1. Phil & Fay Hawkey
Dear Jagath,
Here is my testimonial:
We
travelled around Sri Lanka in November 2011 and had a wonderful time.
The success of our holiday and the fondness of our memories for Sri
Lanka and its people were largely down to D L B M C Jagath Wijesiri, BA.
We are
quite seasoned travellers having visited 70 countries world-wide. Our
preference is always to travel independently and we have used the
services of tour guides many times before. Jagath is by far the best we
have ever encountered!
Of
course he does the basic things well but that is what you are paying
for. His knowledge of the country, its history, peoples and culture are
second to none. Where Jagath makes a huge difference is in the little
things which really matter. Below are a few illustrations:
• We
found Jagath through an internet search and were initially impressed by
his references. As soon as we booked his services he offered to help us
with our pre-trip planning, making suggestions about our itinerary,
travel times, accommodation arrangements etc. We were initially
resistant to this but on reflection, every one of his ideas were better
than decisions we had taken in our planning from the UK.
•
Jagath was incredibly sensitive to our needs, questioning us about the
types of activities and sites that would appeal to us. At the end of
each day we had an informal planning discussion for the following day.
He was very flexible about timings, only ever pointing out delicately
when we were trying to achieve ‘mission impossible’.
• He
was also hyper-sensitive to the personal things which matter, e.g. Sri
Lanka has some unusual laws on the sale and consumption of alcohol.
Retail sales outlets are hard to find, many hotels do not have bars and
frequent religious holidays have an impact. A well timed question as to
whether we had sufficient Lion Beer to see us through the coming evening
was all it took!
•
Jagath was great in a crisis. One of our hotels could not accommodate
us. He made one phone call and found us a perfectly good alternative.
• We
are not the best road travellers and Sri Lanka is a country where every
driver, particularly of buses and lorries, seems to be trying for a
place in the next Grand Prix! Jagath’s driving was safe and measured. He
has the ability to anticipate problems and avoid them happening.
•
Jagath is a highly educated young man with excellent spoken English and a
great sense of humour. His conversation is always interesting and he is
very keen to learn about all manner of things. He has a very unassuming
style and if you are very lucky, get him to tell you about his time as a
Steward to a Buddhist monk – what a wonderful story.
Since returning to the UK we
have been able to recommend Jagath to friends who have been as
impressed as we were. What started for us as a straightforward
relationship with a tour guide very quickly became a friendship. Jagath
Wijesiri is a credit to himself, his family and his country.
With metta,
Phil & Fay Hawkey, September 2012
126 Penylan Road,Cardiff, UK, CF23 5RD
E-mail : philjhawkey@aol.com
2. Iain McInally and Family
Dear Jagath,
We couldn't have
been luckier to find Jagath as a guide and driver for the first part of
our holiday in Sri Lanka. From the start he was helpful,courteous and
highly professional. As the days passed we were also able to discover
what good company he was and enjoyed his sense of humor. Very well
informed and always discreet, he was the perfect host in this wonderful
country
We highly recommend exploring Sri Lank with him.
Iain McInally and family
E-mail : symiain@libero.it
3. Lada
Dear Jagath,
Looking for a reliable English speaking driver+guide?
We were in Sri
Lanka in November 2005 where we travelled for 14 days all around the
country. Before we went to Sri Lanka I found on the net recommendations
on a driver who I now, after my own experience, can warmly recommend to
everybody who wants to see and learn about the "real" Sri Lanka.In case
anybody needs a reliable, friendly and English speaking driver and
registered guide here are his details. His name is Jagath and he can be
contacted under the following mail address: chamigath@yahoo.com. Jagath
has a comfortable and air conditioned van. He speaks perfectly English,
is professional, knowledgeable and will pick you up at the airport. His
daily rate is reasonable and includes ALL guiding and car/van expenses.
He is not only a driver but is also licensed guide which is in Lanka
very mportant.
Enjoy your trip
Lada
E-mail : kovaroval@email.cz
4. Meryl Moakes
Dear Jagath,
I have been telling
all my family and friends about my holiday in Sri Lanka this year. I
have also told them that it was you, as the tour guide, who made it such
a wonderful experience. Celia and I fully intend returning one day and
we very much hope that you will be our guide once again. Throughout the
tour you ensured that all our requests were attended to with efficiency
and promptness. I have confidently recommended you to a few people who
wish to visit Sri Lanka because I know that you would work very hard and
in a very professional manner i order to make their holiday in Sri
Lanka an unforgettable experience.
I wish you and your family all the very best.
Meryl Moakes
E-mail : mez51@hotmail.co.uk
5. Paul & Jacqueline
Dear Jagath,
We visited Sri Lanka for 10 days in April 2012. We really enjoyed our
holiday which gave a good impression of the wide variety of things you can
see and do in this beautiful country. Jagath is a very reliable driver, will
never over speed and brings you anywhere you like. His English is good and
his knowledge about Sri Lanka in general and especially Buddhist temples is
very good. During longer trips he would suggest some restaurant where we
could eat and we never got ill and it was always tasty. He is very discreet
and modest and will never sit at your table or force you to visit certain
shops if you don't want. His van is in good condition, has proper seatbelt
and easily fits a family of six people.
