Sigiriya Village Tour And Lunch

Not worth it. Our tour was over in just 1.5 hr rather than the 3 hr being stated on the description. There was no local guide, you're told what you're doing very briefly and then off you go as a conveyor belt of short activities with no guide or explanation, at the end of each one you're ask for money. 10 minutes on the oxen cart, then you go on a tractor for another 10 minutes, then you walk towards the catamaran for a 15 minutes ride in the middle of the lake and back. No explanation whatsoever. Then you follow a guy in a scooter and walk back on the same path and you're told which house you need to go to...not quite a village. The lady was sweet and explained the process to make rice flour, we watched her fry the fish and we ate. Done. Then tuk tuk ride back. Nothing like as described. Disappointing.

Ww paid way too much for this tour. 25USD per head. Should have been only half price for what it offered. The whole experience was not authentic. We live in Asia so we know how these tours should be like. We were basically just put on different stations of activities one by one with almost no explanations at all. We were totally exposed in the sun for ages just for the boat men to arrange the water lilies but wouldn’t it be better off for them to teach the guests how to do it? The food was fine though but if you want an authentic local experience, avoid this so you don’t leave with a bad after taste!

It was ok overall. We were expecting a guide to tell us about the village life, but that wasn’t included. Just an ox ride, a very slow tractor ride. The catamaran boat ride was lovely. And then a very brief food demonstration, but we mostly just sat around until lunch was ready. We didn’t really get to see “the village”

Absolutely loved my tour, from pick up to the office for quick brief intro then you are on your way. Great communication, plenty of flavour for the home cooking and not to mention the beautiful lake on a catamaran with the tour guide making gorgeous flower arrangements. Totally recommend.

I would avoid booking on this platform altogether, book local or use get your guide. They were 20 minutes late to pick us up, tips were DEMANDED despite the tour price of 25 USD each. We waited another 15 minutes for the tractor to arrive and then after food another 20 minutes for the tuk tuk back to the city. The tour ended an hour and a half early if you count from when food was finished. An hour early from when we were dropped off. So about 45 minutes stood around waiting, and an hour early which means this 3 hour tour is just over 1 hour long. The food was nice, and the lady who cooked it sweet which is why I have given 2 stars not 1

Trip starts with an ox-chart. Then tuk-tuk. When you reach the lake o boat is waiting for a a lake tour. The boatman prepares a hat form the lotus leaves and a necklace from lotus flowers. Then walking to the village where they prepare local food. You can join if you like. After preparing the local food with the help of the local woman you can eat the delicious food. Good experience especially for those who haven’t been to a village.

Very pleasant surprise! Got to ride on the back of a cow driven cart, tuk tuk, and a rowed catamaran - seeing animals and nature. It's a fun little stop along the way, and would definitely recommend.

This was a fabulous unexpected highlight of our time in Sigiriya. The staff were so fun and we had a delicious lunch cooked in a traditional kitchen using intuitive and basic utensils. The staff had pride in their traditional Sri Lankan village culture and were proud to show it. It was very fun.

Right from the hotel pickup to the amazing bullock cart ride through the rustic roads of Sigiriya village , a breathtaking view of the lake and in it a memorable Cataman ride , everything was beyond perfection. Then we arrived in the local villagers house where we were greeted with drum beats and had the experience of cooking and learning what srilankan cuisine is . We were served with love and had the most amazing start and end of our trip! Worth visiting again

It was a nice experience to visit the village of Sigirya. You start with a bull ride (don’t worry, it’s less than 10 minutes, because I too am not a fan of this kind of animal abuse), but then are brought onto the water on a nice boat. It’s very peaceful and calm. You receive a flower from the boat captain before docking. Then you walk though rice fields and are welcomed by ladies who prepare a home cooked, authentic over-the-fire meal. You can also try a few things and they give you a demo on how to make the roof out of rice leaves. You are then taken back by tuktuk to the start of the tour.

The ox cart ride was fun and the lake safari interesting but the standout was the lunch cooking in the village. The two girls explained everything and involved us in the preparation of a traditional meal over a wood fired oven. The meal was the best we have had in Sri Lanka. Exceptional

I thoroughly enjoyed the local nature and cuisine. Despite the short time, there were plenty of activities, making it a great recommendation for people like me who are pressed for time.

This is a must. If you want to travel by ox carre, boat and tuktuk plus cook your own lunch, this is the right trip for you. Book and you will never regret

I loved the Lake. Getting to paddle and being made the hat made my day. The view is over sigiriya rock and of villages and lotus waters. So screne. I was the only person on the tour so it was intimate rather then really busy/divided and alone it was still great. They let me try everything. The food by the 2 ladies was exceptional. It was a lovely opportunity to eat such fresh food in a beautiful place away from the busy cities with kind people. The bull carage was different, by the side of a road rather then dirt track but it was natural to the bulls which freely roam roads here. Easy pick up process. It felt cultural and the place is beautiful. Glad I took the time to do this!

This is a tourist trap. If you get the opportunity to negotiate on what your package you want I would suggest - skipping cart and lake and go straight to the village food tour! The original package includes: a 500m bull cart ride which is excruciating if you’re an animal lover, then get taken on the lake by a man who makes a lotus necklace for each person and a bouquet of flowers for a female and hat for man. As soon as I was handed them I knew exactly that this is for tips. So factor that in ontop of your paid tour. Finally you get to the village and THIS is what’s worth it’s value - two women prepare your lunch in authentic Sri Lankan style kitchen and show you old techniques and appliances. Very interesting and the ladies were adorable. I felt like if it wasn’t for this part I would absolutely slam this entire operation.

Sigiriya's village tour is a must when visiting. After buying the ticket which covers everything on the tour, you experience a bull cart ride (please do not ride elephants because they are mistreated to behave around tourists and actually don't like it as wild animals when people ride on them) down to the lake. At the lake you go on a serene canoe ride and the guy pushing the canoe plucks out lotus flowers and leaves to make you some nice accessories. Then you are dropped off at a local spot to take a traditional Sri Lankan cooking class. The lady and her daughter were amazing and I had the food we prepared for lunch. Then a tuktuk driver takes you back to the entrance. Lovely and highly recommended. More reviews @myra.recommends

We did this after visiting Lion Rock - what a great experience. Our driver suggested it and we didn't know what to expect but it ended up being a highlight of the holiday. Well worth it

Unfortunately, we didn't like the ox carriage ride so much, the animals are really not doing well there. We wouldn't have needed the tractor ride either. You go through several stations and everyone asks for tips from you, so you end up getting rid of a lot of money. We really liked the boat ride, the man was very friendly and we got beautiful flowers, we also liked the small cooking class very much. You could just shorten the tour a bit and then offer it correspondingly cheaper. Overall nice, but not worth 45 euros.

Very nice tour, all the people we met were very nice. I recommend this activity!