Sri Lanka Travel Bites
Sri Lanka is an island that everyone loves at some level inside themselves. A very special island that travellers, from Sinbad to Marco Polo, dreamed about. A place where the contours of the land itself forms a kind of sinewy poetry.
For years Sri Lanka has been known for being a surfers paradise but there are so many other aspects for anyone who loves nature, culture and adventure.
What to Put on Your Sri Lanka Bucket List?
First item on your Sri Lanka bucket list? Interact with the people around you as much as you can. Most of all I fell in love with Sri Lanka because the Sri Lankan are so kind and friendly and will invite you to their house in a heartbeat.
Sigiriya Rock – History and Views
A must see for your bucket list is the magnificent Sigiriya Rock with its huge lion’s paws. To learn more about the rich history of the place you can hire a guide (usually can be found in the entrance).
The best time to visit Sigiriya Rock is either in the early morning hours before the other tourists arrive or in the afternoon.
Nuwara Eliya Tea Plantations
Visiting the tea plantations and factories in Nuwara Eliya is a wonderful experience and an opportunity to learn more about the history of Sri Lanka as well as the famous Lipton tea estate. For a small sum of money you can hire a tuk tuk and go through several viewpoints around the area or you can actually hike the tea trails themselves.
Kitulgala Water Rafting and Rock Sliding
So you were wondering where to go rafting in Sri Lanka, well for adventure activities in Sri Lanka you’d better add Kitulgala to your Sri Lanka checklist. In this beautiful area between Colombo and Nuwara Eliya you can go water rafting and discover the many beautiful waterfalls and hiking trails. Kitulgala canyoning (rock sliding) and abseiling is also a great activity for the adrenaline seekers.
Hiking in Ella
Are you looking for some things to do in Ella? No worries, there are many to choose from. First of all, enjoy the special laid back atmosphere of this town. Then start climbing…. climb Ella Rock and little’s Adam Peak, go take a picture of the famous Nine Arch Bridge or take a cooking class. You can also visit the Diyaluma Falls or choose the easier option and visit Ravan Fall just 10 minutes from Ella.
Visit Sri Lanka’s National Parks
By now you’ve probably seen many monkeys all over Sri Lanka but how about some elephants or Leopards? There are many national parks to choose from but two of the most famous ones are Yala and Udawalawe.
Sri Lanka Beaches
There are many beaches to choose from but check the season of your visit and choose your preferred beaches accordingly. For surfers, check Arugam Bay, Unawatuna, Weligama or Hikkaduwa. For scuba-diving and snorkeling, check out Mirissa, Trincomalee, or Passikudah.
Tips For Sri Lanka
Tips for planning the perfect Sri Lanka itinerary:
Getting around Sri Lanka: you can use the local buses, rent a motorbike, hire a driver or use the train. No matter how you choose to travel around Sri Lanka, you must ride the train at least once. Sri Lanka has some of the most scenic train routes in the world!
The best scenic train route is taking the train from Kandy to Ella, but you can split this ride and take the shorter routes either from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya (Nanu Oya) or from Nuwara Eliya to Ella. Make sure to book your ticket in advance – these routes are very popular.
What to buy in Sri Lanka? Tea and spices of course! You can also find some wonderful sarongs, natural beauty products and elephant figurines.
Best Sri Lanka dishes to try: Rice and curry dishes, vegetable rotti, deviled chicken (or any other deviled dish), hoppers (crispy sri lankan pancakes) and coconut sambol. For snacks: crispy spiced chickpeas and fresh pineapple and for tea time – the simplest coconut biscuits you can find in every store – addictive!
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Those pictures are so alluring to visit Sri Lanka. Love the layout of the website..
Thanks so much Chittra! Sri Lanka is beautiful!
I love all your photos, especially the wildlife ones. Brings back memories from my trip to Sri Lanka.
Thanks so much Tasha, Sri Lanka is such a wonderful place for photographers and animal lovers, no doubt!
Nice photos. Brought back memories of my trip to Sri Lanka
Great to hear Sue 🙂
As always, I love love love your photos! I can’t wait to keep reading your posts!
Love you too Sarah 🙂 Thank you so much!
Love your website structure, and your photos are just amazing!!
Thank you so much! It’s a pleasure to hear!
מהממם ממש עושה חשק!
Thanks, Ronit 🙂
Hi, Lovely photos. Srilanka has been on my bucket list since long. The photos you shared boosted my zeal to visit it. Let me know if you have a complete guide to visit Srilanka
Hi Sagar, Thanks so much for your kind words! We really try to capture the essence of a place through our pictures so that’s a great compliment. I Loved Sri Lanka but I am afraid we don’t have a complete guide for the area. Sorry… If you are looking for another fascinating destination, we can recommend Myanmar for which we do have a complete guide and we are working on an off the beaten track post. Enjoy your travels!
Have you visited India?
No, we haven’t. But it is on our bucket list!