Sri Lanka has beautiful beaches, green mountains, even greener tea plantations, ancient, impressive and colorful temples and much much more. Sri Lanka lays above the equator and is stunningly beautiful and culturally fascinating. Monkeys roam over the temples and palaces, elephants are crossing the roads near national parks and travelers soak up the sun golden beaches. We are going to try to give you an answer from post title through our experience here.
During our three weeks in Sri Lanka, we went sightseeing on South, Central and East part and we come back with life lasting memories
GENERAL INFO:
International flights arrive and depart from Bandaranaike International Airport, just outside Colombo so if you land late, spend the night in Negombo instead. Our plane arrived in the morning so we had the time to drive straight to our first destination.
One of the joys of traveling to Sri Lanka as well as in South East Asia is to use its magnificent range of transport. Don’t skip the iconic train journey between Ella and Kandy), tuk-tuks are cheap and easy, and taxis can be hired everywhere. Or you can just get a driver to drive you around the country and at the same time learn interesting things about the places you visit from him. On our journey we had combination of all the above
Private drivers over multiple days cost about SLR 11,000 ($60) a day, with possible extra charges for long journeys and for hotels that will not put the driver up for free.
BEST TIME TO GO TO SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons, the Maha (October to January) occurs in the north and east of the country and the Yala (May to August) in the south and west. So, the best time to go depends on your itinerary.
We planned our 3 weeks in July so we had to compromise a bit and rely on the weather. At the end everything was perfect with some short showers in central area that didn’t affect our plans at all and with lots of sun on the East part. The best time to go though is December to March, trying to avoid the Christmas holidays.
OPENING TIMES & DETAILS
Entrance to Sri Lanka’s best ancient sights is quite expensive, but the tea factory tours are free since they are hoping you are going to pay for the gifts and tea at their store anyway.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress / 7:00 – 17:30; Price: SLR 4,600 / 30 USD
Dambulla Cave Temple / 7:30- 12:30; 13:00 – 18:00; Price: SLR 1,500
Polonnaruwa Ancient City & Museum / 9:00 – 18:00; Price: SLR 4,600 / 30 USD
Kandy Cultural Show / 17:00 daily; Price: SLR 1,000 / 5 USD
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic / 5:30 – 20:00; Ceremonies: 5:30 – 6:45; 9:30 – 11:00 & 18:30 – 20:00; Price: SLR 1,500
Blue Field Tea Garden & Factory / Daily except Sunday; Price: Free tour, café on site charges tea tasting.
THINGS TO DO FROM SRI LANKA TRAVEL BLOGS:
When you travel in Sri Lanka you should visit their best tourist spots which is of course subjective, and it will vary based upon your personal interests so you should take the below information as such.
Cultural Sites
Sri Lanka is a small country and yet is has eight UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES that are in excellent conditions. By visiting them you will receive an excellent lesson in Buddhist influence in the country during past centuries.
• Climb Sigiriya rock to tour the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. This fortress was built in 477 BC and has epic views of the whole valley. Climb Sigiyra Rock with small backpack only.
• Tour the palaces of Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa became the second capital of Sri Lanka in 1070 AD and the huge palace complex is known for its unique granite carvings.
• Explore the Buddhist Temple caves at Dambulla. The caves were originally built in 89 BC and they are still in use today as an active temple. They have remarkable ceiling frescoes and hand-hewn caves with Buddha statues.
• Tour the temple in Kandy that holds the Buddha’s tooth relic. The relic is a very revered site for Buddhist Sri Lankans.
• See Galle Fort. Galle Fort is located just north of Marissa and is a colonial town built in the 1500’s by the Portuguese.
Top Wildlife Sites
With all the hustle and malaria scares in Kenya and Tanzania we opted to take the kids to safaris here. The wildlife in Sri Lanka is varied and plentiful. Many people travel to Sri Lanka just to see the elephants but the rest of wildlife is astonishing too: crocodiles, wild buffalo, spotted deer, birds, leopards and marine mammals.
