these guys, could’ve easily spent another 3 hours driving around and would’ve had just as good a time.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Megan-Cheltenham, UK

Review Date: 23 Sep 2019

Review Body: It was poring with rain when we entered the park and didn’t really expect to see much wildlife, but fortunately within 5 minutes it stopped and out it came. The first small herd of elephants were happily munching away very close to the road, quite oblivious to us snapping away. Next we saw a Mongoose who posed just long enough for me to take a photo. After a perfect opportunity to snap a rather soggy Kingfisher, there was the usual posing Peacocks. Next another herd of elephants with a month old baby. We followed a single male elephant who I don’t think was too happy to see us so we rapidly continued to a lake and where we were greeted with the sight of a herd of Water Buffalo with a few very young ones. There were numerous water birds and the ever present Crocs. I’ve seen much larger Crocodiles in other national parks in Sri Lanka but I managed to snap four just in one photo. What we didn’t expect to see was a Jungle/Reed/Swamp Cat. Wow, what a lovely surprise. It was almost hidden in the bushes but we still managed a few photos and then it disappeared. On our way out of the park, we saw a Python crossing the road. Again something else we didn’t expect. This was the fourth national park we’d visited in Sri Lanka and yet again we weren’t disappointed.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: widom, United States

Review Date: 02 Sep 2016

Review Body: I wrote to several companies about arranging a 3-day whirlwind tour and ended up choosing Lakpura. Malsiri was very patient with our email deliberations, and he didn't freak out when we decided to book transport only and not a tour package. He also checked in just before and during our tour to make sure everything was on track. Our driver Andrew Noyahr was just fabulous, can't praise him highly enough. We visited Dambulla caves, Wilpattu National Park, Anuradhapura, Minneriya National Park, Sigiriya Rock, and Polonnaruwa; everything was flawless. Although Andrew was meant to be a driver only, his English was excellent and he provided plenty of guide-like information. He also suggested one lunch place that was just terrific (Priyamali Gedara near Polonnaruwa, reviewed separately), but he was not at all pushy. We enjoyed getting to know him and would use him again in a heartbeat.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Margrethe S, Denmark

Review Date: 04 Apr 2017

Review Body: We went for morning and afternoon safaris to Minneriya and Kaudulla, respectively. Before booking I checked other company on the internet, but decided for Lakpura without having a specific reason. The description of both trips and prices were similar. Lakpura’s service was good. They picked us up and dropped after the trip in our hotel, even though the distance for pick-up was longer than in the trip description. Additionally, the entrances to both parks were included in the trip price, which was not a case in other company. Be aware of that. We did not see many animals in Minneriya during the morning trip, but during the afternoon we saw 45-50 elephants, including babies and youngs. You cannot compare these safaris with Central and South African safaris, but it was still nice to see some birds, big group of elephants, and other animals.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Margarethe S, Denmark

Review Date: 04 Apr 2017

Review Body: We went for morning and afternoon safaris to Minneriya and Kaudulla, respectively. Before booking I checked other company on the internet, but decided for Lakpura without having a specific reason. The description of both trips and prices were similar. Lakpura’s service was good. They picked us up and dropped after the trip in our hotel, even though the distance for pick-up was longer than in the trip description. Additionally, the entrances to both parks were included in the trip price, which was not a case in other company. Be aware of that. We did not see many animals in Minneriya during the morning trip, but during the afternoon we saw 45-50 elephants, including babies and youngs. You cannot compare these safaris with Central and South African safaris, but it was still nice to see some birds, big group of elephants, and other animals.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: anna_sokolova2017, Russia

Review Date: 26 Jan 2017

Review Body: We went to a 4 days tour in Sri Lanka with Lakpura travel on January, 2017. Everything was perfect from the beginning. The tour was organized by Malsiri Peiris who was very attentive to us. He adjusted the trip for our personnel requirements. We had a very well balanced prorgam for adults and kids. In 4 days we visited Kandy, Sigiriya, Dambulla and Polanaruva. We had a wonderful safari in Kaudulla national park. Our kids were amazed with hundreds of elephants as well as beautiful birds there. The Amaya lake hotel where we stayed for 2 nights was very comfortable and luxury so we could relax after the day full of adventure. Malsiri travelled with us and helped us a lot. Thanks to Malsiri and to our driver Lal we had a fantastic time in Sri Lanka! We enjoyed it so much and we hope to come back in the future.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Artem R, Russia

Review Date: 17 Aug 2019

Review Body: It was a full package (transfer from our villa + afternoon jeep safari). The driver came 15 minutes in advance. The car was not brand new (as promised) but of good quality - which is not easy to find in Sri Lanka (it is important as our trip to the Uduwalawe was 4 hours one way). The safari jeep was of very good quality, the driver/guide spoke good English. Safari itself takes around 3 hours. We saw 20+ elephants (including a 2month old baby, hawk eagles, crocodiles, deers, buffalos, monkeys, many birds, lizards, etc. The on;y con I can name is that they mentioned that water was included, but it was not the case. We had a small bottle with us and it was not enough. All in all - highly recommended. Good value for money. Special thanks to Felician who managed our trip on behalf of the agency.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: NaalyB

Review Date: 28 Sep 2016

Review Body: The hotel where we stayed charged double what I read on tripadvisor to go to the elephant Safari at Mineriya park. So I contacted Lakpura travels after having looked up the prices. They responded very quickly! The driver arrived on time and he spoke good English. Mineriya park is just wonderful and we saw so many elephants there! Our guide had a pair of binoculars that he lent them to us. We were so happy, we could see the fur of the baby elephants thanks to the binoculars! I really appreciated the fact our driver stopped the engine every time we got close and kept a reasonable distance with the elephants. This was not the case of other drivers and some of them went too close. We didn't have a tracker.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Claire S

