Asia
Sri Lanka
Tea country train rides, ancient rock fortresses and surf beaches, all within a day’s travel.
Sri Lanka is small enough to cover a lot in a few weeks. Climb Sigiriya and explore the ancient cities of the north, take the slow blue train through the tea hills to Ella, then finish on the beaches of the south coast.
Rice and curry and kottu roti keep food cheap, and buses and trains cost very little. Entry fees for the big sights are high for foreigners, so budget for those. Two monsoons hit different coasts at different times, so there is always somewhere dry.
Good to know
- Time zone
- GMT+5:30
- Plugs
- Types D, G and M, 230V
- Emergency numbers
- 119 police, 1990 ambulance, 1912 tourist information
- Tap water
- Drink bottled or filtered
- Traffic drives on the
- Left
- Tipping
- A 10% service charge is usually added at restaurants; tip drivers and guides a few hundred rupees a day on top.
- SIM cards
- Dialog and SLTMobitel tourist SIMs with plenty of data cost around 2,000–3,000 rupees at the airport.
When to go to Sri Lanka
Best months to go: December to March. Pick a month to see what it’s like.
Bars show rainfall; numbers are the average daytime high. Amber marks the best months to go.
September
Still good in the east, wet in the west. Low prices elsewhere.
- Daytime high
- 30°C
- Rainfall
- 240 mm
- Crowds
- Quiet
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Crowds | Best time to go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°C | 60 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| February | 31°C | 70 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| March | 32°C | 130 mm | Busy | Yes |
| April | 32°C | 250 mm | Busy | No |
| May | 31°C | 390 mm | Quiet | No |
| June | 30°C | 200 mm | Quiet | No |
| July | 30°C | 130 mm | Busy | No |
| August | 30°C | 100 mm | Busy | No |
| September | 30°C | 240 mm | Quiet | No |
| October | 30°C | 350 mm | Quiet | No |
| November | 30°C | 310 mm | Quiet | No |
| December | 30°C | 170 mm | Peak season | Yes |
What Sri Lanka costs
Work out a budget for your trip, then check what everyday things cost.
$476for 14 days, about $34 a day (Rs 143,000 in total)
| Cost | Per day | For the trip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | $10 | $140 | |
| Food and drink | $9 | $126 | |
| Getting around | $5 | $70 | |
| Things to do | $7 | $98 | |
| Everything else | $3 | $42 |
Per person, in US dollars. Flights and insurance not included.
What things cost
- Rice and curry lunchRs 600, about $2
- Plate of kottu rotiRs 900, about $3
- Large Lion lager in a barRs 1,000, about $3.33
- Hostel dorm bedRs 3,500, about $12
- Short tuk-tuk rideRs 400, about $1.33
- Train, Kandy to Ella, reserved second classRs 2,000, about $6.67
- Sigiriya entry ($35)Rs 10,500, about $35
Routes through Sri Lanka
Where to go and how long to stay, for the time you’ve got.
14 nights, 6 stops
The classic loop: ancient cities, the hill country train and the south coast beaches. Best from December to March.
Negombo
1 night
An easy first night near the airport, with a fish market and a beach.
Sigiriya
3 nights
Climb the rock fortress, Pidurangala at sunrise and the Dambulla cave temples.
Kandy
2 nights
The Temple of the Tooth, the lake and the botanical gardens.
Ella
3 nights
The famous train ride in, then Little Adam’s Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge.
Mirissa
3 nights
Whale watching, surf lessons and coconut-palm beaches.
Galle
2 nights
Walk the old Dutch fort walls at sunset.
Getting around
Train
$1–10 per trip
The Kandy to Ella line is one of the great train rides. Reserved seats sell out weeks ahead; unreserved tickets are sold on the day.
Bus
$1–5 for a long trip
Very cheap and they go everywhere. Private buses drive fast; air-conditioned intercity buses are more comfortable.
Tuk-tuk
$1–4 for a short ride
Use PickMe or Uber in towns for fair metered fares, or agree the price first.
Private car
$50–70 a day with a driver
Split a car and driver between three or four people to cover a lot of ground quickly.
What to eat and drink
Rice and curry
Rice with dhal and several vegetable and meat curries. Lunch almost everywhere.
Rs 600, about $2
Kottu roti
Chopped flatbread stir-fried with egg, vegetables and curry. You will hear the clatter first.
Rs 900, about $3
Egg hoppers
Crisp bowl-shaped pancakes with an egg in the middle, eaten with sambol.
Rs 150, about $0.50
String hoppers
Nests of steamed rice noodles served with dhal and coconut sambol at breakfast.
Rs 400, about $1.33
Lamprais
Rice, curry and meat baked in a banana leaf, a Dutch Burgher dish.
Rs 1,200, about $4
King coconut
Bright orange coconut water, sold from roadside stalls everywhere.
Rs 200, about $0.67
Say it like a local
A few words go a long way. Tap “Hear it” to listen, where your browser can.
Hello
ආයුබෝවන්
Say it like: ah-yu-boh-wan
Thank you
ස්තූතියි
Say it like: stoo-tee-yee
How much?
කීයද?
Say it like: kee-yah-dah
Too expensive
ගණන් වැඩියි
Say it like: ga-nan wa-dee-yee
Less spicy, please
සැර අඩුවෙන්
Say it like: sa-ra a-du-wen
Delicious
රසයි
Say it like: ra-sai
No problem
කමක් නෑ
Say it like: ka-mak nair
Stop here
මෙතන නවත්තන්න
Say it like: meh-ta-na na-wat-tan-na
Questions travellers ask
Why are the sights so expensive?
Foreigners pay far more than locals at the big sites, with Sigiriya around $35 and the Cultural Triangle adding up quickly. Pick the ones you care about most, and try Pidurangala rock for a cheaper view of Sigiriya.
How do I get a seat on the Ella train?
Book reserved seats online as soon as they open, or through your guesthouse. If they are sold out, buy an unreserved ticket at the station on the day and board early.
Which coast should I visit?
From December to March, the south and west coasts are dry. From May to September, head to the east coast for Arugam Bay and Trincomalee.
What should I wear to temples?
Cover your shoulders and knees, wear white if you can, and take off shoes and hats. Never pose with your back to a Buddha statue.
Is it safe to travel after the economic crisis?
Yes. Fuel and power shortages have ended and tourism is back to normal. Prices rose sharply, so budgets from before 2022 are out of date.