Sri Lanka

Sights

• Sigiriya – A fortress atop a rock monolith with frescoes and a lion gate.
• Temple of the Tooth, Kandy – The country's most important Buddhist shrine, beside Kandy Lake.
• Galle Fort – The Dutch-built fortified old town by the sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Dambulla Cave Temple – Five caves full of Buddha statues and murals.
• Polonnaruwa – Ruins of a medieval royal city, best explored by bike.
• Nine Arch Bridge, Ella – A stone viaduct surrounded by tea plantations.
• Galle Face Green – A seafront promenade in Colombo, with street food and kites in the evening.

Food & nightlife

• Rice and Curry – Rice with lots of small curries of vegetables, lentils and fish.
• Hoppers – Bowl-shaped rice-flour pancakes, often with an egg.
• Kottu Roti – Chopped flatbread with vegetables, noisily chopped on the griddle.
• Ceylon tea – Fresh in the highlands, for example at a tea factory near Nuwara Eliya.

Day trips

• Kandy to Ella train – One of the world's most beautiful train rides through tea hills.
• Yala National Park – A jeep safari with a chance of leopards and elephants.
• Whale watching in Mirissa – Blue whales and dolphins off the south coast, in season.
• Adam's Peak – A night-time pilgrim climb to sunrise on the sacred summit.

Good to know

When to go

December–April

Getting around

Slow but beautiful train routes, plus tuk-tuks; many travellers hire a private driver. The monsoons hit the south-west and the east at different times.

Tipping

Service is usually included – rounding up is a nice gesture.

Power

Plug type D/G/M, 230 V – pack an adapter for Swiss plugs.

Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)

Plan your trip to Sri Lanka together

Create a trip plan and the Travel Guide comes with it – with a map, ideas to suggest and saved for offline use.

Plan with Pickeed