Sri Lanka🛺

On our way to Australia, we decided to stop off in Sri Lanka first. This was because, firstly, it was a country we had never been to before and it was high on our list to visit! Secondly, it actually ended up being £500 cheaper to stop off in Sri Lanka first, than flying straight to Perth, Australia. We then spent a month in Sri Lanka, which consisted of a mixture of cultural exploring, beaches and hiking.

Even though we spent a month, you can easily do shorter or longer depending on your preference. We flew into Colombo first before going South to Hikkaduwa. We travelled around the country mostly by trains, which are pretty cheap and are famous for taking you through some incredible, scenic views. The other choice is to travel around hiring your own Tuk Tuk. We looked into it and at the time there wasn’t a lot of options for us to do it, which is why we chose to go via trains. If you have the time and budget, driving yourself around the country via Tuk Tuk will be a very cool experience. The only downside is, it requires a lot of money upfront and you will be doing all the driving yourself. However, from what people have said it's a very fun and unforgettable experience!

Lastly, we also went in September, which is the shoulder season in between touristy months. This meant that it was a lot quieter, with not a lot of backpackers and the weather was up and down with heavy rain pours and then sunny days. I would recommend going from December onwards or before September to get the right mix of good weather and tourists.

Colombo/ Negombo

🏨Tuk Tuk Hostel Colombo

I would recommend having a full day in either Colombo or Negombo once you have landed. There isn’t a lot to do in either place, so a majority of people go straight to the South or to Kandy. You can easily have one day here to do all the main sights, we ended up having two full days and it was too much time for us.

Lotus Tower
The Lotus Tower in Colombo is a 356 meter telecommunication and observation tower, which offers gorgeous panoramic views of the city. We spent one morning, going here to see the views over Colombo. There is also a restaurant by the top, with views of the city skyline.

Wall & explore the City
Spend the morning exploring the capital of Sri Lanka, walking through the city and stopping off at different sights.

• Chathem Street Clock Tower.
• Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque (Red Mosque) - a stunning striped architectural building located in the commercial district.
• Explore the shopping streets.

Colombo National Museum
A gorgeous History Museum located in a grand 19th century building showing royal and ancient artefacts, we spent a couple hours here wandering around the place.

Galle Face Green
Galle Face Green is the oceanfront walkway, a perfect place for an evening walk, watching the sunset and eating delicious, local street food.

Barefoot Shop & Cafe
Barefoot in Colombo is a gorgeous shop, art gallery, and garden cafe, famous for its bright souvenirs, handmade items, unique clothes and hidden courtyard cafe inside. We stopped here in between exploring and spent an hour relaxing in the gardens.

Food in Colombo:
Here are some of the restaurants we ate at. As it was our first stop in the travels, we ate out pretty good in Colombo, so made the most of it before we went back to meal prepping!

Ministry of Crab
We got this recommendation from The Lonely Planet Guide. It is a pretty impressive restaurant, famous for their huge freshwater crab dishes. As it was our first night in Colombo, we decided to treat ourselves with prawn starters before sharing crab, rice and salad for the main course. For Sri Lanka, it is an expensive place to eat, but completely worth the price. The dishes were all so fresh, the sauce is house made and absolutely mouthwatering!

Cafe Kumbuk
In between exploring, we stumbled upon this cute cafe and decided to pop here to get out of the scorching sun! It had a lovely outdoor area, the most delicious peach ice tea and was the perfect place for us to share a couple dishes. We went with the breakfast wrap and prawn tacos!

Bombay Borough
For our last night in Colombo, another recommendation from The Lonely Planet Guide was going here for a delicious, traditional Indian. We of course went all out and shared two mains, naan bread and some garlic bread bites, 10/10 would highly recommend going here. The prices were also not too bad!

Other things to do in Colombo/Negombo:

• Gangaramaya Temple.
• Seema Malakaya.
• Pettah Market - an open air market selling all kinds of local spices, electronics and snacks.
• Dutch Hospital Shopping District - converted hospital full of cafes, restaurants and shops.

Hikkaduwa

Our next stop from Colombo, was Hikkaduwa. We got the train from Colombo, which took around two hours and was a beautiful scenic journey the whole way! We then spent two nights in Hikkaduwa, however, you can definitely spend more if you want to!