Paul & Jacqueline with 2 children (4/6 years), Muscat, April 2012
E-mail : vledderpaul@gmail.com
6. Fulya Kreuch
Dear Sri Lanka traveller,
As I know, it is
not easy to find remotely a reliable tour-guide, who can drive you
around Sri Lanka, I’d like to share our experience in Sri Lanka with
you.
Jagath
Wijesiri was recommended to us by a friend who travelled recently to Sri
Lanka. From the point I have contacted Jagath, he has shown us that he
is a professional and reliable tour guide. He responded to my e-mail
with a confirmation of availability on those dates and a full back-up of
his background. One day before our trip, he called me on my mobile to
confirm the date and time of the flights and he was at the airport
waiting for us when we arrived in Sri Lanka.
We were 2
couples and spent 12 days in Sri Lanka on the road with him. We were
very pleased with his services; Jagath is an absolute fine person, very
polite, honest, who tries to accommodate the needs to his customers
fully, making the right suggestions for travel itineraries and the
places to stay overnight. He speaks fluent English. At the time we were
in Sri Lanka (Dec 2011), he had an air-conditioned Toyota van, well-kept
and always clean. He is a very careful driver.
Jagath is
one of the not too many authorized tour guides in Sri Lanka, which is an
additional benefit because you do not need to look for a guide at the
historical sites to assist you with the entrance or with the history of
the site; Jagath handles it for you.
All in all,
I’d like to thank Jagath again for his services and can recommend him
to everyone, who wants to have an honest, competent, polite tour guide /
driver in Sri Lanka.
You can verify me on Trip Advisor – my member name is: Fulyetta and my public profile is: www.tripadvisor.com/members/Fulyetta And I attach a photo of Jagath with us, which was taken by my husband.
7. Mrs. Ilse Maria Bruckner (BDÜ) and Mr. Siegfried C. Fay M.A
Dear Jagath:,
This letter of
recommendation is for presentation with any authorities or customers who
wish to inquire about Mr. Chaminda Jagath Wijesiri´s qualities as a
travel guide and a driver. Our company is a qualified and
well-established language services agency in Germany, working in the
fields of translating, certifying translated documents, interpreting,
proof-reading, editing and working on book projects. I am a
state-examined translator of English.
Together
with my partner, Mr. Siegfried C. Fay M.A., I visited Sri Lanka from 16
December 2003 to 6 January 2004. Our visit had some defined purposes: we
planned to meet a friend, a Buddhist monk, to work on a book project
with him; we wanted to visit some universities and talk to heads of
language departments; and we intended to have a look at possible
business contacts with Sri Lankan companies. Of course we also wanted to
travel through Sri Lanka to see this beautiful country, which we did
about half of the time.
Mr.
Wijesiri proved to be a most reliable, efficient, polite and helpful
travel guide. His abilities as a driver are outstanding, especially from
the perspective of foreigners who may not be used to the Sri Lankan
style of driving. He was always there when needed and kept his
appointments always on time. If the need arose to get any goods or any
kinds of food or drink, he always knew where to find it, and he went on
lots of useful errands for us. His recommendations of board and lodging
during our trips through Sri Lanka were most useful, and we always felt
well looked after. Moreover, his good knowledge of English and of the
culture and history of his country were, together with his sense of
humour, really entertaining. So we were always in the best of moods when
travelling with him, and we felt that we could absolutely trust in him
as he is really honest. At times we were accompanied by two Buddhist
monks (the well-known author Venerable S. Dhammika from Australia and
our Austrian friend, Samanera Pajalo), and they also much appreciated
his services.
Summing up we can
say that Mr. Wijesiri´s service was excellent, and we can highly
recommend him as a travel guide and a driver to any company, group or
individual who may plan to travel through Sri Lanka.
We
wish to thank him for his outstanding commitment on his job, and we are
wishing him much success for his future career and his private life.
Mrs. Ilse Maria Bruckner (BDÜ) and Mr. Siegfried C. Fay M.A
Übersetzungen Beglaubigungen,Dolmetschen,Korrektur-Service,Lektorat
Tel : 06652 – 992 952, Mobile : 0170 – 804 14 93,Fax : 06652 – 992 954
E-mail : info@bruckner-sprachendienste.de, Web Site : www.bruckner-sprachendienste.de
8. Mr Richard Allen & Mrs Elaine Allen
Dear Chaminda Jagath Wijesiri:,
On the
recommendation of the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, my wife and
I engaged Jagath Wijesiri as our driver for a visit to Sri Lanka in
October 2004.
We were
very happy with Mr Wijesiri’s services. His vehicle was well maintained
and internally clean, and his driving throughout was careful and
considerate to other road users. His knowledge of the road network and
of attractive stops along the way was excellent, and he always receptive
to our suggestions. His background in Sociology studies enabled him to
comment effectively on much of what we saw, which added to our
enjoyment. We had read that many drivers would be looking for
commission on clients’ purchases at every opportunity but Mr Wijesiri
was protective of our interests when unreasonably high prices were
quoted. As a result of his efficient and friendly approach, we enjoyed a
holiday that was very interesting but also extremely relaxing. We have
already recommended Mr Wijesiri to other potential visitors to Sri
Lanka.
Mr Richard Allen & Mrs Elaine Allen
6 Stoke Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 7ET, UK
Tel : 0044 1962 863380
E-mail : elric6@ntlworld.com
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