How do we actually leave Kandy after the parade tonight - we have a 6am Ella transfer

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Caitlin Fraser132 rep1

Watching the 4th Kumbal tonight then our driver wants to pick us at 6am for Ella. Hotel WhatsApp just said the streets stay blocked until the elephants go home. Does that mean 10pm or 1am. Can he even get to the lake hotels. Should we walk out to William Gopallawa and sleep in the van.

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4 Answers from travellers

Accepted Answer

Procession starts 6:40. On a Kumbal night it is usually past a given corner within an hour, then police unwind the blocks street by street. Lake-front and Dalada Veediya can stay pedestrian-only until 10:30-midnight depending how the crowd drains. Your 6am Ella pickup is fine if the driver waits on William Gopallawa / Peradeniya Road, not at the hotel door. Walk out with bags at 5:45. Do not make him try the lake loop at 6.

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Roshantha Edirisinghe1940 rep1

After last night we waited 40 minutes for a tuk-tuk that would not cross the route. Walked 15 minutes to the Gopallawa side and PickMe suddenly had cars. If you have a pre-booked van, pin a junction on the bypass and treat the last kilometre as a walk.

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Balazs Toth342 rep2

I will not enter Dalada Veediya after 4pm this week. Tell your hotel to send you to the Gopallawa pickup. Ella road via Peradeniya / Gampola is the normal one - that is also the rain / landslide side, so leave slack if Saturday morning is wet.

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Harendra Wickramaratne2085 rep1

Pinning Gopallawa for 5:45. Telling the hotel now.

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Caitlin Fraser132 rep1

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Men approach tourists near Temple of the Tooth offering to be guides. After the tour, they demand large "donations" or guide fees (5000-10000 LKR).

👍 34by virajperera
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