Now we have visited one of all the spice gardens in Sri Lanka. In a way, we had a really good and interesting experience here. At the same time, afterwards we had that feeling of having been cheated. But all this happened before we read the reviews on Tripadvisor. We take it from the beginning!
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From Sigiriya, on the way to Kandy
We travelled with our driver from Mount Sigiriya to Kandy, with a planned stop on the way: Dambulla. After the successful visit to Dambulla, our driver asked if we wanted to visit a 'Spice Garden', and at that moment we were in a good mood and said yes. Moreover, we had, slowly but surely, started to trust our driver.
Spice gardens in Sri Lanka
We now realise that there are many spice gardens in Sri Lanka, all with a similar concept. You are invited to take a guided tour of the spices and medicinal plants used in Ayurvedic medicine. The tour is really interesting, and afterwards you are offered a massage to try some of the Ayurvedic oils.
Neither the tour nor the massage has a price, but instead you are expected to tip. Afterwards, you are taken to a shop where you can buy spices, oils and creams, at high prices. Drivers often receive a commission for taking tourists to these places.
Ayurvedic medicine
Ayurveda, or Ayurvedic medicine, is a form of Indian medicine. According to some sources, the Ayurvedic tradition dates back to 5000 years BC and originates from the Veda, the oldest collection of books in Hinduism.
There is no scientific evidence that Ayurveda is effective, but some of the plants used may be healthy. The Indian government is supporting further research into Ayurvedic preparations. While Ayurvedic medicines are herbal and natural, some of the medicines have been analysed and found to contain excessive levels of lead and other heavy metals.
Old Ayurveda Village No 27
We visited a spice garden called Old Ayurveda Village no 27, located in Matale north of Kandy. When we were here, we had no idea that there are many similar spice gardens in Sri Lanka, but it was only afterwards that we read on Tripadvisor about exactly similar experiences at other spice gardens around the area. We simply jumped out of the car without knowing anything more than that this was a spice garden, which our driver recommended.
Guided tour of the spice garden
The first part of the visit was really good! You can possibly complain about being "sucked" into a tour without asking for it, but apart from that it was a very interesting tour. We learned about fresh spices and flavourings, such as vanilla bean, coffee beans, cocoa beans, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, nutmeg and pepper. The guide kept us guessing and tasting, making the tour interactive and engaging.
We also learnt about the medicinal effects that plants are thought to have. For example, many of the plants are thought to have effects on food digestion, liver problems and various skin conditions.
Massage and sales
The guided tour of the spice garden slipped imperceptibly into a light shoulder massage, performed by a group of young guys who, according to the guide, were students. The promised shoulder massage then slipped just as imperceptibly into something resembling a full body massage. And suddenly we felt that we should give both the guide and the masseurs a decent tip, for services that we never intended to order in the first place. Then the shopping list came out!
I (Helena) am naturally sceptical about alternative medicine. I can possibly imagine that some creams are good for the skin, but since I myself do not use any skin creams, it should have been easy to say no to this as well. If it had not been for that hair removal cream that seemed completely magical …
I usually use a razor, and razor blades are very expensive. If the cream would be as effective as they claimed, it would save both time and money in the long run. At this particular moment, it seemed like a great idea to buy a few cans of this very expensive cream.
When I then got in the car and googled, I found all the reviews on Tripadvisor that describe these spice gardens in Sri Lanka as outright scams. Most of them say that the creams and spices are far too expensiveand some even write that the jars do not even contain what they claim to contain.
We don't know if the latter is true, but we do know that in Kandy we found exactly the same jars as in the spice garden, but at less than a third of the price. Of course, we can't be absolutely sure that the contents of the jars are identical, we can only be sure that the products look exactly the same.
So, are you being cheated?
If you read the reviews of spice gardens on Tripadvisor, you are inundated with warnings that most spice gardens in Sri Lanka are tourist traps and outright scams. Our conclusion is that it is easy to get 'carried away' if you are not prepared, and thus pay more money than you intended, and buy things that you would not have bought in a different situation.
