Sri Lanka has been on my list for the longest time but I never had the courage to commit to the 30 hours of flight and travelling time to get there. This spring, I finally decided to take the leap, by booking a few days of layover in Hong Kong to break up the number of hours I would be stuck in an airplane seat.

To plan this trip, multiples dilemmas popped up.

TRANSPORTATION: Train it or cab it?

Sri Lanka is home to the most scenic train rides in the world. Many blogs and Instagram pics will prove it. However, the largest problem is the timeline that I had: just 6 nights-7 days. Train tickets are cheap, but it can take 4-5 hours to go from one city to another, whereas driving can take you there in 2h. The limited train schedules also played in the final decision of us hitting the road instead of the rails.

Self-driving is definitely not recommended if you’re a scary cat like me. Traffic can be pretty horrible: there are no lanes, no traffic lights and generally not many road signs, unless on the very main highway and there is only one of those. The roads are not always paved and can be pretty narrow for cars and buses driving in both directions…also throw in a dozen tuk-tuks here and there and here goes my panic attack. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, don’t forget to bring your international driver license and remember that Sri Lankans drive on the left side of the road.

Now that I’ve decided to have somebody drive us: Taxi or private driver?

Private drivers will end up more expensive, but they will save you the hassle of finding a ride and negotiating the price every time you want to go somewhere. It will be a one time discussion, usually over email, for establishing the price for the week’s itinerary. I also liked the fact that it became a much more personalized experience. Our driver, Nadeesha, really ended-up being more of a friend and a guide, sharing with us the favorite spots of his home country. I booked with Visit in Sri Lanka since they were top rated in TripAdvisor with rave reviews and with good reason.

Private drivers will stay with you during the whole trip, so many hotels will provide accommodations for them at no extra charge. If your hotel doesn’t have this facility or if the driver rooms have no more vacancy, Visit in Sri Lanka will ask that you give 10 USD per night for the driver to stay somewhere else. Depending on the agency you choose, this can be negotiated in the total price for the car rental.

If you have more time to spare and will be doing a prolonged stay in each place to explore, then booking your rides one at a time would make better sense. For that, you can hire a taxi or a tuk-tuk for shorter distances. Most hotels will arrange that for you free of charge. We were on the move from one city to another almost every single day, thus having our own driver came in very handy.

OUR ITINERARY

Day 1: Negombo

My flight landed at 10 pm, so the first day consisted of a transfer to the hotel from the airport and a good night’s sleep, trying to get over the jet-lag and be prepared for the week’s adventure. Negombo is a 20 min drive from Bandaranaike International Airport, which is actually closer than Colombo. It’s also a more laid-back city and has a beach, which makes it a very popular spot to start your trip in Sri Lanka feeling refreshed or end it in a more relaxing way. I picked Pledge 3 hotel, a modern hotel with clean rooms, free breakfast and most importantly, complimentary pick-up at the airport.

Day 2: Kandy

Kandy is the second largest city in Sri Lanka and is famous for its religious sites and cultural gems. Nestled in the hills amidst tea plantations, the city centers around a lake: Bogambara lake. It’s easy to explore on foot as the city center is fairly small, especially if you stay in one of the many hotels surrounding the lakeside. I picked the Radh hotel and absolutely loved every minute of my stay. It’s a recently built accommodation with posh decor and outstanding service. Plus, our driver’s accommodation was taken care of right at check-in. I’ll write a more detailed review soon.

Temple of the Tooth: One of Buddha’s relic, locked in one of the most famous temples in the world. Shoulders and knees will need to be covered prior to entrance.

Sri Lankan cultural dance show: a very touristy thing to do, but we had to do it and it was quite enjoyable. Showings are either at 5pm or 5:30 pm depending on the show and lasts 1 hour.

Lakeside stroll: Kandy is several degrees cooler than Colombo, which makes for a confortable and scenic walk.

Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue: Requires an uphill walk of about 30 min. You’ll be  rewarded with a 75 meters tall statue, with the city of Kandy as backdrop. Note that you’ll need to be covered (knees and shoulders) and will need to remove your shoes before stepping in the temple. Also, remember to never turn your backside to Buddha!

