Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka?

Need palm-fringed pristine beaches for a relaxing beach holiday? Sri Lanka has it. Do you like to explore historical monuments of one of the greatest cultures with UNESCO world heritage sites? Sri Lanka has it. Want delicious seafood? You can have it in Sri Lanka, in fact, Sri Lanka is one of the best places to eat fresh seafood. Do you like to have a deep, unforgettable cultural experience? …You decide Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka?

Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka?

Tourism is becoming one of the most important income generators for the island of Sri Lanka. The country is visited by nearly 2 million tourists every year. Sri Lanka attracts travellers from all parts of the world, but most of the tourist traffic is coming from European countries. Sri Lanka is a multi-faceted holiday destination and there are many reasons why you should visit Sri Lanka, so don’t think twice rent a car with a driver and set on Sri Lanka trip. But still, there are many people around the world asking us “Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka?“, “What is the best time to visit Sri Lanka”. This blog post in view of travellers, who ask the question “Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka?”

The Seven Best Reasons To Visit Sri Lanka

The diversity

Need palm-fringed pristine beaches for a relaxing Sri Lanka beach tour? Sri Lanka has it. Do you like to explore historical sites with UNESCO world heritage sites? Sri Lanka has it. Want delicious seafood? You can have it in Sri Lanka. With a large number of Ayurveda hotels in Sri Lanka (most of these Sri Lanka Ayurveda retreats ) the island is one of the best places for Ayurveda holidays. Do you like to have a deep, unforgettable cultural experience? Choose Sri Lanka. Do you like to practice yoga and meditation? Sri Lanka has it. Would you like to enjoy the real nature? Sri Lanka offers you that. Sri Lanka small in size but it offers virtually everything what travellers look for if you got enough time and money.

Weather in Sri Lanka

Being a tropical country, Sri Lanka provides very suitable weather for holidays throughout the year. This tiny tropical island is packed with a large number of natural and man-made attractions. The pristine beaches are the most striking of them all and attract a large number of Beach holiday lovers; the island is surrounded by thousands of kilometres of sandy beaches. Primaeval rainforests, national parks with fascinating wildlife, varied land escapes across the country, thousands of years of old archaeological sites, rich culture and history and friendly people make it a holiday destination for all taste.

Great Beaches and Water-Sports on the west coast

Some of the Sri Lanka beaches on the West coast of Sri Lanka such as Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa are ranked among the best beaches in the world. This coastal area is not only suitable for sea bath and water sports but also it offers plenty of other activities. Few kilometres from the coast is the fascinating countryside with mountains, escapements, patches of forests and many natural attractions.

West coast beaches such as Bentota beach resort, Unawatuna, Mt.Lavinia attracts a large number of holidaymakers, which are very suitable for sea bath, sunbath, diving, snorkelling, and other water sports. These palm-fringed beaches are very wide and clean. The coastal belt of Sri Lanka is well developed for tourism and provide all the facilities for local and foreigners travellers. All the popular beaches are well developed for the tourism industry and places to find luxurious Sri Lanka beach resorts. 

Places To Visit: Bentota to Kandy, Negombo, Unawatuna, Nilaveli, Arugam Bay, Pasikudah.

Things To Do: Enjoy the gorgeous sunset, stroll on the beach, surfing, diving and much much more.

Suggested Read: Places for diving snorkelling in Sri Lanka

The Beautiful Mountains

For all travellers who love nature and adventure, the best of all travel advice I do like to give is, don’t forget Sri Lanka’s mountains. The journey to the Sri Lanka Mountains guides you into the lap of nature. Right in the middle of the island of Sri Lanka is the central mountain range that rises up to 2528 meters above sea-level.

Semi-mountain and mountains in the central part of the island resulted through the geological upheavals of the land, which took place many millions of years ago. The mountainous area is one of the most beautiful natural attractions on the island and popular among the adventure holidaymakers. It provides a large number of sites for adventure activities such as mountain climbing, hiking, walking, trekking, and mountain biking and caving.