However, the spice garden tour can be very interesting, and if you like it, you should of course tip the guide. You can choose to accept or decline the massage and there is no obligation to buy anything in the shop. If you visit a spice garden under these conditions, you don't have to feel cheated.
And what is actually in those expensive jars? We will test the hair removal cream for six weeks, as prescribed, and report back on the results here on the blog!
Hotels for the night in Kandy
All the excursions along the way meant that we arrived in Kandy relatively late in the evening. We have so far booked all hotels ourselves via Booking.com. Our driver convinced us that it is better for him to choose and book hotels for us, so we gave this a chance.
The hotel we arrived at, Chaya Hills, had ok rooms and excellent breakfast, but was very far from Kandy. The saddest thing was that there was no patio where we could socialise together, but that we had to sit indoors in a small apartment kitchen. Maybe it's hard for someone else to know what we're looking for. No, now it's probably time to start planning ourselves!
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Solan says:
Apparently it's easy to get lost in the spice jungle. ?
I can almost feel your fingers itching to take over the planning going forward!
⭐We're in!
30 December 2018 - 8:42
Helena says:
Haha, yes it's easy to do! We plan most of it ourselves, but we tried to let go a little... not really our thing 😉.
30 December 2018 - 10:23
Annika says:
Hahaha we have also been there and recognise ourselves in what you write Hahaha! Just wait until you get a real ayurveda massage - then you will feel "melestade'". Hahaha completely sick massage where my boobs got a good turn and where Mini's package was moved from side to side Hahaha
30 December 2018 - 9:49
Helena says:
Interesting that you recognise yourself! 😉 And wow, I think I need to watch out for Ayurvedic massage... thanks for the warning! 😉
30 December 2018 - 10:24
Johnny Friskilä says:
No, definitely do the planning yourself. Then you only have yourself to thank/blame if things go wrong. And it's almost better if you mess it up yourself than if you let someone else do it. I think so anyway.
The drivers/guides in Sri Lanka can be both. Some are good, some are not, but many do everything they can to make money from you, besides actually driving you. It may be that they recommend shops, hotels, restaurants, excursions, etc. The first time I was in Sri Lanka (private), the driver recommended a "really good and authentic" ayurveda massage. It was probably the lamest thing I have ever experienced. Expensive too. So no, book your own hotels, you know best what your needs are. When it comes to spice gardens, especially the areas west of Kandy are known for it. Fun to see how spices grow, yes, but cheap? Absolutely not. Rather buy spices at a local market. However, I was really cheated last time when I was going to buy cinnamon, so read on and a little on yourselves, only!
30 December 2018 - 9:57
Helena says:
Yes, it will be! We have actually planned most things so far too, but then we tried to let go a little .... but it was not really our thing 😉 Our driver is good in many ways. He is nice, reliable and punctual. But if we let him plan, it feels like it will be more in his favour than ours 😉 Thanks for your tips Johnny!
30 December 2018 - 10:29
Ama de casa says:
It's easy to get carried away when you end up in such places... I usually avoid shopping (though not always) and I would have kindly but firmly avoided the massage - I don't like massages.
But it's fun to see what those spice plants look like outside their jars. It makes the visit to a spice garden exciting and interesting. Just a pity when (if) you feel cheated afterwards because of all the fancy stuff.
When we travelled around in 1982, we let the driver decide on the hotel. We were quite happy with where we "landed" and there was no booking back then... We were not very experienced travellers either 🙂.
30 December 2018 - 10:19
Helena says:
Since you don't like massages or shopping, you'd be fine 😉.
30 December 2018 - 10:33
Emma, sun like sun? says:
Oh, I'd love to see these spice gardens! And yes, I knew that vanilla looks like that, it's an orchid seed pod. Of course I believe in natural remedies, that's where our knowledge comes from today in medicinal plants. But I'm very sceptical and don't buy everything and I know that you have to be vigilant because some things can be really dangerous for you.
It's sad to enjoy it so much and then feel cheated, it takes away the positive feeling of the memory.
30 December 2018 - 12:44
Helena says:
I can understand that you want to do business with tourists. At the same time, it is always sad when you feel cheated.
