What drew me to travel to Sri Lanka wasn’t just escaping the chill autumn of October to enjoy a tropical beach, but rather the beauty it offered whilst seemingly less traveled. I admit, I do love chasing sunsets and exploring new beaches around the world, but aside from its long coastlines, Sri Lanka offered me more adventures and quite a few lessons in history and culture than I had anticipated.
My friend and I spent ten days in this wonderful country and we were able to pack in a lot in such a short time. Although the journey is far from the US, it is very much worth the ride. This is how we hit the highlights…
Where is Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is an island just off the coast of India in the Indian Ocean. Much of the food and culture receive influence from them.
How to get around
You can rent a car or tuk tuk for the duration of the trip. The roads are very bumpy and windy, I must warn you. We ended up hiring a taxi driver/tour guide for the duration of our trip. It ended up costing about $300 for the entire time. Which isn’t bad considering he stuck with us for a week and was very informative. You can probably find tour guides when you arrive, but I had connected with Asanka on Instagram prior to arrival. There is the option of taking public transportation such as the train, but you are looking at nearly doubling your travel time.
Day 1: Getting a Warm Welcome in Colombo
Bandaranaike International Airport, the main international airport of Sri Lanka, is in Negombo, a small city just a short drive north of Colombo. A holiday in the island nation often starts and ends in this area. During our trip, I arrived at Colombo a day before my friend and had a chance to explore the city a bit. I happened to be there during Poya Day so there was a big celebration with dancing and elephants in town.
Colombo gives you a glimpse of the diverse culture of Sri Lanka. It’s a mix of traditional and modern culture and architecture. You can go on a walking tour, or you can take a tuk tuk ride around the city to visit historic sites, museums, temples, churches, and mosques. I should mention that I had noticed every taxi driver attempted to haggle me in Colombo. By the end of the trip, I expected this with every encounter.
One place you shouldn’t miss seeing in Colombo is the Jami Ul-Afar Mosque. This splendid red, candy-cane striped mosque is among the world’s top architectural wonders. Visitors cannot enter when there are prayers in session.
Day 2: Road Trip from Colombo to Kandy
When my friend arrived, we drove from Colombo to Kandy and stopped by two temples before checking in at the Airbnb. For only $60, we had beautiful villa surrounded by lush green nature with a private rooftop pool. Check it out on Airbnb.
Our first stop was Ambuluwawa Temple near Gampola. The temple rests on a hill surrounded by forest reservation. Prepare to have your breath taken away by the amazing view at the top of Ambuluwawa. It was certainly a sight we couldn’t forget. The stairs get quite narrow, so being a little bigger in width and height can limit you from reaching the top. This is an amazing place for drone shots!
From here, we drove a little over an hour towards Kandy. As we neared the city, we could already see the top of the Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue. We stopped there before heading to the villa. From the top, we got a panoramic view of city. If you want to go inside the temple, you’ll need to shell out around $3.
We rested for a while after checking in, but we headed out again near sundown to join the locals at the Temple of the Tooth. Local Buddhists go to the temple three times a day to worship and give offerings to Buddha. We witnessed quite an interesting ceremony, with the sound of drums and flutes as people offered fruits and flowers to priests in red sashes.
We spent the rest of the night watching Kandyan dancers performing at the Red Cross hall, marveling at fire-eating performers, and dancing to lively drumbeats.
Day 3: Exploring Kandy and Sigiriya
Our third day was spent exploring more of Kandy and the neighboring Sigiriya. We transferred from the Airbnb in Ampitiya to the Aarunya Resort along Malgamandeniya Road, at the northern side of Kandy. The resort was quite luxurious, so we didn’t mind shelling out $240 for a night. Plus, it offered such an amazing view of Kandy.
Sigiriya is actually a 600-ft high fortress city with a sheer cliff on one side. To get there, you need to drive across a moat then walk up the steps that lead to the fortress. During its days of glory, the fortress resplendently had palaces with jewel-bedecked roofs that sparkled magnificently under the sun.
The highlight of a visit in this area is the climb up to the Sigiriya Rock, which is also known as the Lion Rock. Bring a bottle of water with you, as this involves long flights of stairs going to the Mirror Wall and the Fresco Wall. The latter takes you to a gallery of paintings on a flat cliff surface. This trek might not be for the acrophobic though, as the path is narrow, with only an iron railing to help keep you from falling off a 500-foot drop along the cliff side.