The tea leaves for the world-renowned best Ceylon tea is also produced here. Due to the large and well-maintained tea estates, mountains and escapement here are covered with a green blanket. When the women, who are dressed in vivid colours, pluck tea leaves, it creates one of the most striking sceneries that needs to be captured in a camera.

It would be difficult to think of adventure activities in Sri Lanka without mountains, because of the adventure and mountains are closely interconnected with each other. Sri Lanka offers many adventure related activities in the mountains such as trekking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, water rafting Kitulgala, kayaking, waterfall abseiling etc

Places To Visit: Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Bandarawela, Haputale, Kandy, Kitulgala and many more.

Things To Do: Take a stroll around the Gregory lake, enjoy the flowering plants of botanical gardens of Haggala, go trekking through tea-plantations, birding much much more, visiting pinnawala elephant orphanage…

Suggested Read: Holiday guide to Nuwara Eliya, Kitulgala

Fascinating wildlife

Sri Lanka is the home for more than dozens of wildlife reserves and they are places for top sightseeing tours in Sri Lanka. These wildlife reserves are teaming with leopards, elephants, deer, crocodiles, monkey and, many other wild animals. These sanctuaries harbour a large number of world’s endangered animal species and birds they are some of the best places in the world to spot animals, vertebrates, amphibians, birds, fish, butterflies, and many other creatures.

The elephant is the biggest animal on the island while leopards are the most dangerous hunter in the jungle. Safari in one of the national parks enables you to see the wild animals in their natural habitat. Sri Lanka safari and Beach holiday are included in most Sri Lanka multi-day tour packages of Sri Lanka now. If it is included, you better ask the tour organizes to add bist of wildlife experience to your trip.  

With the highest number of the wild elephant population in Asia, Sri Lanka is recognized as the best country to see the wild elephant in the region while Yala national park is recognized as the best place to witness leopards due to the large concentration of animals within a small geographical area.

Places For An Unforgettable Safari: Udawattekele forest reserve, Yala wildlife reserve, Eco park Sri Lanka, Udawalawe national park, Minneriya national park.

Things To Do: Make a Minneriya national park safari tour

Suggested Read: safari at Yala national park, Safari at Minneriya national park

Primaeval rainforests

Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka? I’m a nature lover, love exploring the national park, wildlife, raions forest and ecological interesting places.

Today, nearly 24% of the total land surface of the country is covered by forests. This natural wealth is very important for the country to maintain the usual weather pattern. Sri Lanka is ranked among the top 10 bio-diversity hot spots in the world.

Forests, especially the rainforests such as Sinharaja forest reserve harbours a large number of fauna and flora species. Even though the visitors are not allowed to go deep into the rainforests, they are allowed to explore the buffer zone of the forests. Rainforest exploration tour is a very popular activity on the island and tour operators such as Seerendipity tours organize these excursions on guest’s request.

Places to study rainforest: Kitulgala, Kanneliya, Sinharaja rain forest, Knuckles mountain range.

Things To Do: Trekking through the rainforest

Suggested Read: Rainforest exploration Kitulgala

Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka? I’m a foodie traveller

Sri Lanka is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country and Sri Lankan kitchen shows this rich diversity. Some people may think that Sri Lankan cuisines are similar to Indian dishes but Sri Lankan and Indian kitchen shows a vast difference. Sri Lankan foods are spicier than most of the Asian dishes.

Food is one integral part of Sri Lankan life, which developed over many centuries and carries the essence of Asian, European and Chinese culinary habits. Sri Lankan dishes show the influence of Portuguese, Dutch, English, Indian, Chinese and Arab. Since Sri Lanka was under the colonial rulers of Dutch, Portuguese, and English for several centuries, the influence of these nations is very evident in the Sri Lankan kitchen.

Sri Lanka has its own food culture that takes visitors by surprise. You will encounter mouthwatering spicy dishes at every nook and corner of Sri Lanka. Let it be fine-dining or street food, you can’t simply forget this culinary feast.

