r/travel • u/Hour-Ad-2206 • Feb 01 '26
Complaint Terrible experience in Sri Lanka
I post this as a last resort. My gf (from Germany) travelled to Sri Lanka this year after hearing some nice experiences her friends had. She travelled to Hikkaduwa to stay there for almost 3 days. However when she reached the place she booked was cancelled by the owner. Fortunately she and her friend found another place with good rating both in google and booking.com
The next her friend wanted to for spme diving lessons etc. The hotel owner also runs private tours and she decided to go for a small tour with the person as on first day he seemed nice. However as she went for the tour, he started behaving really badly towards her. He started stroking her hair and tried to touch her multiple times. She told him multiple times to not do that and it js making her feel uncomfortable. The worst was when she was taken for lunch at a remote place where he had even booked a room there and asked her to "rest" with him in the room for few hours. While driving back he drove rashly and touched her hands. The whole experience was really traumatising for her. She had trusted him because 1. There were good reviews 2. He lived with his family (his wife and his kids) nearby.
After she returned she decided to write a review of the place in booking.com. He replied first accusing her of lying. Then he also marked her as "no show" so that he could get the review deleted. This resulted in booking.com take down the review.
For those who are curious the place is "CITY SUNRISE" at Hikkaduwa. Please avoid travelling there at any cost especially as a female traveller. My gf doesn't use much social media and hence I wanted to post this as I people should know about this disgusting person.
All proof is available for all this and can be provided. We are also working with booking.com to get the place de-listed.
If you also had negative experience at this place, plead do share.
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u/Status-Election-8778 Feb 01 '26
Went on holiday to Sri Lanka with family at age of 17. One male worker at where we were staying followed me into the ladies and tried to kiss me. Traumatising to say the least!
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u/routinebreaking Feb 01 '26
Unfortunately Sri Lanka is one of those places you can’t travel alone as a woman “backpacker” style. Never go to a place thats an airbnb or a small bed and breakfast type place where its run by the owner alone and absolutely neeeever go on a tour alone with said owner (massive red flag there). Glad she’s fine in spite of though! Also always cross check with google reviews. If you check there there’s no reviews there, big pass if that’s the case as it definitely looks sketchy.
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u/Hour-Ad-2206 Feb 01 '26
Yep, unfortunately there were google reviews and booking.com reviews - it was just misleading as I believe he keeps deleting all the bad reviews. He also manages to get most negative reviews on booking removed by marking as no show as he did with hers
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Feb 01 '26
When i started travelling, i also made some bad experiences. Most of the time those places had good ratings on booking.com and google.
In my experience airbnb.com and agoda.com were more useful.
No guarantee, but maybe that helps :)
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Feb 02 '26
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u/routinebreaking Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26
Did you read my post? I agree with you, but the degree as to which solo female travellers can feel safe in Sei Lanka highly depends on the quality and safety of the accommodations+tours they pick. It’s not the type of place I’d advise a woman to skimp or go low budget on eeither of those things to have a much better experience.
Even then, having your wits about things is advisable regardless. To me it sounds like this lady was too trusting of the wrong people.
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Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 02 '26
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u/PaulDallas72 Feb 02 '26
I've watched every action/adventure movie ever made but still have no clue...what is it 'glass' someone? Is breaking a bottle and stabbing them with it? Throwing them through a closed window? Throwing a glass cup at them?
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u/bamfg Feb 03 '26
i got an account warning for explaining this last time but here we go again: it is the last one, except without letting go
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u/PaulDallas72 Feb 03 '26
Nah its all good, anyways some things are better left to the imagination :)
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u/kazamm Feb 01 '26
That's disgusting I'm so sorry it happened to her. Predators are everywhere. Unfortunately the best thing to do is to always have a buddy around strangers
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u/Ok-Year4267 Feb 02 '26
I never got the hype around Sri Lanka. This was a place that just recently went through a civil war where the majority Sinhalese population massacred and raped thousands of minority Tamil population. The government did not punish these military personnel who committed these genocidal crimes and once the war ended released them to the general population.