• You can see elephants everywhere but especially in Udawalawe National Park. They have a large wild population of elephants and also a rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned animals.
• See migratory birds and monkeys in Kaudulla and Minneryia national parks. The elephants migrate between these two parks and you can also find a very healthy population of migratory birds, sloths and bear monkeys.
• Go on a photographic hunt for leopards in Yala national park. Yala has the highest concentration of leopards in Sri Lanka. They are quite elusive, but an experienced guide should help you spot one.
Beaches in Sri Lanka
• Go whale watching in Marissa. Marissa has beautiful relaxing beaches and between December and April, you can also see common and bottle nose dolphins along with blue, sperm and fin whales.
• Go surfing in Arugam Bay. Arugam Bay is on the east coast and offers world class surfing between April and October.
• Get your sun tan on white sand beaches in Trincomalee or on the yellow sands of Pasikuda or Kalkuda. Trincomalee is also on the eastern coast and has whale watching in the opposite season from Marissa.
When you travel to Sri Lanka, you have quite a few options for how to get around and you can do so at any budget level.
• Get a driver/guide
You could rent a car. But traffic in Sri Lanka requires a take no prisoners, white-knuckle attitude. So, I suggest using a driver. Using a driver rather than the bus means that you have better control of your schedule and you can develop rapport with just one guide rather than hiring a new one every time to you get to a new town. Our private driver was flexible, knowledgeable and safe. If you would like a referral, please comment below with your email or use my contact page to email me and I’ll put you in touch with him.
• Trains & Buses
Public transportation is a cheap and fairly easy way to transport yourself to the major tourist destinations. A long-distance first-class train ticket is only $4-5 dollars and buses are even cheaper. But beware that once you are in a tourist area, such as Sigiriya, you are going to need to hire tuk tuks, taxis or bikes to get you around to the major sites.
Normal first class
These are reserved seats with air conditioning and cushioned chairs.
First class observation car
This is a special tourist observation car with no air-con but with a wide deck and railing for outside viewing. Both require advance reservations which are not so easy to figure out, so I suggest that you check this with your guide.
Second Class
The second-class cars have one reserved car where you can book a seat in advance and they also have unreserved cars where you purchase tickets on the day of. They are wooden benches and a bit worse for the wear but the cars have decent legroom. We took this one on our ride from Ella to Nuwara Eliya
Third Class
The third-class seats are purchased the day of and are hard wooden seats that you share with chickens and other home animals.
Taking Tuk Tuks
Most of the tuk tuks in Colombo are metered so don’t get into one that isn’t. However, the driver’s pad their fares by conveniently forgetting how to get to the major tourist sites. Use your phone to map where you are going and give the driver specific directions. Outside of the major cities, the tuk tuks aren’t usually metered so ask your hotel for guidance on fares.
• Airport transfers
A cab from the airport into Colombo costs about $25. You can often pre-arrange a pick-up with your Colombo hotel. If you are staying in Negombo, expect to pay half that much.
• Be aware of distances
Sri Lanka is not a huge country. But it can still take 2-4 hours to drive between each of the major tourist sites and national parks because of all the traffic you can’t really drive faster than 50-60 km/h. If you only have a week, you can’t do everything. Better to pare down your itinerary and go deep rather than spending all of your time driving the Sri Lankan countryside.
• Don’t forget your visa
You can easily apply online and the visa comes to your email almost immediately. It cost 35USD.
PRACTICAL SRI LANKA TRAVEL TIPS:
• Currency
They have a currency exchange at the airport and any major bank can order rupees for you in advance. You can also pick the rupees on ATM or change USD or € in the gold selling stores where the rates can be even better.
• Water quality
Bottled water is readily available and most hotels will offer guests a supply and local stores are easy to be found.