Days 3-4: Ella

From Kandy, you can take one of the most scenic train rides to Ella. The trip takes about 7 hours and can be done either in first class reserved seats in air-conditioned wagons (windows don’t open) or 2nd/3rd class seats (reserved/unreserved). This is where you take pictures with your feet dangling off the train platform to post on Instagram. As appealing as that idea was, the thought that I’d be there in less than half the time by car won me over.

Nine Arches bridge

This beautiful bridge was built in the colonial era and makes for a picturesque background to any photo with its lush forest and tea plantations above and below. To get there is a 20 min walk from Ella train station, a nice and quiet stroll. Check the train schedule before to avoid being surprised when walking on the tracks. Although you can simply stand aside to let the train pass, some sections are quite narrow.

Little Adam’s peak:

A short and easy hike that takes about 1.5-2h roundtrip. The trailhead starts right in the middle of Ella town and follows through lush tea plantations. You’ll meet a good number of tea leaves pickers who will pose for pictures (and ask you money for it after). This hike makes for a very good warm-up to the numerous hiking opportunities that Ella has to offer, including Adam’s peak, Ella rock and Hortons plains. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to do those but they definitely will be on my list for next time!

 

I stayed at the Secret Ella, a tea estate. My room is in what was once a planter’s bungalow, converted into a resort nestled amidst the lush mountains in central highlands of Sri Lanka.

 

Day 5: Uda Walawe National Park

Sri Lanka has an astounding diversity of wildlife and a safari can bring you up close and personal with these animals in their natural, untamed habitat. There are a number of national parks to choose from depending on what you want to see. The most popular ones are Uda walawe and Yala National park. The latter is the more famous one which is unfortunately to its disadvantage. Although the reserve is bigger and there are more animals to see, the line-up to enter the park and the crowds inside can ruin the experience. Uda walawe is less busy and also much smaller. Even though in number there are less animals, your chances of spotting them will be higher as the population is denser, especially for elephants.

Yala

• Largest number of leopards in Sri Lanka (25-30)
• Asian Elephants (300-350)
• Birds, reptiles, water buffalos, deers, etc
• Possible to visit year round except September and October
• More chances to see the rare leopard and elephants but every time one of them is spotted, dozens of jeeps line-up fighting for a good spot to snap pictures.

Uda Walawe

• Largest concentration of Asian elephants (250)
• A few rare leopards, sloth bear, reptiles, birds and a herd of water buffalos
• Open year round
• Much less visited compared to Yala. We spotted a family of elephants grazing in the bushes and had them all to ourselves for 20 minutes!

Wildlife spotting is best early morning or late afternoon because the animals are the most active then. Half-day safaris are 6-9am or 3-6pm. You can also do a full day safari and the tour operators will usually drive you back to your hotel for lunch in between. Remember that the Jeep rental cost will be in addition to the park entry fees. We went with Kavishna Safari and was very happy with the service. I particularly appreciated the fact that our safari driver understands the animals’ habit and was not at all intrusive on their life. For example, he would park the Jeep a good distance for the elephant and turn off the engine. Perhaps we were rewarded for our silent patience because after 15 minutes or so, a herd of 7 elephants (baby included!) slowly moved out of the bushes and crossed the road in front us!

We stayed at Kalu’s Hideaway, a comfortable hotel located 15 minute’s drive to the Uda Walawe National Park entrance. Its close location helps a lot when you have to wake up at 5am for the morning safari.

Day 6-7: Tangalle

Located at the very south of the island, Tangalle is a laid-back coastal town, ideal to become a beach bum for a few days. I wanted a bit of relaxation before the trip home and the sun, the sand and the waves were my best companions for these last two days. I stayed at the Anantara Tangalle (review to come) and would probably splurge again to stay there if I were to return.

Marakolliya Beach

Literally miles of deserted white sand all to myself. I only met two other humans and a couple of puppies during my afternoon there.

Tangalle cooking class

What better way to experience Sri Lankan culture than learning to cook from a lovely Sri Lankan lady in her own kitchen? I looked up Dilani’s cooking class on TripAdvisor and the reviews made me feel comfortable enough to drive to her house and spend an afternoon there. She taught me how to prepare delicious Sri Lankan dishes such as dhal curry, fried calamari, pumpkin curry and roti. Afterwards, we had a great time tasting my cooking while she told me amazing stories about her family and country.

 

More on the accommodations to come in the next post!