Great customer service - We can really recommend Mahaweli. Both the coordinator (Geesara) and our guide (Priyankara) were really great. As the train currently doesn't go between Kandy and Ambewela, we wanted to book this tour to see the scenery at least. But they were willing to arrange a special tour for us, with the same sites, but with last stop Ambewela and from there by train to Ella. They also booked the train tickets. The communication was great, near instantanous answers to our questions.

Helpful driver - Well organised. Driver Pathum was friendly and helpful. Stopped for toilet break on request given a long journey. Helped with luggage. Highly recommend. Will book again.

I can recommend it 100%. - A very reliable provider with excellent communication and very punctual. The service was provided by a very courteous and safe driver (thanks, Amila!). The offer was fulfilled 100%. Would gladly use again.

Perfect transfer to see the country! - Amira was an excellent driver and very nice person. He brought us to different stops along the way and was very flexible (stops for pictures, coffee, etc.) It was an amazing day, we got to enjoy the road to Ella at our own pace and visit the different villages on the way there with key moments at fantastic viewpoints.

Very good - Very good and interesting! Indika is very good guide :) We went to a tea fatory, waterfalls… Very entertaining tour! Thank you

Good experience pick-up and drop off with sightseeing - Pick up at my hotel on time. The driver was friendly. We stopped at the places planned and described on the website. The first Hindou temple was not so interesting but ok and the Gregory lake is a bad and dirty place with plenty of trashes with skinny horses waiting for tourists. You should avoid that place. Final drop off in my hotel in Ella. Good experience, I recommend it

A good alternative to getting the train - We had originally planned to take the train between Kandy and Ella but it wasn’t running due to the landslides. This road trip is a reasonable alternative. It took around 6 hours on windy roads so it can get long and tiring. This trip includes stops to allow for comfort breaks whilst providing interesting activities such as visiting a tea plantation. The minibus is a little cramped if full and you are better sitting near the front than the back due to the windy roads.

A scenic road trip, but not really a tour. - Generally, this was an OK value to get from Kandy to Ella, and a nicer option than taking a crowded bus. However, it felt less like a 'group tour' as described in the detail section and more like a transfer with scenic stops. There were a few things that would have made it better: - Punctual pickups: We confirmed the night before that we should be ready for pickup at 7, since it was an early-wake up for us. We ultimately were picked up at 8:10 am, which was a bummer because we would have appreciated the extra hour of sleep (as would have our hosts, who woke up extra early too cook us breakfast). Completely understand that it is a group tour, but it would be nice if pickup time amongst the different groups were coordinated ahead of time. - Transparent drop-off requirements: We were dropped off about 25 minutes from our hotel, and we were not made aware of our hotel location being a challenge beforehand, despite us having sent our address more than a week prior. As such, we were left near the road with all of our bags to try to find a tuk tuk. When I raised this issue with the company, they showed me a drop-off requirements writeup that was different from what was shown when I booked (i.e., my screenshot of what was allowed for drop-off was different than what they showed afterwards). Maybe this was a tech issue, but the policy appeared to have changed after I booked. - Better time-management: The tour felt rushed, as the company arranges two consecutive tours a day. We did not stop at Sri Baktha Hanuman temple, Gregory Lake, nor did we get to see Ramboda waterfall (I think we stopped by really quickly at the bottom near the road, and our driver said we could jump out and take a quick photo, but made it clear we didn't have enough time to go up and do the short hike to see the actual falls.) - Making time/restroom/food expectations clear at each stop: We were not alerted when to buy food, where we could go to the bathroom, or how much time we had at each stop. It was more of a "ok here's our next stop, tea room" and he'd tell us where he's parked. Because of this, we didn't have lunch and we were pretty hungry when we arrived at Ella at 2 pm. Overall, for $26/person, this is a good option for single travelers, but couples/groups may want to consider just hiring a personal driver for the day and going at a more relaxed pace if they are more hoping for a 'tour.'

What a crappy trip.... - What a lousy trip. Of the 7 attractions mentioned only one seen. 3 quarters late in the morning. Guide does not inform you during trip. Don't get into it. Unfortunately, zero stars is not possible.

It was more of a direct... - It was more of a direct transfer. We only stopped at the tea factory which was great but it’s much cheaper to just go direct.