Sri Lanka is an island country nestled in the heart of the Indian Ocean. It’s home to some amazing people, delicious local food and various wild animals. You will find amazing beaches, a lot of instagrammable cafes and whole lot of other fun activities during your stay here.
How to get to Sri Lanka
You will find multiple direct and connecting flights from major metro cities in India to Colombo. Usually a roound trip can cost anywhere in the range of 16K – 30K INR. The fares will mostly depend on which time of the year you decide to visit.
When to visit Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is geographically located in the tropical belt. It is hot and humid throughout the year. The best time to visit would be in the relatively cooler months, from November to March. This will also be the time when the beach towns are buzzing with tourists and travellers from all parts of the world.
For solo travellers and party enthusiasts, Christmas and new years would be the best time to visit. For a family vacation or a laid back friends trip October or March can be the better months. You will avoid most of the crowds and have a chill and relaxing time.
Mode of transport within Sri Lanka
Major cities in Sri Lanka are very well connected via both road and railways. You can either take trains or public buses. You can also rent out a cab or a tuktuk for the entirety of your trip.
We chose to rent out a self drive car for our entire trip. It cost us 30,000 INR for 8 days.
Currency to Carry
While mastercard and visa cards work at most restaurants and hotels, cash will be required at certain local shops and eateries. You should carry Sri Lankan rupees, as well as some amount of USD. (certain properties only accept payment in USD)
Itinarary
Note: This is a personal itinerary based on my interests and the time I had available at my hand.
Day 1: Fly from Bengaluru to Colombo
We reached Colombo sometime in the morning. We checked into our hotel and set out to explore the city. We visited many small temples. Some noteworthy attractions are: Lotus Tower, Galle Facing Beach. We just soaked in the city skyline and called it a day.
Day 2: Colombo to Sigriya
On the second day, we travelled ~160 Km (4 hrs 30 mins). The ride was very scenic. The road connectivity across Sri Lanka is very good with stellar highways. We left a bit early to reach Sigriya by 12-1 PM. Checked into our property and relaxed for some time.
Post that, we went for a hike on the famous Lion’s Rock. The trek is easy to moderately difficult. It takes roughly an hour to get to the top. We enjoyed the sunset from there. Post that went for a little cafe hopping tour. Enjoyed different types of rottis that Sri Lanka had to offer.
Day 3: Sigriya to Kandy
If you are a trekking enthusiast, you can wake up early and trek up the Pidurangala Rock. You can get an amazing view of the Lion’s rock from the top. It is a one hour trek. Post that check out and leave for Kandy.
Sigriya to Kandy is a 90 Km ride. Since we drove through some small towns and villages it took us ~ 2 hrs 30 mins. We explored places like the Kandy Lake, the famous Temple of Tooth and took a stroll along the central market of Kandy.
Day 4: Kandy to Ella
The ride form Kandy to Ella is very scenic. We drove through lush tea gardens and several tea plantations. We also crossed a beautiful British town called Nuwara Eliya, also famously known as Little England.
On the way to Ella, you can take a tea plantation tour. We also stopped at Ashok Vatika. There is a small beautiful temple highlighting the importance of the place.
Day 5: Ella to Mirissa
Wake up early and take a small hike to Little Adam’s view point. Since it was raining non-stop, we were unable to do this. Once the weather cleared out, we visited the famous Nine Arch Bridge and the Ravana waterfalls.
Ella to Mirissa is ~180 Km. It took us roughly 3 hours. We reached Mirissaa by 3-4 PM, checked in and enjoyed a relaxing sunset on the Mirissa main beach. There are a lot of cafes in this coastal town. We went cafe hopping and tried different delicacies that the city had to offer.
Day 6: Explore Mirissa
Have a hearty breakfast at Nomad cafe. You can visit Parrot rock, Weligama beach and Weligama bay. If you are an adventure sports lover, you can go snorkeling or take a surfing lesson in Hiriketya. If the season is right, one can also go for whale watching.
Finally close the day by enjoying a picturesque sunset at coconut tree hill.
Day 7: Mirissa to Galle
Galle is only a 40 minute ride from Mirissaa. Since we had some time on our hands, we took a detour and visited the surfing town of Hiriketya. It is a very beautiful and peaceful place filled with some cozy cafes and buzzing hostels. A lot of surfers visit this place. If you have a spare day, I will recommend you to stay here.
On reaching Galle, we checked in to our hotel. Then we went out to explore the old town at Galle. You can walk along the beautiful old city and explore the Galle dutch Fort and the Galle Lighthouse.
Day 8: Galle to Colombo (Fly Out)
This was our last day in Sri Lanka. We had a sumptuous breakfast. It was a relaxed day for us. We reached Colombo by 4 in the evening. Dropped off our car and said goodbye to the beautiful island country.
Final Thoughts
Hope you found this blog post helpful and happpy travelling.
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