Places To taste Sri Lankan Food: Colombo, Galle, Nuwara Eliya and all over.

Things To Do: Take part in a Sri Lanka food tour, take part in a Hikkaduwa village tour with barbeque dinner and the list goes on.

Suggested Read: Lanka traditional cuisine, Sri Lanka food tour

Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka, Colombo?

Colombo being the economic centre of the island is the most populated city in the country. Colombo was a popular city among the sea-farers during the medieval period. The port of Colombo was frequently visited by traders from Arab, China, India, Persia and Greek.

Today, Colombo shows its rich past with colonial-style buildings and monuments. Same times it has embraced the modern development in the world. Today, none of the cities on the island shows the past and present mingled together in one location like in Colombo. Colombo is a shopping city with a large number of shops, shopping malls, street vendors and markets. And it allows you the ample possibilities to find almost any product within its borders.

Places To Visit: BMICH, Gangarama, Petrtah etc.

Things To Do: Visit Colombo Zoo, study the rich historical past at the historical museum and many more.

Suggested Read: Guide to Colom bo city tour

Rich culture and history

The history Buffs are going to be one striking fact for your tours to Sri Lanka. With so much to see in historical angle, there should not be second thought as to why visit Sri Lanka. Be it a stupendous Buddhist monastery, rock fortress or thousands of years old monolithic statue, all these bits and pieces make your holiday’s great memories. Sri Lanka is associated with a large number of historical places that worth the attention of holidaymakers on the island.

Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world, which is continuously inhabited since the pre-Christian era. The history of human civilization of the island is going back to the Stone Age. A large number of people migrated to the island in the past as traders, invaders and due to religious reasons. Today, Sri Lanka is a home for 20 million people representing many religions and ethnicities. Sri Lankan culture is nourished by all these ethnic identities.

Sri Lanka’s rich past can be easily observed in historical cities such as Dambulla cave temple, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. These cities hold evidence of very ingenious building techniques and water management system of the country, which was practised as early as 4th century BC. The civilization in the past had accomplished a large number of very exquisite artistic works such as ‘Sigiriya Apsaras’ and ‘Samadhi Buddha statue’ as well.

Places To Visit: Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy, Kataragama and so on.

Things To Do: Go on a Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour and witness the ancient monuments you study the cultural heritage.

Suggested Read: The Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, World heritage sites of Sri Lanka

Killer Ideas For 10 Sri Lanka Short Tours

As a holiday or a long weekend approaches or simply, there is an itch to find an obscure place suitable for a Sri Lanka road trip and hang around and forget about the routine life in the city or take off with friends to some adventure experience, a lot of people are starting to look for a place to visit in Sri Lanka within one day or 2 days. But, your budget may hold you back, but don’t worry even you just have only a few thousands of rupees in your wallet, choose one of the Sri Lanka budget tours mentioned hereunder, that you can think of. If you wish to visit any of these places, seerendipity tours can help you to organize a budget road trip to any of these places.

Here is a quick overview of the short tours Sri Lanka

Short tours Sri Lanka ideas

1. Short tours Sri Lanka to Belihuloya

Recommended duration of Sri Lanka short tours to Belihuloya is 2 Night /3 Days.

Transport: Travel by bus from Colombo to Belihuloya and back LKR 300.

Food: LKR 150 per meal per person.

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room per night or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room per night.

A tour to Belihuloya tops the list among the Eco-holiday destinations with light adventure activities. Same times this is one of the most popular Sri Lanka budget tour packages. You can visit many important tourist attraction on this Sri Lanka tour such as the Horton plains national park, Adam’s peak, Rainforests in Kitulgala etc.

Hill stations such as Bandarawela, Haputale and Nuwara Eliya is also not far away destinations from Belihuloya. Belihuloya, unpopular hilly countryside with plenty of opportunities for adventure lovers, is popular for the verdant hills, untamed wilderness, beautiful countryside, rivers, lakes, mountains and the waterfalls. Belihuloya is one of the best places to enjoy nature. There are many trekking paths here allowing you to experience the rich natural vegetation in a typical laid back countryside.

