If you want to head to the Indian Ocean, go for Madagascar, Reunion Island or Mauritius. Mauritius is still cheap, has an amazing kite location that is a pleasure to be at even when the wind isn't up and the locals are really awesome. Reunion is cool too - and there are some awesome adventure sports like canyoning, rock climbing you can do on the no wind days.
If everybody looked the same, we'd get tired of looking at each other (wisdom from Groove Armada)
Fortunately some of us hate what others love. Some of the things some people hate about an experience are exactly the elements that other people love.
Each to their own, and live and let live.
I loved Sri Lanka and the kite experience i had there, while people who were staying right next to me could barely contain their disgust and general discontent. this made them appear rude and arrogant at the time, but really it was just a case of their expectations not being met, and therefore they were disgruntled with the situation. Sri Lanka as a destination has a lot of confronting, uncomfortable, hilarious, frustrating, ingenious, and unique things about it. if you like things to go smoothly to plan and want precise measurable value for every expense... this is not the place for you.
if you like surprise, can roll with the punches, are happy to have a fantastic happy experience to go right alongside (seconds apart) with a confronting grim sight or experience and acknowledge that there are inequalities and injustices in the world that you cannot necessarily do anything about, then this place has an endless supply of experiences for you. At the end of the day, if you are dubious about this, then you are probably correct that it wont be for you. however, the type of person who will enjoy this can probably identify themselves without having to be told.
here is a hypothetical test: if you wake up, open one eye, see a donkey looking over the wall at you from 3m away, sit up in surprise and cop a loud "HEEEE HAAAAAAAAW!!" would you be: a) annoyed and offended b) find it a hilarious and entertaining start to the day. type 'a' dont go. type 'b' book a ticket.
Spent two months surfing in Sri Lanka. I was'nt a fan of chilli at the time but it was completely unavoidable. The civil war with the Tamil tigers was in full swing at the time and this meant I kept getting turned back at road blocks on my way from Hikkadua to Aragum bay as I was travelling into the war zone. Eventually I got through by hiding up the back of a bus full of people , chickens and goats. Rode a lot of waves and had very little company. Never considered kiting at the time as it had'nt been invented
Do it Baz.. But stay straight and switched on!!... If it sucks arse bail out and go somewhere else.
