Review Author: Rebecca Thompson

Review Date: 30 Jun 2021

Review Body:

Review rating: 5

Review Author: GriseldaBlanco, Australia

Review Date: 13 May 2019

Review Body: I met Jaggy in 2014 on my first trip to Sri Lanka when I asked a young worker from my hotel for his personal recommendation for a well priced driver and I can honestly say Jaggy really made my holiday extra special with his experience and professional driving skills. I had a specific list of places I wanted to see and spend time at, and Jaggy took me to all of them, let me explore them as I please at my leisure, plus more spots he thought I’d have interest in along the way. A few places you might feel pressure to buy things, but you just need to politely advise you aren’t interested and walk away - no big deal. I especially loved spending the afternoon walking around Galle - ask to be taken to the fishing village area where you can watch the practice of “stick fishing” it’s amazing to see! Old men walk out in the warm ocean up to their waists and stick these thick sticks in the sand that jut out of the water 2-3 meters and have a tiny seat on them to perch on which they fish off for hours. Most don’t speak English but are happy for you to take a peek at their catch or just watch them. They’d probably even give you a go if you didn’t weight over 60kg haha! Just tell Jaggy the things that interest you and he’ll cater a schedule that you’re 100% happy with and agree on a price and it’s as easy and as casual as that. Or if you have no idea, he’ll offer a bunch of suggestions. He’s worth every penny. I felt very safe with him, which is a big part of traveling solo as a young female. I can’t remember the exact cost but it was well priced for his services, the safety, and the trust factor. You’ll find slightly cheaper drivers, sure, but you won’t get the special Jaggy touch! He knows anything and everything about Sri Lanka and is an honest man. If you’re up for some stories, ask him for some, he’s had some interesting clients over the years that I’m sure will make you laugh! Would love to visit again someday and hire him again. Highly recommended for all kinds of travelers to Sri Lanka. They really need the tourism over there at the moment and it is a BEAUTIFUL country and people ❤️

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Travlynn9, Australia

Review Date: 29 Oct 2019

Review Body: Another exciting experience! Three of us have just returned from a fun- filled 18 days exploring Sri Lanka with the incredible, ever-surprising Jagath. Apart from the “ must do’s” such as climbing Sigiriya Rock, elephant spotting, village tour, tea plantations, Nuwara Eliya to Ella train journey, temples, waterfalls, Liptons Seat, Little Adams Peak and Yala National Park.... this time Jagath also took us off the beaten track to explore further. A couple of us have had multiple visits to Sri Lanka, so this time we journeyed to Jaffna at the northern tip of the island and enjoyed a surprise speed boat trip out of Casuarina Beach! Then 18 Hairpin Bend Rd snaking it’s way downhill on a seven km stretch somewhere between Kandy and Mahiyangana was another surprise. It also provided Jagath with another opportunity to demonstrate his exceptional driving skills! We enjoyed the natural , raw beauty of Riverston Peak , about 30 kms out of Matale on an early morning journey..... this also provided great views of the Knuckles Ranges. Testing out the relatively new Flying Ravana mega zipliner after climbing Little Adams Peak was another thrill for the three of us, as was Jagath locating the little Superfine Tea Centre ( which I had asked him to locate after seeing it on YouTube) and enjoying tea and cake with young owner Thiru. The incredible gardens and art collection in the home and grounds of reknown landscape artist Bevis Bawa was another exceptional experience. And of course we loved all the unexpected stops to either savour coffee at a five star hotel...or enjoy the wonderful hospitality of local Sri Lankan’s in their homes...such incredibly happy and generous people. I cannot speak highly enough of Jagath, he is loved and respected by everyone who comes in contact with him... from all backgrounds and all corners of the globe! Funny, witty, honest, reliable, generous , super intelligent , engaging and a true friend.Travel with him and find out for yourself!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Travlynn47, Australia

