Ultimate Demand To Sri Lanka: Costs, Itineraries, In Addition To Favorites
Updated: 1/5/2019 | Jan 5th, 2019
My see to Sri Lanka — a jewel–shaped terra firma inward the Indian Ocean — was an unexpected surprise. I didn’t receive got a lot of expectations for the trip. But it turned out to live an amazing experience. I loved every fighting of Sri Lanka: the verdant landscape, the delicious food; the crumbling, overgrown ruins; the abundant wildlife; in addition to (especially) the welcoming locals who took hospitality to the adjacent level.
Traveling Sri Lanka is a relatively like shooting fish in a barrel affair to do. It tin live a picayune chaotic, alongside overcrowded buses moving along clogged roads where lanes are mere suggestions, in addition to trains packed to the gills alongside people hanging off the edges (which genuinely is variety of fun). But English linguistic communication is widely spoken so i time yous acquire used the chaos, it isn’t too hard to acquire around.
But in that location are a few things yous should know earlier yous see Sri Lanka to avoid getting scammed, overspending, and, similar me, missing some of the scenic trains!
Here’s my guide to visiting Sri Lanka:
Table of Contents
Sri Lanka Travel Guide: xiv Things to Know for Your Visit
Travel Tip #1: Don’t gulp the water – You shouldn’t genuinely gulp the H2O inward Sri Lanka, so convey a reusable H2O bottle alongside a purifier. It’s genuinely hot, so to perish along hydrated, you’d in all probability pass 300 rupees ($2 USD) per twenty-four hr catamenia on plastic bottles of H2O at threescore rupees ($0.40 USD) each. But a H2O bottle alongside a purifier costs exactly $20 USD (though my preferred build Lifestraw is slightly more). Over the course of pedagogy of a two-week trip, that’s an $8 USD savings (and yous assist the environs too)!
Travel Tip #2: Eat the local food– Outside of the major cities of Colombo in addition to Kandy, yous won’t honour many non-Sri Lankan or non-Indian nutrient options. What yous create honour is a wretched excuse for Western nutrient that is overpriced in addition to oft a chain. Stick to the local food! It’s super delicious. I never knew much close Sri Lankan nutrient earlier paw but instantly I’m hooked! Just consume it all! Balaji Dosai inward Kandy; Ahinsa inward Sigiriya; Upali’s inward Colombo; Hot Hut inward Nuwara Eliya; in addition to the restaurants across from the omnibus station inward Anuradhapura were some of my favorite.
Travel Tip #3: More close food– Food, also beingness crazy good, is also genuinely inexpensive inward Sri Lanka! Local nutrient costs close $1-3 USD per repast for unproblematic dishes of dosas (a variety of pancake), kottu (a dish made of roti (flatbread), vegetables, egg and/or meat, in addition to spices), rice, chicken, in addition to everything inward between. At restaurants alongside tabular array service, you’ll pay closer to $5 USD.
Travel Tip #4: Sri Lanka isn’t a party– Don’t expression too many chances to gulp alcohol. Outside the coastal tourist towns in addition to the uppercase of Colombo, in that location isn’t much nightlife or opportunities to drink. While yous tin e'er fissure a beer at your guesthouse, Sri Lanka isn’t abode to a large drinking/nightlife culture. Expect your nights to live tame.
Travel Tip #5: Hire the Tuk-tuks– You tin hire drivers cheaply. Any tuk-tuk driver volition allow yous hire them for the day. Expect to pay exactly about $20 USD for the day. Moreover, tuk-tuk drivers are pretty honest, except inward Colombo, where they volition endeavor to scam in addition to overcharge you. Elsewhere inward the country, you’ll acquire a fair deal. There’s no demand to endeavor to contend hard.
Travel Tip #6: Take the airdrome bus – There is a prepare to the airdrome yous tin accept from Colombo Fort. It’s the cheapest way to acquire there, at thirty rupees ($0.20 USD). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tuk-tuk ride is close 2,500 rupees ($17 USD), in addition to buses to the airdrome cost 110 rupees ($0.75 USD) in addition to leave of absence close every thirty minutes from Colombo Central Bus Station or Mawatha Bus Station.
Travel Tip #7: Travel past times train: Train travel, piece oft slower, are the cheapest way to acquire around. Some typical routes: Colombo to Jaffna is 150-445 rupees ($1-3 USD), Jaffna to Anuradhapura is 150-295 rupees ($1-2 USD), Kandy to Nuwara Eliya is 85-280 rupees ($0.60-1.90 USD), in addition to Colombo to Galle is 150-295 rupees ($1-2 USD).
