Discovering Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is the second destination of our trip. We didn’t know what was going on there. And this country surprised us. It was such a nice discovering. We spent 21 days there. We regretted to book our flight to Thailand before the end of the free 30 days tourist Visa. If you can, we recommend to spend more time to really enjoy this beautiful country.
In this post, you'll know about how we travelled through the country, what we liked to eat, our budget, which banks and phone operator we used. We also share with you, the best guesthouses and restaurants we found in the cities.
We enjoyed exploring the landscapes of Sri Lanka, everyone will appreciate its nature. Country sides are splendid with a luxurious vegetation. We have been amazed about the wildlife. We saw colourful birds, insects and awesome trees like we never observed before. There are also mountains and many beaches to rest and to surf.
In addition to the beauty of the country, Sri Lanka citizens are so smiling and welcoming. Many people want to discuss with you, and not tosell you something (like in India), simply because they are interesting by you. The majority speaks English, it is really appreciable to easily share and exchange.
You will not spend a lot of money in meals, transportations and guesthouses. You can see the “budget” section below. But you could definitely blow your wallet in the touristic sites and monuments.
To get an idea you can check our itinerary. In each city we stopped, there is a brief, some advices, few pictures and our daily diary. For more info, you can also join us on Insta.
To help you choose what to do, this is our "Top 5" in Sri Lanka:
1. Sunrise at "Pidurangula Rock" in Sigyria. We went at 5 o’clock by bicycle through the jungle to the Rock. It was terrifying because some people said that it’s an “elephant road” and it could be very dangerous if you meet one by walk or by bicycle. Hopefully we didn’t see any, just a huge turtle crossing the road. We also heard a lot of noise inside the jungle. Arriving down there, we climbed during 45 min to the top. At the end, our effort has been extremely rewarded by this splendid landscape. No doubt one of our best time!
2. The train ride through the mountain is definitely the most impressive path we have seen. From Kandy to Ella and Nuwara Eliya, the trains are crossing on the hillside path: tea plantations, mountains, bridges ... You won't see the time goes by.
3. When we arrived in Negombo, we spent 3 hours in an ayurvedic massage at “Jasmin Villa Ayurveda Resort”. The place is a really professional centre. The area is quiet and you can choose different types of massage. It’s a perfect place to relax and get energy for the rest of your trip.
4. The sites of Minhintale and Polonnaruva :
- We fully enjoyed the site of Minhintale, which is usually missed. There is one big Buddha, one big stupa and a 360° view on the country side. It’s on the top of a mountain (like 600 steps to go up and you can let your bag at the police check-up up there). No need to spend the night there, just 2 hours stop is fine.
- Usually we are not big fans of ruins, but the Polonnaruva’s site is interesting and worth it. We appreciated to bicycle through the park and explore it. Although Polonaruva is famous for his vestiges, we were alone most of the time. Many ruins are well conserved, huge and fascinating, whereas for others you will not understand what it was exactly. It’s a spacious site, so better reserve time for it (like 5 - 6 hours by bicycle).
5. We finally end-up our Sri Lanka’s tour on the south beaches. Most of them are delightful, perfect to chill out and even to surf. It’s easy to surf there and cheap, you can learn alone or with a teacher. For experienced surfers, Mirissa is one of the biggest spots to have fun. We got a crush for Tangalle beach, because we find a natural “Rock pool” in the sea and the beach is so large, peaceful and wonderful.
One more time, Sri Lanka was a wonderful experience! So If you have the chance don't hesitate to come visit this beautiful country.
It is simple to travel through Sri Lanka:
- Local bus: We transit mostly by bus, it’s the cheapest way. You only need to ask people around you where is the bus station to your destination. When the bus arrives, get on and pay inside.
