3-week Route Guide through Sri Lanka
3-week Route Guide through Sri Lanka
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Hey guys! We went to Sri Lanka in December 2018 and as we might have already told you – we totally fell in love with this country! We were overwhelmed by the variety each region has to offer from lush green tea
Straight to Sigiriya Day 1-3
After arriving at the International Airport Bandaranaike we would highly recommend driving immediately out of the crowded areas. The airport is located around 1 hour north of Colombo, therefore we booked a driver via Pick Me App straight to Sigiriya. In Sigiriya, you should book a Safari very early in the morning (6 am) to Kaudulla National Park, the most beautiful park in Sri Lanka. Normally you will see herds of 30 elephants together. If there isn´t the season for Kadulla NP, you can go to Hurulu Eco Park to see all the beautiful elephants.
We also recommend hiking one of the two mountains in Sigiriya. For both mountains, you should start as early as possible to avoid the crowds. Around Christmas, you might be surrounded by loads of locals like we were. It is a tradition to hike in these days. If you haven´t the time to hike both mountains and if you want to spend less money, we would recommend climbing Pidurangala Rock. It is directly located next to the famous rock and you will have the best view on Sigiriya Rock!
Things to do
- Airport to Sigiriya 2,5 – 3 hours
- Daytrip Safari to Kaudulla National Park or Hurulu Eco Park (around 6500 LKR, around December there are more elephants in Hurulu Eco Park)
- Hiking Sigiriya Rock (35$, spectacular
lanscape & great view) - Hiking Pidurangala Rock (3$, less crowded, best view on Sigiriya Rock)
Stay at
- GoGo Green (around 60 Dollar, located in Habarana, little bigger than Sigiriya)
- Stay directly in Sigiriya (very small village)
Eat at
- Curry and Rice Habarana
Kandy to Ella train Day 3-4
We only spend the evening and the night in Kandy to get the famous blue train from Kandy to Ella in the early morning. From Sigiriya, we took a Pick Me to Kandy. Nevertheless, Kandy has some nice spots to explore and some good restaurants.
In the early morning, we took the crowded blue train at 8:47 am from Kandy to Ella. There are definitely some secrets you should know about this train ride (nobody told us), because we found ourselves in a crowded train, standing for 5 hours.
Things to do
- Kandy: Royal Botanical Garden, Temple of the Tooth, the big Buddha statue, Kandy lake
- Experience the most beautiful train ride! You can also stop at Nuwara Eliya and visit the beautiful tea plantations. (Highly recommended to buy a reserved ticket in advance!! Otherwise, you have to stand 7 hours)
Stay at
- PGC Residence (around 40$, highly recommend this place!! It is located on top of the hill with the best view over Kandy!)
Where to eat
- Foodlands
- Sala Thai
The beautiful Ella Day 4-7
We absolutely loved Ella. It is a hotspot for backpackers with chilled cafés, chic stores, and wonderful hikes and a must do for Sri Lanka! We would even recommend staying there longer than 3 nights. The Nine Arch Bridge is definitely a must see and we were really surprised, finding the famous bridge in the middle of the jungle without any tourist stores. Watching the sun coming up behind the lush green tea plantations on the top of Adams Peak was absolutely fantastic! Take a sweater with you, it is very windy there.
What to do
- 9 Arches Bridge ( Go there very early at 7 am to avoid crowds,
first train at 9:15 am) - Hike Little Adams Peak (wonderful place for sunrise)
- Explore Lipton´s Seat (spectacular view from the mountain)
- Ravana Waterfall or Diyaluma Falls
- special tip:
1 hour train ride Ella – Badulla (as good as the view from Kandy to Ella) - Hike Ella Rock if you like a little challenge
Stay at
- Eden View Ella (28$ per night, lovely hosts, book a room with balcony)
- Higherground treehouse (very special, more pricy, book in advance!)