Travel Tip #8: Book your prepare inward advance: If yous are taking the scenic prepare from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya or Ella (or vice versa) in addition to desire a seat, mass it inward advance through a go agency, every bit tickets can’t live booked inward someone at the station unless it’s done 4 days earlier departure. You tin e'er (and only) acquire a cramped second-class ticket (where you’ll acquire the novel pregnant of a tight squeeze) on the twenty-four hr catamenia of departure. Many people volition enjoin yous to acquire to the station at 7am to purchase a prepare ticket, but they don’t get-go selling them until 8am, so don’t heed to those people. Also, the concept of “sold out” doesn’t apply to “cattle class.”
Travel Tip 9: Show upward early on at Sigiriya: If yous are visiting Sigiriya, acquire in that location when it opens at 8am to avoid huge lines in addition to crowds at the site. If yous are in that location afterwards 10am, the crowds are so overwhelming it’s non worth visiting. It takes an hr to walk upward every bit it’s single-file all the way!
Travel Tip 10: Skip the ticket business at Anuradhapura: If yous are visiting Anuradhapura, tickets are $25 USD but are never checked unless yous are entering the museum. (I also noticed Western tourists were the alone ones ever asked to exhibit a ticket at the museum.) Enter the site without paying past times using the tiny route exactly southeast of the museum.
Travel Tip #11: Bring flip-flops to temples: You’ll receive got to accept your socks in addition to shoes off earlier visiting temples, fifty-fifty if they are outdoors, so convey flip-flops to perish along your socks clean!
Travel Tip #12: Don’t expression high-end hostels: Hostels are genuinely basic (fan, musquito net, electrical shower) but at $4-6 USD per dorm bed, yous can’t acquire wrong.
Travel Tip #13: Day trip to Galle: Galle is alone worth a twenty-four hr catamenia trip. Don’t remain over inward the town. There is non much to create in that location at all.
Travel Tip #14: Find inexpensive accommodation: There are a lot of inexpensive accommodation throughout the country. You’ll commonly acquire breakfast alongside your room too. Private rooms alongside your ain bath get-go at $10 USD per night. Add $5 if yous desire air conditioning.
Visiting Sri Lanka: How Much Does it Cost?
Sri Lanka is a inexpensive terra firma to visit. Even when yous splurge, it’s non that expensive. Overall, I would tell yous couldn’t demand to a greater extent than than a budget of $30 – twoscore USD per day. The terra firma is really cheap, peculiarly if yous stick to delicious local or Indian cuisine (the nutrient is so inexpensive there’s no argue to grocery store in addition to prepare your ain meals), avoid the overpriced Western mode restaurants (local nutrient tastes much amend anyways), go 2nd story in addition to on buses, in addition to don’t acquire crazy alongside the accommodation. Ever though I was on a budget, I didn’t acquire every bit depression every bit I could (dorms every night, alone Sri Lankan food, minimal activities, etc) in addition to yet flora it was hard to interruption the bank. The expensive days inward which I took a tour or decided to endeavor some fancy eating theatre were balanced out on the other days I didn’t.
Here is a listing of prices to assist yous acquire an thought of costs inward Sri Lanka:
- Airport taxi – 2,500 rupees
- National Museum inward Colombo – 600 rupees
- Train from Jaffna to Anuradhapura – 340 rupees
- Bottle of water – 60 rupees
- Bus from Anuradhapura to Dambulla – 340 rupees
- Tuk-tuk from Dambulla to Sigiriya – 1,000 rupees
- Kottu chicken (and water) – 370 rupees
- Lunch 2 – 500 rupees
- Tuk-tuk – 200 rupees
- Bus from Dambulla to Kandy – 98 rupees
- Hostel inward Kandy – 600 rupees
- Temple of the Tooth inward Kandy – 1000 rupees
- Dosai dinner inward Kandy – 200 rupees
- Train to Nuwara Eliya, 2nd class – 160 rupees
- Beer – 500 rupees
- Bus to Tissamaharama (Tissa) – 240 rupees
- Bus to Galle – 307rupees
- Western tiffin inward Galle (burger in addition to fries) – 1,200 rupees
What to See in addition to Do inward Sri Lanka: Itineraries By Region
Where should yous acquire inward Sri Lanka? Everywhere – if yous receive got the time! Most travelers focus on the southern one-half of the country, alongside its hiking in addition to beach towns. After decades of war, the due north has a legacy of devastation that has yet to acquire away.
Though I originally had planned to explore alone the due south due to my express fourth dimension there, I was offered the chance to utter to a fellow member of Parliament inward Jaffna upward due north in addition to acquire close the Tamil war, so I rearranged my route thus:
Colombo – Jaffna – Anuradhapura – Sigiriya/Dambulla – Kandy – Nuwara Eliya –Tissamaharama (Tissa) – Galle – Colombo
I was glad I did. Seeing the due north gave me an added perspective on a share of the terra firma without hordes of other tourists. In fact, inward my fourth dimension upward north, I saw alone 4 Westerners.