2. Short tours Sri Lanka destination Galle

Recommended duration of Sri Lanka Galle city tour to Galle is 1 Nights/2 Days

Transport: Train travel from Colombo to Galle and back LKR 350.

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: LKR 150 per meal per person

Boat tour: Madolduwa boat tour LKR 3000, so split it up among members of the group.

For travellers, who look for a Sri Lanka budget tour package, undoubtedly Galle one day tour is one of the hot favourites; and Galle is a popular destination among the travellers, who book Sri Lanka heritage tours. Get lost in a pristine palm-fringed beaches, Dutch colonial heritage, Galle Dutch Fort, markets and beautiful countryside villages.

Take a walk in the best-preserved Dutch colonial city in Asia and wander through the cobblestoned alleys, while enjoying the edifices erected in the bygone era. The Galle and southern Sri Lanka are rich of bays lagoons and mangrove forests, take a boat tour at river Madu, which is a perfect ay of experiencing a wide range of fauna and flora species. The day tour to Galle also offer you the opportunity to visit Sea turtle conservation centre, however, it is recommended to visit Rekawa Sri Lanka to spot sea turtles in their natural habitat.

This day tour also covers many interesting beach resorts of Sri Lanka such as Hikkaduwa beach, Bentota beach and Kalutara beach resort.

3. Short tours Sri Lanka destination Badulla

Recommended duration of stay for this Sri Lanka short tour: 2 Nights/3 Days

Transport cost: Train travel from Colombo to Badulla and back LKR 640

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: LKR 150 per meal per person.

Best way to travel to Badulla is considered to be the train because the train journey from Kandy to Badulla considered as one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. The train is the cheapest option with regards to the transport between Colombo and Badulla.

Badulla is one of as the most popular tea-producing towns on the island but it is not a popular holiday destination. And therefore the things that travellers need not as expensive as in Nuwara Eliya, which is the busiest holiday destination in the mountains. Limited supply but still low demand helps the travellers to get the best rates for their accommodation, meals and transport.

Head on to Badulla and make it your base, you can explore the places in the mountains with a very limited budget. make short trips to Ella, Bandarawela and Nuwara Eliya to explore the rivers, waterfalls, historical sites, temples (Visiting a Sri Lanka Buddhist temple here are 9 rules to consider), tea factories and city life in the mountains.

4. Short tours Sri Lanka destination Kataragama

Ideal duration of the short tours to Kataragama: 2 Nights/3 Days

Transport cost: Colombo to Kataragama and back by bus: LKR 700

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: Plenty of eating options at an affordable rate at LKR 300 for two per meal

Yala safari entrance: LKR 500 per person (this is the local rate and the foreign rate is around LKR 3000 per person with taxes)

Cost for the jeep: LKR 4000, so split it up among members of the group.

If you wish to have some peace and tranquillity without ripping off your wallet choose Kataragama for your Sri Lanka Budget tour package. With proper planning, you can have one of the very affordable Sri Lanka Budget tour packages to Kataragama.

Kataragama one of the popular historical places in Sri Lanka and dates back to nd century BC. Kataragama is a place where you see a large number of local travellers and you will not encounter many foreigners, because Kataragama is the most popular religious site in Southern Sri Lanka and attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees every year. Therefore for hotels, meals and all other services are mainly for local travellers and therefore you can avoid the touristy price easily.

There is a large number of places to visit during the tour of Kataragama such as Matara, mataraYala national park, Kataragama temple, Wedihitikanda, Kirinda, Yatalatissa dagoba. If you make this trip you have to know about the dress code of Sri Lanka Buddhist temples and other rules pertaining to visiting a Buddhist temple.

