The questions we’re asked most often, answered plainly. If yours isn’t here, WhatsApp or email us – we respond personally, usually within 24 hours.
Send us a brief through the Tailor-Made enquiry form or contact us directly by email or WhatsApp. Tell us your travel dates, group size, interests and anything you want to avoid, and we’ll respond personally, usually within 24 hours, with initial thinking and a proposed itinerary.
Every enquiry is answered personally within 24 hours. There are no automated responses. WhatsApp is fastest for a quick question; email is better for a full trip brief.
No. An enquiry is the starting point for a conversation, not a reservation. A booking is confirmed only once the itinerary, inclusions, price and travel dates have been agreed in writing and the required deposit has been received.
Both. Every Round Tour and Day Tour on our website can be booked as shown, or adjusted to fit your pace, interests and dates. Most guests end up with some version of a tailor-made itinerary once we start the conversation.
A 25% deposit secures your booking once the itinerary is agreed.
The remaining balance is due 60 days before your travel date. For bookings made within 60 days of departure, full payment is required at confirmation.
Bank transfer and major credit cards through our secure payment provider. Bank charges, payment gateway charges and currency conversion fees are the responsibility of the guest unless we’ve stated otherwise in writing.
Quoted prices and availability can shift before a booking is confirmed, particularly during peak season, due to supplier rate changes, exchange rates or delayed payment. Once your deposit is received and the booking is confirmed, your price is locked in.
Refunds are calculated on a sliding scale based on how far out you cancel: a full refund (minus bank charges) 30 or more days before departure, 50% at 15 to 29 days, 25% at 7 to 14 days, and no refund inside 7 days or for no-shows. Full details are on our Terms & Conditions page. Cancellations must be submitted in writing by email or WhatsApp.
Yes, and we’d always rather help you move your trip than lose it. Rescheduling is subject to availability and any seasonal rate differences, and any non-refundable component already secured follows that supplier’s own terms.
If we need to cancel a confirmed booking for reasons within our control, you’ll receive a full refund or a 24-month credit, whichever you prefer. If a specific element becomes unavailable, such as a seasonal park closure, we substitute it with a comparable alternative and confirm the change with you in advance.
Send us the change in writing and we’ll confirm within 48 hours whether it’s possible, subject to availability and any resulting cost adjustment.
Most travellers need a Sri Lanka ETA, arranged online before arrival. You’re responsible for ensuring your passport, visa and other travel documents are valid before you fly; we’re happy to point you in the right direction, but the final responsibility sits with the traveller.
It’s strongly recommended for every guest, and effectively required for itineraries involving safari, trekking or water-based activities.
Places like Tea Trails bungalows, Geoffrey Bawa’s Number 11 and Lunuganga, Yala Block 1 safari lodges and observation carriage train seats have genuinely limited availability, especially in peak season. We handle these advance bookings before your itinerary is confirmed, so nothing is left assuming walk-in access.
We’ll offer the closest comparable alternative and flag the substitution clearly rather than quietly swapping it in. This is why we recommend booking peak-season tea country stays 8 to 10 weeks ahead.
No. Where a scenic rail segment, such as Nanu Oya to Ella, is part of your itinerary, we reserve observation carriage seats on your behalf, ideally 3 to 4 weeks in advance, subject to availability.
Yes. Halal meal arrangements are confirmed at every property in your itinerary before your booking is finalised, including in regions like Nuwara Eliya where local options are more limited.
Very much so. We pace family itineraries around genuine suitability rather than a single fixed template. Where an activity isn’t right for younger travellers, such as the full Sigiriya summit climb, we build in a lighter alternative like Pidurangala and confirm it at booking.
Tell us at the time of booking. We’ll advise honestly on which parts of an itinerary are suitable, such as offering a private vehicle tour of Polonnaruwa instead of cycling, and adjust the pace accordingly.
It varies by itinerary and is stated clearly for each tour and activity, from easy (seated safaris, cooking classes, flat city walking) to moderate (the Sigiriya climb, Knuckles trekking). Most round tours mix easy days with one or two more active ones.
No elephant riding and no wildlife baiting, on any itinerary. All safari, marine and wildlife experiences are arranged through certified ethical operators who maintain appropriate distance from wildlife.
No responsible operator can promise that, and we won’t either. Yala Block 1 has among the highest leopard densities in the world, which makes a sighting genuinely likely with an experienced tracker, but wildlife doesn’t work to a schedule.
Sri Lanka is workable year-round because its weather systems vary by region rather than acting as a single national season. November to April tends to suit the coast and Cultural Triangle best, while May to September works well for the east coast and Yala’s Block 1 window. We factor this into every itinerary we design.
Block 1 closes for a short annual maintenance period, typically falling somewhere between May and September. When it’s closed, we redirect to Block 2 or substitute Udawalawe, which we confirm with you before booking rather than on arrival.
Yes, with the right routing. Sri Lanka has two separate monsoon systems affecting different coasts at different times, so an itinerary built around the season you’re travelling in, with alternatives like Pasikudah standing in for Tangalle when the south coast is rough, keeps things comfortable year-round.
Private, always. No shared coaches and no group timing. Every transfer, guide and activity on a Serandia Journeys itinerary is exclusively yours, paced the way you want it.
From solo travellers and couples to multigenerational family groups. Vehicle size and accommodation are matched to your group during planning, so let us know your numbers early.
Yes. Every itinerary includes 24-hour in-country support, so help is always reachable if something needs adjusting while you’re on the ground.
Speak to your guide immediately if something isn’t right, so we can fix it while you’re still travelling. Anything that can’t be resolved on the trip should be sent to us in writing within 28 days of your tour ending; we acknowledge within 48 hours and respond in full within 14 days.
