Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with so much to see. Despite being very small (a length of only 435km north to south and 230km east to west), the scenery, landscapes and climate can change dramatically as you move throughout the island.
We visited Sri Lanka for the first time in March 2019. Our itinerary is focused on the western and southern parts of the island, as December to March is the dry season for that part of the island. The best time to visit the north is May to September, which is when the south is rainy. Because of this, there’s never a bad time to visit the island!
We were lucky to have our Sri Lankan friend arrange a driver for our time in the country, so getting from point A to point B was super easy for us. We really enjoyed our time in Sri Lanka, but there are a few things we would change if we were planning our itinerary all over again!
NOTE: This blog post was written before the horrible Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people all over the island. We were shocked and saddened to hear about this horrific event, but encourage people to still visit Sri Lanka. Tourism is a big part of their economy and we don’t feel that fear should keep people away!
Day 1: Galle Fort
Duration: 1 night
Verdict: WOULD NOT CHANGE
Additional Notes: It may be nice to see more of Galle outside the fort area
Having a driver was awesome, as we were able to skip the airport queues for SIM cards and ATM withdrawals. We simply hopped in the car and headed two hours south to Galle. Alternatively, it’s pretty easy and cheap to take either a bus or train to Galle. Our driver took us to the bank and phone card shop in Galle. 
We stayed in an Airbnb in Galle Fort, an enclosed area containing a fortress once built by the Portuguese in the 16th century then completely rebuilt by the Dutch in the 17th century. It is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains cute touristy restaurants, hotels, cafes and shops. 
Admittedly, we found the area to be pretty touristy, crowded and overpriced, but were happy that we checked it out. We explored the entire fort area on foot within a couple of hours.
Our highlight was the National Tea Room, a family-run business and Galle Fort’s oldest cafe. Not only is it a restaurant, but it also acts as an all-purpose convenience store for the community. While we ate breakfast, we watched locals pop in to buy breakfast to go, as well as items ranging from soap to individual cigarettes.The prices are great, we were able to meet the locals, the vibe is non-pretentious and the conversations with the owner were lovely.
Days 2-4: Dickwella/Hiriketiya Beach
Duration: 3 nights
Verdict: WOULD NOT CHANGE
Additional Notes: There are also other nice beaches worth checking out including Unawatuna, Mirissa and Tangalle
After a nice morning walk around Galle Fort, we began the short two hour drive to the beautiful beach town of Dickwella. Our 3 nights in Dickwella were incredible! We wanted to stay in one place and enjoy the chill beach vibes.
We stayed at Click Hiriketiya, a nice hotel with a great breakfast located in between both Dickwella and Hiriketiya beaches.
This portion of our trip synced up with my birthday, so we spent a relaxing few days lounging on the beach.
Hiriketiya beach was more lively, with beach bars and surfers. Beach loungers were ridiculously overpriced (we were quoted 2500 LKR, approx. $18.41 CAD each!), so it’s best to find a nice place on the sand to relax.
It’s also a nice place to catch the sunset from the beach or one of the many restaurants and bars on the beach. Dickwella beach is larger and quieter. Day beds cost only 200 LKR ($1.53 CAD) each. Both beaches were great for swimming.
A few other notable places in town:
Garlic Café: An excellent spot to have delicious Sri Lankan rice and curry! We were so impressed the first time, we came back two nights later. Both times, we opted for the buffet.
Dots Bay House: A great spot for happy hour drinks and western food with live music and a cool vibe.
Verse Collective: A co-working space with good wifi and decent coffee, although prices are a little high for Sri Lanka.
Side Note: Koggala Hatchery
Verdict: WOULD CHANGE
Justification: It felt like a tourist trap
On the way to Dickwella, our driver made a pit stop at a turtle hatchery called Koggala, which is something we would not endorse. 
Unfortunately, we had not read up on these “conservation” projects in advance and thought, “What the heck? We like turtles. We’ll check it out”. It cost 1000 LKR for the two of us to have a “tour”, which consisted of a guide spending 15 minutes showing us different species of turtles, which were swimming in tiny tanks. Some were injured and apparently, these minuscule tanks were used for their recovery.
The guide also picked up a turtle and allowed all the tourists to hold it and pose for photos. When we asked about this, he claimed that the “turtle was happy” to be passed around. For an additional fee, we could release baby turtles into the ocean. Oh, and the tour guide also asked for tips! A lot of red flags were raised. There was no mention of where the money was going. Some perfectly healthy turtles were kept captive in tiny tanks to apparently “educate” the public and school groups.
