The Tour
We spent one month in Sri Lanka in December 2023.
It was not planned as part of our bigger Asian trip, but after speaking with fellow backpackers in India and Nepal we got hit by their enthusiasm and decided to follow their advice. It was the best decision! Sri Lanka has it all: unspoiled white beaches, wild mountain paths, and ancient history. The real strength comes from the people though.
Few other countries in the world can make you feel so welcome and safe.
Itinerary
- Day 1 to 2: Colombo
- Day 2 to 5: Sigiriya
- Day 5 to 6: Kandy
- Day 6 to 7: Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak)
- Day 7 to 8: Nuwara Eliya
- Day 8 to 11: Ella
- Day 11 to 15: Talalla
- Day 15 to 16: Dickwella & Hiriketiya
- Day 16 to 17: Uda Walawe National Park
- Day 17 to 19: SK Town
- Day 19 to 22: Mirissa
- Day 22 to 27: Ahangama
- Day 27 to 28: Hikkaduwa
Colombo
We started our trip as everyone else in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. International flights land in Negombo, almost a one-hour car drive from Colombo. We didn’t know this before arriving: booking.com was offering free transportation from the airport to the hotel as a promotion, so we didn’t check the distance between the hotel and the airport. Looking back, booking a room in Negombo would have been better, especially because we arrived around 2 a.m.
We spent only two nights in Colombo and we thought they were enough. Colombo is a very busy city and coming from Indian cities we were looking for more natural and quieter places, so we were happy to move on. There are a few tourist attractions like the Colombo National Museum, and Gangaramaya Buddhist temple, presenting an interesting collection of gifts that were made to the temple over the years, such as elephants (real ones), or hundreds of Buddha statues (including the smallest Buddha statue in the world!).
With the same ticket, it is possible to visit another Buddhist temple, Seema Malaka, 5 minutes walking distance from the Gangaramaya. This temple is smaller but on a lake and has a beautiful view of Colombo’s skyline.We also visited the Pettah Market, with strong Indian vibes, so nice to see if you have never visited an Indian city. It is interesting, messy, noisy, and full of colors. At its center stands the beautiful Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque.
Sigiriya & Kandy
We took a train from Colombo to Sigirya. The train took 3 hours and stopped at Habarana Station. From there Tuk Tuk drivers were already waiting for customers and we paid the equivalent of 5 euros to get to the hotel (20 minutes drive). Sigirya is magical.
There are several attractions, but the area’s rockstar is the Sigiriya Rock Fortress: a spectacular ancient fortress perched on top of a massive rock. It is quite expensive to get there, but worth the visit. We spent a total of 3 nights there and did a day trip to Dambulla to visit the cave temple (a 20-minute bus ride).
From Sygirya we took a bus to Kandy (we had to change buses in Dambulla) and spent 1 night there. We only visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa, The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy during the 6 pm ceremony (or the tourist ceremony as they call it). The golden room with the Buddha relict is opened only during this ceremony. It was interesting but extremely busy, especially on the second floor, where it can become claustrophobic.
Sri Pada, Adam's Peak
From Kandy, we took the famous train to Ella. We didn't go all the way for this train ride, but we stopped in Hatton from where we caught two buses heading to Nallathanniya. Alternatively, you can take a tuk-tuk to Sri Pada (Adam's Peak). We opted for the bus and it was long but easy. Note that the bus station in Hatton is 10 minutes from the train station.
Adam’s Peak is a tough 1000m elevation almost all covered in steps, but once you reach the top it’s clear that it’s worth it. Our hostel owner suggested starting the hike at 2 a.m. but after checking the distance we decided to start at 4 a.m., our goal was to watch the sunrise at 6 a.m. and two hours was enough time to reach the top. It was cold, so we were happy to have started a bit later and didn’t wait long for the sun to rise. When we did it (20th of December) the path was still “closed”, meaning that lights along the way were off and there were almost no prayers doing it but only tourists. This also means that the stairs were not as busy as they could be if the path was open. We were also lucky with the weather: it stopped raining during the night and we had a beautiful sunrise. At the top, we watched some monks performing their morning ritual prayers and it was enchanting.
