Sri Lanka Travel Guide
An island nation replete with awe-inspiring natural landscapes, endangered species, and some of the best food in the world, it’s no surprise that Sri Lanka makes its way onto so many people’s bucket lists. The landmass has been overlooked in the recent decades thanks to instability, but now in an era of relative peace the tourists are slowly coming back – and rightly so.
The display of flora and fauna is enough of a reason to visit, but there’s also thousands of years of culture running through the island, from the astounding religious history to its strategic location that made it a fascinating marriage of different people and ideas. A vital stop off in the Silk Road, now Sri Lanka is modernising, with a high rating on the Human Development Index and plenty of developing infrastructure so it’s even easier to explore this wonderful land.
Sri Lanka Travel Guide
An island nation replete with awe-inspiring natural landscapes, endangered species, and some of the best food in the world, it’s no surprise that Sri Lanka makes its way onto so many people’s bucket lists. The landmass has been overlooked in the recent decades thanks to instability, but now in an era of relative peace the tourists are slowly coming back – and rightly so.
The display of flora and fauna is enough of a reason to visit, but there’s also thousands of years of culture running through the island, from the astounding religious history to its strategic location that made it a fascinating marriage of different people and ideas. A vital stop off in the Silk Road, now Sri Lanka is modernising, with a high rating on the Human Development Index and plenty of developing infrastructure so it’s even easier to explore this wonderful land.
Soundtrack of the country
Don’t break the bank in Sri Lanka
3 course meal for 2: £11.03
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A regular cappuccino: £1.60
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A medium beer: £1.29
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One-way (Local Transport): £0.11
Don’t break the bank in Sri Lanka
-
3 course meal for 2: £11.03
-
A regular cappuccino: £1.60
-
A medium beer: £1.29
-
One-way (Local Transport):£0.11
Soundtrack of the city
Weather in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a warm place. The climate is tropical, but heavily affected by ocean winds. There are plenty of water features dotted around the island, including over a hundred rivers, and these are vital lifelines during the incredibly hot summer periods.
With that all said, the mountainous regions in the central highlands are tall enough that frost sometimes occurs in winter, but generally speaking even up in the peaks the climate remains a hot prospect. The monsoon season is from May to October, so if you’re there during that time you’ll have to pack for both the incredible heat and torrential rain.
Discover the Real Sri Lanka
Many consider Sri Lanka and its massive neighbour India to be similar, and the nations do have a shared past – legend has it there was once a land bridge across the Gulf on Mannar to the subcontinent mainland. However, Sri Lanka is its own country, with a unique culture and heritage, as well as its own distinctive ecological features.
Outside of the interesting geography, the country has a lot to offer culturally. It’s a real blend of cultures, so each region can vary quite heavily in terms of language and religion. With that said, Buddhism and Hinduism are the main driving forces here, but there are also plenty idiosyncratic cultural highlights you won’t find in other countries heavily influenced by those beliefs.
Bright colours at festival time, amazing animals roaming plains, and ancient architecture that puts Europe to shame: Sri Lanka has attractions for all kinds of traveller. It makes sense – with over a hundred thousand years of human habitation and its unique climate and geography, the country was always bound to be a special place to visit.
Sri Lanka’s multicultural history means the food here is uniquely delicious. There are influences from all over, especially the subcontinent, but also South-East Asia, the Middle East, and even the Netherlands and Portugal as a result of the colonial period. The ethnic minorities on the island also have a whole host of traditional dishes that have histories stretching back centuries if you’re looking for something uniquely authentic. The cities and beach towns are full of wonderful bars to relax in, so if you’re keen for a great cocktail – or just want to sample the local liquor – you won’t have to search far.
With so much packed into this island nation, planning a Sri Lankan holiday can feel a bit stressful – which is the opposite of how it feels to actually be here. Additionally, tourists can often be subject to scams or being ripped off, especially when it comes to certain attractions. However, we’ve ambled through bazaars and trekked up temple steps to scout out the best of what Sri Lanka has to offer and what you can give a miss, so all you need to do is scroll through and pick out your favourite ideas!
- See & do
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Bright colours at festival time, amazing animals roaming plains, and ancient architecture that puts Europe to shame: Sri Lanka has attractions for all kinds of traveller. It makes sense – with over a hundred thousand years of human habitation and its unique climate and geography, the country was always bound to be a special place to visit.
- Food & Drink
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Sri Lanka’s multicultural history means the food here is uniquely delicious. There are influences from all over, especially the subcontinent, but also South-East Asia, the Middle East, and even the Netherlands and Portugal as a result of the colonial period. The ethnic minorities on the island also have a whole host of traditional dishes that have histories stretching back centuries if you’re looking for something uniquely authentic. The cities and beach towns are full of wonderful bars to relax in, so if you’re keen for a great cocktail – or just want to sample the local liquor – you won’t have to search far.
- Guides & tips
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With so much packed into this island nation, planning a Sri Lankan holiday can feel a bit stressful – which is the opposite of how it feels to actually be here. Additionally, tourists can often be subject to scams or being ripped off, especially when it comes to certain attractions. However, we’ve ambled through bazaars and trekked up temple steps to scout out the best of what Sri Lanka has to offer and what you can give a miss, so all you need to do is scroll through and pick out your favourite ideas!
- Map View
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