Sunny Sri Lanka

#srilanka

Happy 2024 everyone!

I just spent two and a half weeks in Sri Lanka. I was meant to go with my best friend, but sadly she had to cancel at the last minute due to an illness. Regardless, the trip didn't turn out to be solo at all! I flew to Sri Lanka with some colleagues and met many amazing people.

I've listed some costs and durations along with recommendations so that you can plan your trip more easily.

I decided to do the ''loop'' from North to South which is the more common direction since people like to finish off the trip on the beach. You can easily get cash at the airport with plenty of machines with no withdrawal charge. I would recommend getting your visa in advance from https://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/visainfo/center.jsp?locale=en_US, just don't get tricked by the other agencies promising to organise everything for you. Remember to fill in the arrival card in the week before your flight and you can basically walk through the airport, just buying a quick sim card on the way.

I booked one night in Colombo and I thought I would get to have a quick look at the evening vibes there. Still, sadly our flight was delayed so I arrived at the hotel in Colombo at 20.30 stopping at the train station to check if I could have tickets for Anuradhapura for the following day.

Taxi from the airport to Colombo cost 2500 rupees (I used Uber), I paid 3000 and he stopped at the train station on the way so I could ask about the Anuradhapura train ticket for the next day but they were sold out due to the holiday season. Tickets usually come to sale a month in advance and especially during the holiday season, they sell out quickly. You can book tickets online in advance but then you must have a solid plan quite long in advance. You can always get standing tickets on the day and while this might be a cause of stress, I would say it's still surprisingly smooth if you are prepared.

Anuradhapura

I couldn't sleep well on my first night in Colombo and I was trying to decide what to do about the lack of a train ticket and whether going to Anuradhapura would be worth it at all. I honestly had not prepared well for the lack of a ticket because all I had read was how great the public transport system is compared to other states in the region. It is great but it lacks capacity.

I was up by 4 am and I just thought ''whatever, let's just get up and go try'' so I headed out into the chilly morning and got a train to Anuradhapura at 5.50 am with a standing ticket, booked in the morning. They said it takes 4 hours but it took 5 h 40 min. The ticket cost 1100 rupees which is a lot less than an advance seated ticket. Just ask locals and take extra care that you get on the right train.

They are quite strict about the seats. Not even everyone with a seated ticket seemed to find a seat and people really don't give space to older people or others. The train ride was quite painful, I tried to sit on the floor a bit but it drizzled so everything was muddy. I was hungry and thirsty and while I had snacks and they sold some, there was no getting out of the train or a toilet that I would have been eager to use.

The train station was just a jump off into a bush so you must know when you are approaching your stop. You come to this busy, industrial street and I honestly was thinking of turning around and just heading out. The hotel was meant to be a 5-minute walk from the station but it wasn't located where it should have been on Google Maps. I was already about to call a taxi to just drive me straight to Sigiriya when I finally found the hotel down the street.

The hotel recommended a tour of the temples and I was googling why I had decided to have this stop on my journey. Anuradhapura is home to several UNESCO heritage stupas with a beautiful lakeside area for you to explore.

The hotel organised an all-day tour for 4500 rupees, however, I ended up paying him 5000 because the tour exceeded my expectations. I got an amazing guide and the tour took around 4 hours. He would have been happy to continue but I was too tired. The heritage site is this small paradise that opens in the middle of the city and I would highly recommend adding it to your visiting list. I was wearing this super comfortable, colourful summer dress and then found out that people traditionally wear white so I stood out from the crowd quite easily. Overall, it was very lovely, it wasn't packed with tourists and people come there to worship so everyone is minding their own business, happy and you get this authentic experience.

Sigiriya

There were some bus options to reach Sigiriya but I couldn't take another public transport journey so I used PickMe and got a taxi from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya for 8200 rupees. The drive took around 1 hour 30 min. I discovered that the hotel owners and other drivers hate people who use these apps when my hotel owner kept asking me to go with his tuk-tuk for 10 000 or car for 12 000 and then got pissed off when I called another driver and then even followed me to the car and gave my driver a piece of his mind. I didn't know this was a thing in Sri Lanka but just be aware if you use the apps that don't advertise it because your driver might be mistreated by others.

I met two German ladies when I arrived at the hotel in Sigiriya and from there on, we did most of the journey together. There are two rocks to climb in Sigiriya: the Sigiriya rock itself and an adjacent rock called Pindurangala. You can also view Sigiriya from a little hill near the town. People usually hike one of the rocks for sunrise and the other for sunset.