5. Haputale destination for a Sri Lanka short tours

Ideal duration for Sri Lanka short tours to Haputale: 2 Nights/3 Days

Transport cost: Colombo to Haputale and back by bus: LKR 500

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: there are many local restaurants to serve travellers. and the food is affordable.

Undoubtedly, one of the most popular off the beaten track holiday destinations in Sri Lanka, where you can plan a Sri Lanka Budget tour package. Haputale is one of the most popular health resorts in the mountains. The weather is loved by most Sri Lankan travellers, due to its mild temperature, Weather in Haputale has a notable contrast to the low country warm weather. The cool climate in Haputale results mainly through the elevation. Thre are several important places to visit in Haputale such as Adisham bungalow, tangamale nature reserve. Haputale is popular as a place to have a peaceful holiday while enjoying the cool climate.

Nuwara Eliya one of the most beautiful cities in Sri Lanka with many waterfalls, river, patches of forests and tea plantations

6. Short tours Sri Lanka destination Bandarawela

Ideal duration: 2 Nights/3 Days

The cost of transportation for Sri Lanka short tours from Colombo and back by bus: LKR 600

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: there are many local restaurants to serve travellers. and the food is affordable.

This is one of the best places to plan a Sri Lanka budget tour package because it offers a plethora of activities in the form of hikes, many waterfalls, popular religious places and delicious food. Most importantly, Bandarawela is the best alternative to the overpriced holiday destination, Nuwara Eliya. Bandarawela most popular as a city that produces best Ceylon tea and tourism is not given as much importance as in Nuwara Eliya.

Bandarawela is not only popular for its healing climate but also is one of the historical places, closely connected with Ramayana. Therefore it is included with most Sri Lanka trips from India, organized for Hindu tourists. Most Sri Lanka Ramayan tours include places such as Seetha Temple, Ashok Vatika and dova temple, all are within easy reach of bandarawela.

Due to the high demand, the prices of accommodation, meals, transportation and all other services required by travellers are very expensive in Nuwara Eliya but planing you tour to Banadarawela allows you eliminate the touristy price while enjoying the upcountry salubrious climate. There is a large number of archaeological sites such as Dova cave temple, Divurumpola temple near Bandarwela. Places like Ella and Badulla also can be visited with a short drive from Banadrawela and in order to spice up your cultural, historical and experience of rich nature.

Bandarawela is the gateway to one of the most popular trekking sites in the mountain known as Lipton seat. With plenty of activities, Sri Lanka budget tour package to Haputale makes a lasting impression on all travellers heading to this beautiful laid back village.

7. Short tours Sri Lanka destination Udawalawe

Ideal duration for Sri Lanka short tours to Udawalawe: 2 Nights/3 Days

Transport cost: Colombo to Haputale and back by bus: LKR 500

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: there are many local restaurants to serve the travellers and the food is affordable.

Travel via Ratnapura, apart from the scenic drive, you can even visit the Udawalawe elephant transit camp and visit the elephant museum. The tea plantations in the mountains of Rathnapura are its hallmark, but you can even have a safari at Udawalawe national park in this Sri Lanka budget tour package. Try to use the other route via Galle and Matara to experience some different sites on the return journey.

Udawalawe is a place where you encounter a large number of foreign travellers because Udawalawe national park is one of the best wildlife reserves for Sri Lanka wildlife tours. Here you can see a large number of elephants during the safari no matter what time you do it. Usually, the mid-day is not suitable for safari and you don’t see animals but it is not applicable to Udawalawe national park, here you can witness wild elephants during the whole day. Elephants are the most occurring animal here and crocodile, monkey, deer, wild boar, wild buffaloes are some of the other wildlife you will encounter at Udawalwe national park.

Udawalwe safari tour can be done as a one day tour from Colombo or beach areas. Seerendipity tours already offer this one-day Udawalawe tour from 40+ hotels on the west and southern coast of Sri Lanka and it is available on a daily basis. However, Udawalawe is popular among the places to visit in Sri Lanka in 2 days trip or 3 days trip.

