Best of 9 days in Sri Lanka

A small island country placed in the Indian Ocean is truly a land like no other. With the potential to win over mountain climbers and beach lovers alike, Sri Lanka has a beautiful landscape to explore.

I was only able to manage out 9 days from my job for this adventure, although I knew it from the beginning that these 9 days were gonna be nothing compared to all that the country has to offer. In case you’re planning a week off to this beautiful place, here’s how you can make the best of it:

Travel Route

Bandaranaike International Airport — CMB ( 30kms from main city Colombo) is the only international airport in the country with direct flights from India & other countries. Given the time in hand, I decided to do the much-visited circle around Sri Lanka.

Day 1: CMB — Dambulla — Sigiriya

We took an early morning flight in from Delhi to CMB considering the long day ahead. After landing we planned to head straight to Sigiriya.

This is where it gets tricky, finding a bus to Sigiriya isn’t the easiest of options. Firstly you won’t find intercity buses at the airport and the cabs will charge you anything above 7,000L LKR( not the most ideal spend considering a budget trip).

Ways to reach Sigiriya:

• Easiest Option(If not on a tight budget): Take a cab from the airport, easily available right at the exit. They start at 10000 LKR for 145km journey (this can be covered in 4 hours). Do bargain, they might end up with the lowest price of 7000 LKR.
• Bus: A hard find, you’ll have to travel to a bus stop which is en route Dambulla and change multiple buses. You can also go to Colombo(Fort) to catch a bus to Dambulla( This will take longer).
• The option, we picked- Tuk Tuks!: We were lucky to find a really sweet tuk-tuk deal, it cost us 4200 LKR to reach Dambulla(20 mins away from our destination — Sigiriya)which in my opinion was worth every buck. It took us approx 3 hours 30 mins, stopping in the way for refreshing coconut water and cream. Even in spike summer hours, we were extremely comfortable with the wind blowing up our faces. On reaching Dambulla, we took a bus ride to Sigirya( costing us again 140 LKR)

On reaching, You can either take the day to relax or pre-arrange for Safari visit to the National Parks nearby — Mineriya and Eco Park are two sweet options. Do keep in mind that Mineriya National Park gets submerged in water during Feb & March and elephants head off to eco-park.

Sigiriya also has some sweet places to dine & chill, you might wanna rest out as Day 2 has climbing rocks on the cards.

Day 2: Pidurangala Rock, Sigiriya

Waking up early will not feel tiring once you’re on top of that rock. We woke up at 4:30 am and took a tuk-tuk to the rock base( costing us 400 LKR from our location). There are two climbs to do in Sigiriya — The lion’s rock or the Pidurangala rock. We decided for the latter, Pidurangala is easy on the bucks and has stunning views(including the lion’s rock). The entrance fees(donation fee) is about 500 LKR for SAARC citizens and 1000 LKR for other nationalities. The climb is divided into two stages: the First Stage has irregular steps but is mostly doable. The second stage comes after crossing Buddha’s statue and is marked with arrows to help you find the way through the boulders. It is a bit scary, keep following the arrows, they will help you keep on track.

Lion’s Rock in the view from the top of Pidurangala Rock, Sigiriya

Tips:

• Wear Shoes: If you’re not a climber, shoes are gonna help you keep moving through the boulders.
• The rock is also a temple at its base, you would be required to dress up, keeping your knees and shoulder’s covered. There would be wrap-around available however would not hurt to carry one. Be respectful, remove your caps, sunglasses, and shoes as you enter the temple complex.
• Keep hydrated: Carry a bottle of water with you. Please do not litter around, it’s a clean country trying hard to keep clean.
• Sunrise and Sunsets are the best time to climb the rock and capture the views! Don’t be scared to climb through the dusk, there would be fellow travelers around. Keep a check on timings for Sunrise/Sunset, you wouldn’t want to miss the golden hours.

The climb up can be covered easily in 30–45 mins to the top depending upon fitness and speed. It takes about easy 20 mins to descend. You can head for breakfast to nearby cafes post your beautiful morning climb.

We took the rest of the day to cycle around town, visiting local cafes and restaurants. You can also pay a visit to the Dambulla Caves or do the Lion’s Rock in the sunset hours.