Eat at
- The Barn (The vegan Curry and Wrap is fantastic)
- Chill Café (famous chilled place)
- Ella Hiking Bar (nice place for a tea or coffee)
Another Safari in Udawalawe Day 7-9
Ready to experience another Safari in Udawalawe National Park? From Ella, we teamed up with 3 other guys and took a taxi to Udawalawe. Our next overnight stay at Makulu Camp totally blew our mind. We got a private tent area in the jungle next to a river and they prepared a big dinner under the stars for us, we couldn´t even dream of. We went canoeing on the river and had some deep conversations with the hosts. On our Safari we saw many elephants in Udawalawe National Park and even 10 crocodiles close to us. There were fewer Jeeps than in Yala National Park.
What to do
- Udawalawe Safari (6 hours at
6am ) - Canoeing at the camp
- eating at Makulu Camp: outstanding local food!
- Visit the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home
Stay at
- Makulu Camp (65$ per night, amazing location near a river, canoeing, best food)
One more Safari in Yala NP Day 9-10
We wanted to try a final Safari in Yala National Park. Although we already explored the less crowded Kaudulla and Udawalawe National Parks, the Yala National Park is the second largest park on the island and has the highest density of leopards anywhere in the world. Unfortunately there were a lot of jeeps which made it impossible to spot one.
The prices for rooms are very high around Yala NP, but there are a lot of tented lodges.
Stay at
- Yala Safari and Relax Camping or if you want to do a honeymoon there is the extraordinary Wildcoast Tented lodge
Relax at the Yoga and Surf Retreat Talalla Day 10-13
Now we finally have to explore the beaches right? At first, we stayed at a Yoga, Surfing and Wellness Retreat. Beginning and ending the day with yoga and watching the sunsets at the beach is the perfect way to relax after the mainland. The area around Talalla is amazing and the beaches are less crowded and beautiful! Make sure to visit the first swing in Dickwella and the chilled Hiriketiya Beach by taking a TukTuk.
What to do
- Hiriketiya Beach (take a
tuktuk , good surfer spot, bars, live music in the evening) - Dickwella Beach (take a tuktuk, first swing at Dickwella Resort and Spa, kids climbing palm trees)
- Yoga and Surfing at Talalla Resort and wonderful sunsets
Stay at
- Talalla Retreat (around 60 $ depending on the season)
Find the best beaches and cafés in Mirissa Day 13-16
Next stop is Mirissa and this area has it all – long surfing beaches, clear coral reefs,
What to do
- Coconut Tree Hill (15 minutes from Mirissa Beach, coconut farm on a hilltop view for sunrise)
- Mirissa Beach (the beach is separated by a parrot rock, left
side for snorkelers, right side for surfers, chilled bars) - Secret Beach Mirissa (take a
tuktuk , small bar,lady selling coconuts) - Surfing at Mirissa Beach and Weligama Beach
- Whale watching
Stay at
- Sounds of Nature mini hotel ( 26$ per night, the cutest people we met!)
Eat at
- Shady Lane (wonderful smoothie bowls, avocado toast…)
- Wood Space (best smoothie bowls and wraps!)
- Dewmini roti shop (lovely family story, good local food)
Exploring Unawatuna and Galle 16-19
Unawatuna in Sri Lanka is pretty similar to Uluwatu in Southern Bali. It is very touristic but there is this chilled beach vibe going on. There is one main road with all the good restaurants, bars, cafés and shops that
We took a Tuktuk to get to Wijaya Beach. There you will find the best swing on the island. We highly recommend to do a day trip to Galle or even to stay there for one more night. It is a European town with Sri Lankan life and offers a beautiful lighthouse as well as lovely shops and good restaurants!
You can easily take a Pick Me from Unawatuna back to the airport without going to Colombo the night before leaving.
If you feel more like relaxing in nature we highly recommend staying at Goodvibes Villas. It is only 20 minutes away from the main street and surrounded by nature and the jungle. We really enjoyed relaxing in the pool of the beautiful villa!