• Internet Access/SIM cards
Wireless is widely available but pretty crappy. The weak signals have trouble penetrating walls so plan to hang out in your hotel lobby. SIM cards are also widely available and very cheap. For under $10 you can get a card with a reasonable number of minutes and lots of data. Get a card in Colombo or one of the larger towns because you won’t find wireless stores in some of the smaller towns along the tourist trail.
• When to visit
December through March is considered peak season for visitors. It’s also the best time of year to go whale watching in the Marissa area. The southwestern part of the country (Yala, Marissa) experiences a monsoon season from May to September. The Golden Triangle cultural area is fairly dry except for November/December. The northeastern part of the country can experience monsoons from October to January. February to April is the sweet spot. But just go whenever you can, your skin is waterproof.
• Beer and other alcohol
You can get your Lion Beer at the Wine Shops in larger towns but not on the East Coast around Pasikuda and Kalkuda where the Muslim population is predominant.
Sri Lanka 3 weeks itinerary:
Below you can see our itinerary that we came up with Why Not Getaways agency runned by our Slovenian countrywoman Anja, who lives in Sri Lanka. We cannot recommend their services high enough.
• Day 1: arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo – Hikkaduwa
• Day 2: Hikkaduwa – Gale -Unawatuna
• Day 3: Unawatuna – Mirissa
• Day 4-6: Mirissa
• Day 7: Mirissa – Udawalave
• Day 8: safari at Udawalawe National Park – Ella
• Day 9: Ella
• Day 10: Ella – Nuwara Eliya – Kandy
• Day 11: Kandy
• Day 12: Kandy – Sigiriya
• Day 13-14: Sigiriya – Lion rock – Minnerya safari – Anuradhanapura
• Day 15: Sigiriya – Pasikuda
• Day 16-20: Pasikuda
• Day 21: Pasikuda – Negombo – Male
HIKKADUWA
We only stayed here for one night at Thambili Cabanas so we can just go out for a dinner and next day we’ve checked the beach before heading further on our journey.
We just adore turtles so if you are just a bit like us, then you’ll want to see the Turtle Sanctuary in Hikkaduwa. This is without a doubt one of the best things to do around here. The turtles are usually saved from plastic and other crappy things that humans throw in the water. Here they can hatch their eggs and get taken care of if injured before they are released back into the ocean.
GALLE FORT
This charming old city, crammed inside the walls of a fort, was originally founded by the Portuguese, and then expanded by the Dutch. Walking on the walls brings views of the lighthouse and coastline while insides are a mix of old colonial past and modern Sri Lankan present with some cafes, shops and restaurants.
UNAWATUNA
Unawatuna is located in the South of Sri Lanka and it’s a fabulous place to visit. The best time to visit it is from December to March when there is the least rain. Unawatuna beach is the main strip of beach in Unawatuna and it is filled with wonderful places to eat, relax and swim. It’s a fairly touristy beach, but I think it’s a great place to relax during the day, go for a swim, or simply dine in the evening. We choose Beach Grove Villas for our stay and it was well worth it since we had the entire place for ourselves. After talking to the manager, we were very sad to learn that next reservation for they had was no sooner than in a month. People were cancelling their reservations after the attack so business was really suffering. And if you know that tourism is basically their life that it is even sadder.
You’ve all seen it so we had to do it to – take a swing at the Dalawella beach Swing that is. Definitely one of the more touristy things to do in Unawatuna- but so worth it! Even kids were brave enough to do it so it was a 300 Rupees well spend. This beach has also one of the best sunsets. So, don’t you dare miss it.
GOLDEN BEACHES OF MIRISSA AND COCONUT HILL
Mirissa beach is neither an untouched beach nor a luxury resort. While it is still busy it retains a local feel and vibe. We’ve stayed at Beach Mirissa right on the beach and only 5 minutes’ walk away from famous Coconut Hill.
The beach is a golden arc of sand backed by local restaurants and bars. Loungers are on offer to those that want more comfort than a towel. The sea is a beautiful blue-green.