Review Date: 08 Mar 2019

Review Body: If I could rate Jagath , owner operator of WithJagaa Tours 6 stars out of 5, I would ! I have recently completed my fourth tour of Sri Lanka with Jagath , each one better than the last, and I look forward to my next visit later this year.These tours have comprised of between 2-7 friends, and most have encompassed a local village tour, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Dambulla Cave Temple , Polonnaruwa, Ella, Minneriya National Park, Arugam Bay, Yala Wildlife Safari, Mirissa, Unawatuna, and Galle Fortress, which are the main tourist attractions and UNESCO world heritage sites. Jagath has booked all of our accommodation , arranged cooking classes, Ayurvedic massages, organised tickets and entry fees and arranged experienced local tour guides where necessary. He usually stays at the same accommodation as us, which has been extremely handy with unexpected out of hours doctors visits and pub pickups! Apart from possessing exceptional driving and organisational skills, his knowledge of the history, economy, wildlife ,natural attractions, etc of this wonderful, diverse country is amazing. Jagath’s wonderful sense of humour adds greatly to the overall experience. Other attributes include his honesty, reliability, integrity, generosity, intelligence, and a continuous strive for excellence.. His tour prices ( especially compared to some of the larger companies) and standard of vehicles are also excellent. In reality, he should be training other driver/ tour operators to achieve the same high standards and I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kulendran A, Australia

Review Date: 15 Nov 2019

Review Body: I visited Sri Lanka in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Jagath took me on tours on 3 of those visits with various groups. I have been to most parts of Sri Lanka, from North to South and from East to West. I have travelled from Colombo to Kandy, Galle, Jaffna, Mannar, Annuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Elephant Sanctuaries, Arugam Bay, Mirissa and many other places in between. Sri Lanka has a very rich history and culture that goes back to the BCE period. There are many historical monuments and archaeological sites. History buffs will be mesmerised. In addition, Sri Lanka has many animal sanctuaries. The country is fertile, green, scenic and beautiful. People are friendly, polite and helpful. Tours at various places can take the whole day or can be a short 2 hours visit. Comfortable clothing, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and water are essential. Also essential is your camera. Jagath as a tour guide is very knowledgeable and is full of information. He has a good sense of humour and nothing is too difficult for him. He is ever mindful of your comfort and satisfaction on his tours.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: jotramgirl

Review Date: 23 Sep 2019

Review Body: Our family enjoyed the most incredible two week holiday touring Sri Lanka with Jagath. We felt immediately welcomed by Jagath and at ease with his warm and professional manner. The trip was very professionally organised and planned making it a really relaxing holiday for us. There was no need to consult maps, look up train times tables and plan the details for each day as this was taken care of for us. Our tour with Jagath took in Sigirya, Kandy, Ella, Galle and Colombo. He made the journey interesting, tailored to our interests and an unforgettable learning experience for our children. Our children - aged 8 and 12- learned so much from Jagath. They have suggested he become Sri Lanka‘s new Minister for Tourism!! We all loved learning about Sri Lanka’s rich culture, environment, history, and life today in Sri Lanka. And our children enjoyed a few of Jagath’s elephant jokes and fables along the way. We highly recommend Jagath for his professionalism, knowledge and great company - he is also a real gentleman. Thank you for an unforgettable time for our family.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: becm523, Australia

Review Date: 14 Jul 2019

Review Body: My friend Lana and I did a 2 week Sri Lanka trip with Jagga. We had a few places in mind we wanted to do so mapped out a few things but were very flexible. Jagga has great destination advice and hotel reccomwdations. He booked things at a cheaper rate than we could find online. He booked our train tickets, Sigiriya rock climb, hotels and surf lesson. He had a big spacious and clean van. It was very comfortable, clean and had aircon. Everyday we got guided tours and local advice. He would stop along the way and show us special things like temples, caves, waterfalls, local markets and places to eat. Great restaurant ideas along the way and places for cocktails and massages. He even taught us some language. Jagga had so much knowledge and was so proud to share Sri Lanka with us. We are so happy we booked to travel with Jagga and our trip wouldn’t have been so special without him. He was a fantastic and reliable driver and always kept us safe.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: sivcim, Norway