Nuwara Eliya
From Sri Pada, we took a driver to Nuwara Eliya, where we spent the following night. It was possible to travel with public transport but we would have had to change 3 buses, so we found online a driver that picked us up from the hotel and drove us to Nuwara Elyia for 15 Euros. The ride was spectacular with falls and tea plantations and we stopped for a tea and a cake along the way. We visited the Damro Tea plantation in Nuwara Eliya, organizing the tour with our hotel.
The weather is pretty cold almost all of the time (around 8-10°C), and it rarely stopped raining while we were there, so make sure to bring rain jackets and warm clothes. We had dinner in a cozy bar called Themparadu, good food and atmosphere, with a DJ playing.
Ella
From Newara Elyia we took a bus to Nanu Oya and then again the famous train to Ella. The weather was foggy and rainy so the ride was not as interesting as the previous time and the views we had on the ride to Nuwara Elyia were probably nicer. We spent 3 nights in Ella. The first day we hiked Ella’s rock. The views are stunning and the hike is not hard, but it is easy to lose the way. Luckily locals will help you find the path for a small tip. On the second day, we hiked Little Adam’s Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge in the morning and rented a scooter to Diyaluma Falls in the afternoon.
The first two hikes were very busy and not as nice as Ella’s Rock, but quick and easy. The Diyaluma Falls are beautiful. The path there is short (20 minutes hike) and there is no need for a guide, even if many people will insist on it on your way up. There was a two-euro ticket to pay at the entrance, where we parked our scooter. The street to go there is bumpy but fine. At the falls it is possible to bath and jump in the water and there is an amazing viewpoint just before the fall.
Talalla, Dickwella, and Hiriketiya
We know, it doesn’t really make sense to go down on the coast and then up again in Uda Walawe, but we were just too excited to be on the seaside and decided to do it anyway.
A better way to plan this part of the trip would have been to take a bus from Ella to Uda Walawe and then from there to Dickwella, but it was almost Christmas and we decided to complicate things a bit heading first to Talalla.
Talalla is a gorgeous huge white sand beach, very uncrowded and solitary. While we were there the sea was a bit wavy so we didn’t experience clear blue water, but we did see incredible sunsets.
A downside can be that there is not much going on there, with only a couple of restaurants and bars, and no supermarkets (only micro-markets).
Dickwella and Hiriketiya on the other side have plenty of options, even if they are almost all touristic and pricey. After 4 days in Talalla, we went to Dickwella by bus.
All coastal towns are developed on the sides of the coastal road, with busses going up and down the whole day and evening, so it is very easy and quick to move between them. In Dickwella we saw a beautiful blue flat sea, the best we saw in Sri Lanka, and also there the beach was almost empty, even if it was Christmas day. On the west side of the beach, there is a popular spot to watch sea turtles.
From Dickwella Beach to Hiriketiya it is a 15-minute walk. It is impressive to see how crowded and popular Hiriketiya is, especially coming from an empty beach close by. Hiriketiya is famous as an ideal surf spot for both experienced and novice surfers, and you can see that. There were so many people in the water that we saw more than once swimmers getting hit by surfers, surfers getting hit by other surfers, and general chaos. It is a beautiful beach, but (maybe also because it was the 25th of December) it was too crowded to be enjoyable.
Uda Walawe National Park
After one night in Dickwella, we headed to Uda Walawe National Park by bus. It was a very easy journey, with one bus change, but the bus workers were as always very helpful in pointing us on the right bus. Sleeping in Uda Walawe is extremely cheap because all guesthouses hope you will book the Safari through them, and that is exactly what we did.
We did the Safari in the afternoon of the same day we arrived, since it seemed like rain was giving us a break, and the forecasts for the day after were not nice. It was perfect! Due to the weather conditions, there weren’t many other groups around (we met around 5 other cars) and we could see Buffalos, Crocodiles, Jackall, Peacocks, colorful kingfishers, and many elephants, even a baby one! The guesthouse was nice and included a buffet dinner, so we spent the rest of the evening there.
