EXTENSIVE GUIDE- THREE WEEKS IN SRI LANKA
Colombo: day 1-3
Colombo is one of the busiest cities we have ever visited. It truly is a city that never sleeps. Tuk Tuks rule the roads- two for ever car- each decorated more wacky than the next. We would recommend spending only one night here (or two if you arrive late the first night). Just give yourself enough time to check out the things listed below!
Where to eat:
Galle Face Green Streetfood
The Lagoon
Palmyrah Restaurant
Galle Face Green-
This place is stunning in the day with amazing views over Galle beach. It’s filled with people flying kites (something we wish we had done whilst here here!). As the sun goes down, the street food stalls start to come alive. The food here is divine and unbelievably cheap too! You can sit at the stalls whilst viewing the most amazing sunset in the whole of Colombo.
Jami Ul-Alfar Masjid (Red Mosque)-
Mosque or candy cane? The red mosque is a place you cannot miss visiting (even is just from the outside). We didn’t go inside the mosque as we did not come dressed appropriately. Women need to be covered head to toe including hair and men need to be in full trousers and long sleeves. The Mosque is situated right in the centre of the busy market but you really can’t miss it!
Check out the markets-
This is something you can’t really miss doing if you walk to the red mosque. Just remember to visit with a clear head, it’s pretty overwhelming but just take it all in!
TRIP: Colombo- Kandy
We took this trip by train. It took around 4 hours and we rode in second class. reserved The trip costed 1200 Rupee for the two of us. We booked all of our train tickets at once from Colombo train station. This way we knew when we were going to be traveling for the rest of the trip and we didn’t have to worry about the trains selling out.
Kandy: Day 3-5 (option to stay in the mountains near Sigiriya)
Kandy is quite small with only a few bars and restaurants. We enjoyed staying here mainly for the visit to the famous rock Sigiriya. We hired a driver for the day to take us to Sigiriya but upon reflection we probably could have used one of our nights in Kandy instead staying up near the rocks. This way we would have been able to get up for sunrise. You need no more than two nights in Kandy/ One night in Kandy and one night near Sigiriya
Where to eat:
Divine Cafe
Slightly Chilled Lounge
Shopping Mall Food Court
Climb Sigiriya or Pidurangala Rock-
Price: To climb Sigiriya $35US OR to climb Pidurangala $5US (equivalent in Sri Lankan Rupee)
We had a choice to make when visiting here... we could either pay $35 to climb Sigiriya (the large rock in the distance), or pay $5 to climb Pidurangala Rock (which sits directly opposite.) We figured... the perfect view was of Sigiriya itself, not the view from it. We feel like we made the right choice. We can’t speak for the climb of Sigiriya but climbing Pidurangala was pretty mild. There were 1,200 steps and a few rocks to climb over to reach the very top but not too hard at all. There were people doing the same walk with a babies. We visited around 2 PM and it wasn’t too busy at all although I can imagine the view would be even better at sunrise!
Herbal Plantation
Price: Free (donations only)
We visited here on the way back from Sigiriya. We really enjoyed learning about all of the plants and their medicinal uses in the plant based hospitals in Sri Lanka. You are offered a free 10 minute massage using the products that they have made out of the plants there however it is suggested to leave a donation. We gave 1000 rupee to each misuse and the tour guide however were later informed by our driver that around 500 rupee is sufficient.
One thing to note is that the products sold in the shops are marked up very high for tourists and we later learnt that you can actually buy these products in the local markets for much cheaper. So just go along and enjoy the experience in itself!
Take a walk around the lake
Ready to spot some huge lizards? Take a walk around the lake and we guarantee you will see a few! The walk is very scenic and a nice thing to do to finish off your time in Kandy!
TRIP: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya:
This is the famous train ride that many come to Sri Lanka for!! We recommend booking this trip in Colombo just to guarantee your seat! Top tip: the best class to get is second class reserved if you want to get those amazing out-of-window shots! The windows and doors don’t open in the first class as it is air conditioned so it rules out any potential shots! In second class however, you can do all of this and have your seats reserved too which means no one standing up for the whole time in the carriage!
Nuwara Eliya: Day 5-6
Nuwara Eliya is really just the perfect stop over on your trip between Kandy to Ella. You will get off the train here right in the middle of your journey, breaking it up into two six hour parts.
We didn’t really do much here other than eat and sleep but we’ve heard there are a few things to do if you want to stay more than one night!
Where to eat:
The Grand Indian
TRIP: Nuwara Eliya to Ella
Nuwara Eliya station is a little way out of the small town so you will need to get a tuk tuk or a car to the station. Hop on the train and enjoy the rest of your amazing journey on the famous blue train.
Ella: Day 6-8
Ella is an amazing little town filled with the best restaurants and bars! It also has lots of lovely walks and sights. It’s the perfect place to chill out and do your own thing.
Nine Arch Bridge
Price: FREE
This place really is amazing! However you have to get there super early if you want the whole place to yourself. It’s a bit of a walk from the town however you can get a tuk tuk the entire way there for around 1500 Rupees or just half the way there for around 300 Rupees. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a train! On the day we visited it was raining so we ended up spending most of the time inside the tunnel haha!
Little Adams peak
Price: FREE
This is the walk that we did. It wasn’t too strenuous at all and we even had the surprise of puppies at the top! The view is lovely from the top and the fresh air is incredible. It takes around 2 hours there and back.
Adams Peak
We didn’t get the chance to climb Adams peak as it rained for the majority of our time in Ella however we have heard great things about this walk. It takes around 6 hours to climb up and come back down again!
Enjoy the food!
