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Home » Blog » Your Guide to Sri Lanka Travel Blogs & Trip Planning

Your Guide to Sri Lanka Travel Blogs & Trip Planning

By Carol Guttery

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Get the best advice on how to travel to Sri Lanka with practical tips and inspiration from Wayfaring Views and other Sri Lanka travel blogs.

This Sri Lanka travel guide is designed to save you time. The average person looks at 20-30 online resources before committing to booking a trip. Who has time for that what with work obligations, family life and binge-watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix? This guide will help you cut to the chase with travel tips, itinerary ideas and links to my own content as well as curated links to other Sri Lanka travel blogs.

Sri Lanka is a friendly, affordable country rich with wildlife and cultural treasures. It’s becoming more popular, so now is the time to go.

Sri Lanka travel guide tea country
Tea fields on the train to Ella

17 Things to Do From Top Sri Lanka Travel Blogs

When you travel in Sri Lanka, of course you should visit their best tourist spots. However, a “best of” list is subjective, and it will vary based upon your personal interests. The “best of” list below is broken down into different interest areas so that your can narrow in on what will make the best itinerary for you.

Top Cultural Sites

Sri Lanka is a small country and yet is boasts eight UNESCO world heritage sites that are remarkably well preserved. Visiting them is an excellent lesson in the ongoing Buddhist influence in the country.

Start with my Sri Lanka travel blog piece spotlighting the top seven cultural sites in Sri Lanka.

  • 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 Hand Luggage 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. Get the Polonnaruwa guide from Finding Beyond.
  • 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. Visit Dambulla caves with the Time Travel Turtle.
  • Tour the temple in Kandy that holds the Buddha’s tooth relic. The relic is a very revered site for Buddhist Sri Lankans. Visit the Sacred city of Kandy by the Conversant Traveller.
  • See Galle Fort. Galle Fort is located just north of Marissa and is a colonial town built in the 1500’s by the Portuguese. Spend a day in Galle with Wandermust Family.
Sri Lanka Travel Guide for the Dambulla Cave complex
The Dambulla Cave Complex

Top Wildlife Sites

Safaris aren’t just for Africa anymore. The wildlife in Sri Lanka is varied and plentiful. Many people travel to Sri Lanka to see the elephants but it’s a also a great place to spot crocs, loris, wild buffalo, spotted deer, birds and marine mammals.

Start with my overview of the top 5 best places to spot wildlife.

  • See elephants everywhere but especially in Udawalawe. They have a large wild population of elephants and also a rehabilitation center for injured and orphaned animals. Go on a Elephant safari in Udawalawe from Yoga Wine Travel.
  • 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 Kaudulla safari with Justin Plus Lauren.
  • Go on a photographic hunt for leopards in Yala national park. Yala has the highest concentration of leopards in Sri Lanka. They are elusive, but a good driver and guide should help you bag one. Get tips for spotting leopards from Atlas & Boots.
Wild Parakeet in Udawalawe Sri Lanka
Wild parakeet in Udawalawe

Top Places to Hike in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s hilly tea country offers challenging hikes with rewarding views.

  • Ella Rock (in Ella of course) is a five hour round trip hike that takes you through the local countryside and up to a peak with infinite green views of the local mountains. Read the Ella Rock itinerary from Finding Beyond.
  • Climb Adam’s Peak. Buddhists believe that the top of the mountain is the Buddha’s footprint and the climb attracts both religious pilgrims and tourists interested in the killer sunrise views. Learn more about Adam’s Peak from Miss Tourist.

Best Beaches in Sri Lanka

  • Go whale watching in Marissa. Marissa has beautiful relaxing beaches and between December and April, you can see Rissos, common and bottle nose dolphins along with blue, sperm and fin whales. Find a secret Marissa beach with Television of Nomads.
  • Go surfing in Arugam Bay. Arugam Bay is on the east coast and offers world class surfing between April and October. Get the guide to Arugam Bay from Jones Around the World.
  • Get powder white sand beaches in Trincomalee. Trincomalee is also on the eastern coast and has whale watching in the opposite season from Marissa. Find things to do there from Atlas and Boots.
  • Check out beaches on Negombo and Pasikuda with Travel Mad Mum.
Travel to Sri Lanka- Marissa Beaches
Traditional fishing is still happening in Marissa

Off the Beaten Path

  • Visit Jaffna. Jaffna is the capital of Sri Lanka’s northern province. It was cut off during their civil war but is now looking forward to its future. Get the guide from Global Help Swap.
  • Follow Jess from How Dare She as she bravely rides a scooter all round Sri Lanka.
  • 21 cool and unusual things to do in Sri Lanka from Atlas Obscura.
  • Spend some time in Colombo. Even though it’s the capital city, many visitors skip it and go directly into the countryside. Check out this list of things to do there from Migrationology.
  • Go beyond Disney and consider bringing the whole family. Adventure Together makes a great case for bringing your kids to Sri Lanka.
  • Or see it all with this two-week itinerary from Tray Tables Away.

