How to travel Sri Lanka in 2024
Sri Lanka is up and coming in the backpacking world. It is often overlooked due to a recent history of civil war and drastic economic downturn. However we found that the teardrop of South Asia is rich in nature, culture, food and people.
Emma and I backpacked around Sri Lanka for three weeks in May 2023. It was our favourite country we visited all year. Follow our guide for 2024 so it can become your favourite country you visit too.
How to Apply for a Tourist Visa for Sri Lanka
Apply for your tourist visa in advance on their official government site. Apply at least a month before you intend to arrive. Here is the link.
Where to Visit and How to Get from A to B in Sri Lanka
Fly into the country’s international airport, Bandaranaike International Airport, which is located closer to Negombo than Colombo. This was the first mistake we made. We took a taxi transfer (€22), pre-arranged with our accommodation in Colombo, to the country’s capital. We should have stayed in Negombo upon arriving in Sri Lanka, so I would advise that you do. After a couple of days in Negombo, take the train to Anuradhapura, located north. A first-class ticket will cost around €5 – €7.
Anuradhapura is the country’s ancient capital and boasts over twenty heritage sites to visit located outside the new town. Rent a bicycle from your homestay and travel between the sites on two wheels at your own pace. The town is very flat so you will have no trouble navigating it.
From Anuradhapura, you can choose to do a day trip to Wilpattu National Park where leopards can be sighted.
Arrange a transfer by tuk-tuk with your homestay to take you from Anuradhapura to Trincomalee in the east of the country. This should cost you around €28. Chill out at the beach and go whale and dolphin watching.
Hitch a ride on a local bus to Dambulla. This will cost you €1 – €2. Dambulla is a good town to stay in for visiting Sirigiya and Pidurangala. These are two giant rocks which face each other, Sigiriya being a UNESCO World Heritage site and probably one of the most famous tourist activities in Sri Lanka.
Take another local bus to Kandy, the country’s second largest city. Again, this will be very low cost.
From Kandy, you can take the famous Kandy to Ella train which rolls through the tea plantations in the Central Province. Book this at least a week in advance, or two weeks if it is high season (November – April). Sit on the right side of the train for the best views up to Nuwara Eliya. After this point, switch to the left side. People tend to book second class tickets as they can experience the open windowed carriages. These cost around €7 or €8. If I were to do it again, I’d choose first-class as it was a bit chilly in the carriage once we got up into the mountains.
Ella is Sri Lanka’s tourist core. It is hilly, cute and caters towards travellers. Spend a few days here catching your breath and then getting it taken away again by the sprawling endless mountains. Make the most of Sri Lanka’s tourist taxi share website (https://srilankataxishare.com) and search for a share to Arugam Bay.
Take your travel sickness tablets for this journey because it’s a windy long one to Arugam Bay. It will cost you around €20 for your seat. Relax in this beachside town for a few days to a week. It’s easy to get caught in this paradise as many digital nomads do.
If you haven’t gone on safari yet then definitely check out Yala National Park which is easily accessible from Arugam Bay. You can book day tours with local vendors.
From here you can travel along the south coast of Sri Lanka to places like Mirissa, Unawatuna, Galle and Weligama. We didn’t manage to get to these places as it was monsoon season in the south.
Arrange another shared taxi or overnight tourist bus to Colombo or Negombo, depending on where you started / have covered already. You can haggle this down to €25 per person.
When Should You Visit Sri Lanka?
Despite its small size, Sri Lanka has two separate monsoon seasons – one on the east coast and one on the south coast. This means that you can visit the island nation at any time of year and you’ll always find a spot that’s dry and safe.
Tips for Renting a Tuk-Tuk, Scooter or Car in Sri Lanka
It is becoming increasingly popular to rent a tuk-tuk upon arriving in Sri Lanka and driving it by yourself. You’ll need a full driver’s licence and proof that you have applied to drive as a tourist in Sri Lanka. It is not like Vietnam or Thailand where you can get away with driving a scooter without a licence! I rented a scooter in Trincomalee and was in constant fear of getting stopped by the traffic police. They actually did stop me at one point, barely 100m from my destination. They probably saw how nervous I was and let me off for not having a licence. I did not drive it again.
We were also offered a fantastic deal for a private car and driver for the duration of our trip when we inquired at the tourist office at Colombo main train station. I think it worked out at around €15 each per day. That included driver, car, fuel, his food and accommodation, and trips to the main tourist spots. We didn’t go for it because we wanted privacy especially as a queer couple in a country where it is illegal to be gay.