🏨Sena’s Place
We stayed at Sena’s Place, which at the time of going, was the cheapest hostel in the area, that also offered free breakfast. It was a really cute hostel, the owner, Sena is so lovely and hospitable. There is an outdoor area, dorms and private rooms. We got a dorm, which at the time didn’t have air conditioning, so take this into account. It also is pretty mosquito prone, so there are bed nets which more or less work. If this doesn’t sound up your street, do your own research too as I’m sure there are more hostels available than in 2023.

Beach Days
There are a few beaches to choose from, so can spend as many days as you want lounging on the beaches or hopping from one another!

• Swim with Turtles - Hikka Tranz Beach to see large, wild turtles up close.
• Surfing - can surf at Narigama Beach, perfect waves for both beginners and experienced surfers.
• Snorkel or Dive - meant to be a pretty cool and colourful marine life and shipwrecks to explore in the National Park.

Row on the Lake Kalla Bongo Resort & Serendipity Lake
Go to Serendipity Lake through Kalla Bongo Resort. They will let you hire one of their boats where you can row across the lake. A gorgeous way to spend an afternoon!

Local Restaurant Canal View Homemade Food Restaurant
This restaurant was recommended to us by The Lonely Planet Guide and it has been one of our favourite places! It is a restaurant in a local persons house and the meals they serve are just incredible, huge and so unbelievably cheap for what you get! We both went with the highly recommended dishes, which was trying the local curries, will all kinds of sides, daal, spinach, beetroot, rice. An absolute feast and one I will not forget any time soon.

Other things to do in Hikkaduwa:

• Glass Bottom Boat tour - explore the coral reefs and see the gorgeous views through a glass bottom boat.
• River Safari - take a tour through the mangroves and visit local cinnamon islands.
• Turtle Conservation - visit one of the local conservation efforts to learn about the turtles.
• Day trip to Galle Fort.

Galle Fort

Galle Fort is a historical, coastal city, originally built by the Portuguese before being extensively fortified by the Dutch. It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with many people coming here just to visit the old city. You can easily take the train from Hikkaduwa and do a day trip here as it only takes thirty minutes. However, we had two nights here and it was plenty of time to explore!

Explore Galle Fort:

• Walk along the Ramparts - walk the loop around the old walls and cannons and stop at the old clocktower (first picture).
• Explore the historic walls, scenic alleys, cobbled stone streets (second picture).
• Dutch Reformed Church (third picture).

Pedlar Street
Walk through the streets and browse local art stalls and boutiques selling, handmade clothes, jewellery and explore old colonial buildings.

Galle Lighthouse
The main sight in the town is visiting the white coastal lighthouse, which overlooks the sea.

Flag Rock Bastion
End the day people watching on the hill, seeing cliff divers or watch the sunset. It is the perfect place for sunset with the hill covered with locals and tourists.

Food in Galle:
There are so many different places, cafes and local restaurants to eat at in Galle Fort. It is pretty touristy so there is a lot of options. We stopped by this cute cafe called KiXi and it served the coolest coffee, and most delicious prawn salad!

Unawatuna

Our next stop is Unawatuna! You can easily spend a few days here as it is a popular holiday destination, with a variety of different beaches. However, we only had two nights here, so we made the most of the gorgeous weather going to the two recommended beaches.

Jungle Beach
Our first beach was Jungle Beach, which is a small, hidden beach only a ten to fifteen minute Tuk Tuk journey. When you arrive you have to walk down some steep steps, but once you have you are graced with a beautiful beach! We spent the whole day here relaxing. I would go early to snag a good spot as it is pretty small so gets packed easily!

Unawatuna Beach
The main beach is Unawatuna, which is a huge strip along the coast, with beautiful clear waters. We spent another full day here, hiring some bed lounges and relaxing.

Watch the sunset on the beach
Unawatuna Beach is also another fabulous place to watch the sunset. We moved to one of the local restaurants on the beach, to have dinner and watch the sky turn a gorgeous orange! Perfect few days in Unawatuna.

Other things to do in Unawatuna:

• Dalawella Beach - home of the famous palm tree swing.
• Turtle Beach.
• Japanese Peace Pagoda - for panoramic views and the sunset.

Mirissa

🏨JJ’s Hostel Mirissa / Why Not Hostel / Hangover Hostel

Our next stop was Mirissa, where we were here for four nights! From here we did a couple day trips before exploring the area.

Secret Beach Mirissa
Secret Beach is a small hidden beach accessible by hiking or taking a short Tuk Tuk to the hidden cove. Perfect place to spend the afternoon lounging on the beach.