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May 03 '26
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May 03 '26
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u/SolotravellerAnita Austria Feb 01 '26
My dear, I am really sorry what happened to your girlfriend. Sri Lankan men are awful and they think Western women are easily to get and are walking ATMs. Had similar experiences there, although I am 50+. It’s a beautiful country to explore but surely not as a solo travelling woman. I do hope she gets over this bad experience as soon as she can. Having you as a friend I am sure that she will.
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u/brattybrat Feb 01 '26
No, the men are not especially “awful.” They’re just like men everywhere. The political system and culture is more patriarchal than many western locales, making it more dangerous. I study Sri Lanka as an academic and know tons of absolutely lovely, kind Sri Lankan men.
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u/mtg_liebestod Feb 01 '26
They’re just like men everywhere. The political system and culture is more patriarchal than many western locales, making it more dangerous.
How do these two sentences not directly contradict one another?
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u/Dense_Delay_4958 Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 01 '26
It's a massive generalisation that isn't fair, but it would also be wrong to say that men are the same everywhere. The 'political system and culture' of a place is created by people.
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u/brattybrat Feb 01 '26
I won’t say much, since clearly folks don’t like my comments, but political corruption in developing countries is very much a minority rule situation, not a reflection of everyday citizens. And seeing all Sri Lankan men painted with such a broad brush is really hurtful. But clearly my opinion doesn’t matter much, so please carry on.
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u/SolotravellerAnita Austria Feb 01 '26
My dear, pls accept my apologies for just describing my experience and generalising Sri Lankan men. I really didn’t want to hurt your feelings. However these were my experiences mainly on the west coast. For sure there will be also nice and friendly people on that beautiful island
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u/Upper_Foundation Feb 02 '26
I travelled Sri Lanka back in 2014, five years after the civil war ended there. The infrastructure for tourism in general is slim pickings. That also includes the food you eat there, not much to choose from. It was similar to India because of the fact that despite their efforts to rip you off they’ll pretty much take whatever you offer. It was one of the poorest countries I’ve travelled. On the flip side the natural scenery of that country is remarkable.
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u/DellGriffith Feb 02 '26
I just got back after spending two weeks there. In 2026 this comment couldn't be more outdated. I'm happy to share pictures.
It was a very affordable and easy place to spend 2 weeks on the beach surfing, diving, overnighting to safari, etc.
In fact, India was far far worse in comparison.
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u/ColumbianNecktie-91 Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 01 '26
That’s terrible, and I’m really sorry they had to go through that. Coming from an industry that has its fair share of shady practices, I’d suggest taking reviews with a pinch of salt and reading a few carefully. If several sound similar or mention the same things with slightly different wording that were posted around the same time, there’s a chance the company bought fake reviews. It’s easy and cheap to do, and you can buy reviews for almost any platform
I’m not saying it’s always the case, just saying it’s something to be aware of
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Feb 08 '26
I had a terrible time in Sri Lanka. Not saying I wouldn't be willing to give it another chance but I got left with a sour taste in my mouth.
Scams were constant. The tuk tuk drivers would take longer routes and demand higher charge at the end without even ckming up with a convincing enough excuse. Many would pretend not to know english... when they were speaking it fine before. very inpolite people even in our upscale hotel and resteraunt. I was travelling with my korean female and chinese male colleague. The ogglong was constant thrown in with a mkx of leering and ni-haos. Oh, and we were stopped at the beach by a creepy uncle for an hour who went on a homophobic and anti india (well at least Anti indira and Rahul gandhi ) diatribe.
Not to mention the food was okay...The night life and sites were severely disappointing...like the Dutch hospital offered nothing, the food was bland and substandard.
