Strange as it may seem, Sri Lanka has never been on my bucket list. Mostly because it doesn’t have white sandy beaches, like the neighboring Maldives or some other Asian countries. However, Sri Lanka is only a 2-hour flight from Mumbai and since I was in India on business, I figured it was time to add a new country to my list. I just didn’t want to do it the classical way, so we decided to go for the adventurous Sri Lanka road trip option. In this post, you’ll find everything you need to know about Sri Lanka, especially if you plan to self-drive in this hectic, yet beautiful country.

Fast Facts about Sri Lanka

This tropical island in the Indian Ocean is known for its diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage. From the ancient cities and UNESCO World Heritage sites to endless beaches, tea plantations, and national parks with thousands of elephants (some even home to leopards), there’s something for everyone. With its vibrant spirit, low prices, and delicious cuisine, Sri Lanka is on the bucket list of those seeking adventure, culture, or just relaxation.

• Area: 65,000 square kilometers
• Population: 22 million people
• Capital and largest city: Colombo
• Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
• Highest Peak: Pidurutalagala (2.524 m)
• Major Religion: Buddhism (around 70%)
• Time Zone: 4.5 hours ahead of Slovenia (EU)

Best time to visit

Sri Lanka has 2 monsoon seasons, which dictate the best time to visit the country. The South and the West are best to visit from December to March, the central area around Ella from January to April, and the east-north region from May to September. While the coast is always hot, keep in mind that at the same time, it can get as low as 15°C in Ella, and even lower in Nuwara Eliya due to its altitude. Plan to dress in layers, as the mornings can get quite chilly here.

Entry requirements

You need a visa (ETA) to enter Sri Lanka, and you can apply online here. You’ll pay around 50 USD for a 30-day visa and normally, you will receive it within a few hours. Don’t wait until the last minute though and make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months.

How to get around?

You’ll probably fly into Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport and from there, you have several options. Budget travelers mostly use public transport (busses and trains), which is ridiculously cheap, but also slow, uncomfortable (especially busses), and without air conditioning. If you’re on a tight schedule, you’ll want to use the Pick Me app (it offers cars and tuk-tuks) or rent a driver who’ll stay with you the entire journey. Just ask your friends or Instagram community – I am sure that everybody knows someone with a driver’s WhatsApp number. 😉

You can also rent a car, but the roads of Sri Lanka are narrow (not to mention the traffic is chaotic), and sometimes you’ll need to go offroad to reach destination. Instead, renting a tuk-tuk is a cheaper and more effective option, if you are ready for some adventure. Read more about our self-driving tuk-tuk experience in this post.

Important note: A kilometer in Sri Lanka is not the same as a km in Europe. The tuk-tuk speed limit is 40 km/h. Check (and trust) Google Maps and add at least 10 to 20% of the estimated time to reach your destination.

How much time should you spend in Sri Lanka?  

The optimal time spent in Sri Lanka is 10-14 days: 10 if you are ready to move each day and 14 if you want to spend a couple of days in one place. If you only have 5-7 days, you can either focus on the Cultural Triangle (Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa) with Kandy and Ella or take a beach vacation with a day trip to Ella or one of the national parks.

The perfect Sri Lanka itinerary

The standard Sri Lanka itinerary includes Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Yala National Park, and the coastal towns of Mirissa or Gale. While I cannot argue with this schedule, I am a bit skeptical whether you can fully enjoy all these sights in 10 days, rushing from one place to another.

We decided to skip Yala (or any other national park with animals), as we’ve seen our share of elephants in South Africa. We also skipped Sigiriya, because we wanted to have more time for Ella and the coast. In the end, it turned out that we could easily switch 2 days of beach hopping to visiting Sigirya. Read more about our 10-day itinerary in this link and learn from our mistakes. You are welcome. 😉

Where to stay in Sri Lanka

If you’re planning a road trip, you’ll change locations frequently. If you are on a very tight schedule and 100% sure about your route, book your rooms in advance (lots of places offer free cancellation even to the very last day). The better and more adventurous way is to pre-book just the first night and go with the flow for the rest of the trip. There are hundreds of rooms available, even in high season, and you can easily book them just a day in advance. I suggest buying a mobile data package via Airalo (use code ANDA5890 to get a 3€ discount) to be more flexible.

If you’re self-driving it doesn’t matter much where you stay, just keep in mind that most homestays are in hard-to-access locations, where cars usually cannot go. Hence, the tuk-tuk. Room prices start at as low as 20 $ or even less, but know that despite good ratings, you cannot expect much more than a bed and toilet for 10 $. For a better experience, be prepared to pay at least 50 $ per night (which is still a bargain).

