This was our second trip to this beautiful island in the Indian Ocean. Our first visit was right after the 2019 Easter terrorist attack when we fell in love with the nature and friendliness of its people. We loved every bit of Sri Lanka: the magnificent landscape, the delicious food, the overgrown historic ruins and, of course, the abundant wildlife.
Travelling Sri Lanka is relatively easy if you rent a van with the driver, which was the best option for our group of five. It can still be a little chaotic, with overcrowded buses speeding along clogged roads and elephants crossing, especially at night. Most Sri Lankans speak English, so once you get used to the chaos, it is relatively easy to get around, even when renting the scooters, as we did at the end of our trip.
Here’s our guide to visiting Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka Travel Guide: 14 Things to Know for Your Visit
Travel Tip #1: Eat the local food – Outside of the major cities of Colombo and Kandy or Arugam Bay, which gets packed with surfers from all over the globe, you will find few non-Sri Lankan food options. Stick to the local food! It’s super delicious. All of us, even the kids, loved Sri Lankan food – from curries, dhals, kottus and roties to coconut pancakes. Just eat it all. It is fresh, delicious and safe.
Travel Tip #2: Don’t drink tap water – You shouldn’t drink the water in Sri Lanka, so bring a reusable water bottle and buy a 4-gallon water pack. Stay environmentally friendly and hydrated because Sri Lanka is a scorching and humid country, especially in July when we visited it. Expect to spend 500 rupees (USD 3) per 4 gallons /day on water.
Travel Tip #3: Sri Lanka isn’t a Thailand/Ibiza-like party island: – You can get your beer in designated “Wine shops” around the country, except in most rural areas and Muslim provinces on the west coast. We bought our Lion beer every week in advance to have a cold one around the pool after daily activities. Most resorts and guesthouses will also offer beer to their customers, but as I’ve said, don’t expect to party the night away (except for some coastal tourist towns). But since we are travelling with kids, this didn’t matter much.
Travel Tip #4: Take a train ride – Yes, it’s touristy and crowded, but you must do it. We did the train ride in 2019 from Ella to Nuwara Eliya, and we loved it.
Travel Tip #5: Skip Sigiriya Lion Rock and hike the Pidurangala instead – No crowds, beautiful views over the Sigiriya landscape (you can see the Lion Rock across the forest) and much much cheaper; 500 LKR / 3 USD in contrast to 30 USD for foreign adult and 15 USD for kids.
Travel Tip #6: Hire a tuk-tuk ride – Expect to pay around 3000 LKR/day 20 USD for the day. Short rides are, of course, cheaper and, in some areas, this is the only way to get around, as we found out in the hills of Haputale where we’ve visited the famous Lipton’s seat overlooking the tea plantations. Moreover, tuk-tuk drivers are pretty honest, except in Negombo, where they will try to scam and overcharge you every time. Elsewhere in the country, you’ll get a fair deal.
Travel Tip #7: Bring socks to temples: – You’ll have to take your shoes off before visiting temples, even if they are outdoors. Please wear socks, or your feet will get burned, as we experienced on our visit to the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
Visiting Sri Lanka: How Much Does It Cost?
Sri Lanka is still a cheap country to visit regarding Western standards. Truthfully, after COVID-19 and especially last year’s (2022) political and economic turmoil, the prices went up by at least 50%, as the local people told us and as we found out on our own. Overall, you need around 50 USD budget per day. The country is very cheap, mainly if you stick to delicious local or Indian food and avoid the overpriced Western-style restaurants (local food tastes much better anyway). The most considerable cost will be entrance fees to National parks and safaris.
Here is a list of prices to help you get an idea of costs in Sri Lanka:
- Renting a van with the guide (including gas, his accommodation and food) – 80 -100 USD/day
- 4 Gallons of water – 500 LKR / 2 USD
- Accommodations (with pool, AC, for five people including breakfast) – 100 USD/day
- Kaudula National Park Safari – 3 hours afternoon safari 85 USD/adult including entrance fee
- Yalla National Park Safari – whole day, including lunch
- Kottu chicken – 300 rupees
- Pidurangala Rock climb – 3 USD/person, child under ten yo free
- Tuk-tuk – 200 rupees
- Mount Ella viewpoint – 900 LRK/3 USD
- Beer – 350 rupees / 1,5 USD
- Pizza in Arugam Bay – 2300 LRK / 7,5 USD
- Scooter in Arugam Bay – 2000 LRK / 6 USD/day (international license needed!)