Get even more ideas from these travel Sri Lanka blogs on Pinterest.

Map of the Sri Lanka Travel Guide

Figure out how to build your itinerary for traveling in Sri Lanka with this map to all of the destinations listed above.

Travel to Sri Lanka- Wildlife Itinerary
Travel to Sri Lanka- Top cultural sites
Fishing Cat Conservation Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Travel Guide Tips & Tricks

Sri Lanka Travel Guide Colombo Dutch Museum
Hard working guard at the Dutch Museum in Colombo

Travel to Sri Lanka and Getting Around Once There

Flying to Sri Lanka

Fares to Sri Lanka from the US, Canada and the UK typically run $1,000-1,400. However, you should set an alert using Skyscanner in order to find something cheaper. Tickets from London, New York and San Francisco often have a one-stop layover in one of the locations noted below. AND- if you are flying their national airline (such as Singapore Air or Emirates) they will often spot you a free or heavily discounted hotel night to entice to you to do a stopover. If you choose to do that, I’ve indicated an accompanying itinerary or city guide from fellow travel bloggers.

  • Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi layover guide from Travelettes.
  • Dubai: Things to do in Dubai from Arzo Travels and 10 things to do in Dubai from Tales of Travelling Sisters.
  • Doha: 24 hour layover in Doha from Page Traveller.
  • Singapore: 3 day itinerary for Singapore and unusual things to do in Singapore from yours truly.
  • Hong Kong: 48 hours in Hong Kong from To Europe & Beyond.

Use Skyscanner to find the best fares to Sri Lanka.

Getting Around While There

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.
  • 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 $20. 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. 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
    The government requires you to purchase an advance visa. It’s only $30, you can easily apply online and the visa comes to your email almost immediately.
Sri Lanka travel blog advice for catching the train from Kandy to Ella
Travel in Sri Lanka on the train from Kandy to Ella

Riding the Iconic Train from Kandy to Ella

My friend George and I are train nerds and so we insisted that our group do the train ride. The five to seven hour ride rattles through Sri Lanka’s stunning tea growing region. A lot of the Sri Lanka travel blogs have very confusing and contradictory information regarding how best to take the train. I’m cutting through the clutter and here are a few tips for figuring out how to do it.

Where to Get on and Off

Most people get on in Kandy although you can do it in the opposite direction if that works better for your itinerary. The Kandy train station is thirty minutes outside of town so you’ll need to catch a tuk-tuk or cab and give yourself plenty of time to get there. Most people get off at either Nanu-Oya (and spend time in the Nuwara Eliya tea growing area) or they stay on for a few hours longer and get off at Ella (for hiking). If you only do the segment to Nanu-Oya, you will miss the prettiest part of ride. The last section has the classic tea terraces and the iconic Nine Arches Bridge, seen in the pic above.

Which Class of Service to Ride

  • Normal first class
    These are reserved seats with air conditioning and cushioned chairs. The windows do open but if you are in this car, the best way to get that “hanging off the train shot” is to go to the section between this car and second class. Check out the pic in my sidebar “about” section, that’s me hanging out the window in Sri Lanka. My tour guide didn’t want me to do that but hey, when in Sri Lanka…..
  • 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. Many blogs refer to either one or the other of these first class options without distinguishing between the two. Both versions require advance reservations which are difficult to figure out, so I suggest that you check this 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.
  • Third Class
    The third class seats are purchased the day of and are hard wooden seats that you share with chickens. Or so I’ve heard– I took the swanky seats in first class.

Buying Tickets Online

You can’t–Sri Lankan railways doesn’t sell tickets online. So you will need to either go through your tour provider, use a local Sri Lankan tour agency or go to the Colombo train station to purchase your tickets in advance. Or…just show up at the Kandy train station and take your chances.

Is the Train Crowded?

Much gnashing is made in travel blogs and guides about how crowded it is on this train. Perhaps it is, during high season, but I traveled in the March shoulder season and first class was only 60% full and second class was only 20% full.

Books set in Sri Lanka

Get inspired for your visit with this list of great reads set in Sri Lanka.