Coconut island is one of the iconic pictures associated with Mirissa. It’s a great spot to catch a sunrise or sunset or just to get some selfies that your friends will envy you for them. It’s basically a load of coconut palm trees that form a point offering a magical view.
The main street is very busy and the streets off the main road are often walled with guesthouses or hotels. But with a bit of exploration, you’ll find some hidden gems, like we did at Dewmini Roti Shop where we had our best roti in Sri Lanka.
Find a “Secret” Beach that is, despite its name, one of the most unsecret beaches you will find. But nevertheless, it’s still worth a visit! While we were accompanied with only a couple of people because the sea was too rough for swimming. It has a beach bar serving drinks and snacks. It’s not the easiest place to get to if you don’t have your own transport to get you there and then some walking.
Climb on the Parrot Rock which is located in the middle of Mirissa beach and you will be rewarded with a gorgeous view of the area. You’ll need to walk through water to get there, so avoid it when the tide is high or the sea is rough.
UDAWALAVE NATIONAL PARK
On day 10 we traveled from Mirissa to Udawalawe where we’ve stayed at Ele Camp Udawalawa and we booked a safari for the same afternoon. Our kids and Edita had never been on a safari before and it were amazing!
We saw lots of animals: elephants, buffaloes, deer, colorful bee-eaters (birds), peacocks, a big lizards’ crocodiles and … The safari here was definitely one of the highlights on our trip.
ELLA HILLTOWN, WATERFALLS AND THE NINE ARCHE BRIDGE
Ella is a small hill town, with spectacular views, and a backpacker’s heaven. It has a cool vibe and a slow pace. Spent the evening upstairs at Chill, a relaxing hangout with beanbags on the floor, good cold beer, excellent cocktails and even better curries. We had one of our best pizzas and curry meals here.
We’ve stayed at the New Blue Home. The standard rooms are nothing special to write about but functional enough to spend the night. And the Sri Lankan breakfast was enormous.
The views from the top of Little Adam’s Peak are phenomenal, on a clear day you can see all the way to the ocean on the South coast and over southern plains. The climb that begins amidst green tea plantation and past Tamil village took us about 45 minutes and the kids did it easily enough and most important with no complains on the way?
From Little Adam’s Peak we drove to Nine Arch Bridge and arrived just in time to catch the train drive over the bridge. But of course, then the torrential downpour came and phones and cameras stayed in the backpack so no photos of train crossing the bridge for us.
Get your driver to stop at Ramboda or Rawana Falls, before the mist-surrounded hills give way to flat plains fields flanked by coconut trees.
ICONIC TRAIN JOURNEY FROM ELLA TO NUWARA ELIYA
The route takes you through vast open tea plantations and it’s the perfect way to take in the local landscape and fill up your phone with Instagram-worthy shots. Yes, THAT hanging from the moving train shot… well if you are lucky enough to get few second to do it. There was actually a line of people there the entire duration of our ride?
The second leg is even more picturesque than the first. Sit back, relax, grab your sweet tea, spicy peanuts and watch the world go by.
Ramboda Falls are a famous Nuwara Eliya waterfall located in the hill country, and it’s often a popular waterfall to stop at if you’re driving from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy as we did. It’s the 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. It’s a 98m height fall that offers stunning views and a pool! This is one of the best waterfalls in Nuwara Eliya because you have the opportunity to swim. There are also forests and hills surrounding the waterfall which can turn your adventure into a hike or stroll. Just beware of the slippery rocks while stepping on it.
KANDY CULTURAL SHOWS AND TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH
We arrived in Kandy late afternoon so we hadn’t had much to do except having dinner and went to bed at Muduna Walawwa Resort. Next morning, we headed into town for lunch and spent the afternoon exploring. Make sure you visit the market, we guarantee you your senses will get overwhelmed by the smell of spices, vegetables and raw meat. Get your souvenirs here before heading back to the roads.