SK Town
From Uda Walawe we drove again to the coast by bus. During our stay in Talalla, we explored the beaches around and we were impressed by SK Town Beach in Matara. The sand is dark, in some parts black, and the beach is beautiful, long, and solitary, with few restaurants and cafes along the way, but the part we loved was the surf. Emanuele surfed a few times before and was looking forward to doing it on the famous Sri Lankan waves.
I never surfed before but seeing all the surfers in the sea was tempting. We slept three nights there and I took a few lessons with the Surf School & Rental SummerSoulish. The instructor was patient and knowledgeable and managed to make me stand up from the very first day. It was a great experience and after every session, I was tired but proud of myself. SummerSoulish has also seafront beach chairs, a small cafe with great smoothies, and lovely people working there who make you feel just in the perfect place. It is also possible (and very cheap) to rent surf tables.
Mirissa
After SK Town we headed to Mirissa, where we celebrated New Year’s Eve on the beach. Mirissa’s beach is very touristy and crowded, so during the day we often took the bus and went back to SK Town Beach.
Three recommendations in Mirissa:
- The Jungle View has a gorgeous terrasse where it is possible to do drop-in Yoga classes for 8 dollars (as of December 2023), it was magical to do the 5 p.m. session there while it was raining outside
- The Italian restaurant Milky Wave is one of the best Italian food we had in Asia
- No. 1 Dewmini Roti Shop has the best Roti in the world (that we tried)
Ahangama
Ahangama is the southwest expats' favorite spot. There are lovely beaches, some hidden, small, and wavy, like the one in front of the luxury hotel Abode by the Beach, (they make excellent desserts and have a beautiful seafront terrace where to relax), and some long, sandy, crowded, and surf-friendly, like the famous Kabalana beach.
Ahangama is especially interesting for the nightlife, fancy restaurants, and bars, and we suggest you check out:
- The Lighthouse, with amazing terraces where to have a drink while watching the sunset on the ocean (arrive early if you want to find a good spot)
- Trax, restaurant, bar, and club all in one, with live music, great food, and an amazing garden full of cozy spots where to enjoy a drink
- The Well, luxury hotel with drop-in yoga classes (you can also use the swimming pool)
We spent almost a week in Ahangama, where we found a home in the Olives Water Villa, where guests have a kitchen available for cooking and a lovely patio where to eat. We then left the south coast to get closer to Negombo airport, spending our last day in Sri Lanka in Hikkaduwa.
Tips
- Consider booking a room in Negombo, if your flight arrives late in the evening or leaves early in the morning.
- To book a train you just need to go to the train station on the same day of the travel. Depending on the train you can book a sit or just be in the unreserved wagon.
- To book a sit on the Kandy-Ella train you need to book months ahead. If you didn’t, simply go to the train station on the same morning but be prepared to be standing the whole way. Guesthouse owners tell guests to be at the train station at 7:30 to be able to get on the train. It might be true that tickets are limited but that didn’t seem to be the case when we took it and it doesn’t matter what time you buy the ticket (as long as you are there on time for the train) because you won’t anyway have a seat reserved, and will have to push to get on board. Some people told us that the train on the opposite side (from Ella to Kandy) is less crowded.
- Bus rides are the simplest in Sri Lanka. Buses run very frequently and the ticket collectors will always help you either telling you when to get down the closest to your destination or pointing you to another bus. Check our article about How to navigate public transport in Sri Lanka
- As of January 2024, you need a special document to drive a car, scooter, or Tuk Tuk in Sri Lanka, and an international driving license is not enough. That document can only be obtained in Colombo at the Transportation Office. No one will ask you for it when renting, but if the police stop you it could be a problem. Many tourists were driving scooters, especially on the seaside and we doubt that all of them had the correct document, but the only time we rented it (in Ella) we got stopped by the police and they immediately asked for it. In the end, they just let us go with a warning, and they were nice all the time (even if they could speak only a little English), but this might not always be the case. Normally renting companies in Colombo do the procedure for you, so you need to worry about this only if you plan to rent a scooter in any other town.