Practical Sri Lanka Travel Tips

  • Getting currency
    Some of the major banks in Colombo don’t accept foreign debit cards, so finding an ATM might be tricky. They have a currency exchange at the airport and any major US bank can order rupees for you in advance of your trip.
  • Water quality
    Many of the locals, especially in the smaller towns, drink from the tap, but it’s not a good idea for tourists. Bottled water is readily available and most hotels will offer guests a supply.
  • 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.
  • Spend a night (or two) in Negombo
    Colombo is worth a day or two if you have time in your itinerary. But unless you plan to go sightseeing there, don’t sleep there. Negombo is much closer to the airport and you can do a restful night on your way into or out of the country.

(Some of the links below are affiliate links.)

Lodging in Sri Lanka

Lodging is pretty inexpensive in Sri Lanka, no matter your budget level. You can stay in well-reviewed hostels for $8 (dorm bed) to $23 (private), guesthouses offering private rooms and breakfast for $25-35 and 5-star luxury for $125-200.

If you like the idea of 5-star luxury for less, check out my guide to luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. Otherwise, search for rooms at your preferred price point for the following locations:

  • Colombo- check reviews or book on Trip Advisor or Hotels.com
  • Negombo- check reviews or book on Trip Advisor or Hotels.com
  • Sigiyra- check reviews or book on Trip Advisor or Hotels.com
  • Kandy- check reviews or book on Trip Advisor or Hotels.com
  • Yala- check reviews or book on Trip Advisor or Hotels.com
  • Marissa/Galle- check reviews or book on Trip Advisor or Hotels.com
Sri Lanka list of Luxury Hotels

5 Indispensable Items to Pack for Sri Lanka

  1. Ensure clean drinking water by taking the Steri-Pen. It uses UV light to kill bacteria and protozoa. Or, purchase the Life Straw filtering water bottle, which filters out the bacteria right through the straw.
  2. Insect repellent wipes will keep the bugs away but won’t trigger any airport security issues for liquids.
  3. The Gerber Dime multi-tool. It’s just like your favorite Swiss Army knife, but the lack of blade makes it TSA-friendly.
  4. Convertible pants or travel capris. The temples ask that you respect their traditions so you need to cover your shoulders and wear shorts/pants/skirts below the knee.
  5. A bathing suit. It’s hot in Sri Lanka. If your hotel has a pool, you are going to want to use it.

Bonus #6- Don’t forget to consider travel insurance. I have an annual plan with Allianz and it covers cancellation, gear and medical situations.

Sri Lanka is an emerging destination and one well worth seeing. Check out these posts on cultural things to do, great hotels, wildlife safaris, fishing cat conservation and required reading for Sri Lanka. Then use these tips and itinerary suggestions to plan your perfect Sri Lanka vacation. Happy planning and happy trails!

Your parting shot:

Baby elephant in Yala national park
Just plain adorable

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Sri Lanka Travel Guide Wayfaring Views
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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Asia, Itinerary, Sri Lanka

About Carol Guttery

Carol Guttery is the founder of Wayfaring Views, and is a travel writer, photographer, philanthropy consultant. She's been tackling the world for forty years and has been to 43+ countries and territories.

Comments

  1. Soraya says

    January 31, 2019 at 11:01 am

    Thanks for the information. Anyway you can provide your driver’s details? We are planning a trip in April

    Reply
  2. Ryan says

    November 1, 2018 at 3:25 am

    Hi,

    Sri lanka is most pretty to see.Everyone going to visit sri lanka. Lot of naturals spots,tourist spots are there.Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      November 2, 2018 at 10:58 am

      It is become much more popular. Lonely Planet has just named it a top destination for 2019

      Reply
  3. Mani says

    October 7, 2018 at 1:20 pm

    No doubt Sri Lanka is a beautiful place and one can’t visit the beauty in a weak. By the way, this was the brief and well-written article. I loved to read. I am also a travel enthusiast and love to explore.

    Reply
  4. Smitha Gowda says

    September 2, 2018 at 9:45 am

    Hii

    Thanks for your detailed review.
    Could you please share the driver details.

    Smitha

    Reply
  5. Amy Chong says

    July 18, 2018 at 2:21 am

    What an amazing and a fascinating place to visit. I really didn’t know much about Sri Lanka but after reading this post I will surely visit one day. Thanks for sharing such an amazing post.

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      July 18, 2018 at 3:25 am

      Thanks. It’s becoming more popular but it’s still a great budget destination with amazing wildife and cultural sights

      Reply
  6. Isha Singh says

    May 5, 2018 at 7:36 pm

    Hey, its a great read.
    I am planning to go there in 2 weeks, can you share the information of the driver?