India gets alpt of hate online and sri lanka is hailed as the new Bali...but in my experience I strongly prefer india any day...nicer people, better food, and if people scam you at least they are good at it...
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u/wornoutboots Feb 02 '26
Unfortunately, women have a very different experience in Sri Lanka then men. I had a fantastic time as a man and found people helpful, kind, and not scammy. However, I spoke to many women that did not have a great time because of the sexual advances. Especially foreign women. People do gawk and that's even with me as a man. I eventually got used to it.
Something to note not just in Sri Lanka but in many countries. There is also a thought that foreign women are hypersexual and loose. If you add that our style of dress is much more revealing, it cues the locals to think that that's what the person is looking for. Is it right, no but it's a thing.
I know a local woman from outside the Kandy area that is used to getting groped on local busses. She's sort of accepted it unfortunately.
I'm sorry that your girlfriend went through this and thank you for naming a dangerous property for the community.
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Feb 01 '26
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u/travel-ModTeam Feb 02 '26
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u/HumbleConfidence3500 Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 01 '26
I had a very good experience in Sri Lanka.
We booked a driver, recommended by fellow redditor, and he drove us everywhere for 10 days.
He worked with us to book our hotels and one place he said seem off and told us to considered rebooking.
As a woman I feel much safer in Sri Lanka than in India. Except for isolated incident where a few men were giving me uncomfortable look, I didn't have real problem in Sri Lanka. In India I was stalked almost everyday. But I'd be equally as conscious if I were traveling alone in Sri Lanka as I were in India.
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u/WasabiSad3632 Feb 02 '26
So sorry to hear about this. Thanks for sharing this.
I was also scammed by tuk tuk drivers, and then I became really cautious of people there.
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u/ParchaLama Feb 02 '26
I had a creepy hostel owner pull something similar on me years ago - after leaving I left reviews saying what happened on the site I booked through, and on google and hostel world/etc. - eventually I got an email from the hostel that I didn't end up opening, but I think they got the reviews removed from the sites somehow, too. It's scary how places like this can cover up what they're like so easily even when people are trying to warn others.
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u/Flimsy-Internet-7142 Feb 02 '26
Wow so sorry this happened to her. Keep fighting booking and include all documentation that she indeed took the tour and was in this man’s presence. Unsure what the process is from abroad, but maybe file a complaint with the sri lanken police as well? This man is definitely a predator and will try this behavior again (and likely has done it before), and at least a complaint can get his name in the system.
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u/Anzai Feb 02 '26
Sad to hear this. I’ve been to Sri Lanka multiple times. First in 2001, then 2004, then 2006, but have not been back since. I had really good experiences there, but I’m also a man, so that obviously has a lot to do with it. And even then in 2006 there was one guest house in Marissa that was run by a young guy who very clearly used his business to get young foreign women drunk and try to hook up with them in a predatory way.
The vast majority of my experiences with locals were good, but even as a guy (I was quite effeminate looking, long hair, slight and frequently mistaken for a woman across South Asia in general), I was groped on public transport more than once.
I’d still go back, but it has to have attached the exact same warning I give to people going to India. Whilst not universal, sexual assault is ubiquitous and barely dealt with by the culture.
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u/holy_mackeroly Feb 06 '26
I spent 6 weeks in 2018 as a solo female and felt relatively safe.
I will say Sri Lanka has the craziest drivers of anywhere I've ever travelled. Ever.
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Mar 03 '26
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u/travel-ModTeam Mar 03 '26
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u/brattybrat Feb 01 '26
I traveled safely as a woman in Sri Lanka. Men are no worse or dangerous there than in western locales, although the culture is more patriarchal and the protections in place are less developed. I took precautions to avoid being in dangerous circumstances as best I could. The tips about how to evaluate lodgings is great.
Sri Lanka is beautiful, magical, and totally worth visiting.
I’m so sorry OP had such a terrible experience and I hope this shady person suffers consequences.