Day 3: Sigiriya — Dambulla — Kandy

We headed off to Kandy via bus from Dambulla, this was super convenient and easy to onboard. The journey took us about 4 hours. The buses in Sri Lanka are pretty easy to find and are usually running at a gap of 20 mins. We settled in at our stay and headed out quickly for a much-awaited lunch. We had kept the day mostly unplanned with the idea to roam around the lake. Kandy has a few touristy places — we went to a Buddha Statue which had views to the entire Kandy City and is peaceful to just be there.

We roamed around the Kandy Lake before catching the 6:30 pm ritual at the Tooth Relic Temple. The temple is considered highly sacred and is built around the tooth of Buddha( having a lot of history to it, you can read about it here). The temple again has a ticket(donation cost) of 1500 LKR for Non-SAARC nationalities and 1000 LKR for SAARC. You can also pick up some lotus flower offering right outside the temple.

Things to keep in mind:

• The temple is of utmost importance to Buddhists, even if you are an atheist, please show respect as you enter their place of worship. Keep your knees and shoulders covered. Wearing white would be the best pick for the day. Carry wraparounds as the shop keepers nearby would be ready to charge a hefty price and would not rent.
• Clicking pictures against the relic and posing is considered disrespectful. Clicking pictures in some halls would be okay and there are ample signs to show where photography is forbidden.
• It tends to get crowded during evening hours as the prayers take place, try visiting during afternoon hours for a calmer experience.
• Use Pick-Me-Up! The most convenient and best-priced cab/tuk-tuk aggregator in town! This was recommended to us by our Airbnb host and helped us in other places like Colombo. Please note that there is an underlying dislike towards Pick-me-up drivers by the normal tuk-tuk drivers as they take away the chance to charge higher.
• Carry universal flat pin plugs for charging.

There are plenty of places to eat nearby to the lake, explore the surroundings on foot. With beers and mocktails in our hand, we called it a day.

Day 4: Kandy — ELLA

I had read blogs on blogs on how beautiful the train ride to Ella was. Many people had recommended booking tickets online at a higher price(and these reservations close a month in advance). We found a smarter way thanks to one of the bloggers, this was later validated by our Airbnb host. To make the 7-hour train ride to Ella comfortably sitting, here’s what you’ll need to do:

• Head to Peradeniya Station ( next station to Kandy).
• Buy a 3rd Class unreserved ticket to Ella. This would be about 170 LKR. Traveling by train and bus will be where you save the big bucks!
• Wait for the train coming from Colombo. This will first go back to Kandy( it will be full of people) and then come back to Peradeniya. If you get on before it moves to Kandy, you will find a spot by the window! We saw many travelers come to Peradeniya only to be left confused and boarding the train coming from Kandy(giving them practically no place to sit). We board the 8:45 am train, which came back to Peradeniya by 9:20 am.

The train ride is best enjoyed sitting by the window or door. It is extremely clean and the views are picturesque. The train takes you through the tea estates that sprawl over the mountains. You can easily capture self quite literally hanging from the train being slightly careful of the tunnels and poles coming on the way.

Many travelers also prefer Nuwara Eliya(Nanu Oya)which falls 3 hours before Ella on the same train ride. We picked Ella to make our travel less hectic and to cover quality over no of the places we visited in Sri Lanka. Ella has a booming cafe street, the beautiful little adam’s peak, the Nine Arches Bridge and the Ravana Waterfall( all of which we covered easily in a single day).

After reaching Ella, you can chill around the cafe street or head to a tea plantation factory.

Day 5: Roaming in & around Ella — Little Adam’s Peak, Nine Arches Bridge, Ravana Waterfall

Try to stay around the Ella junction or railway station to roam around easily. We woke up early morning around 4:30 to head off to Little Adam’s Peak which is best seen at sunrise. You can walk to the base or take a tuk-tuk. Once you reach the base, the hike should not take more than 30–40 mins to climb. The terrain is easier compared to Pidurangala rock and has stunning views from the tops. The shades of purple and blue quickly turn golden as the sun rises. In case you are not to so fit and aware of your breathing limitations, take more time and start early to make it comfortably to the top. Spend time on the top, a hotspot of picture takers and vloggers. You can also venture into ziplining across the valley at the Flying Ravana. We decided to walk our way to the Nine Arches Bridge( keeping checking in with the locals, they’ll help you find a way).