    Reply
  7. Beth says

    April 12, 2018 at 3:40 am

    Thank you for this information. Could you please send through the information about your driver. What was his daily rate?

    Reply
  8. Elizabeth says

    March 27, 2018 at 2:35 am

    Great advice. Could you send through the details of the driver please? Thanks

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      March 27, 2018 at 4:57 pm

      Just sent

      Reply
  9. Lucia says

    February 3, 2018 at 12:19 am

    Great guide! We are already planning for our trip in May and are very exited. Could you please share the name etc. of your driver? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      February 4, 2018 at 1:54 pm

      Just emailed you

      Reply
  10. ahmed says

    January 15, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    Great informations . could you please advise for your driver contact and if you hired him through the whole trip or it was like one by one transfer ??

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      January 15, 2018 at 6:58 pm

      We hired him for the whole trip. But you could probably arrange point to point with your hotels.

      Reply
  11. Praveen says

    October 23, 2017 at 3:12 am

    A precious article to be pinned. Very useful thanks for sharing, these tips and guides are really helpful for the future trip planners. The pictures are stunning too. Looking forward to visit Sigiriya again.

    Reply
  12. Sri Lanka travel agency says

    July 28, 2017 at 12:19 am

    Effective article for Sri Lanka tour. It is useful for Animal lovers. You will mention about some other places which are famous in Sri Lanka like Temple of the Tooth, Gangaramaya Buddhist temple.

    Reply
  13. Rianne says

    June 11, 2017 at 6:46 am

    Thanks for creating a great resource for a trip to Sri Lanka! I’m going to save it and have a look when I plan a trip there. I would love to see the elephants 🙂

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      June 11, 2017 at 1:18 pm

      They have a pretty healthy population of elephants there. And lots of baby elephants…so adorable

      Reply
  14. France François says

    June 11, 2017 at 6:25 am

    These tips were great! Thanks for being so thorough

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      June 11, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      Thank you

      Reply
  15. Leslie - MyAdventureBucket.com says

    June 11, 2017 at 5:41 am

    I can’t argue with anything on your list, especially since I did #7 this morning and I’m doing #6 right now. 🙂
    I wish I had known before I got to Sri Lanka how much I was going to love Galle Fort. I ended up extending my two night stay into ten…and then adding on three more. And Udawalawe was such a great experience. I didn’t love getting up at 4am and making the drive there, but it was worth it to be the first person in the park. I didn’t see another vehicle until I was getting ready to leave, so I had all those gorgeous elephants (an sweet little elephant babies!) to myself all morning. Sri Lanka is such an amazing country.

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      June 11, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      Have a great time!

      Reply
  16. Memoirs of a Globetrotter says

    June 10, 2017 at 9:34 pm

    Great tips – especially the one about getting a driver. Sri Lanka looks amazing! It’s pretty high on my bucket list. I would love to take a train ride there. But most of all I want to see the elephants – they’re so adorable!

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      June 11, 2017 at 1:20 pm

      The wildlife was the big draw for me as well

      Reply
  17. fittwotravel says

    June 10, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    Great in-depth guide! Saving this in hopes of getting there (hopefully sooner rather than later)! Looks like a beautiful country!

    Reply
  18. mags says

    May 30, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    I would love to make it to Sri Lanka, if only for the baby elephants! Great advice about the currency. I’m bad about just showing up with no cash!

    Reply
  19. Jessica says

    May 29, 2017 at 11:28 am

    Great comprehensive guide! Good to know about purchasing the visa ahead of time. Sri Lanka was never on my list until one of my friends vacationed there, looks like an amazing, colorful country.

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      May 30, 2017 at 11:20 am

      It’s a hot destination right now

      Reply
  20. SherianneKay says

    May 28, 2017 at 7:14 am

    Such an awesome guide — you covered absolutely everything I will need to plan my visit! Pinning for future reference!

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      May 28, 2017 at 8:41 am

      Thank you so much. Glad to know that it was helpful

      Reply
  21. Sara Broers says

    May 27, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    Sri Lanka looks beautiful! What’s not to love about a Momma elephant and baby, right? Great tip on travel insurance, as one never knows. Looks like you nailed down how to get around as well. For someone traveling to Sri Lanka, your getting around tips look like a winner!

    Reply
    • Carol Guttery says

      May 28, 2017 at 8:42 am

      This year was my first year to get an annual insurance plan. It doesn’t cost much more than you would pay for a big trip and it covers me for the whole year. It’s a good deal

      Reply

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Carol Guttery I'm Carol and welcome to Wayfaring Views. While here, you'll get insanely practical guides with alternative itineraries and offbeat adventures. Visit the about page for more info and resources.

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