Has anybody used a car and driver in Sri Lanka? If so, any tips about etiquette? Do drivers expect tips each day? Is it usual to buy the driver a present? If so what kind of thing is appropriate?

I went to Sri Lankatimes and we hire a car with driver. It's the only way to get around comfortably, especially if you have limited time and you wouldn't want to drive yourself. There are many big operators but I'd recommend ala family-run business who will give you very personal attention, make your hotel bookings and very importantly, give you free advice on your planned itinerary. Many people plan too much, not realising how long it takes to get anywhere on Sri Lankan roads. You can contact this family business through their web site, happy chapy sri lanka Jakiro

Please add another driver to the office list of drivers available for airport pickups, tours, weekend wandering, rides between Colombo and Kandy, and so on. This man is very good. Maybe you know him, or have heard of him, already. Everyone knows him as Udaya. His complete name is Udaya chandra . He happens to live just down the road from me here, next door to his father-in-law -- who in fact is none other than Carl Muller. Udaya just drove me on a very pleasant trip to Trincomalee, with a stop at Polonnaruwa on the way back to Kandy, and he was more than excellent. Very smart, upbeat, friendly. His approach to the police and soldiers at the checkpoints seemed to be, "Either these guys are already my friends or they will be before we move on," and it works beautifully. They all like him, and he knows how to avoid any hassles either at checkpoints or at hotels. Also, he seems most definitely not to milk his customers for commissions at hotels, shops or restaurants. Also, he speaks fluent Tamil as well as Sinhala, and his English is about the best of any driver I've had here. And he charges less than anyone else whose services I've used. His E mail is Enthusiastically, John USA

Iam Udaya writing this mail from Center of Kandy Sri Lanka. I am doing the tourist hire for reasonable rates. I have served for many tourists and locals. My service starts at the Airport and a tour to the hill country, coastal areas, and its extended most popular tourist places and finally ends at the airport. I have a car and van -- air conditioned,and Fully insured ( with passengers }.Prices include car, Good experienced English speaking driver, Fuel and drivers meals Looking forward to serving you for a delightful holiday here in Sri Lanka, Call me any time+94 771660008 Udaya

This was a lovely question to read. Seldom do I read all the answers to a question but this one had so much nice info about Sri Lanka that I had to read them all. I am thinking of one day moving from my country and moving in or near India. I think Sri Lanka might work for me.

Its been a longtime. But when I was young man in the military back in the early 1980's. I did a lot of traveling in asian countries. I was in Sri Lanka but I dont recall ever getting a taxi there. I remember in all the other countries I was in I learned to be real careful as to who I picked as a taxi driver. If I had to do it all again. I would walk to the nearest church and ask the pastor or priest if they had any church members who were taxi drivers and ask them to recommend a good taxi driver. It takes a little longer to get a taxi this way. But, after all the times I got bad taxi drivers who try to rip me off or dump me someplace far from my destination. Its worth the extra time to try and get a taxi driver with some moral reasoning. Hope that helps.

Guest Book Reply Marc 10:43 AM on August 29, 2011 To the visitors of the website, If you are reading through this site, you are probably planning a trip to the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. Allow me to introduce you to one of it's greatest citizens: Udaya. He is 100% Sri Lankan, very pround about his country, loving his job and gratefull towards the tourists visiting. He helps with the planning of your tour, respects the timings and allows you to see the islands most valuable treasures, both known and hidden. He is a man of trusts, always honest and correct. A very reliable driver in the chaotic Sri lankan traffic. Always ready for his customers, entertaining us with a joke or funny story. His attitude is remarkable during the entire trip: you are on holiday and he won't go to sleep before he knows you are completely happy and satisfied. We realy enjoyed our 8 days together and made a lot of fun. He's a great guy, and we can heartily recommend him to anyone. Gary, Nina, Noor, Marc

I met a bloke from there once

contact me milinda - +94772346342 my vehicles are in very good conditions and rates also attractive....

After reading about many car+driver services in Sri Lanka, we contacted a few who seemed ok. Eventually we chose Sri Lankan Hires, as their quick responses to our email inquiries gave us a lot of confidence in them, and their price was very reasonable. We also appreciated that they didn't lowball the price and then tack on extras. They were great in every respect. In fact, the one time we had to call from the road (we'd lost our driver's cellphone number and needed to contact him) their staff was quick, courteous, and helpful. Once on the road, we had to make a number of changes to our itinerary due to flooding in the Anaradapura and Polonarruwa areas. From the first day, our driver, Thilanka, put our safety first, but also did his best to get us where we had hoped to go. In Anaradapura, he found a local expert who could identify which roads were still open, and we were able to visit much of the ruins. When leaving Anaradapura, many of the roads were impassable due to high waters; Thilanka patiently and calmly backtracked several times until he found a way to get us down to Kandy. He loaned us his cell phone and helped us to make changes to our hotel arrangements, and made suggestions for an alternative itinerary in the area around Kandy. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the area, and was a skilled and careful driver. A bonus for us was his engaging and friendly personality. Traveling with him was a true pleasure! We highly recommend Sri Lankan Hires to any visitor to Sri Lanka!