We just got back from our 7D8N whirlwind of a trip to Sri Lanka that took almost a month of planning. Full of adventures, spontaneous decisions, sleepless nights and hours on the road made it this trip – for a lack of a better word – EPIC!

Sri Lanka is truly a beautiful country with a blend of cultures, religions and a transforming history dating back over 3,000 years. Having recently gone through a thirty-year civil war, the country is now beginning to flourish and has become one of the most sought-after travel destination. It boasts a diverse landscape ranging from tropical rainforests and picturesque highlands to stunning beaches and coastal lands.

It’s no wonder that we can safely say that our Sri Lanka visit has been one of our favorite and most memorable trip yet. We thought we should share with you all that we experienced and how we did it with this Sri Lanka itinerary.

Five hours in Colombo

Our trip started with the worst timings ever as our Thai Airways flight from Bangkok reached Sri Lanka at about midnight. It took us about 2 hours to get to Colombo including going through immigration, getting luggage and a SIM card.

It was 2 am so we checked in to a basic backpacker hostel called Backpack Lanka. We didn’t want to spend a full day in Colombo having only a week in Sri Lanka so we decided to stay here for a quick shut eye before having to catch our train to Polonnaruwa. Basically we barely had 4 hours of sleep.

Tuk Tuk to the train station cost 300 LKR (~2 USD) but it depends on the distance but you can negotiate in most cases. Compared to Bangkok, this was pretty reasonable. For the train we bought the second class seaters which cost 350 LKR per person.

We’re not going to cover our experience with the train ride to Polonnaruwa since we already did that in this post but basically it was pretty awesome.

Here are some pictures from the ride.

Day 1 – Anciety city of Polonnaruwa

After about 6.5 hours on the train, we finally reached Polonnaruwa station. We took a Tuk Tuk (250 LKR) to Hotel Ancient Village and received a very warm welcome by the staff and hotel owner.

It was a very quaint hotel with a picturesque view of rice fields. The style was very much like a blend between a hotel and a home-stay with only 5 rooms, basic amenities and personalized experiences.

Soon after checking-in, we were about to set out to explore the ancient city and ruins (a UNESCO World Heritage site) by bicycle when the hotel owner offered us his special. For 4,000 LKR (~28 USD) he would take us around the ruins in his Tuk Tuk including the entrance fees.

A huge bargain since the entrance fee alone is 30 USD per person for foreigners. He just saved us half the cost and also we got to ride around in style. He must have connections with the officials to get us this bargain. (Pssst, you didn’t hear that from us). Anyways, we agreed.

There was certainly a lot to see at the ancient city so we’re glad we got to save time by going around his in Tuk Tuk and only walking when we had to go through the actual ruins. A perfect day of exploring

The city reminded us a lot about Ayutthaya back in Thailand so we were quite comfortable understanding the history and culture. I’ve always been fascinated by history and culture while Shayan is more interested in taking photos, marveling at architecture and climbing stuff so it was perfect for both of us.

It took us about 3 hours to fully explore the ruins. Would have been much longer had we taken our bikes around. It’s also important to note that a) you have to take your shoes off across the entire ruin grounds and b) there are multiple entry and exit points. So another reason why taking a Tuk Tuk was a better option for us.

Back at the hotel during dinner (which was prepared by the owner’s lovely wife) we met two other couples, which led us to have a nice session of chatting, drinking and laughing. The owner also joined us, which was absolutely lovely.

The food was delicious too as we got to try traditional, home-style local food, which included different types of curries. One in particular we surprisingly enjoyed was the banana green curry. I know, right?

Day 2 – Climbing Sigiriya & close encounters with Elephants of Minneriya National Park

Since we barely got any sleep from Colombo, we stayed in a bit longer than we wanted to. Instead of going to Sigiriya at 7 am, we left at 10 am from our hotel.

We took a Tuk Tuk, which the hotel owner organized to take us to Sigiriya, wait there and then drop us off at the national park for just 3,200 LKR (~22 USD). A good deal in our opinion. Other option was taking a bus for a lot cheaper but not knowing how to return or getting to the national park in time.

Sigiriya

45 minutes or later, we arrive at Sigiriya, where again we only had to pay 50% of foreigner price. We paid a total of 30 USD for the both of us. Even if we had to pay full pricee, being able to see this place, which is Sri Lanka’s most iconic historical monument is completely worth it. It’s definitely an Eighth Wonder of the World.

After climbing over a 1,200 steps and braving some massive wasp nests (yes, this freaked us out too), we finally reached the Sigiriya summit. The view from up here was just amazing and these photos don’t do it justice.