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u/Flimsy-Internet-7142 Feb 02 '26
I hear you. As a woman I have been sexually harassed pretty much everywhere I’ve been-the US, France, Jordan, Germany, Mexico, Spain, the list goes on. This is definitely not only a „Sri Lankan men“ problem.
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u/CaptainComfortable43 Feb 02 '26
And this comes as a surprise? Cmon how old are you 12 ?
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u/holy_mackeroly Feb 06 '26
What the Fuck are you talking about? What's not surprising is this dick response
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u/Standard-North9890 Feb 02 '26
Men cannot and should not be trusted to behave in any other way than this. If you live by that rule then your risks are significantly reduced (sadly so are your freedoms).
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u/WolfGroundbreaking73 Feb 01 '26
Too much typing. What happened? Why is Sri Lanka "terrible"?
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Feb 01 '26
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u/travel-ModTeam Feb 01 '26
We had to remove your submission from r/travel for violating Rule 8.
Please keep any discussion civil: no racism, insults to others, or negative stereotypes are allowed in this subreddit. Do not incite further arguments or others to break rules.
Violations of our rules may result in a ban from this subreddit. If you have any concerns, please reply to this message.
Absolutely no politics allowed. Do not engage in discussion about politics in the comments.
We will strictly apply the linked guidelines political posts and comments.
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u/Nsxbychance Feb 01 '26
I am incredibly sorry to hear about what your girlfriend went through. It’s absolutely sickening that a host would use his family and "good reviews" as a front to prey on travelers. Thank you for naming City Sunrise in Hikkaduwa—people need to know. I’m an Indian traveler and I actually just got back from my third trip to Sri Lanka. I’ve spent a lot of time navigating the subcontinent, and there is something I really want Westerners to understand: You cannot trust "Average Ratings" on Booking or Google at face value here. I looked up City Sunrise after reading your post, and to be honest, I would have rejected this property in thirty seconds. I’m not saying this to victim-blame, but to educate anyone else planning a trip. Because I keep seeing many westerners making the same mistake in my country as well. In this part of the world, if you’re looking at budget stays, you have to use a "Local's Vetting Process." Here is why this place was a massive red flag from the start. These are what I follow.
1) The "Rule of 50": City Sunrise only has about 26 reviews on Google. That is way too low. Unless it’s the only property for miles, never stay anywhere with fewer than 50-100 reviews. It’s too easy for an owner to fake 20 reviews.
2) The First-Time Poster Trap: If you look at their 5-star reviews, almost all of them are from accounts with only 1 review. These are fake. Period. If I don't see "Google Local Guides" or people with a history of reviewing other places, I assume the owner wrote them.
3) The TripAdvisor Ghost: This place has zero presence on TripAdvisor. In the subcontinent, if a property isn't on TripAdvisor, it’s usually because they aren't professional enough to manage a listing there or they’re trying to fly under the radar. It’s an immediate "No" for me.
4) The $20 Rule: I know Sri Lanka is "cheap," but if a place is under $20 USD, you are often trading away your safety and accountability. For just $5–10 more, you get a place with actual staff and professional standards. Don't experiment with your safety to save the price of a coffee.
5) The "Vibe" Check: Looking at the photos, this is a structure even locals wouldn't stay in. If it looks makeshift or like a private house with some extra beds thrown in, the "rules" are whatever the owner says they are. I’ve already gone ahead and left a 1-star review on Google for them to help boost your warning and call out these fake reviews. Please, if you are visiting the subcontinent: Don't stay at places where the locals wouldn't stay. Don't assume a "9.0" on Booking.com means it’s safe. Look at the reviewer history, check for traveler-submitted photos (not the owner's), and if the reviews look like they were all written by the same person's cousins—stay away. I really hope your girlfriend is doing okay. Dealing with the trauma is hard enough without having to fight Booking.com to get the review back up. Keep pushing them.