Be Careful, in some very touristic path (like Mirissa), the controller could ask you more than expected. So, take care and try to ask for the price before to take the bus. You can ask at your guesthouse or to other people waiting for the bus. - Trains: Sri Lanka has one of the most beautiful railways on earth. The one which is crossing the mountains between Kandy and Badulla. There are also others railways through the country. You just need to go to the train station 30 min – 45 min before the departure, take a train ticket (reserved = at least one day before or unreserved = the same day) and get on. To get information you check the website of SriLanka Railways . Maybe you can book online but we didn’t try. In high season, maybe you should book a reserved ticket to not be disappointed if there is no seat left.
- Taxis: There are many taxi services all around the country. Of course, it isn’t economic and eco-friendly. We don’t like this kind of transport but just to notice you that it is possible.
We would expect more diversity in the Sri Lanka food. But we still enjoyed it, as always.
- Rice & Curry: national dish, usually in buffet
- Kottu: disc of batter cut with vegetables and with/without meat
- Roti: triangle pastry filling with vegetables or meat
- Grilled fish: everywhere on the beaches
- Fried Noodles with vegetables with/without meat
- Fried Rice with vegetables with/without meat
- Pitu: rice flour and shredded coconut roll
- Hopper: crepe in a bowl for breakfast or diner
- Lion Beer: national beer
- Tea: The Sri Lanka’s tea is very famous in the world
- Lassi: fermented milk (fruity, sweet or salty)
- Milkshake: milk and ice cream (fruity, sweet or salty)
Negombo :
Gloriya Mathew Family Guest House (9€)
Jasmin Villa Ayurveda Resort (best massage – 20€)
Anuradhapura :
Bevary City Hotel (11€)
Sigyria :
Lathika Homes (7€)
Kandy :
256 TownHouse Rest (5€)
Balaji Dosai (for a taste of India)
Nuwara Eliya :
The Paul Wood Cabana (14€)
Hela Bojun Hala (It’s a women’s cookers association, all the profit goes to the women, there are several restaurants like that in Sri Lanka)
Ella :
Aroma Heaven HomeStay (9€)
Udawalawa :
Leisure House Safari Bungalow (4€)
Safari avec Leisure House Safari
Tangalle :
Hotel Guest House Sun Shadow (9€)
New City Hotel and Restaurant
Mirissa :
Amara Guest (15€)
Mirissa Inn (to eat fish)
1 Dewmini Roti Shop
Dhana’s Curry Pot (best buffet of Rice & Curry in Sri Lanka, vegetarien)
Galle :
Elliot Nature Resort (10€)
We put the online price for the accomodations but of course if you go directly you can negociate.
Flight ticket from Chennai to Colombo: 62 € /person
Our budget for 21 days: 108916 LKR = 557€ = 278.50€/person
Daily average: 13.26 € /day/person
Some price ranges:
- Accommodation: between 500 LKR and 2500 LKR (2.50€ à 12€)
- Meal for 2: between 200 LKR and 2000 LKR (1€ à 10€)
- Transport (bus/train): between 50 LKR and 400 LKR (0.25€ à 2€). You can find all the prices directly on our map.
Activities :
- Anuradhapura’s site: 30$ - few temples are free
- Polonnaruwa’s site: 30$
- Lion’s Rock in Sigyria: 25 - 30$
- Pirudangula Rock in Sigyria: 2 - 3$ (economic solution and equally amazing)
- Safari in the national park in Udawalawe: 25$ /person (for 6h)
The best telecom seems to be "Dialog”:
You can find the sim card and the reload everywhere in the street, no need to go to an official office. Just ask them to activate the data right now, in front of you. You can check the online prices to be sure about the actual rate.
At the airport, several « ATM » are provided. Some of them take fees, others don’t. It is the same in the cities. We just know that the 2 banks bellow are without commissions:
- BOC (Bank of Ceylon)
- People's Bank
We hope that you found this post interesting. Don't hesitate to put some comments or ask us anything. For more information about Sri Lanka you can check our itinerary and our detailed guide.