I spent some time in the afternoon reading a book on this little viewing rock and then ate some local foods in the town. The ladies and I hiked Pindurangala (P-rock as we called it) for sunset on our first day. The hike takes less than 30 minutes and I would recommend good shoes. The locals are everywhere barefooted or in flip-flops but they have years of experience on us doing that. The hike to either rock is not bad at all, maybe 30 minutes and they are well-marked and taken care of.

We all vastly preferred P-rock to Sigiriya especially because you get a good view of Sigi from there. Sigi has these steep stairs on the side that make it look like a harder and scarier hike, but actually, we found it easier and swifter than P-rock. Though I will admit that the strais can be very scary and I saw some acrophobics who struggled on the way. I did the hike for sunrise and was quite unlucky with the weather but enjoyed the view anyway.

Coming down, you use a different route and can see some frescos from 480 AD. You won't be able to take photos of them, but this was the most impressive part of the trip.

Entry to P-rock is only 1000 rupees whereas Sigiriya costs 35 USD. I found it to be shockingly expensive and was thoroughly contemplating skipping it when I woke up for the sunrise and saw the weather. I came all that way and wanted to see it so it was worth going but I enjoyed the P-rock and the nature and village around the rock more than the small hike itself.

Kandy

To get to Kandy from Sigiriya you must take a bus to Dembolla for 100 rupees (30 min) and then another bus to Kandy for 600 rupees with aircon (2.5 h). The journey went smoothly, and the drivers helped me to the next bus. There is a cheaper non-AC version, but I followed the instructions my driver gave me and I would recommend the AC version. The buses run every 30 minutes and you can hop on from anywhere. I would recommend the morning buses and the more expensive ones also because the drivers are known to have long shifts and drink so the driving gets more dangerous as the day goes on.

My tuk-tuk driver to the hotel offered to take me around for a few hours for 2200 rupees so we visited the big white Buddha, a gem house, a woodcarving workshop, and the botanical gardens then he dropped me off at a traditional dance show. I had been offered this dance show before but I wasn't too interested because I thought maybe it was not really authentic but it was one of the best 2000 rupees I spent: the show and the storytelling were amazing and finished with a breathtaking firewalking.

After the show, I joined my friends at the Tooth Temple for a blessing ritual. This also cost 2000 rupees and was one of the biggest waste of money I spent on this trip. I only got a headache and would highly recommend against it. We ate at a local place after and it was brilliant. It was very easy and tasty to be a vegetarian.

The blue train

We had planned to take the train straight to Ella and then visit Adam's Peak from there but realised how silly the plan was and hopped off at Hatton instead to sleep for a few hours near the hike and then start around 2 am.

The train to Hatton second class standing ticket cost 300 rupees and took 3.5 h. With the epic views, everyone was really stressed about getting a good spot and not having to stand with no view for the whole uncomfortable ride. I boarded our carriage among the last and conquered the doorway with a local boy. The locals are quite understanding that you want to enjoy the view. With people getting off the train and being kicked out for not having a ticket, we managed to get all three of us in the doorway which gave us the best views, fresh air and an opportunity to sit so we enjoyed the journey. I can absolutely see how this could go wrong and we had several people stuck standing in the middle of a very crowded aisle behind us with bad air and no view. We did try and rotate to give everyone a breather but there wasn't much extra space to move around.

We asked other people if they wanted to share a taxi to Adams Peak because it seemed like most of them were minivans. We managed to get seven people into a minivan that we paid 9 000 rupees for (1 300 per person). We stopped at a waterfall on the way and took the scenic route which was stunning and, especially after Bangladesh, felt so good to see so much clean, green nature.

Adam's Peak

We got such mixed data on how long the hike was and how long it would take, but the consensus was that you should start the hike at 2 am to guarantee that you would be up by 6 am and then be well stationed to see the sunrise.

We left exactly at 2.22 am and the hike was hike 6 km long and took me 2 h 45 min. You don't have to worry about carrying many things, the last shop on the trip is just 10 minutes from the Peak. However, once the steps incline heavily, the prices also go up proportionally.

I will have to say that Adam's Peak was magical and a highlight of the trip. We started walking in darkness with millions of stars lighting our way. The stairs are lit so you can see this chain of lights that lead to the heavens in the starlight since you can't see the shape of the mountain. The moon was bright and people were mostly speaking in quiet, peaceful voices. Because this is a very popular pilgrimage, the route is well taken care of and easy to walk. We saw some real power mamas coming down the mountain at their own pace in flip-flops and sarees at the grand age of around 80. It was very impressive and inspiring.

The walk down was much swifter and it was beautiful to see how the route had changed and the scenery woken up. We had a big breakfast at the hotel and headed back to Hatton to catch the noon train.