8. Short tours Sri Lanka destination Hatton / Dik Oya

Ideal duration of Sri Lanka short tours to Hatton: 2 Nights/3 Days

Transport cost: Colombo to Haputale and back by bus: LKR 550

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: There are many local restaurants to serve the travellers and the food is affordable.

Chugging up to Hatton/Dickoya from Colombo will be a once in a lifetime experience. This chilly upcountry twin city gives the pleasure of enjoying the healing climate at an elevation of 1200 meters above sea level. Hatton is one of the least explored holiday destinations in the country and you will not encounter foreign travellers here.

Hatton is one of the best places for a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour. As you reach the hills, just inhale the refreshing salubrious air, sip a cup of Ceylon tea, rise early and take a glimpse of the rising sun. As you travel to Hatton and Dikoya you can also visit Peradeniya botanical garden and Kandy tooth relic temple without losing any time, because bot these sites are located on the way to Hatton and Dik Oya.

9. Sri Lanka short tours destination Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

Ideal duration of Sri Lanka short tours to Anuradhapura: 2 Nights/3 Days

Transport cost: Colombo to Haputale and back by bus: LKR 550

Stay: Comfortable middle-class hotel LKR 2000 per double room or budget hotels at LKR 1000 per room in a budget hotel

Food: There are many local restaurants to serve the travellers and the food is affordable.

Anuradhapura of Sri Lanka is a popular historical site in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka like Sigiriya rock, where you can Sigiriya fresco paintings and one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. Anuradhapura and Sigiriya, Dambulla cave, Pidurangala rock and many other places included in the 3 day trip in Sri Lanka organized by seerendipity tours.

Anuradhapura, one of the most popular holiday destinations in the central province and a place to experience the cultural flavour of Sri Lanka. We have discussed many dozens of time about Anuradhapura on this blog but still, we repeatedly talking about it, why? because it is one of the holiday hotspots in Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura is a place that should not be forgotten if you are interested in learning the rich historical past of Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura is a historical and cultural hotspot in one of the key archaeological sites with hundreds of temples, palaces, lakes, museum, and many other important places. It has a fascinating collection of ruins built by Sri Lankan engineers, artisans and craftsmen over the many centuries starting from 3rd century BC to 1061 AD.

10. Short tours Sri Lanka destination stunning Colombo

Colombo is a cultural melting pot, consisting of many ethnic groups such as Sinhalese, Tamil, and Burghers etc. Colombo is the busiest city on the island with busy roads, shopping malls, hotels, street markets, as well as Colombo beaches. Colombo is one of the best places for shopping in Sri Lanka and it offers great bargains giving you the opportunity to buy a wide range of products such as handicrafts, leather products, textiles, gems and jewellery, electronic equipment at an affordable rate. And Colombo also offers a wide range of food outlets and eateries, where you can get hold of cheap food. If you are arriving for the first time in Colombo and wondering where to stay in Sri Lanka for 1 night here are the guidelines for you.

Same times there is a much historical attraction in Colombo that deserves your attention. Wolvendaal Church, Gangarama temple, Viharamahadevi, Independent square, Pettah, Galle face and BMICH are some of the noteworthy places.

Colombo one day tour is a popular activity among a large number of tourist and many tourists, who stay on the west coast and southern coast. The Colombo one day tour from Kalutara and Bentota is one of the very popular activities offered by seerendipity tours and which is available on a daily basis.

Transportation: Having private transportation is the best way to do your Colombo sightseeing tour. The tour lasts around 4 hours and you have allocated some extra time for shopping as you wish. Many tour operators provide Colombo city tour and there are few tour operators organize Colombo city tour in a TUK TUK as well as in a Double Decker bus allowing the travellers to have a novel experience.

Accommodation: The accommodation might be a bit costly in the city centre. But a few kilometres from the city (Mt.Lavinia, Dehiwala) you get plenty of opportunities have affordable accommodation.