31 December 2018 - 3:03
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
I both recognise myself and not.
I have been on similar and interesting spice tours in Zanzibar and western India. What I recognise is an interesting tour of spice gardens, but I didn't need a massage or expensive spices and oils.
However, I did buy some spices at very reasonable prices. This is a number of years ago so it may have changed since then.
30 December 2018 - 14:05
Helena says:
I'm glad that your experiences with spice gardens are only positive! It may also be different in different countries how it works.
31 December 2018 - 3:04
Veronica Bille says:
Was so full of laughter when I read about the spice gardens, massage, expected tip and then shopping. I also bought the amazing hair remover. Did not work at all.
Teaching money but you feel cheated
30 December 2018 - 14:50
Helena says:
Haha, and ajaj, yes it will probably be learning money for our part too then! But I will try anyway 🙂
31 December 2018 - 3:05
Mr Steve says:
It's not easy to know what to do when you find yourself in such situations... Everyone is trying to make a buck off tourists, of course.
It was of course with mixed feelings that you fell asleep after that day.
You have gained an experience, albeit a rather costly one.
It will be interesting to see how the test of the hair removal cream turns out.
30 December 2018 - 15:48
Helena says:
Yes, it's perhaps understandable that they try to make money from the tourists. at the same time, you don't want to feel cheated 😉.
31 December 2018 - 3:06
BP says:
I can't help but laugh a little here. With a smile on my lips, I can see that it is not only us who went there in Agadir, where we were cheated just like you were. Unfortunately, we (rich) Scandinavian tourists are so polite that we do not refuse the services that ultimately cost a good deal. I know exactly how it feels and how snooty you are when you have fallen there.
30 December 2018 - 18:00
Helena says:
Well, it doesn't matter how much you're travelling, it feels like you can't (and don't want to) be on your guard all the time. We usually talk about setting aside a small budget to be cheated. haha 🙂 Interesting that you had similar experiences in Agadir, it happens to most people who travel at some point 😉.
31 December 2018 - 3:09
Dennis Widell says:
There is no scientific evidence that Ayurveda is effective? Before there were scientists, researchers and modern medicine, there was Ayurveda and the fact that it is not effective, I can say that many people with strokes and eczema diseases ... back problems and joint diseases have been and are being cured with Ayurveda medicine. the thing about lead and heavy metals where does it come from?
30 December 2018 - 19:42
Helena says:
Here are some sources regarding lead and heavy metals:
Today's medicine: https://www.dagensmedicin.se/blogg/mats-reimer/2013/05/09/okritisk-reklam-for-ayurveda-i-kropp-amp-sjal-i-radions-p1/
The Medicines Agency: https://lakemedelsverket.se/Alla-nyheter/NYHETER—2005/Varning-for-hog-blyhalt-i-ayurvediskt-preparat/
Karolinska Institutet: https://ki.se/imm/arsenik
31 December 2018 - 3:15
Ditte says:
Yes, sometimes you want to read up on it beforehand. We have also been to some spice gardens, but that was it. We had a driver organised by Sri Lankan friends so this was just what we had in mind. We had also booked accommodation for our tours through our friends so there were few surprises. And the first time we were here was in 1981 when we adopted our daughters and there was no internet. Hardly that the phones always worked then. From experience, we know both here and in many tourist countries in Asia that we tourists do not often say no....
Sad that you had to bp a bit from Kandy but hope that the visit Kandy with temples and other things was good.
30 December 2018 - 20:25
Helena says:
Absolutely true! Sometimes we try to read up before, but you don't have time to read up on everything 😉 The driver is good many times and simplifies, but if you want to get what you want, you have to make an effort 😉 By the way, we changed hotels the second night in Kandy and got closer 😉 .
31 December 2018 - 3:20
Anonymous says:
Go it alone next time. Avoid all guided tours. My advice.
30 December 2018 - 21:43
Helena says:
Our plan from the beginning was to rent our own car and we got an international driving licence to be able to do that. But since we landed during the Christmas holidays, it was not possible to get the stamp needed ... 😉 But, of course, there are many guides during the trip that you can refuse anyway 😉.
