Sri Lanka – pearl in the Indian Ocean. Not only did this tropical island impress us with its many white beaches but also with high hills, green tea plantations, delicious (vegetarian) food, kind locals, surfing opportunities and its gentle giants – the elephants.
The following 3 week route might not give you the most perfect travel itinerary, but it worked out just fine for us and gave us the feeling of experiencing as much of Sri Lanka’s beauty as possible without rushing too much.
BEST TIME TO VISIT SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka’s climate is rather complicated due to the fact that there are two different monsoons. However, this also means that there is usually good weather somewhere on the island.
From December to March the west and south coasts are best to visit; from April to September you should rather travel the east coast.
December to March: west and south coast April to September: east coast
We visited Sri Lanka in February and March so our travel route concentrates on the west and south coast and hill country.
HOW TO GET AROUND IN SRI LANKA
Train rides in Sri Lanka are lots of fun and super cheap. You’ll find the train schedule at every train station. Most of our stops are approachable by train. Some had to be reached by Tuk Tuk or bus. More infos about the ‚how to get to …‘ is stated in each chapter.
SRI LANKA VISA
You need a visa to enter the country which you can get online ( http://www.eta.gov.lk ). Arranging the visa is easy, just make sure your passport is valid for another 6 months. The 30-day visa will cost you around $30 and can only be paid by credit card.
SRI LANKA 3 WEEK TRAVEL ROUTE
This is our travel route. The prices for the accommodations are categorized as shown here:
€ – less than 40 € per night
€€ – 40 – 100 € per night
€€€ – more than 100 € per night
We got a 15 € discount at Booking.com for you! Just book via this link
DAY 1-5 HIKKADUWA (4 NIGHTS)
We flew into Colombo Airport and took a taxi from the airport to the main train station where we got on a train to Hikkaduwa, our first stop. Hikkaduwa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka located in the Southern Province, about 100 km (60 mi) south of Colombo. Hikkaduwa’s beach and night life make it a popular tourist destination and it is a popular surfing spot.
What we did:
We stayed in Hikkaduwa for 4 nights because we were visiting our friend who used to live here. All we did was relax by the beautiful pool or beach, eat, sleep, went to see the giant sea turtles and eat again
Where we stayed:
Dreamtime Sri Lanka – €€: Our favorite place to stay! Awesome pool, delicious food, breakfast included, amazing staff, highly recommended.
Where we ate:
Lunch: Salty Swamis
Dinner: Book Worm
DAY 5-9 UNAWATUNA (4 NIGHTS)
We took the train from Hikkaduwa to Unawatuna. Unawatuna is famous for its nice beach and corals. However, we would say that 2 or 3 nights would have been enough because of the many tourists. It’s still a good place to stay to visit Talpe and Koggala Beach.
What we did:
Visit Main Beach & jungle Beach in Unawatuna
Visit Galle Fort
Rent motorbike to get to Talpe & Koggala Beach
Talpe / Wijaya area: palm tree swing
Other things to do:
Release baby turtles from hatchery in Habaraduwa
Where we stayed:
Green Villa Unawatuna – €€: We thought the place was a little too expensive for what it offered.
Where we ate:
Mati Gerada: the best locals curries served in a very simple hut for little money, went here every night cause we loved it so much!
DAY 9-12 MADIHA (3 NIGHTS)
We took the train from Unawatuna to Madiha. The Madiha area has some nice beaches, less tourists and is good for surfing.
What we did:
day trip to Mirissa: Beach, maybe dolphin & whale watching, Parrot Rock, coconut tree hill
Where we stayed:
Malee Villa – €€: Clean rooms, tiny private beach
Where we ate:
The Doctor’s House
Other things to do:
learn how to surf at Infinity Surfcamp: Leo is a friend of us and the place is lit! (www.infinity-surfcamps.com)
DAY 12-13 TANGALLE / RANNA (1 NIGHT)
We took a Tuk Tuk from Madiha to Ranna, close to Tangalle. Our accommodations was located on an awesome, wide and empty beach ‚at the end of the world’ which made it great! Big waves.
What we did:
Enjoy the beach
watch the sunset
Where we stayed:
Blue Ocean Resort – €: Simple room but stunning location
Where we ate:
Blue Ocean Resort (as there are no restaurants around)
DAY 13-14 UDAWALAWE (1 NIGHT)
We visited Udawalawe to go to Udawalawe National Park with its many elephants. A Tuk Tuk took us from our accommodation to Ranna bus station. We then got on a bus to Udawalawe (you have to change busses in between but the bus driver can tell you where and when).
What we did:
Go on the early Safari at Udawalawe National Park. If you stay at Serene Home Stay ask the host to organize it for you
Where we stayed:
Serene Home Stay – €: The most friendly hosts ever! Clean, small room with hot water, fan and comfy bed
Where we ate:
Ask for dinner at Serene Home Stay (when you check in), it’s great and the owners are lovely!
DAY 14-16 ELLA (2 NIGHTS)
We took a bus from Udawalawe to Ella. Ella is a small town situated at an elevation of 1041 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by hills covered with cloud forests and tea plantations.
What we did:
Nine Arch bridge
Little Adams Peak
Ravana Waterfall
Ride the train
Other things to do:
Adams Peak
Ella Rock
Lipton’s Seat
Cooking class at Matey Hut
Where we stayed:
Hotel Casa Ella: Very, very simple but the best view
Where we ate:
Matey Hut – Loved the food so much that we went there every night. Try to get there pretty early as the don’t have much space and you might have to wait in line otherwise.
DAY 16-18 NUWARA ELIYA (2 NIGHTS)
The train ride from Ella to Nuwara Eliya is known as the most scenic train ride on the island. Nuwara Eliya is surrounded by tea plantations and is very different from the rest of Sri Lanka as its climate is rather cold and wet . We didn’t like it too much so we would skip it next time. Tuk Tuks are somehow more expensive here so taking the bus to visit the tea plantations is a great alternative.
What we did:
Tea plantations (Bluefield factory & tea gardens)
Devon Waterfall
Other things to do:
Hike up to World‘s End in Horton Plains National Park
Ramboda Falls
St. Claire’s Waterfall
Lover’s Leap Waterfall
Where we stayed:
we would not recommend our accommodation so we don’t mention it here
Where we ate:
We just got some street food (Kottu) as we couldn’t find a restaurant
DAY 18-21 HIKKADUWA (3 NIGHTS)
We took the train from Nuwara Eliya back to Hikkaduwa to spent some more time with our friend by the beach before flying back home out of Colombo.
Do you want to know more? Contact us or leave a com