And though Sri Lanka may expression similar a modest island, in that location is a lot to reckon in addition to create there! More than I imagined. Anuradhapura in addition to Sigiriya both receive got amazing ancient ruins. Kandy is filled alongside hiking treks, a large Buddhist temple, in addition to a butterfly garden. Nuwara Eliya is known for its hiking, Tissa is the gateway to Yala National Park (which has elephants in addition to leopards), in addition to Galle is a beautiful one-time Dutch fort town.
Even though I covered a lot of Earth inward my 2 weeks, I yet missed many places, including Ella (more hiking), Arugam Bay (beaches), in addition to most of the southern coast (more beaches in addition to nightlife). I raced through the terra firma in addition to crammed too much into such a brusk catamenia of time. I wouldn’t recommend going at such a breakneck pace.
Where should YOU go?
I would interruption your Sri Lanka travels into 2 parts — the north/center in addition to the due south — in addition to focus on i of those regions. There’s exactly too much to create inward the terra firma in addition to go (buses in addition to trains) exactly about the terra firma is too irksome to endeavor to comprehend so much Earth inward a express time.
Unless yous receive got to a greater extent than time, so the Earth is your oyster!
Suggested Sri Lanka Itineraries
Southern Route (two weeks): Colombo – Hikkaduwa – Galle – Mirissa – Tangalle – Tissa – Ella – Nuwara Eliya – Kandy – Colombo
Northern Route (two weeks): Colombo – Nuwara Eliya – Ella – Kandy – Sigiriya – Anuradhapura – Trincomalee – Jaffna – Colombo
North in addition to South (four weeks): Colombo – Jaffna – Trincomalee – Anuradhapura – Sigiriya – Kandy – Nuwara Eliya – Ella – Tissa – Tangalle – Mirissa – Galle – Hikkaduwa – Colombo
If yous receive got a month, yous could create this entire route addition add together inward the coastal towns of Arugam Bay in addition to Negombo. With 2 weeks, focus on either the southern coast or the central/northern areas.
One affair to know is that i time you’ve done the major things inward a city, there’s really picayune argue to stay. For example, Tissa is the gateway to Yala National Park. Tour operators run most tours inward the early on morning time (a higher endangerment of seeing animals) so if yous took i of those tours, yous could live on a omnibus moving on to your adjacent finish past times tiffin time. There’s genuinely non much else inward the town. The same could alongside Jaffna. Tick a few boxes in addition to so motion on. Galle is to a greater extent than a twenty-four hr catamenia trip from a nearby beach town than a identify to pass a few days. There was so picayune to create in that location I exactly went dorsum to Colombo instead of staying the night. Sigiriya in addition to Dambulla tin live done inward 2 nights (though I added an extra nighttime because I liked the household unit of measurement I was staying with). Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Kandy, Arugam Bay, Trincomalee – those places receive got to a greater extent than activities in addition to are worth spending a longer fourth dimension in.
Where to Stay inward Sri Lanka
For accommodation, I genuinely liked the next places to remain inward Sri Lanka. They were the best beds, had the friendliest staf, in addition to were a bully spot to encounter other travelers.
- Kandy Downtown Hostel
- Palitha Home Stay inward Sigiriya
- Pedlar’s Inn Hostel inward Galle
Where to Eat inward Sri Lanka
For restaurants, also the listing inward a higher identify (item spot out 2), I would also recommend the Ministry of Crab. It’s an expensive seafood eating theatre inward Colombo but it’s delicious! Sri Lankan crab is famous worldwide in addition to they receive got gigantic ones. It’s non inexpensive but sometimes, yous exactly receive got to process yourself. While I didn’t exit much, if yous honour yourself inward Kandy, the Slightly Chilled Bar is a pop coming together spot in addition to has wonderful views of the metropolis (and the sunset).
Looking at the map of Sri Lanka, yous powerfulness say, “Oh, it’s non that big. I bet I tin comprehend a lot of Earth inward a brusk catamenia if time.” You could, but yous won’t “see” much. It volition live too much of a blur. There is a lot to reckon in addition to create inward Sri Lanka in addition to it takes awhile to go around. Don’t rush your trip.
Sri Lanka may live modest but it packs a powerful punch. Take your fourth dimension to reckon this terra firma of jungles, waterfalls, monkeys, delicious food, in addition to lovely people!
Book Your Trip to Sri Lanka: Logistical Tips in addition to Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a inexpensive flying past times using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my 2 favorite search engines because they search websites in addition to airlines exactly about the globe so yous e'er know no rock is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You tin mass your hostel alongside Hostelworld. If yous desire to remain elsewhere, role Booking.com every bit they consistently furnish the cheapest rates for guesthouses in addition to inexpensive hotels. I role them all the time.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance volition protect yous against illness, injury, theft, in addition to cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection inward instance anything goes wrong. I never acquire on a trip without it every bit I’ve had to role it many times inward the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for 10 years. My favorite companies that offering the best service in addition to value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
Looking for the best companies to salve coin with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to role when yous travel! I listing all the ones I role to salve coin when I go – in addition to I hollo back volition assist yous too!
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