You can head for some brunch options to the cafe street via Tuk Tuk or walk for about 2.9 km to the railway station through the railway track. We recommend doing the latter, we had a nice time interacting with people along with way.

In the afternoon you can head to Ravana Waterwalls for a quick dip in the freshwater. You can either take a tuk-tuk which would cost you about 700LKR or take a bus ride which will cost you 60 LKR. The water is clean and fresh, do not miss taking a swim. We headed back to our stay and enjoyed a great dinner, Soaking up the boho vibe of the town.

Tips:

• If you’re planning to buy some authentic Ella tea, do go to a tea factory as all other players are selling non-Ella tea in the shops
• Try Chicken Kottu, Hopper, Rice-Curry for an authentic Sri Lankan food experience.

Day 6: Ella — Mirissa: welcome to the beachy towns!

If you’re anything like me, the Beaches would make you happy. The white sand slipping through your toes would bring you joy and the sound of waves crashing on the rocks would make you wonder. One of the main reasons to pick Sri Lanks was for the beautiful beaches it possesses. Time didn’t allow for the east coast but I would come back for them in a couple of years. Southern coast was an obvious route helping us complete 75 % of the circle.

There are plenty of places to be on the southern coast- Tangalle, Mirissa, Galle, Hikkaduwa, and Bentota on top of the list. There is a different vibe to all of them starting from the architecture of the buildings to the scenic beauty.

We picked & traveled through Mirissa, Galle, and Bentota. Our first stop Mirissa is a great beachy town giving you a less commercialized feel of the Goan beaches. Parties are happening on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This town is a growing place for cafes and hostels helping the locals earning off tourism. You can swim to your heart’s content and drink till you drop.

Tips:

• Those sunburns will hurt carry a high range of sunscreens and sunblocks. You must also carry mosquito repellents.
• If you are super strict on your budget, buy alcohol from local wine shops( costing almost 1/5th the price)

Day 7: Mirissa — Galle

We took a day trip to Galle Fort, the bus cost us about 70 LKR one side and 1 hour to reach. The Galle( Pronounced GAUL)gives you the best of Portuguese architecture feel. There is a whole town inside the fort with homes, boutique shops, cafes, a mosque, and a lighthouse). You can take up to 3 hours to wander all inside. You can head back to Mirissa or plan a stay in Galle as well.

Lighthouse, Galle Fort

Day 8: Mirissa — Bentota

Before leaving Mirissa we decided for a quick visit to the Secret Beach, you would have to climb down a small hill to get there. The beach is narrow yet extremely beautiful. The rocks placed along the sea give you a different experience. Must visit for everyone traveling to Mirissa.

After a dip at the beach, we packed up and headed to Bentota, which took about 2 hours to reach and cost us about 200 LKR on the bus. Although Bentota is another beachy place, it has a charm of its own. The town is quiet and made for the calm minded, you’ll find the average age of travelers on the elder side. Bentota is lovely during evening hours when the sun has relieved the town of the heat and the pleasant wind blows.

Day 9: Bentota — Colombo

We weren’t leaving Sri Lanka before meeting some sea turtles! Sea Turtle Project near Bentota is a cute haven for baby turtles. With an entrance fee of 500 LKR which goes directly into the conservation of the endangered species, it felt like a good spend. They host You can hold small babies and see them paddling away in water tanks, they are bound to bring a smile to your face.

Reluctantly bidding bye to the beach towns, we head off to Colombo to spend the last day in Sri Lanka, we again took a bus ride which cost us about 200 LKR per person. You can explore places to eat nearby, visit the mosque. Overall Colombo is extremely commercialized like any other metro city. If given an option, we would have skipped it. The airport is about an hour away from the main city Colombo and becomes an easy option to roam around. We were mostly tired on this day and could not hop around different places, we choose to have a rather nice lunch option than spending more hours on our feet.

We had a midnight flight back to Delhi and had hours to kill, you can use that time to make some last-minute souvenir purchases at the airport, converting your currency back at the airport.

Tips:

• Use Pick me up to head off to the airport, it will cost you about 1200 LKR in a tuk-tuk.

That’s all from my adventure to this beautiful island country. How was your experience? add your views in the comment section and help fellow travelers make the best of their trip!