Review Date: 09 Jun 2019

Review Body: We had the pleasure of traveling with Jagath some years ago. Jagath is more than a perfectly polite, sweet and excellent guide and driver. He is also an intelligent and an extremely knowledgeable companion and became a friend. It was a great pleasure traveling with him for ten days in the unforgettable nature of Sri Lanka. As we had not preordered anything and we traveled in Christmas-New year high season it was not easy to find rooms in the kind of accommodation we wished for, but Jagath was doing his outmost and managed perfectly nice places away from main tourism tracks as we asked for. Being architects we wanted to visit the houses of the famous Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Many of them are out of the way and hard to find. But Jagath knew them all, and found the way. He even honoured us by inviting us home for a cup of tea, meeting his sweet wife and daughter.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kezza65Love, Australia

Review Date: 21 May 2019

Review Body: Jagath took myself and my teenage girls on a most amazing holiday covering a huge amount of this beautiful country. From the first day to the last we had 2 weeks of adventure we will never forget. Jagath’s knowledge of his country’s history, culture and landmarks was extensive making our trip so informative and interesting. His sense of humour was contagious and we all felt immediately comfortable in his company. Jagath is a true gentleman and professional and our safety, comfort and needs were always his priority. I can not recommend him enough as a guide for a truly amazing adventure should you visit Sri Lanka. Jagath thank you so much for taking care of us and ensuring our holiday to your beautiful country was one we will always remember.....until we meet again my friend. Kerry Lowe & Hayley & Hannah, Ferguson Valley, Western Australia.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: flashpins4900, Australia

Review Date: 19 Jun 2019

Review Body: I had the pleasure of meeting Jagarth in 2013 and have used him on 4 subsequent visits to beautiful Sri Lanka .. I wouldn’t have it any other way .. Travelling with Jagarth is seriously so much fun .. not only is he safest most courteous driver I’ve ever come across ..he’s funny,witty and incredibly knowledgeable about his country and it’s history...We’ve travelled to some very remote areas together..some of my best memories are on the road with Jagarth..laughing as we calmly dodged past the odd elephant..spotting a Leopard in the wild .. and always driving at a sensible speed ..Jagarth has a great passion for his homeland and a heart warming respect for his fellow Sri Lankans .. I can highly recommend him if you want the best Driver and Guide you can get on your journey in Sri Lanka

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Paul H, United Kingdom

Review Date: 11 May 2019

Review Body: I had the pleasure of travelling with Jagath a few years ago and have returned to Sri Lanka several times since and wouldn't go without Jagath. His knowledge is fantastic, entertaining with information and stories on those long car trips around various parts of the country. The traffic in Sri Lanka is crazy but Jagath navigates with a level of calmness that defies belief leaving you safe at all times including the hair raising mountain tracks. Great recommendations of places to eat (even with my picky eating habits!) and protection from the tourist traps. I saw Leopards on the safari in Yala every time I went and I saw whales (and dolphins) on the whale watching trip so he must be a good luck charm too! To us, Jagath is much more than a tourist guide, he's a friend.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Viv M, Australia

Review Date: 23 Jun 2019

Review Body: What a wonderful experience we had last year when we visited beautiful Sri Lanka for 19 days. Jagath was easily the best tour operator one could ask for and often went way beyond what was expected of him. His knowledge and pride in has country was very obvious and he never once gave the impression that this was ‘just a job’. Nothing was too much trouble and any request was done with a big smile. His great sense of humour was ever at the ready and yes I would most certainly travel with him again and again. He is a rare gem indeed within an industry that tends to have a few rogue operators. If you are thinking of travelling to Sri Lanka do yourself and contact Jagath first. He will organise everything for you and will soon become a valued friend. THANK YOU JAGATH!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Sandra U, Australia

Review Date: 25 Oct 2019

Review Body: I returned home today after 3 weeks travelling from Negombo to Jaffna, Sigriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Arugam Bay, Tissa, Galle and Colombo with Jagath. Jagath's professionalism, flexibility, knowledge and humour make his tours not just a tour but an experience. He takes you to local places to eat and experience the true culture of Sri Lanka and not all the expensive tourist hot spots. Jagath will create an itinerary that suits the time you have and what experiences you want to see. Each day we experienced unexpected highlights because of Jagath's local knowledge. Jagath is a true ambassador for Sri Lanka and one of the kindest, generous, most caring guides I have met. I highly recommend Jagath for any tour of Sri Lanka.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: NarelleDM, Australia