Review Date: 18 Jul 2017

Review Body: We enjoyed a brilliant 3hr safari jeep ride around kaudulla national park. We were met at the gates of the park by our driver/tour guide very promptly. He then sorted all the tickets for us (4500LKR for three people is the entry fee, but you also pay a little extra for the jeep entry fee, your driver and small amount of taxes.) Our driver was really lovely and extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife we saw. He always made sure to stop the jeep and point out to us all the different animals, including water buffalo, crocodile, eagles, monkeys, lots of birds and of course the elephants! Couldn't recommend this trip highly enough. The elephants are wonderful and you're able to get really close!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Sudha123456, Texas

Review Date: 21 Mar 2019

Review Body: The ride through the park in the side-seated jeep was backbreaking; however, once we crossed the narrow waterbody and spotted the elephants, everything changed. It was sheer happiness. The females, the young ones, the males - the tuskers, the parade, tourists in100s of jeeps, were all incredible. I made a difficult task counting those elephants and had to stop after 100 or so. A mom elephant ( the cow) taking care of her young ones and her multitasking ability at suckling the calf, grazing, and taking care of the older calf, just bowled me over. The tuskers, like all male species, was just egoistic and loafing by themselves. A must visit for any Sir Lankan tourist.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Shirlz0515, United States

Review Date: 18 Aug 2017

Review Body: Two friends and I went to Sri Lanka this summer. We booked a car and an elephant safari tour through Lakpura, both of which added a lot to our experience. We had our own jeep in Minneriya National Park, and the driver went out of his way to ensure we saw elephants and took good photos. Additionally, we loved our driver Prasad, who speaks really good English and gave lots of recommendations on sites to visit in different parts of Sri Lanka. He is knowledgeable and easy to talk to. HIghly recommend to those in search of a driver. (We considered using train, but having a private car is much cleaner and easier!)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Rsi15

Review Date: 03 May 2018

Review Body: We booked to go to Minneriya National park but got an e-mail the day before to say all the elephants had moved to Kuadulla. They changed our tour and arranged to pick us up. The driver was excellent - providing us with binoculars and excellent commentary. The driver was brilliant at spotting animals. We saw hundreds of elephants and I feel he kept a fair distance from the elephants and when an elephant came close he moved away and always stopped at a reasonable distance. I would definitely recommend this company - I even received a small refund because of the change of tour which I was not expecting.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: raquelp25, Portugal

Review Date: 07 Oct 2019

Review Body: Prabath was definitely one of the nicest people we met in Sri Lanka! He got in touch via WhatsApp after we booked the tour to arrange everything and already answered some questions we had. Then he picked us up earlier from the ETH, took us to lunch and then to the safari. He and the park ranger were a good team, both spoting the animals and talking to us, we had a really good time and saw lots of elephants, crocodiles, buffaloes and birds! In the end he even gave us a ride to his area so we could get a taxi, introducing us to his family while we waited. Really nice, trustworthy guy! Thanks Prabath!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: drednev, UK

Review Date: 19 Sep 2019

Review Body: So much seen that I can't remember them all! Elephants in big and small groups. baby elephants and their mothers, a bull with enormous tusks....a troup of Macaque monkeys including a baby only days old clinging to Mum's belly.... and it goes on! We saw two sorts of eagle, peacocks, parakeets, Mina birds, bee-eaters, pine swallows and many more. Foxes and rabbits are twice the size of those at home in England.....an unbelievable experience! The guide and driver were both knowlegeable, helpful and very nice people....dare I say it, like everyone in Sri Lanka! A treat well worth the money!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: kathrynceceliak, USA

Review Date: 21 Aug 2019

Review Body: This was a fantastic safari tour. Our naturalist Ruwan made it a great experience and helped us spot lizards, birds, and crocodiles. We were able to see water buffalo and deer as well but the highlight was definitely the elephants! We got very up close and personal with large groups of them, they came right up to our jeep and hung out eating and socializing. We even saw baby elephants nursing and Ruwan shared a lot of interesting info as we drove. I would definitely recommend this trip, just make sure you bring bug spray as we got some bites along the way. :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: eee295

Review Date: 06 Aug 2018

Review Body: Used Lakpura to book an elephant safari whilst staying in Sigiriya. They were very helpful as we realised we booked twice. Very quickly refunded the money. We initially booked for Minneriya National Park at 6am, but as advised by the company we changed the booking to Kaudulla National Park in the afternoon. Our pick up was on time and driver was excellent. We saw more than a hundred elephants. The driver stopped to point out different birds and animals. Laleesha was our point of contact throughout the emails and was excellent.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: lyb F

Review Date: 09 Oct 2019

Review Body: We have been met at our hotel and taken without delay strait into the park. Our guide Ruwan Kumara has made the trip a great experience for us. His knowledge of the wild life made it possible for us to see all we would have missed otherwise. A well trained driver turned of the engine whenever we stopped to watch animals (drives of other cars did not care as much) so we could enjoy the sounds with the sights. We have been dropped of at our hotel at sunset with great memories and experiences.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: C E, Belgium

Review Date: 21 Sep 2018

Review Body: We had an amazing afternoon seeing over 100 elephants with our guide Asela and would highly reccomend both the experience and Lakpura as a tour company! Asela went out of his way to make sure we saw every possible animal in the park, he was respectful to the elephants, not chasing like some of the other drivers and his patience paid off - we saw some elephants very close up! Thank you for an unforgettable experience!

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Spot the majestic giants or wild Asian Elephants.

Itinerary Description: 02.30 pm: Main Entrance of Minneriya National Park 03.00 pm: Begin your game drive at Minneriya National Park. 06.00 pm: Finishing time of your Safari