Just FYI, drones are forbidden here. I flew mine to capture the view but security quickly came around demanding we take it down.
Another rock fortress worth climbing is the Yapahuwa, which is just a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Sigiriya. Very few visit this site. You will find it mostly empty. For a magical view of Sigiriya at sunset, hike up the Pindurangala Rock. The climb is challenging and would leave you breathless, but what would really take your breath away is the amazing sunset view you’ll be able to get at the top. It is also quite beautiful for sunrise. You can go there first, then head to Sigiriya right after.
Days 4 & 5: Falling for Digana and Ella
Among the best experiences in Sri Lanka are the train rides from Kandy to Ella and from Nuwara Eliya to Ella. The train ride from Kandy to Ella can take up to seven hours, but ride duration can just fly by, when you are treated to wonderful views of mountains and tea plantations. We had decided to drive to Ella and take the train to Nuwara Eliya where Asanka would pick us up. The train ride from there was only 3 hours. You may see the classic pictures of people hanging off the train. It’s quite exhilarating. We also got to see the sights at Nuwara Eliya—the Little England of Sri Lanka.
One special experience that I highly recommend is staying at the Heritance Tea Factory. We stumbled upon this place looking up places to stay and they have a very unique experience of dining on a train! This is not a moving train and is part of the hotel, but they have the employees really play the part! It was such a wonderful and fun experience. This hotel is on a hillside where they pick tea and you can do this as a tour. They also will give you a free tour of how they process the tea. If you visit Sri Lanka, you MUST have dinner on the train here!
You never fall short in finding lush green nature traveling to Sri Lanka. One of the largest waterfalls that we opted out of visiting due to time was the Bambarakanda Falls. But we did make it to the second largest waterfall- Diyaluma Falls. You can overlook the country and just see hills of greenery while taking a refreshing dip in the pool after a hot hike uphill.
Days 6 -8: Chilling Out in Weligama
Spending day after day exploring temples and tourist spots can be pretty tiring. And because no one wants to go home from a vacation utterly exhausted, we spent the rest of our time enjoying the pristine beaches along the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
We left our Airbnb villa in Digana before 3 AM so we could catch the sunrise at Adam’s Peak. The view from the summit was worth waking up early for and enduring a bumpy three-and-a-half-hour ride. From Adam’s Peak, we drove for 5 hours more to reach the south coast. There are plenty of towns along the coast, but we chose to stay in the fishing town of Weligama.
Weligama is known for its gentle beach break. It’s popular among novice surfers. It also boasts of pristine waters that shelter colorful corals and a diverse marine life. For us, it was a perfect to spot to spend three days relaxing on the beach, snorkeling in the bay, and surfing on soft waves. Since it is a fishing village, we were able to feast on the freshest catch every day.
We stayed at the Weligama Bay Resort, which cost us $328 for three nights, inclusive of breakfast. They have a very flexible check-in policy, which is convenient for those driving from other cities. All rooms have an ocean view, and the beaches are lined with palm trees, so we were immersed in a tropical island vibe the whole time we were there.
We spent most of our days at Weligama lounging on the beach and catching the waves. I recommend heading to the lighthouse in the lovely town of Galle. This quaint little town with plenty of great food and shopping options. Make your way to the tree swing for instagramable photos! It’s less than $3 USD and you get 3 swings.
You may find the infamous puppet man roaming the beach selling puppets hand made by his family. He’s very pleasant and of course I bought a puppet to support his small business. Also makes for a great souvenir.
There are plenty of other adventures to be had in Weligama. You can rent a kayak and explore coves, go to the open waters for a dive and a chance to spot whales and dolphins, visit a cinnamon plantation nearby, or ride a bike through the scenic country roads of the village. Whichever activities you decide to do, make sure you make time for a party night at the Tiki Clifftop Bar. Not only does it have great food and drinks, but it also has a stunning view of the cape. If you’re up for a walk, head to Mirissa Beach, which is also known for exciting night life.
Make Sri Lanka Your Next Holiday Destination
Sri Lanka is gaining immense popularity among those looking for an escape to a tropical paradise. It’s still pretty much untouched by commercialism, so now is the best time to spend a vacation there. If you’re interested in seeing my vlog posted on IGTV, click here! For more imagery, check out the gallery.
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