There was a fee to release baby turtles to the wild. Isn’t that what the conservationists are supposed to be doing anyway? The whole experience had ‘overpriced tourist trap’ written all over it, with no concern for the welfare of the turtles.
Day 5: Yala National Park
Duration: 1 night
Verdict: WOULD CHANGE
Justification: The safari experience was not what we expected
Our driver picked us up in Dickwella around 10am and we made our way towards Yala National Park.
On the way, we drove near Bundala National Park, where we saw a variety of different birds, crocodiles, and lots of monkeys.
Our driver used one of his connections to reserve an afternoon safari for us. He insisted that we use our own private vehicle. Having been on safari before in Africa, we would have preferred being in a group, but we went along with his request anyway. Upon arrival to the park, there were dozens of private safari vehicles with merely one or two people in each one! It was ridiculous!
Any time we saw something cool in the park, we shared the experience with a series of vehicles all jimmying for the best vantage point. Of course, a bunch of roaring safari vehicles usually scared away the animals pretty quickly. Not only that, I would imagine that the unnecessary pollution and noise from the many vehicles can not be good for the animals.
During our safari, we unfortunately did not see the elusive leopard, but we did see some wild boars, deer, water buffaloes, some more birds and crocodiles, as well as a bunch of elephants. We also had a chance to see a huge snake have a battle with a lizard, which was pretty cool (the lizard got away, by the way).
On our way back to our car after the safari, we saw more elephants, boars and water buffaloes outside the park. So aside from the cool snake/lizard battle, we basically saw everything outside the park that we did inside. It made the hefty price tag to enter a little bit harder to swallow.
For alternative safari options, we’ve heard that Udawalawe National Park is a little bit smaller and less busy. It is known for its big elephant population, while Yala is known for its leopards.
As for accommodation, we stayed at Nehansa Resort and Safari. The rooms were clean and the breakfast was great. However, the manager was a little pushy for us to join his organized safari tours. We received unsolicited texts and emails from him weeks prior to our arrival leading up until the day before we arrived. Some people appreciate that type of service. We didn’t.
Important to mention: Our expectations for Yala may have been higher, as we had previously been on safari in Etosha National Park in Namibia in 2017.
Days 6-8: Ella
Duration: 3 nights
Verdict: WOULD NOT CHANGE
Additional Notes: There is enough to do to occupy three days.
After breakfast, we departed on the 2-3 hour drive to Ella. This cute (albeit rather touristy) town is located over 1000m above sea level in the hills. There are plenty of hikes in the area that offer incredible views, as well as the famous Kandy-Ella train (more on that later).
We stayed at Amado Guesthouse, which was clean, quiet and offered excellent views from the balcony during meals! The family that runs it are super friendly and the breakfast was delicious and plentiful. The only tradeoff was that it was about 20 minutes on foot to town, including many stairs!
Some highlights from Ella
Ravana Falls:
Nice little spot to check out on the way into town.
Jade Green restaurant:
We had one of our favourite (and most affordable) meals here on a cute tiny balcony overlooking the main road in town. The only downside was the server deliberately tried to overcharge us on our bill.
Little Adam’s Peak:
This is a much easier, shorter and straightforward hike than Ella’s Rock (see below), but equally as rewarding as far as views go!
Nine Arch Bridge:
Legend has it that this bridge was made out of brick, rock and cement because all the steel was used for the war effort! Completed in 1921 and at a height of 80ft, and surrounded by lush, stunning scenery, it is deservedly one of the top tourist attractions in Sri Lanka!
We enjoyed walking across the bridge and watching tourists take ridiculous (and often dangerous) selfies. Of course, the best part is seeing the train roll by!
Kandy-Ella Train:
The train route from Kandy to Ella (or Ella to Kandy) is known as one of the most picturesque in the world! The most scenic part of the trip is between Ella and Nuwara Eliya.
Since we had a driver but really wanted to take the train, we opted to travel from Ella to Nanu Oya (the main station for Nuwara Eliya), and had our driver pick us up there. It ended up working out perfectly since we could leave our luggage with the driver and simply enjoy the ride hassle-free.
We attempted to purchase tickets in advance, however, due to the many island-wide power outages, we were unable. We arrived at the Ella train station approximately 45 minutes early and were able to purchase second-class seats for 300LKR (for two).
Pro tip: If you want to ride the train over the Nine Arch Bridge, take the train from Demodara station (instead of Ella) towards Kandy. If traveling the opposite direction, travel from Kandy to Demodara station.