Where to Stay in Sri Lanka
By far the cheapest accommodation we stayed at in any Asian country was in Sri Lanka. One of our rooms cost only €1.75 a night between the two of us! And it included breakfast!
We booked everything in advance on Booking.com. Choose homestays over hotels. Special mentions include Amsterdam Tourist Rest in Anuradhapura, The Green Village in Dambulla, and Agra Arugambay in Arugam Bay. They nearly always offer incredible Sri Lankan breakfasts which will fill you up for hours of exploring!
What are the Best Experiences and Activities for Backpackers and Tourists in Sri Lanka
You can pretty much do everything in Sri Lanka. Our top activities were:
- Safari at Wilpattu National Park: We saw elephants, bears, and even the elusive leopard. We watched the leopard stalk a buffalo for over an hour! Bring lots and lots of water and snacks. There are no shops, stalls or vending machines inside the park. Keep your food covered and with you or monkeys will steal it!
- Whale and Dolphin Watching in Trincomalee: The pods dolphins were easily spotted once the boat left the harbour. The whales took quite some time. We were on our way back to shore when our boatman spotted one coming up for air in the distance. We chased it for some time and saw it surface many more times. We were told that it was a Blue Whale, the largest mammal ever to exist on earth.
- Surfing at Arugam Bay: I hadn’t surfed before but the teachers at Raja Surf School had me standing up on the board with every wave I caught. I could even turn at the end of the 1.5 hour lesson. Well worth the €12 lesson fee.
- Hiking Pidurangala at sunrise: Facing Sigiriya, Pidurangala is an alternative climb which will cost you much less money as it is not a UNESCO World Heritage site. A disclaimer – this climb is not for the faint of heart. We were literally crying over how terrifying parts of this was. Do it when the sun has risen a bit so you can make sure of your footing. Health and safety is not a top concern for the Sri Lankans.
- Dambulla Cave Temples at dusk: This was an unexpected highlight for me. These Buddhist cave temples are one of the most beautiful religious sites I’ve ever visited. Whoever is in charge of their lighting deserves a raise!
- Cycling around Anuradhapura Ancient Town: Despite the rain, we thoroughly enjoyed this relaxing and self-paced activity. We rented a guide at our first temple we visited along the trail. His charisma and knowledge lit us up after our cycle in the pouring rain.
- Taking a Cooking Class in Ella: Ella Spice Garden’s cooking class was the best cooking class I’ve ever been to. They first show you around their spice garden and you pick the ingredients you’ll be cooking with. Everything you make is vegan and organic. The chefs kept a good pace and the food was unbelievably tasty.
How to Stay Safe and Healthy When Backpacking Sri Lanka
As two queer women, we did feel safe, though we did not disclose the fact that we are gay to anyone in Sri Lanka as homosexuality is illegal in Sri Lanka. About 70% of the population is Buddhist and they uphold these traditional values. They take their Buddhism very seriously. It is illegal to take a photo with your back to a statue of Buddha in Sri Lanka.
We also felt very safe while travelling on public transport to and from local cities and towns. There were always women, young and old travelling on the buses too which gave us a sense of comfort.
We dressed conservatively for the most part, though we would have shown our knees and shoulders in places like Ella, Arugam Bay and on the beach in Trincomalee. Apart from this, we always covered ourselves, especially when visiting religious sites. We purchased light loose long trousers from market shops in Sri Lanka which we wore for these visits.
We felt eyes on us in particular when walking around larger cities or towns in areas with little to no tourists. Even in Colombo when we were walking around we would have gotten a lot of stares. Anuradhapura was very traditional and conservative. There is nowhere to drink alcohol in this town so don’t expect a party holiday in Sri Lanka unless you’re in backpacker spots like Arugam Bay or Mirissa.
You can pick up a tourist sim at the airport for really cheap. It will ensure that you have constant internet in case of emergencies. I remember it being the cheapest data package I purchased for my whole backpacking trip and the guy at the desk set it up for us so we were ready to go once we left the airport.
What to Eat and Drink in Sri Lanka
Probably one of the best parts of visiting Sri Lanka is trying their authentic cuisine. Their meals are nearly always vegan and packed with multiple sources of fibre. I don’t think I’ve ever been so healthy while travelling. Make sure to try coconut sambal, coconut rotis, kottu, and hoppers (great with egg for breakfast). We nearly always ate local food because it was accessible and cooked well. We never fell ill from eating Sri Lankan cuisine.
Of course, don’t drink the water or brush your teeth with it. Always carry bottled water on you. Sometimes water and food is hard to source when you are trekking or on a safari.