Food, restaurants, and grocery shopping

While I cannot say I’ve fallen in love with Sri Lanka, I definitely fell for their cuisine. It’s similar to Indian, one of my favorites, with unique local dishes like Roti, Kottu, and Sri Lankan curry. If you’re not picky and like tasting local food, you’ll eat like a king at ridiculously cheap prices. We ate local dishes in “cafes” for less than 3 €, and the portions were quite big. Restaurants with international cuisine are more frequent in bigger cities, where prices are closer to Western standards but still lower. Soft drinks are cheap, and a bottle of local beer costs less than 3 $.

You can buy groceries on every corner; however, the offer is limited to standard food like toast, packed cheese, and snacks. It’s very hard to get quality wholegrain bread, yogurts, and other healthy foods. However, there are plenty, and I mean, PLENTY of delicious tropical fruits and vegetables available everywhere. It’s a true vegan’s paradise!

Safety

While Sri Lanka has had its share of political and economic instability, leading to violent protests and even terrorist attacks, the situation has improved in the past years. However, the country is in a very poor condition, with an average monthly income of around 270 $ per capita. Petty crime can occur in tourist areas (we couldn’t get rid of the feeling that we needed to be careful with daily cash scams), but violent crime is rare.

Speaking of safety in traffic, Sri Lanka can be a tough cookie. If you’re self-driving, be constantly aware of other drivers and animals on the road. In the “elephant area” these large mammals sometimes roam free and no matter how friendly they seem, do NOT get out of the car. I’ve covered more about Sri Lankan road safety in our tuk-tuk adventure.

People and culture

A local at tuktukrental.com welcomed us with: “I’m the only honest Sri Lankan you’ll meet on this trip”. Perhaps this is why we were more careful, but there is definitely some truth in this. Most of the hosts where we stayed, were kind and helpful. However, during our road trip, we sometimes came into situations where people tried to cheat us.

Or, perhaps we were just disappointed in how bad their English was. Being an English colony, and one of the most popular tourist destinations for decades, one would expect that people understand simple phrases like “eggs” or “cooked”. We often gave up on interactions with locals simply because we saw no light at the end of the tunnel. Try to use translation apps, you might be luckier. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like people are hostile and try to steal you every 5 minutes. It was just our impression.

In general, Sri Lanka is known to be friendly and also safe for solo travelers. There are hundreds of hostels and places where backpackers meet, so you shouldn’t have a problem interacting. I suggest you avoid being underdressed in rural areas, as Sri Lankans are usually quite covered – partly due to the sun, and also because of the culture-tradition (some of them are Muslims). Just to avoid long stares and a feeling of discomfort.

Stray dogs

As an animal lover, I can’t finish this post without saying a few words about Sri Lankan (stray) dogs. There are hundreds of dogs walking and even lying on the roads, so be careful when driving. I’ve seen many dogs with hurt legs. 🙁 Some of them are half starving (luckily, the situation is still better than in Indonesia), so be kind and give them a piece of non-spicy food, if possible. Buy some dog food in stores and always carry something in your pocket.

Other useful tips for Sri Lanka first timers:

• Always carry cash (ATMs are at the airport and in most towns)
• Don’t drink tap water
• Respect the culture and cover your shoulders and knees in temples (bring a scarf)
• Pack layers for Ella and Nuwara Eliya (mornings are chilly)
• Don’t feed the monkeys, touch the animals or step on snakes 😀
• Buy a wireless mobile data package via Airalo (use code ANDA5890 to get a 3€ discount)
• Wear sunscreen, especially on the coast, as the sun is freakin’ hot
• Vaccination is not necessary, but mosquitos are everywhere so buy a repellent (local ones are usually more effective)
• Take probiotics with you just in case (use ANDA10 for 10% discount)
• Ask for non-spicy dishes, if you have a problem with digestion
• See more Sri Lanka highlights and photos in my Instagram account (followers welcome)

Bottom line: is Sri Lanka worth the visit?

If you like Asian culture, delicious tropical fruits, Indian-influenced cuisine, rich history, diverse culture, beautiful nature, endless beaches, and exotic wildlife, Sri Lanka is absolutely worth visiting. We were fascinated by its diverse landscape with plenty of hills (it’s not a usual tropical flat island), and local food. But I have to admit, it wouldn’t be half as fun if we hadn’t rented a tuk-tuk. Will we come back? To be honest, it was not love at first sight but never say never. Perhaps we left the Sigiriya rock out on purpose, for our next Sri Lanka road trip. 😉