Up here you get a sense of tranquility as if you’re close to heaven. While the views were great, we also couldn’t help notice the detailing of ruins on the summit grounds. Kind of looks like Macha Pichu (not that we have been there but imagine it being something like this).

We spent a good 1.5 hour up here and the total time going up, staying there and coming down took about 3-4 hours. I can’t really remember since all time was lost, which was a good thing.

Elephant Safari

We then made it back to our Tuk Tuk just in time so he could take us to our next adventure – an elephant safari, which was at the Minneriya National Park. We chose this place to do the safari for two reasons – close proximity to the hotel and the fact that during this season over 200 elephants come to the watering hole to bathe and graze on the grass.

Joining us was another family who turned out to be also staying at the same hotel as us. Our hotel owner must have organized it as such. We didn’t mind so much. After settling the bill with the driver at 4,500 LKR (30 USD) per person (this was the probably most expensive thing we did there) we were off on the jeep riding through a thick jungle and a very bumpy dirt road.

Shayan quickly got up and peaked his head out of the jeep top to see if he could spot any elephants or other animals.

Nothing. Not for the first 15 minutes at least…and then…to our surprise, elephants after elephants! First a family of 4 near a river but the closer we got to the watering hole lake, the more elephants we started seeing. About 10-15 at a time, at least.

What we liked: we got to see some really beautiful, majestic elephants of all size and shape. There were some seriously interesting up and close encounters in their habitat, making the safari quite an adventure. We had never seen so many elephants at one time.

What we didn’t like: it was too up and close, which is not good for them. We are disturbing them in their peace and stopping them from doing their thing (eating, drinking, etc.) We really weren’t happy with how drivers would get so close to the elephants. At times elephants seem very riled up and even stressed out. They had their backs to each other as if to protect their young and even got in attack positions. When we asked our driver why they go so close, he said it’s actually not allowed but some drivers do it to make tourists happy. This in turn makes other tourists angry and demand the same, so they all do it. This is made us really sad and it’s something we would never support.

After a long day, we returned to the hotel and called it a night after having a quick dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 3 – One night in Kandy

The next day we got up early, packed our stuff and took a local bus to Kandy. It was cheap (~150 LKR per person) but very nerve wrecking as the driver would swerve and overtake through the traffic at high speed. All in good fun and adventure though!

In about 3 hours we reached Kandy and checked into our B&B inn called Kandy Reach Inn, a charming guesthouse. They had 3 bedrooms and a living room but we were the only ones there. The owners were also out of town so the caretakers welcomed us in very nicely. The view from our place was absolutely breath-taking.

At first, it seemed quite over whelming and had no idea where to go, what to see or do but soon after we got our bearings and understood the city a bit more. We mostly walked around the streets in the city center, admiring the architecture, looking for local food and spending the evening at a few bars.

What was most interesting to see was the melting pot of culture and religion in the city. Communities of Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists coexist ever so harmoniously. We would see a church and a few meters later a mosque and then a Hindu temple and then a Buddhist temple. This was very refreshing and heart warming.

We also took the time to do some R&R since the first two days were quite adventurous.

The best restaurant/bar we went to was called Slightly Chilled, which was up in the hills and boasted a stunning view of mountains, city skyline and the lake. Although riddled with western expats, there were some Sri Lankans here too. We had some drinks and enjoyed the cool weather while talking to one of the local bartender who was on his break.

Cultural exposure at the Tooth Temple

Next morning, Shayan woke up early to visit the famous temple – Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This is and should be on everyone’s to-do when visiting Sri Lanka because it is a beautiful temple with a rich history and strong connection for the locals.

Luckily the day Shayan went, it was a special Buddhist holiday (Asalha Puja Day) so he was able to witness the full glory of the temple and how locals spend the day making merits and prayers.

Shayan opted to go in with a guide who explained the significance of the day, practices of Buddhism and other cultural details of the temple.

The ticket including the guide cost 2,000 LKR (~15 USD).

After that, Shayan met up with me for lunch at the honeypot restaurant, which was really, really nice as it was perched next to a gorgeous river. A perfect setting.

Insider tip: if you’re looking for Sri Lanka curry, make sure you come to the restaurant (or any restaurant in Kandy) during lunch time. They only serve it between 11 am  – 2:30 pm for some odd reason.

So that was that for our stay in Kandy minus some other inconsequential happenings. On to the next city!

Since we have so much more to say, we thought it’s better to divide this post up into two. Stay tuned for part II where we go to the Southern beach of Sri Lanka, explore the colonial fort and party it up in the capital.