Review Date: 16 Apr 2019

Review Body: Jagath is an excellent tour guide. His knowledge of a broad range of topics regarding Sri Lankan culture, history and landmarks is exceptional. He is the consummate professional when it comes to taking care of his guests. Jagath’s great sense of humour, contagious laughter and patience added to the enjoyment of our 18 day tour of beautiful Sri Lanka. He took the time to get to know our individual interests and designed an itinerary that was diverse and action packed, but at the same time allowed for flexibility. We can not recommend Jagath enough for arranging an amazing holiday/adventure as it was one that we’ll never forget ..... absolutely wonderful! Narelle and Damian Millar, Perth, Western Australia.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Fiona0905, Australia

Review Date: 09 Jun 2019

Review Body: I spent 17 days travelling around Sri Lanka with friends and Jagath, our fantastic tour guide. We had given Jagath an idea of places and things we wanted to see and he came up with an itinerary that exceeded our expectations. From the time Jagath met us at the airport, we all felt very comfortable with him. Jagath is a kind, honest and caring person with a great sense of humour. Never a dull moment with Jagath! He seems to know all there is to know about his beautiful country, so I learnt a lot. Although I saw and experienced so much of Sri Lanka, I will be going back to see the bits I missed. With Jagath, of course! Fiona Forrestfield, Perth, Western Australia

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kez-Bev, Australia

Review Date: 28 Mar 2019

Review Body: We recently returned from a 15 day tour of Sri Lanka with Jagath and have not stopped talking about it. Our experience in this beautiful country was made all the better by our tour guide who was informative, funny and extremely gracious with his time and presence. Jagath could not do enough for us (2 adult couples) and there were so many little extras that he threw in that were unexpected. He organised much of the accommodation for us and each place was outstanding. He will cater to your needs and wants and has no agenda of his own other than to make your trip as memorable as possible. We could not recommend him enough, he is truly outstanding as a tour guide.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: drinklovefood, Amsterdam

Review Date: 22 Nov 2019

Review Body: We've visited Sri Lanka last februari and had the luck to have Jaggath as our tour guide. What a profesional in his job, always a smile, flexible and every minute there for you. We had a month roundtrip and big part of our journey was together. Jaggath you made your country even more beautifull and still thinking about it many times. We have so many great memories and like to thank you again by this. Will highly recomend to everybody who visit Sri Lanka to get in contact with Jagath for a unforgettable experience. We travel around the world but this man is really top class. All the best from your friends from Holland/Greece and hope to see you soon again!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Collins1946

Review Date: 31 Mar 2019

Review Body: Exceeded our expectations by 100% due entirely to the professionalism of our guide Jagath Kumar. The country side and locations we visited especially the high country held us in awe along with the knowledge and history Jagath shared with us made for a hugely and enjoyable two week holiday Jagath has a great sense of humour and is always willing to go the extra mile to please his customers and we witnessed this time and again. Our ladies were especially pleased as he new the best and cleanest rest rooms------nothing was ever an issue and if you are looking to go to Sri Lanka you would do your self a disservice if you don,t contact Jagaa Tours

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Joan C, Qatar

Review Date: 18 May 2019

Review Body: We have been to Sri Lanka twice - 2016 & 2017 and Jagath always make sure that we will always have the best, memorable and unique experience everytime.. He is a very calm driver despite the chaotic traffic in SL which makes us comfortable and relax.. He is very informative and always have colourful and funny stories so we will not get bored as trips normally takes hours from one destination to another.. We will definitely go back to SL and we will only book with Jagath.. We highly recommend him. Words is not enough to describe how amazing he is.. It's like coming home to a family.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Voyager159911

Review Date: 16 Jun 2019

Review Body: Travelling with Jagath in Sri Lanka made my last trip there so memorable and easy to negotiate. He knew I wasn’t keen to just hang out in tourist spots and helped me eat ‘local’ and happy to explore the road less travelled by tourists. His local knowledge, sense of humour, intelligence and all round humanity made our driving trips between places so enjoyable. Sri Lankan hospitality is hard to beat and Jagath is a prime example of that. If you don’t know where to go in Sri Lanka just explain to Jagath your interests and he can plot a course for you.

Review rating: 5