Places to Eat: There are many places to eat in Colombo; here you get plenty of street food too. If you could drop-into one of the food courts such as the majestic food court you can have plenty of choices to sample Sri Lanka specialities as well as foreign dishes.

Places to Visit: Colombo is a place for a day tour to most travellers who spend holidays in Sri Lanka. A large number of travellers who spend a beach holiday in the west, southern and east coast take part in Colombo day tour. Colombo is also included in most Sri Lanka road trips. Either way, don’t forget to explore interesting places such as Colombo Zoo, Colombo Museum, Pettah market, Gangarama temple.

Travel Calculation: Approx. USD 120

Suggested duration: 1 Day

Interesting Tips: Avoid the city tour at rush hour to curtail the time spent on transportation. If you visit the city on weekends and holidays you can explore the city with more peacefully as the chaos in the city is at its lowest.

Sri Lanka tour

If you’re planning a Sri Lanka tour, you might be considering the opportunity to relax and explore some of the best beaches in the world, do some adventure activities such as whitewater rafting, trekking, mountain climbing or witness ancient cites such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya. But if you are a kind of person who just wishes to go there to warm-up under the tropical sun with a casual dip into the crystal clear waters of the Indian ocean and let your spirit glow and stuff, still you can count-on Sri Lanka. But don't forget to organise several sightseeing tours to important places such as Kandy, Colombo, Sigiriya during your tour to Sri Lanka. Because Sri Lanka offers many interesting places that deserve your attention.

The best time to visit Sri Lanka

22 Sri Lanka Beaches With Idyllic Settings

Sri Lanka is a holiday destination that offers something for everyone If you are a nature lover you find interesting places such as rainforest, wildlife parks. If it is adventure sports that you are interested in you can perform rock climbing, trekking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and other adventure sports. Palm-fringed, pristine beaches can be handy for a peaceful beach holiday if you are a leisure holiday enthusiast. In Sri Lanka, you will find something along the way that's for sure with some really cool people.

Before 2009 there had been a different setting on the island due to the political unrest. The things have changed dramatically in Sri Lanka since the end of the political unrest, which sparks first in the northern province in 1983. Today country and the people are on the right track and Sri Lanka is definitely not a place to be missed, there is magic in the air. Sri Lanka is a unique country with its own characteristics, a different world demarcated by the Indian Ocean and populated by the best and friendliest people on earth.

Sri Lanka Road Trip, which is the best formula for your road trip in Sri Lanka

Many tourists are coming to Sri Lanka to explore the historical and cultural sites of Sri Lanka and this fascinating island offers you hundreds of thousands of years old historical and archaeological sites that worth your attention, but Sri Lanka's chaotic main city, Colombo has its own wonders, you can walk the streets of Colombo for many days without any tire of sights.

In Colombo, you find many famous iconic places to visit during your tour in Sri Lanka, of course, you can't return home without enjoying the pristine beaches that surround this tropical island, with dips into the crystal clear waters of Indian Ocean. You can expect the best beach holidays in Sri Lanka that you can get any part of the world. Because beach resort areas are equipped with all facilities and amenities for beach holiday lovers. You get something here for any type of budget, for instance, you can get homestay accommodation for a fraction of a dollar per day and on the other hand, you can book an extremely luxurious beach resort if you can afford thousands of dollars per night. Beaches in the west, south and south-west part of the country are best developed for the tourism industry, where you get hundreds of hotels, restaurants, guest houses and many other accommodation types.

Affordable Sri Lanka Beach Holiday Package

There are a large number of activities awaits you in the beach resort areas. Boat tours, fishing tours, diving, snorkelling, surfing, water rafting, kayaking and many many more. Popular beach resorts in the west coast such as Bentota, Negombo, Beruwala can be very crowded during the peak holiday season from November to April, but if you fancy if having a peaceful relaxing beach stay without hustle and bustle there are several uncrowded resorts in the west coast such as Ambalangoda, Wadduwa.

