Sri Lanka
The best of Sri Lanka
- Climb Sigiriya, Lion Rock Fortress
- Visit Kandy and the tea plantation
- Visit a Moonstone mine in Meetiyagoda
- Admire the bats in the tree and flying foxes in Peradeniya Botanical gardens
- Try a fresh coconut
- Make a trip in a local bus
- Visit a turtel farm in Koggala
- Snorkel in Nilaveli (East Coast), Pasikudah, Pigeon Island, Koggala, Kalpitiya, Polhena Reef, Unawatuna
- Surf in Arugam Bay (East Coast), Hikkaduwa (South Coast)
Traveling in Sri Lanka
Travel in Sri Lanka require journeys of longs hours by public transport: old typical train, local bus, tuk-tuk… It is a totally worth experience to get closer to the native people.
Some person might bumped into the bus before this starts his journey to: sell some snacks, make a demonstration of a peeler on a carrot… they will of course speak very loud in their languages.
Useful tips to travel in Sri Lanka
- Don’t plan your trip by fully book everything especially in backpacker mode. You will get the best opportunity ever to jump into any of the buses coming, follow other travellers your meet or at least get their advice about the best place to visit. Rooms are available everywhere even in last minute.
- Always better to wait at a bus stop where other locals are, otherwise the bus might not stop!
- Don’t always listen to the driver or ticket inspector, they might not want to take you in the bus (because of your luggage or other reason…), so they will say it’s not your destination even if it’s correctly indicated on the front of the bus. Try to double-check with the local passengers.
- If the bus is crowded of people and the drive doesn’t allow you to get in the bus, because your world suitcase is too big, just pull it hard, and the local people will give you a seat and someplace to fit your stuffs.
Kandy
Kandy is a nice city in the mountain, built around a lake and accessible in a few hours by train from Colombo. It’s a nice first point to visit the country, and very central, if you want to travel at any part of Sri Lanka after. Day trip tours are organized to visit the surroundings: the Budha that overhang Kandy and the lake; the tea factor with his amazing smell; the elephants orphanage where you can feed them, get splashed by their trunk when you are riding him; the bats flying over the river and bridge; try local food, drink fresh coconut and then slice the shell in two to scrape and taste the smooth pulp; get closer of the monkeys.
Sri Lanka is renowned for its diverse and flavorful cuisine.
These dishes showcase the unique flavors and culinary traditions of Sri Lanka and are a must-try for any food enthusiast visiting the country.
Here are the top dishes from Sri Lanka to try out when you visit
- Hoppers (Appa)
- Kottu Roti
- Lamprais
- Fish Ambul Thiyal
- Kukul Mas Curry (Chicken Curry)
Habarana
Habarana is 3h away from Kandy by bus. It’s a nice location to stay overnight and get a very good deal in a luxury hut accommodation for backpackers. From there you can reach Sigiriyia by bike.
There are 2 ways to borrow and reach the Lion Rock: cross the path between field and meadows, or the principal road. It would take 1 to 2h to reach by bike. On the way, you will see a few places to buy water, coca-cola, grilled corn to get some energy. All the local people will be waving and speaking at you as this is not a common way to reach. Take about 2h to visit the Archeologic centre of Sigiriya.
Close of it you can visit Dambulla as well
The temple of Dambulla is nice to visit during an afternoon or a stopover to cross the country.
Nilaveli
On the East Coast, Nilaveli is a nice village to spend a couple of days. The area, destroyed by the Tsunami, has the most beautiful beaches of the country; the military presence is still on. As a Muslim country, local people are swimming in the sea given a dressing down.
Nilaveli village is very spread out and all the hotels are isolated along 5 km. Small boats are coming every morning at the beach. It is cheaper to book a day tour trip straight with them than from your hotel. They can bring you to snorkel at the small Pigeon Island, watch the dolphins… The water is not deep at all, and the coral is really sharp. So be careful, especially when you are a beginner in snorkelling!
15km away South, Trincomalee city has a military fort and Hindu temple where a lot of deers are strolling around and along the beach.
If you want to reach Argum Bay from there, keep in mind that you need to allow a total of 13h by bus with 3 connections.
Turtle farm and opal mines are the touristic activities of Hikkaduwa. The South West coast of Sri Lanka has suffered as well from the Tsunami. This area is more animated with bars and restaurants, while it is very nice to relax at the beach, enjoy the sun and sea.