31 December 2018 - 3:21
Christian says:
Hard to be on your guard all the time, too bad you couldn't rent a car yourself as you first thought!
30 December 2018 - 22:13
Helena says:
Yes, it was a bit of a shame! Of course, there are advantages to having a driver as well, and our driver is good in many ways.
31 December 2018 - 3:22
Maria / Magnolia Magis says:
But how exciting! Spices and stories about them, and massage is wonderful! The thing about leaving it to others is easy that it doesn't turn out as you intended... I am reminded of an old story that happened to me a long time ago that taught me this: We needed a new car. My father-in-law at the time was kind enough to help us with that. For some reason I left it up to him and his partner to organise it. When the car came home, I almost cried with disappointment... The thing is that my father-in-law was very tall, and I am very short... I could barely see out of the windows and could hardly reach the pedals... No car for short people!!! I don't remember what kind of car it was, but I never let others organise more important things that concern me! The car was changed quickly by the way... So it sounds good that you take the wheel for your own journey! Good luck!
30 December 2018 - 23:58
Helena says:
Great story! Yes, maybe it's a bit like that ... When you leave it to someone else, it may not turn out as intended. Not so strange really 😉
31 December 2018 - 3:23
Aina says:
After 10 days in Sri Lanka, we realised that it was most convenient to travel by train and bus on longer distances and to travel whenever possible. Then you are not forced into experiences you are not looking for.
We experienced that the hotel staff (owners) were incredibly helpful and came with very good advice and tips.
So next time (this spring) it will be a taxi only when necessary. The drivers we met were nice and reliable and told us a lot of interesting things, but it is hard to have to be almost unpleasant in order to avoid all digressions in the itinerary.
The price of bus and train tickets was a reason for us to choose these modes of transport in the first place. Then it turned out that you meet "ordinary" people in their daily lives. And many people get in touch and want to talk. Real fun!
Have a nice trip!
31 December 2018 - 5:19
Helena says:
Thank you for your comment Aina! There are pros and cons to everything. With a driver you become a bit dependent, but at the same time it is very comfortable and easy. And essentially we trust our driver! You can understand that they want to earn extra money if they can, but at the same time they want to protect their own interests. Bus and train are also possible ways to travel around!
02 January 2019 - 4:32
Timo says:
I just have to praise you for your photos! Now I also like your texts but the photos have really become so incredibly good so you can just look at them!
Keep on inspiring and happy 2019!
01 January 2019 - 19:41
Helena says:
Thank you Timo! Glad to hear that you like our photos! Wishing you a Happy New Year!
02 January 2019 - 4:33
Lena in Wales says:
Would love to see such a spice garden.
It seems to work like many places where tips and sales are the order of the day. I think many Swedes are not fully aware of this and what goes on behind the scenes.
02 January 2019 - 13:41
Helena says:
This system of tipping instead of a fixed price is not necessarily wrong. But it's good to be prepared!
05 January 2019 - 13:41
Mr Janérik Sundell says:
Hello!
Interesting to follow your journey. We travelled around the island in 2004, in the spring before the tsunami hit the island at Christmas. We had partial charter but had booked from home (through friends of friends) a car with driver and guide for 3-4 nights. The guide arranged all accommodation and food during that trip, usually he had to go into the kitchen and talk to the chef to make special food with significantly milder spices. He also had to try to get hold of cutlery that they did not normally use.
When it comes to spices, we knew that we wanted to buy spices and the guide kept explaining that we will get to it on the last day they are there. On the last day, he drove to a local grocery store and then explained that spices should be bought here because here the people who live here buy their spices, in other places it is only expensive and dry that they sell. He was probably right.
05 January 2019 - 12:35
Helena says:
Interesting to hear about your experiences! It sounds like you got good help from the driver!
05 January 2019 - 13:42
Reiselinda says:
The spice garden tour sounds interesting, but expensive products and massages sound like a boring ending!
07 January 2019 - 18:34