Ella Rock:
This hike took about 4 hours round trip from our guesthouse at a slow-medium pace. Many people will tell you that you need a guide. You definitely don’t.
A quick guide to hiking Ella Rock
Walk along the rail tracks. Most hikers will begin at the railway station. Since our guesthouse was located near the rail tracks, we cut some time off by walking down the hill directly to the rail tracks.
Continue on the tracks past Kithalella station.
Once you see the marker for 166 ½, take the next left (about 50m or so further)
This is what the turn looks like. If you reach 166 ¼ , you’ve gone too far.
Walk across the bridge and you’ll come to a fork in the road. Stay left.
Stay straight on the path and make your ascent up. You will walk on rock paths, through tall grass and some beautiful eucalyptus trees.
You will reach an initial viewpoint, which is quite nice, then it is just a little bit further to the rock. There will be vendors selling juice, coconuts and snacks nearby. We recommend taking water, sunscreen, insect repellent and snacks!
Day 9 (afternoon): Nuwara Eliya, en route to Kandy
Duration: A few hours
Verdict: WOULD NOT CHANGE
Additional Notes: An afternoon is long enough to explore.
This little town, often referred to as ‘Little England’, has picturesque landscapes and is one of the most important areas in the country for tea production. We spent an afternoon wandering around the town and did the most British thing we could: had afternoon tea! We enjoyed seeing the rolling tea fields on the drive out of town.
Days 9-11: Kandy
Duration: 3 nights
Verdict: WOULD CHANGE
Justification: There is not much to see or do in Kandy.
Although Kandy is recognized by UNESCO for being a sacred Buddhist site, it really didn’t capture our allure. Despite being there for 3 nights, we only really had 1.5 days to explore, as we arrived in the evening on the first day, took a half day trip to Sigiriya on our second day and left early on our final day. We opted not to visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, as reviews labelled it as overpriced and underwhelming, plus there was a massive event with thousands of monks on the day we were in the area. Walking around Kandy Lake was nice, but that’s about it.
Day Trip To Sigiriya: Was It Worth It?
The day trip to the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya was a pretty cool experience, but had its downfalls.
It was fun to hike up and see the ancient ruins, although the cost of admission was pretty steep (10,860LKR for two of us, over $80 CAD). That’s one quarter of the average monthly salary in Sri Lanka! Even for tourists the price is pretty steep; we visited the Taj Mahal in India one week prior and paid less than $50 CAD for two us.
Also, it was ridiculously busy with loads of tour groups all visiting at the same time. If we did it again, I would bite the bullet, wake up in the middle of the night and try to get there for sunrise.
Days 12-14: Colombo
Duration: 3 nights
Verdict:
WOULD CHANGE
Justification: 1-2 nights is adequate
We stayed in the Mt. Lavinia area of Colombo, as my Sri Lankan friend recommended this. Our Airbnb had beautiful views overlooking the beach and waterfront and a rooftop pool. Mt. Lavinia is a nice area with many overpriced beachfront restaurants. 
Admittedly, we were not wowed by Colombo. We spent some time exploring the city, but feel that 1-2 nights is adequate. One highlight in the city was scarfing down kottu from the chain restaurant Pilawoos. Kottu is a Sri Lankan fast food consisting of chopped roti, vegetables, meat and/or eggs and and various spices. Don’t let the reviews online dissuade you from trying it at Pilawoos. The huge portion was super cheap and delicious and among the best kottu we had in Sri Lanka.
Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Sri Lanka. For such a small country, it really packs it all in! There aren’t many places in the world where you can be in a big city, relax on the beach, hike mountains, explore tea plantations, and visit heritage sites all within a few hours drive of each other. We were a little surprised at how touristy Sri Lanka has become, but we were visiting in peak season after all. We are looking forward to returning to explore the northern part of the island!
Other Attractions:
If you are planning a two-week trip and follow our recommendations, the extra time may be filled with these attractions:
-Spend some time at the beach in Negombo or other beaches, such as Unawatuna, Mirissa and Tangalle
-Visit different national parks, such as Kaudulla National Park, Minneriya National Park or Udawalawe National Park, which are all famous for their elephant populations
-Visit a tea factory in Nuwara Eliya (we had just done this in India, so left this out)
-Spend more time in tea country in a smaller, less touristy town such as Haputale
-Complete the challenging hike to Adam’s Peak (we heard great things!)
-Hike up Pidurangala rock to watch the sunrise over Sigiriya Rock
Do you have other suggestions? Let us know!
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