Sri Lanka Budget Tours

This beautiful tropical island is an amazing place and worth visiting at least once in the lifetime. Over the past several years the number of travellers has been increased exponentially. The highest number of travellers recorded in the year 2017 and it was 2 million travellers. Sri Lanka has become an important holiday destination in the region especially after ending the civil war in 2009. Since then the number of foreign travellers increased gradually and in 2017 the number of foreign visitors recorded at 2 million.

Weather in Sri Lanka

Weather is a leading fact when it is coming to deciding the best time to visit Sri Lanka have a Sri Lanka road trip. Therefore we thought of discussing the Sri Lanka weather and holiday pattern in details with this post.

Weather in Sri Lanka is a tropical, climate in Sri Lanka can be described as summer climate with slightly fluctuating temperature and humidity throughout the year. The main factors that are shaping the Sri Lanka weather are identified as temperature, rainfall and wind. While being located in the tropic, the influence of the Indian Ocean, proximity to the Indian mainland and central mountain range are the minor factors.  

Sri Lanka is located between the 5 and 9.5 of north latitudes hence Sri Lanka weather can be described as warm and humid like in most of the tropical countries. The average temperature of the South-West part of the country records around 28C˚. The northern and eastern part of the country experiences a warmer climate, which measured to be around 30C˚.

22 Sri Lanka Beaches With Idyllic Settings

There is a large difference between the temperature along the coastal belt and the mountains in the central part of the country. Every hundred meters above the sea level resulted in a reduction of the temperature by 1 C˚. Since the island is surrounded by the Indian Ocean temperature on the land is moderated by the sea wind. Even the high temperature is moderated by the sea wind. The rainfall is considered as a major factor in deciding the weather of Sri Lanka.

The country is divided into three climatic zones depending on the rainfall namely dry zone, wet zone and arid zone. The monsoon rain that soaks the island throughout the year is a major factor for deciding the temperature of the country.  The temperature of South-West Sri Lanka considerably drops during the South-West monsoon and the North-East monsoon reduces the temperature of North-East parts of the country.

The temperature in the island greatly differs in some parts of the country depending on the elevation. The central mountain records the highest variation of temperature. The temperature fluctuates from 20°C to -2°C resulting in frost in the evening and night. Temperature fluctuation is comparatively low in the low-altitudes, where the temperature lies between from about 35°C to 28°C. Day and night temperature variation in the low altitudes mostly recorded as 4°C.

May to June, is the hottest period of the year and February records the minimum rainfall in the island. Yearly rainfall of the country is influenced by the monsoon wind, which occurs from Nov to April (North-East monsoon) and from April to Nov (South-West monsoon). Different parts of the country are soaked by the monsoon rain in the different periods of the year, making it rain somewhere in the country at any given time.

Summer monsoon wind enters the island from South-West borders of the country and goes up upon encountering the Central Highland. The rising wind forms the clouds and uploads heavy rains in the South-West part of the country. Average rainfall in the region, where the summer monsoon occurs (wet zone) measured between 2500 mm – 5000 mm and nearly 30% of the island is coming under the wet zone. Rest of the country records half of the yearly rainfall as the wet zone. Where the rainfall is measured between 1250 mm to 2500 mm. dry zone mainly benefits from the winter monsoon that occurs from Nov-Apr.

High humidity is recorded in the South-West part of the country, where the moisture accumulates due to the constant wind from the Indian Ocean. The humidity of the South-West part of the country measured as high as 95% especially during the monsoon, while the average humidity is recorded as 85%. North-East Sri Lanka records low humidity percentage compared to the wet zone due to the low percentage of moisture in the winds that enters the country from the North-East border of the country. When the winds come from the Indian mainland it comes across a land thereby contains a low amount of moisture. In the mountains at the elevation of 500m above the sea level average humidity ranges between 70% and 79%. Dry zone regions such as Anuradhapura shows less humidity compared to the wet zone and measured between 60% - 79%.