We mean it when we say that Ella has THE BEST restaurants! We felt spoiled for choice every single night. Each had their own chilled atmosphere and amazing cuisine! We have listed out favourite ones above!
Where to eat:
360 cafe
Chill Cafe
La Ella Breeze
TRIP: Ella to Uduawala Safari
This journey takes around 2 hours by car. We booked a driver from the street in Ella. They all line up outside the restraunts and you are bound to get a good price! Ours cost 8,000RP
Uduawala Safari: Day 8-9
Price: 6,000rp for two people on a group tour
Safaris in Sri Lanka are incredible purely for he sheer amount of elephants you will see. The start is early- 4am but it is worth it to get there for Sunrise! We stayed in a home-stay just down the road from the safari where we were given a stunning homemade candle lit dinner and we played card games with the owners children. The safari lasts four hours from the moment you enter and if you're lucky you might even spot a rare leopard.
Where to eat:
Iceberg
TRIP: Uduawala Safari to Mirissa
This journey takes around 3 hours by car. We used the same driver as the one from Ella however many people opted to get a tuk tuk for this journey.
Mirissa: Day 9-12
Mirissa is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the beach. With a lovely selection of restaurants and things to do, it was one of our most enjoyable places.
Where to eat:
Maleena Pizza Restaurant
Big Belly
0'Mirissa
Shady Lane- Brunch
Visit Palm Tree Hill
Palm tree hill is one of the most famous Instagram spots in Sri Lanka! Because of this, we have heard that people queue for up to an hour to get their perfect picture amongst the palms! As always with popular spots, it’s great to arrive there early. We arrived around 8am and there was only two other people there!
Relax/ surf at the beach
Marissa beach is a really nice beach. One thing we noticed about Sri Lanka was that you will always get free use of beach sun beds if you order from one of the beach cafes!
Jungle Playground
This place is ideal for a day that’s not quite walk enough for the beach. We were invited to visit here just after it opened and we had a great day! It is filled with short activities that lead you to top of the jungle. At the top there is a stunning bar with a net that you can relax in hanging at the top of the trees.
Whale Watching
It is also possible to get a boat trip to whale watch in Mirissa. With there being so many whales in the waters, they say it is almost impossible to go out and not see one. Our friends managed to spot a blue whale on their trip!
Find the Peacock!
Hint: you’re sure to see it on the way to Palm Tree Hill.
TRIP: Mirissa to Unawatuma
We got a tuk tuk for this short journey taking only an hour.
Unawatuna: Day 12-15
Unawatuna is one of the most instagrammable places in Sri Lanka with its famous palm trees. Alongside this, its beach is unbelievable. Nothing prepared us for the amazing choice of restaurants lined up along the beachfront. Every evening, they lay out candles along the beach to guide you between each restaurant. Once you have chosen one, you sit with the sand beneath your toes under the moonlight.
Where to eat:
Pink Elephant - Our personal favourite
The Social Riddim
Skinny Toms- Brunch
Turtle hatchery
They’re are a few turtle hatcheries around unawatuna were you can see baby turtles hatching! You can release them back into the wild as well.
Palm tree swing
On dream cabana beach there is a rope swing and little bar where lots of people gather to see the sunset and swing costs 1000 rupees
Dream Cabana Beach Rock
This is one of the most instagrammable places in Sri Lanka. It took us a little while to find out exactly where it was so we want to save you the hassle of looking for it. As you enter Dream Cabana Beach, you will see the rope swing. Continue walking left past the rope swing (left as you are looking at the water). In about 300m you will turn a corner and see it!
Trip - Unawatuna to Galle
Galle- Day 15-16
Galle fort is a place that you really don't want to miss! We chose to do Galle as a day trip from Unawatuna however you could also choose to stay here for a night. This is a choice you can make. You can take this journey on a public bus for 50rp each
Galle Fort Lighthouse-
Price: FREE
Ahhh the famous lighthouse! Have you even been to Sri Lanka if you don't get a picture in front of this famous landmark?
Old Cars
There are old cars and war motorbikes scattered all around Galle Fort so it shouldn't take you long to find them once you start looking. This place really was my dream come true, I wanted to steal them all!!! We would tell you where they are but we wouldn't want to ruin the fun in looking! If you struggle to find them when you are there, give us a message on instagram and we will lead you in the right direction.
Cute Cafes and restaurants
Galle fort is full of gorgeous hidden cafes and restaurants. Our personal favourite was The Stairway.
Trip - Galle Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa- Day 16-19
Hikkaduwa is the place of all places to spot turles. This is what we spent our entire time here doing and we loved it!!
Places to eat:
Salty Swamies
NIHON SHOKU Japanese Restaurant
Differente Italian Restaurant
Swim with turtles in the reefs
Hikkaduwa is the perfect spot to swim with turtles! If you swim on the main beach (Hikkaduwa Beach), you are very likely to spot some turtles swimming in the reef. This feels like a very natural experience. We followed one turtle and watched it for over an hour! If you walk further down towards Narigama beach however, there is a group of around 5 turtles that reside close to the bay and feed on seaweed that people give to them. These turtles were the biggest we had ever seen however it felt like a slightly less authentic way of seeing them as they were constantly surrounded by people.
Trip - Hikkaduwa to Colombo
Colombo- Day 19-20
Trip back to Colombo-
Last night in Colombo.
We caught the very last train from Hikkaduwa back to Colombo at around 3.3pm. Our flight was at 4am the next morning so we left the hostel at 12 to get to the airport. We stayed at Star Anise Boutique Capsule in Colombo and it was the perfect place to chill out before we left for the airport!