It’s sad to see the country that was once a top tropical destination for surfers, travelers and anyone who looks for the evergreen nature, history, and a melting pot of culture left Sri Lanka or canceled their holiday or rerouted to another country.

I met a group of Spanish travelers in the Maldives who were supposed to go to Sri Lanka but rerouted since to the Maldives instead.

I was well aware of the unfortunate event prior to booking my flight. I am not one to get hindered by such events. My spontaneous and unplanned solo trip quickly became a group trip with friends and people we meet during our time in Sri Lanka.

We arrived at the start of the day at 9 a.m. Considering our unplanned and unresearched travel, we were supposed to go to Colombo immediately but decided to start in Negombo first as it is much closer to the airport.

The airport is located 20 mins away from Negombo and 1 hour away from Colombo.

A quick read on Negombo through a couple of blog posts suggested that it’s a lively and most popular destination for those who just arrived or departing Sri Lanka.

But when we arrived, there weren’t any tourists but us and a handful of locals. Then we started to wonder, where are the tourists? Did the number of tourists actually plunge down to almost zero?

Negombo

It’s a coastal town that’s only 20mins away by Tuktuk for 2 USD to unwind. It’s supposed to be a very popular destination, however, upon our visit; there were only a few locals.

It is a much-preferred location to stay if you need to spend one night before exploring the country as opposed to Colombo. Better yet, don’t spend a night in Colombo or Negombo. Explore both cities for a couple of hours and depart to another city on the same day if your time allows.

How to get there from the airport: Tuktuk for 2 USD

Colombo

If you had to spend one night in Colombo, I would recommend trying and spending it during the weekend and experience the nightlife. As Sri Lanka is still recovering from the recent attack, the only proper nightlife you would find is in Colombo bar/clubs.

How to get there from Negombo: Take a bus from Negombo Town for 0.80 USD

Kandy

Kandy is located in the heart of the country along the way to Sigiriya, Nuwara Aliya, and Ella so it is almost unavoidable. I was not fascinated much by the city as there isn’t much to do except a stroll around Kandy Lake. There’s a well-known temple called Tooth Relic, however, I did not visit it as it has an entrance fee of 1,500

There’s also a spice garden about 6km away from Kandy which could be added as something to do. However, it probably isn’t the best spice gardens. There are many more along the way between Kandy – Dumballa.

How to get there from Colombo: Take the train from Colombo Fort for 1.30 USD. It takes 3 hours and there isn’t any seat assignment. So you have to be at the platform before the train arrives and rush in to grab your seat or else you will end up standing for the entire journey. Unless if you take a first-class or second class train.

Sigiriya

A city not to be missed. It is a jungle with many wild elephants and also where the popular UNESCO Rock is located.

There are two ways to view the beautiful Sigiriya Rock also known as the Lion Rock. You could either climb up the rock by walking up 1,200  steps or view the rock from Pidurangala.

We chose to view the rock from Pidurangala because it’s much cheaper, we get to actually see the Lion Rock and the climb is much less demanding.

Pidurangala Hike

The entrance passes through a temple where you would be asked to cover legs and shoulders. Once you’ve passed the temple, you could uncover. The trail isn’t straightforward and it’s important to keep a lookout for hidden arrows. We missed the signs as we went before sunrise and only noticed the arrows when we came down. The hike is meant to take 30 minutes but it took us an hour because we got lost and scrambled through boulders and whatnot.

Pidurangala Entrance Fee: 3USD

Lion Rock Hike

We did not try the hike at Lion Rock mainly because of the expensive entrance fee. According to travelers we met that went through the hike, it is worth it if you are interested in history and up for walking 1,200 steps.

Lion Rock Entrance Fee: 30USD

How to get there from Kandy: Take a bus from Goodshed bus station to Dumballa for 1.3 USD. Then take a tuk-tuk from Dumballa to Sigiriya (20mins) for 5USD

How to get to Pidurangala from Sigiriya: It is advised to use a tuk-tuk at dusk even if it is walking distance as there are wild elephants walking around. It costs 2.5 USD. We walked our way back during daylight.

Ella

It was the liveliest city with the most tourists upon my visit in June 2019. The main street was lively enough and had enough travelers to make it seem alive.

There are a couple of must-visit places in Ella

Little Adam’s Peak is a short hike along tree plantations and takes about 1 hour one way. It gives a stunning view

Adam’s Peak is a longer trail than Little Adam’s Peak, hence the name. We did not try the route because some travelers we met were not able to see any view when they got up to the peak and recommended Little Adam’s Peak instead.

Ravana Falls is the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. There’s a small pool at the bottom of the falls where locals swim and shower. We took a dip for a while, the water was freezing cold. The waterfall can be viewed just off the main road.

Nine Arch Bridge is without a doubt the most scenic spot I’ve been to in Sri Lanka.

How to get there: The most popular way is to go from Kandy to Ella by train. It costs 2.5 USD. You can opt to get off at Nuayayo Station to explore Nuwara Eliya and visit the tea plantations or have a continuous 6 hours journey to Ella.

The route is very scenic where you will come across tea plantations, waterfalls, rivers, and small towns.

The 3^rd class is the most popular one where you could hang off the door and take that popular photo from Ella Train.

Arugam Bay (East Coast)

It is mandatory to visit the beautiful coasts of Sri Lanka. The only question is which coast to visit and it is determined by the weather/season upon your visit. You could refer to this blog or ask the locals when you’re there.

We visited in June and we initially planned to visit the South Coast but were advised to go to East Coast instead and many of the travelers we met were also heading to East Coast. We did not regret our decision and enjoyed every bit of sunrise and waves.

The best way to explore the coast of Sri Lanka is by renting a scooter so you could visit the different bays and you might come across a few wild elephants on the way to Elephants Rock. Remember not to overpass the white line or you’d be fined 😛 We got pulled over but managed to get out of it without paying any fine. (We didn’t bribe them)

We had the best meals at Leaf & Vine,  and the best coffee at Bites.  As for nightlife, Friends Indeed Bar was the only place that was alive. Its a chill bar by the beach.

And don’t miss out surfing and yoga. We did our yoga session Stardust Beach Hotel where we stayed and it is also rated as one of the best in Arugam Bay.

Another special thing we spotted is the tailor-made bikini store for those looking to make a customized and personalized pair of bikinis or shorts. It’s located across from the Pacific Hotel.

Kumana Bird Sanctuary National Park

I would not recommend visiting Kumana unless if you’re interested in Bird Watching. There are many different types of birds but it is not the best place. I would suggest visiting Yala Park or other parks for Elephant Safari instead.

Quick Guide to Sri Lanka

Daily Expenses

Bus Ticket – 0.50 – 0.80 USD

Water – 0.30 USD

Meal – 1.40 – 2.50 USD

Scooter Rent/Day – 4.5 – 6.5 USD

Transport

Pick Me App – Ride Hail app  PlayStore App Store

Train http://www.railway.gov.lk/web/

Photo Credits: @gokulshriyam@haaave_you_met_jed

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