Plan a trip to Sri Lanka

Planning a trip to Sri Lanka, or if not, you really should consider this destination whilst it still has it’s charm.

I’ve gathered my thoughts on which places to include in your itinerary, below, to help with planning a trip.

First times visitors who are not prepared, may experience scammers and touts. If you remain vigilant, your experience will be very different.

Entry point

It’s worth noting that Bandaranaike International Airport, which is most likely you point of entry, is not in Colombo, the capital. It’s actually much closer to to Negombo, which if time permits I would recommend for a short stopover.

Colombo is approximately 40 minutes in a taxi from the airport, Negombo takes half the time.

Negombo

Little known today, Negombo was once widely known for its excellent cinnamon, the best on the island. Nothing remains of this past now, but it’s a good starting point for a night or two of R&R when you first arrive in Sri Lanka, or at the end of you trip. Also, particularly attractive to those that enjoy seafood.

The beach is a little rustic, quite touristy and has areas laiden with rubbish (referred to as ‘polluted’ in the Lonely Planet). Which means some areas are better than others but where it’s busy it’s likely to have better facilities and accommodation.

The church in the village is an interesting spot to interact with the local villagers, if you can coincide your visit with a service.

Most visitors will also consider boat rides at the lagoon and/or diving in the reefs, but most people head here to chill out.

Note – a taxi from Colombo airport shops cost 1,500 LKR. There are pre-pay taxi counters on the right hand side just as you pass through into the arrivals hall. Don’t let them rip you off though as despite being pre-pay they may try to scam you.

Colombo

There is very little here, but it is the main entry and start point for getting to many destinations around the island.

We arrived from Negombo on the local bus which costs 70 LKR’s for the air conditioned option and you may need to pay for a seat for your luggage!

Colombo is a long coastal strip of about 12km and split into 15 postal codes. Galle Road runs down through a number of these areas, which makes it confusing if you hotel is along there. The numbers start again in each district, so determine what the area is you are headed for before setting off

I would recommend visiting the National Museum. Everything is clearly laid out, labelled and detailed in English as well as the local lingo. It’s a good place to get an overview of Sri Lanka history and culture at the start of a trip through the island.

The museum is opposite Viharamahadevi Park (earlier named Victoria Park during the British rule), the biggest park in the city. However, it’s nothing special, although a nice place to hang out or wander.

There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount in the capital to see or do after dark so really a day or two here is all you need.

Kandy

The city is the second largest to Colombo and is almost as chaotic as the capital. The accommodation, restaurants and transport options are all very good if you choose to base yourself here for a few days.

Amidst the traffic and pollution there are some more spiritual sights including the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Bahiravokanda Buddha statue and the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Be warned that the path down to the temple is lined with trees, which at night become home to roosting doves. My advice is to take an umbrella with you when walking along there, or you run the risk of being showered in poo!

Kandy is also a good base for visiting the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Make sure you watch them from the market stall area before or after the bathing session which should not be missed.

Most places don’t stay open long after dark so make sure you stock up on supplies at the bakery before settling in for an evening meal. There are so many baked goods and sweets available here. Certainly an indicator as to why they call it Kandy (?).

Finally, don’t miss a dance and drum show to experience a little of the traditions and culture of Sri Lanka. Most impressive is their ability to maintain timing to the constantly changing rhythm of the drummers. Well worth the ticket price.

Ella

Ella is a tiny town which is renowned for it’s home cooked food and Ayurveda massages. Set in the Hill Country, this is a quiet town in the mountains with a good backpacker vibe. There’s less to do/see here which makes it a great place to chill, so worth a visit mid way through a trip.

Plan a walk or hike, as there are some great trails. Stay in a guesthouse and experience home cooked meals.

If you head here via train, the views are amazing. Note – It’s worth travelling 2nd class as you can open the windows to take photos (in 1st class you cannot).

Yala National Park

There are many parks in Sri Lanka offering the chance to see the wildlife, but the lure of maybe seeing a leopard in it’s natural habitat is what makes Yala popular.

Don’t expect a safari experience that will compete with the Serengeti but it is certainly more like Africa than India for wildlife spotting. If you’re on a tight budget, consider skipping the overpriced safari as you will see plenty of animals just travelling the road through Tissamaharama through the park.

Tip: Avoid the treehouse accommodation, as this is also overpriced and really not worth it.

Sigiriya rock

Of course, you don’t visit Sri Lanka without seeing Sigiriya rock. This rocky outcrop is a challenging climb, which promises some great views as well as a visit of the ruins of an ancient civilisation which lived on top of the rock.

With numerous theories about it’s past, this rock was formed as a magma plug on the site of a volcano which has long since gone. Around the base of the rock are a number of gardens dating back to the 3rd Century BC (if you follow the theory supported by recent archaeological evidence).

Nuwara Elya

If you like the cooler climate, or drinking tea, Nuwara Elya would be a good choice. The area is are also good for cycling.

The town offers a ‘winter’ market with numerous stalls selling knock off branded clothing at a fraction of the price back home. It seems almost worth faking it, even if the Gortex substitutes are not as good as the real thing.

There are numerous tea plantations to visit in the area. Mackwoods Labookellie is one of the larger places, and offers a free tour around the factory. Afterwards you can sit and drink tea (of course!), and paying a mere 100 Rupees for the chocolate cake is totally worth it.

Dambulla

Sri Lanka’s famous rock temple. There are 5 caves here, largely containing Buddha images, approx 150 according to the guidebook.

At the front of the site is a building where a large golden Buddha resides and a sign nearby claims it’s the largest in the World. Obviously a lie as it’s only 30m high and it’s not even the largest in Sri Lanka!

Anuradhapura

This UNESCO world heritage site needs a few hours to explore fully. In the heat and when crowded, you may want to take time out for lunch or sit in the shade and drink fresh coconuts :).

There are a huge variety of archaeological sites to explore so I recommend having your own driver. It isn’t a place to explore on foot as it’s extremely spread out.

Having trundled round the sites I can conclude my top 3 as follows:

1) Abhayagiri dagoba – likely to have been built several times, this dagoba has an outside layer of brown brick. This is unlike most of the dagoba’s that are plastered and white in colour.

2) Ruwanvelisaya dagoba – a huge white dagoba surrounded by a wall of stone elephants. This remains in use so is packed with locals.

3) Sri Maha Bodhi – it is a long walk to get to the site of this sacred tree. When you get there, it’s a fight through the locals to get near enough to take a photo of the supposed 2000 year old tree. This made the top 3 simply for the experience of seeing the locals crowd round a pointless site.

Have you been to Sri Lanka, or got other places to recommend. Please do share.