Coconut Tree Hill
Coconut Tree Hill is one of the main spots in Mirissa, famous for its beautiful tall coconut trees, which are highly photographed. It is also a beautiful spot to watch the sunset from. Sadly, when we went it was pretty cloudy, but you can imagine how beautiful it can be.

Parrot Rock
Parrot Rock is a small islet off the beach, which is only accessible during low tide. You can climb up to the top to see great views over the beach.

Day Trip to Weligama
We got a short train to Weligama, which is a cute coastal town known for their surf beaches. If you are looking to get a surf lesson, this is the best place for beginners. Other things to do in include relaxing on the beaches, visit Taprobane Island or visiting one of the instagrammable cafes.

Food in Mirissa:

• Street Food.
• Shady Lane Cafe.
• Dew Mini Roti Shop.
• Milky Wave Mirissa.
• Ceylon Curry House.
• Doctors House, Matara.
• The Dutchman's Street, Matara.

Other things to do in Mirissa:

• The Doctors House, Matara.
• Blue Whale or Dolphin Tour.
• Shady Lane for food.
• Snorkel with Turtles - visit Polhena Beach.
• Day trip to Galle Fort.

Matara

We stayed in Matara for one night only and this was just so we could go to the Doctor's House for a fun event!

The Doctors House, Matara
The Doctors House is another popular spot, with many locals and tourists going for delicious wood-fired pizzas, drinks and social vibes. You can also stay here, but there are only a few rooms and they get booked up very quickly. We stayed in Mirissa and then got a moped down to The Doctors House for one evening to have a fun night out. They also have huge event nights, so make sure to check their instagram page out for any announcements. It is a very sociable place, with many tourists going, hostels from nearby will also recommend going for an evening!

Other things to do in Matara:

• Paravi Duwa Temple.
• Star Fort.
• Madiha Beach.
• Veherahena Buddhist Temple.

Safari Tours

Doing a Safari in Sri Lanka is a must! We went to two different ones as they were both recommended to us and they were both really good! The price for the safari is broken down by ticket price and hiring the jeep. The more people you have in your jeep, the cheaper it is for you all. For both of our trips it cost around £50 each but this included the entry ticket, jeep and transfers there and back.

Udawale National Park
We first went to Udawalawe National park for a two and a half hour tour. Normally tours are three to four hours but sadly we didn't get there till later in the day, so for us they actually discounted the price. Udawalawe is known mainly for seeing loads of wild elephants, but you also see all kinds of other animals and wildlife. I would recommend going to the National Park as early as you can though, as you will get to spend more time on the tour.

Yala National Park
We also went to Yala National Park. I would recommend doing a day trip from Mirissa as it is much easier going from there. Yala is more known for the lucky sightings of wild leopards, as well as elephants and all kinds of wildlife. They recommend either doing a sunrise or evening tour as that is when you are more likely going to see leopards. Sadly, on the day we went we didn't get to see one.

Ella

Ella was one of our favourite places in Sri Lanka and we spent four days here. It was so good that it has its own blog, with all of our recommendations. You can find this blog here.

Arugam Bay

Our next stop was Arugam Bay, which is another incredible surf town. A lot of people say this is their favourite place! Depending on the season, it can be very busy with tourists and expats, however, the vibe of the town makes you want to stay here for weeks! We only stayed here for a quick two nights, but we could have easily stayed for five days. Sadly the weather was not on our side, so one day was taken over by rain storms. However, our second day was bright blue skies, so we made the most of it, relaxed on the beach and did a surf lesson.

Nuwara Eliya

We were here for a quick turnaround, spending only one night here. Sadly, the weather wasn't that good so we didn't end up doing a lot. We went to Victoria Park for a quick walk before having family dinner at the hostel. It was a nice pitstop to break up our travelling to Kandy.

Kandy

From Nuwara Eliya, we went straight to Kandy, which only took a few hours and was pretty easy to do.

Polonnaruwa The Ancient Kingdom
We then did a day trip to Polonuruwa. We hired moped from our hostel and drove over an hour to the Ancient City. Once you are there, you can drive from site to site and see all the different temples, ruins and learn about their history. It cost around $25 USD each and this includes the ticket at the Museum, a five minute drive away from the Ancient City Entrance - security will direct you if you get lost. Be aware that locals will try to offer a guide and charge very overpriced tickets. One thing to remember if you go, is make sure to cover your shoulders and legs as it is a religious site.