Taxi back to Hatton 7000 for 5 people. We asked around from other hotels to find the company and it worked out well.

Ella

Train to Ella 210 rupees according to the ticket but he randomly charged us 850 rupees for three tickets so eyes open for this scam. It took around 4.5 hours.

If you go to the Nine Arches Bridge in Ella, the only train that comes through there in the afternoon is the 14.25 observation train. The other trains all come in the morning. The hike to Mini Adams Peak takes around 40 minutes from the bridge.

Ella otherwise was very nice and chilled but I think a bit of a disappointment: it was by far the most touristic place we visited, prices were through the roof and it was just packed with people drinking away in small clothes (not usually a point of complaint but also not really part of Sri Lanka).

In Ella, you can also hike to Ella Rock and visit tea gardens. My friends did the tea garden trip and enjoyed it but I had already been in Bangladesh so I read my book in my rooftop hammock instead.

There's a restaurant in Ella where you MUST eat: Matey Hut. They serve the traditional nine curries and it was the best meal on this trip. We arrived at seven on the dot and managed to get right in front of a long queue. It's the hidden gem of Ella that many have already discovered.

We booked a taxi from Ella to Yala National Park for 3 for 15 000 and the ride took 2 h with a small stop to see the waterfall.

Yala National Park

We got a recommendation for a cute lodge called The Wild Breeze. There are only two huts so it was super lovely and quiet. They also organised us the tour in Yala which cost 85 USD for the whole day with everything included and we only paid 20 USD together for the hut.

You head to Yala around 4/5 am to be there when the gates open. Insist that you go early, we arrived there early but then our driver had a problem with the tickets and we entered last. The animals are out already, especially the leopards and they disappear when the cars start rolling in. So the first few cars actually saw the leopard twice before we even entered.

Everyone has to exit the park to a lunch area between noon and 2 p.m. so the animals get a rest from the cars. By this point, we had seen one elephant.

Yala National Park is not like those animal-packed African safaris, it's a bush with bumpy roads and animals hiding. Altogether we saw 7 elephants. We spent over 6 hours just looking for a leopard sighting without seeing much of the other animals. Finally, at 3 pm we saw it and managed to catch a bit of a mating ritual between the two.

It was a beautiful day, saw lots of cool birds and crocodiles but it also was an exhausting day out and you could spend an hour driving in circles without seeing anything. Depends on why you want to go, but if you are already well Africa-experienced then I would say this wasn't worth it.

We paid 3 people 16.5k from Yala to Mirissa and the ride took around 3 hours.

Mirissa

Mirissa was nice and chilled but the whole town revolves around the beach, there's nothing else to do. We visited the restaurants, ate well, climbed the coconut tree hill, saw sea turtles, visited the parrot rock, and went for a swim.

One of the main things to do in Mirissa is to go see the blue whales. The largest animal that has ever existed. You'll see plenty of advertisements for whale watching on the beach and we asked around a lot to find a good place. The boats leave at sunrise and they have until 1 pm to find the whale before the army turns them back or so we were told. The whole thing seemed super regulated. Essentially the boats are on call with each other and once they spot the whale, everyone goes to see it and heads back. The trip can be however long that is. If you don't see the whale by 1 pm, you can enter the boat again the next day by just paying the tax. We paid 12k for a ''good new boat'' whale watching for 6 people.

We did see the blue whale and it was pretty epic. On our way back, we ran into a school of spinning dolphins, there were thousands of them and that was almost better than the whale (which we didn't see much of but still amazing). The dolphins were hopping around the boat and kept us entertained for a long time.

Galle

Our whale-watching crew decided to head to Galle together, too. We paid 11k from Mirissa to Galle for 6 people. We got a bit of a stormy weather but Galle was much nicer than I had been lead to believe. I was meant to stay up the coast in a small town to go diving but due to the weather it didn't seem worth it, so we remained in Galle together. It's a cute old fort town with plenty of restaurants and cafes.

Negombo

My flight was at 5 am so I booked a bed and breakfast in Negombo near the airport for my final night and finally said farewell to my fantastic travelling companions. There are trains between Galle and Negombo (you must change trains in Colombo), but I wanted to maximise my beach time, so I opted for a taxi even though the train network in Sri Lanka is great and the routes beautiful. I paid 15k for the ride on the express highway, so it was clear how much money you save by having some company.

Another travelling companion had booked this beautiful resort in Negombo where we spent the final day by the pool and finished the trip with some great Italian pizza and affogatos (my ultimate favourite).

It was a great finish to a fantastic journey.

Would recommend!

Best wishes,

Mira