After stopping at Bahirawakanda Temple and Buddha Statue that overlooks entire Kandy our driver dropped us in front of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth. Since my shorts were just above my knees, I was denied the entrance and I waited at the cafe besides the entrance having some nice iced coffee while the rest went inside. The tooth of the Buddha, the most sacred relic in Sri Lanka is secured in a gold box. The place is really crowded and the security around it is as tight as it can get.
DAMBULLA
Next stop on the way to Sigiriya was Dambulla. We’ve stopped at the bustling vegetable market before heading up to the Dambulla Cave Temple.
In these caves carved into the rock resides 150 remarkable Buddha statues of all shapes and sizes. The first statue was placed here about 2,000 years ago.
Knees and shoulders must be covered, a sarong can be hired at the entrance. Beware of the snatching monkeys on the way though.
SIGIRIYA ROCK
This was our favorite spot and we could easily stay here for a few days more. Kaveri Ayurveda Resort is an amazing place. We stayed in a huge house, the pool was enormous and resort grounds were well maintained with peacocks running around freely. We had an early breakfast and went for Sigiriya rock, another one of the iconic images of Sri Lanka. A large rocky outcrop with near vertical walls rises out of the jungle and sitting on its flat top are the ruins of the ancient Kassapa kingdom. It’s a stunning climb through gardens, passed frescoes and up steps to get to the top. But the views sure make it worthwhile. Due to the Eastern terrorist attacks there were no crowds for the climb so the photos from just a year go with enormous lines from the bottom to the top looked almost surreal.
If you have some time to spare be sure to visit Mineriya National Park.
Another great safari awaits you here so it’s not to be missed.
Next spot not to be missed is UNESCO world heritage site Anuradhapura. An ancient capital of Sri Lanka and a dream destination for all the culture lovers. The ruins of this ancient site are one of the most impressive in all South Asia. This sacred city was established around a cutting from the ‘tree of enlightenment’, the Buddha’s fig tree, brought there in the 3rd century B.C. by Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns.
Be prepared for the scorching heat though since you’ll need to take your shoes and your hats off and the asphalt will get unbearable to walk on. You can wear your socks to make it a little more tolerable.
KALKUDA AND PASIKUDA BEACH
We had a long ride from Sigiriya to East Coast of Sri Lanka. It was a bit of shock coming from all the greenery to dried and almost desert like part on the East around Pasikuda. There are two beaches in the area within minutes’ walk from each other, so there was no excuse for us not to explore them both. Our first destination was Aki Villa in Kalkuda.
Kalkuda Beach
Around 500 meters from Aki Villa, you will find a bay which is home to a 2km stretch of deserted golden sands. The Beach is not lined with luxury resorts so the majority of the beach is all yours. Sadly, we had some bad experience there on the day that we went down to the beach. Out of nowhere a pack of stray dogs attacked the two older dogs from our Villa that escorted us to the Beach. It really wasn’t a pretty site and it stayed in our kids heads for a while. But besides that, the Beach is still amazing for some »alone time«.
Passikuda Beach
Passikuda Beach is the main beach out of the two, in terms of popularity and development. We have moved here for Aki Villa for the remaining time on Sri Lanka. We have to admit that we just wanted some pampering so we’ve booked the rooms at Amaya Beach. And it was A M A Z I N G. There is a bus station right by the entrance of the beach.
The main entrance to the beach is where you will find the busiest area. There’s a section of the sea which is a swimming area, so it’s always full with locals and tourists enjoying themselves.
Passikuda is a beautiful beach, with white sands and a clear, calm ocean. It is perfect for small children because you can walk far into the sea since it drops really slowly. As I mentioned the sea is motionless and definitely the most appealing to swim in which we have encountered in Sri Lanka.
I hope that you have found all the answers that will help you get a big YES to a question from the beginning of the post. Our answer to it is most definitely positive.