Dambulla Golden Cave Temple
The Dambulla caves are twenty-five minutes from Sigiriya town and are Sri Lanka's largest and best preserved cave temples. Once you are there you can spend the morning walking around the caves looking at the 153 Buddha Statues. The price of the ticket cost 1500 rupees and the best the time to go is in the morning, however, they do close the temples for fifteen minutes between 10am and 11am for prayers. Make sure to cover your shoulders and legs again when visiting, I borrowed a shawl and wrapped it around my legs when we went.

Sigiriya

🏨Roy's Hostel

To get to Sigiriya from Kandy, you can either catch the bus or get a tuktuk to Kandy Bus Station from the hostel. We then asked the locals for the bus to Dambulla, they will show you which bus to get on, for us it cost around 300 rupees. Once we arrived at Dambulla, we got a second bus to Sigiriya, which cost us 200 rupees. You can then get a tuktuk to your hostel in Sigiriya. We shared one with our friends so it was overall cheaper for us and the whole journey took around three hours. At Sigiriya we stayed at Roy's Hostel, which is the most popular hostel in the area. Make sure to book your room beforehand as it is always fully booked! The rooms are so nice in little huts, very sociable and they have activities every night from cooking lessons to family dinner.

Pidurangala Rock/ Lions Rock
The Pidurangala Rock hike is a short twenty to forty minute climb, famous for its stunning 360 degree panoramic view of Sigiriya with Sigiriya Rock directly facing it. We booked the hike with Roys and did it for sunrise. It's a pretty easy hike, however, the end does involve a steep physical scramble to the top. Once you reach the top, you can sit and wait for sunrise. Sadly for us we didn't see an incredible sunrise, however we did get to see the amazing surrounding views as the sun began to rise. We were also treated with a morning drink and snack whilst we waited.

Other things to do in Sigiriya:

• Sunset at Sigiriya Rock.
• The Royal Gardens.
• Cooking Class at Roy's Hostel.
• Lions Paws.
• Sigiriya Museum.

Trincomalee

🏨Leopards Hostel

From Sigiriya, you can get a bus directly to Trincomalee, with the whole journey taking around two and a half hours. Trincomalee was another favourite place of ours. We were only here for two nights as it is another beach town, but we absolutely loved it. We stayed at the Leopards Hostel and it was a very cool place, had a few dorms, a social area and they offered all kinds of tours.

Beach Hop
Spend the day beach hopping going to the different beaches. The main beach, is a two minute walk away from the hostel. We spent the afternoons lounging here and playing cards on the beach.

Koneswaram & Sri Badrakali Amman Temples
With some friends from the hostel, we spent the morning exploring two different temples. Koneswaram is this brightly coloured Hindu Temple on Top of Swami Rock. Sri Badrakali Amman is this intricate, tower which was dedicated to the goddess Kali.

Sunrise Dolphin Tour
We then booked a sunrise Dolphin Tour with the hostel and it was an incredible morning. They took us out in the early morning and we got to see a glimpse of the sunrise before sailing out to the dolphin spot. As we went we were surprised with a huge pod of dolphins, I have never seen as many dolphins in my life so it was a pretty magical experience! The perfect way to nearly end our trip!

Other things to do in Trincomalee:

• Pigeon Island National Park.
• Uppuveli Beach.
• Marble Beach.
• Whale Watching (April - September).
• Kanniya Hot Water Wells.

Jaffna

We spontaneously decided to go all the way to Jaffna, which took ages and was not really worth it for us. We wanted to end the trip going off the beaten track, but because we only had a few days the journey there and back to Colombo was sadly not worth it. The main sights to see in Jaffna is to experience the South Indian influence, explore the Dutch and Portuguese colonial sites.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Sri Lanka was a country that was high on my list to visit. The mixture of cultural learning, exploring, hikes, beaches and social side were all things that attracted me into visiting. Ella was by far our favourite place with so much to do there and incredible restaurants to try. Definitely take into account shoulder season, as when we went it was extremely quiet however, it didn’t stop us from having a really good time!

If you have more time and it is in the budget, we would 100% recommend making a pitstop at the Maldives. From Sri Lanka it is a maximum £50 flight and is such a quick flight. This is one thing we do regret as we don’t think we’ll be down that side of the world any time soon! You can easily backpack the Maldives on a budget and still explore the beautiful islands and incredible white-sand beaches. If you can, definitely look into it as it would 100% be worth it!