Better than ship excursion, half the price - It was not the best start to the tour as the ship docked at the container port that was 5 km from Gate 1 where we expected to be docked. We therefore had to pay $15 for a taxi to Gate 1. Once we arrived at the gate we expected our driver to be there but had to telephone to let him know we were there. Our driver Aseef explained about the traffic in Colombo and when we set off 15 minutes late, after driving through the city we realised how timing could be an issue. Mindful of this we said that we would be flexible with the time we were at each stop to ensure that we had enough time to get back to the ship. We were amazed not to have been involved in any collisions with the tuk tuks and motor cyclists weaving in and out. It took over an hour to get out of the city but once we were, the countryside opened up and our first stop was at a turtle hatchery where they allowed us to hold the day old hatchlings and other rather large, older turtles. Our next stop was to take a boat ride on the Madhu river. Unfortunately, the boat was not suitable for anyone with impaired mobility as one of our group could not get into the boat. This should nave been made clear on the description when looking to make a booking, hence a reduction in the rating for the tour. We could have stopped at a beach for swimming but chose not to. Our ultimate destination was Galle, and we had enough time to be driven through the walled part and visit the lighthouse. Our driver was very accommodating to our needs... it was a private tour, only 4 of us in the vehicle, and he was informative, answered our questions and was easy to understand. We got back in plenty of time for the ship and he took us back to the gate nearest to the ship. I would recommend this tour as we saw places that the ship's tour did not and was good value for money.