Sri Lanka - Overview

We went from cities to cities over a short span of 5 full days in late July 2016. It can be tiring due to the travelling but it is still manageable if you are to visit the main attractions of the various cities. It will definitely be advisable to have more days available to enjoy fully and visited more attractions.

During our trips, we covered the main attractions in Nallathanniya (Adam's Peak), Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and a day spent in Colombo. We also have a short stopover at Negombo and Dambulla. It is a pity that we did not get to see the Sri Lanka beaches.

Here are my observation and tips from our trip:

Accommodation

S.A Village, Dambulla

You may find the accommodation on the two extreme ends of the price scale. They are either very expensive or they are very cheap. The availability also depends from city to city. For backpackers or budget travellers, we definitely will go for the cheaper range. Apart from the score on the various booking websites, do read the reviews as well. This will allow you to manage the expectation you may have.

There is a price difference between places with air-conditioned ('aircon') and non-aircon. While it will be much better to have aircon in some cities, you can do without in other cities. Most of the accommodation comes with fan, even if their rooms do not have aircon. Nallathanniya/Adam's Peak area can get very cold at night, I am sure you will want a room that is warmer than a room with aircon!

One tip for backpackers or budget travellers, you may want to search for available accommodation online but not book via the websites. The host will usually offer a lower price for walk-in travellers, omitting the charges from the various booking websites.

By the way, most of the homestay can provide breakfast upon request. Just make sure you asked for something local.

Environment

There are many people have the wrong mindset about Sri Lanka, thinking that the place are not clean or the food are not safe. The streets are actually pretty clean. They even have many recycle bins in place as well. The air may be a bit polluted at some places where there are heavy traffic, but it is definitely not as bad as some major cities in Asia.

Food & Beverages

Sri Lankan food does not have as much spices as Indian cuisine. There are many interesting local dishes along the streets. Most of the local delights (Hopper, Kottu) contains flour and this explain why bakery can be commonly seen. There are many deep-fried snacks, sweets or buns available for take away. So, not to worry about getting hungry when you are on the move. The locals also sell snacks, like Helapa, on train for passengers who needed someone to eat.

Chicken Kottu 

Plain Hopper

Milk Tea, Kendyan Muslim Restaurant

We all know that ceylon tea is one of the famous product of Sri Lanka, so we tried milk tea in many places during our trip. We love the fragrance of both the tea and, surprisingly, the milk. We fancy the milk tea at both Devon Restaurant and Kendyan Muslim Restaurant in Kandy. There are also other local beverages like Elephant House Ginger Beer (EGB) if you wanted to have a taste of local soft drinks.

Wood Apple

Wood Apple, inside out

Wood apple is one of the must-try fruits among others. They are commonly sold in Sri Lanka. They have an acquired taste and I will suggest you trying the wood apple juices for first timer. Uguressa, which looks like berry, is another interesting fruit as the fruit stall owner had to massage the food before letting us passing it to us to try. If you pass buy a fruit stall, do stop by to take a good look at the interesting variety of fruits available.

TimeOut : Sri Lanka’s strangest fruit
Besttour-lanka.com: Fruits in Sri Lanka - Tropical fruits

Locals

The locals are very friendly and feel free to approach them to ask for directions or help. We have some encounters where the locals at the bus station approached us and asked where we are heading to. They helped us to communicate to the other locals to find the exact boarding place.

It is definitely comforting to know that most locals, if not all, can communicate in English fluently. Hence, there are no issue in getting around, travelling using local transport like bus and train. Just do not be shocked when the locals or even the children walked or waved to you and say "hello"!

Shopping

There are not many shopping centers in Sri Lanka. There are a couple of shopping centers listed in Colombo, but they are mainly catered for locals. If you are looking for some souvenirs, it might be a good idea to get it whenever you see something you like and the price is okay too. We went to Majestic City in Colombo but there are only 2-3 gift shops selling limited/similar souvenirs like keychains, magnet, postcards. The price of the same items in Bandaranaike International Airport are at least twice as much as we found it in Majestic.

If you are looking for Tea as a souvenir, you may want to head down to Sri Lanka Tea Board where you will be spoilt of choices. There are generally two sections in the shop. The tea that are from government companies and those that are from private companies. Do ask the friendly staff for their sound advice.

Transportation

Train, Bus, Tuktuk and Taxis. These are the four main transport you will find in Sri Lanka. Although there are metered Tuktuk or taxis, they are harder to find as compared to non-metered Tuktuk. Tuktuk can be cheap and yet can be very expensive. Always know a rough distance between you and your destination, so that you can keep track of the price range.

Bus in general are quite comfortable and cheap between cities, especially for cities that are not very far apart (<4 hours bus ride). We took a bus from Negombo bus station to Gampaha train station at only Rs 47. An air-conditioned bus ride from Kandy to Dambulla is Rs 180. Tuktuk from Dambulla to Sirigiya is Rs 1100! The bus conductor will get the fares from you after you board the bus and seated. Don't panic if they do not collect from you immediately after you board the bus.

Kandy Train Station

Sri Lanka Railways trains are considerably cheap but it will be good to take note of the train schedule and timing when you are planning the trip. Tickets for Class 2 and below are easily available over the counters but if you need reservation seats (or Class 1 especially), then you will need to call to make reservation. Forget about emailing them at com@railway.gov.lk, I did not receive any email reply on my enquiry. The counter crew are very friendly and smile to my friends' request of taking picture.

Weather

The weather are generally hot but you will not see locals in shorts. They are commonly seen in shirt and pants. Places of a higher sea level are cooler. During our trip, the weather has been good apart from our day in Anuradhapura where there is a downpour and drizzling for a couple of hours. The sun usually rises at 5am (local time) and by 6am, the sky is bright. This is also the reason it is recommended to start Adam's Peak climb at 2am. It will take about 3+ hours for the not-so-fit stair-climbers.

Although this post may not be comprehensive for many, I hope it will offer you a general idea on what to expect in Sri Lanka. Enjoy your trip!