What to do
- Wijaya Beach (lots of swings, best one at Dream Cabana for 500LKR, white sand, turtles, palms, coral reef)
- Koggala Beach (fake stilt fishermen)
- Sri Yoga Shala (best yoga place in the jungle)
- Jungle Beach (in the evening it can get crowded day trip, there is a lot of rubbish)
- Daytrip or a half day trip to Galle Dutch Fort (lighthouse, clock tower, beautiful shops and old buildings, good vegan meals at Calorie Counter Restaurant)
Stay at
- Goodvibes Villas (We stayed there for one night, in the middle of the jungle. If you would like to stay there we have this 15% discount code (Janamariedoe-GVV) for you. Just mention our blog and book directly with them.)
- Bedspace Beach (We stayed two nights, directly at the beach)
Eat at
- Bedspace Beach (a lot of vegan options, chilled, little more expensive)
- Pink Elephant (bread and Guacamole, vegetables with couscous)
- Nihao dumpling (super dumplings and taste the vegetarian noodles!)
- Calories Counter in Galle (amazing vegan bowls)
Do you have more time left?
There are many options to extend your trip:
- Explore Colombo (noisy and crowded, but interesting)
- Nuwara Eliya (train stop in the middle of Kandy to Ella, beautiful tea plantations)
- Arugam Bay in the East (surfers paradise from May-September)
- Trincomalee in the North-East
- Jaffna in the North
- Tangalle in the South
Helping tips
At first, we want to thank @mindfultravel a tour company from Colombo owned by Amar, who helped us with planning our journey and giving us all the good tips. We love what they do and what they stand for. So please check them out. They are also reachable via Whatsapp.
Our second tip is to immediately buy a SIM card at the airport. A Dialog SIM card with 4 GB internet costs 1300 LKR. You will need it for booking a Pick Me via the App!
How to get a visa
You need a visa for Sri Lanka. Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months. You can apply for a visa online www.eta.gov.lk. Normally you will receive your ETA within a few hours. You will pay 30$ for a 30-day visa. There is also the possibility for visa on arrival, but it takes more time and money.
Best time to visit?
You can visit Sri Lanka at every time, one part of the country is perfect every time. Depending on monsoon times Sri Lanka can be separated in South-West and North-East. The South and the West is best to visit from December to March, the center around Ella from January to April and the East and North from May to September. Keep in mind that it can be 30 degree at the coast and 15 degrees in Ella at the same time. Low season is much cheaper and around Christmas, you might book the best hotels in advance.
Costs in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has the Sri Lankan Rupee, LKR. Riding this article, 200 LKR is equal to 1 $. Everywhere there are ATM´s, it is very easy to get money with your credit and even bank card. Rooms can be found from 15-80 Dollar, depending on which standard you like. Local rice and curry or Roti cost 100-400 LKR. A Tuk Tuk for 1 hour might be around 500 LKR.
How to get around?
In most regions and especially for the longer distance the Pick me App is perfect. With this app, you can hire a car or a tuk-tuk. Even if there is no Pick Me available, you can type in the route and orientate at the price. A Taxi or a Tuktuk without PickMe will cost most times double the Pick Me price.
Buses are a very cheap option, but there is no air conditioning and often you have to stand.
Taking the train is a must do in Sri Lanka, with around 1,50 LKR it is a cheap and chilled way to travel. Tuk-tuks are perfect for a short distance and you find them everywhere. Just keep in mind that you have to haggle.
Now it is your turn to visit this beautiful country. If you have more questions, please write a comment below :)!
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I loved reading your Blog 😃 quick question, does Pick Me work like uber? So on the app you can request a route and someone can drive you From the airport for example to sigiriya ?
Thank you so much! It means a lot to us!
It is exactly like that. Pick-Me is a little more common and also cheaper in Sri Lanka. You can even choose between TukTuks and cars!
You request the route in the app and you can see the approximate cost immediately. It is really convenient and you don´t have to haggle.
From the airport to Sigiriya there are lots of Pick-Me drivers, make sure to get their phone number, because there are less or no Pick Me drivers in Sigiriya.
But even if there is no Pick Me available you can check the price for a route and use it as a starting point for haggling with a tuk-tuk driver.
We wish you a wonderful journey! Feel free to ask us, if you need more help!