Sri Lanka is one of the finest places to discover amazing wildlife of this planet. It’s a land where you can still spot elephants walking freely along the road, crocodiles living the local waters, giant turtles swimming at the beach shore and blue whales hiding in the depths of the surrounding ocean. Sri Lanka is an exciting holiday destination for adventure seekers and a truly wild piece of nature. During my extensive stay on the island, I explored every part of the country and here are the most incredible things to do in Sri Lanka.
Top things to do in Sri Lanka for adventure seekers!
The country was a very unusual experience for me because it was half working around sports leagues and half traveling the usual adventurous way. I have been to Sri Lanka several times, even during the most difficult times including COVID-19 and revolutionary movements.
Long ago I left my heart in South-East Asia while backpacking the sub-continent. I couldn’t wait to drain in the wilderness and visit the hilly central part of the country, known for yoga centers and amazing hiking trails. But at first, I wasn’t impressed by Sri Lanka, even though it has an excellent reputation among travelers. Only when you start exploring the country the real way on road trips or adventure tours, it unveils its true potential.
Sri Lanka - a land of wilderness adventures.
Sri Lanka, an island nation located off the southern coast of India – formerly known as Ceylon.
Colombo is the Commercial Capital of Sri Lanka with 620 000 inhabitants.
Most people come to Sri Lanka looking for nature, wildlife, body treatment and unique experiences in this exotic paradise.
The most fascinating things to do in Sri Lanka are Sri Lanka National Parks: Yala National Park Safari, Udawalawe National Park, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Bird Watching in Bundala.
I’ll be very honest.. Sri Lanka at first was a disappointment; a bit tricky and lazy people gave me an awkward welcome. Colombo – the capital was busy and everyone was trying to rip me off.. too experienced for this 😉 But you’ll be quickly able to figure out the mechanisms and gain confidence in traveling around the country and exploring these amazing things to do in Sri Lanka.
Public transportation in Sri Lanka.
Public transport functions in Sri Lanka – it’s cheap, adventurous, slow and crowded. The nicest destinations are those beyond touristic trails, where you get to meet real Sri Lankan people and their kindness.
BUSES running between the cities are very slow and in poor condition.
The most popular way of traveling is RENTING A CAR with a driver, or simply ordering a taxi (or Uber) to get to your next destination. I wouldn’t recommend driving in Colombo, the traffic is crazy and drivers are unpredictable! There are NO rules on roads and it gets really dangerous.
TRAINS are very convenient, especially from Colombo to Galle (south direction) and one of the most beautiful railways from Colombo to Elle.
TUK TUKS operate in most cities, it’s the best way to move around Colombo. Always go on a taxi meter – most of the tuk tuks have it. If not, agree on the price before you get in.
The best accommodation options in Colombo:
- Budget hostel next to Galle Face Beach Stay Lost & Found – Colombo – $25/double room per night or $15/per doorm.
- Excellent 3-star accommodation C 1 Colombo Fort $30/per night.
- Magical stay located in the heart of Colombo Highbury Colombo – $34/per night.
- Luxury 5* Shangri-La Colombo $240/per night. The hotel offers spectacular hospitality to all guests.
Sri Lanka News!
Sri Lanka – officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is formerly known as Ceylon.
2021 was a very challenging year for the whole country, which sank in an economic and humanitarian crisis. Streets were blocked by massive demonstrations against the government, which led the country to an extreme poverty, energy and food insecurity.
Protesting people paralyzed the whole country and eventually the President escaped abroad being concerned about his safety. Till today Sri Lanka is struggling with power supply, there are regular power cut outs every single day. Petrol is accessible but limited per each resident. The economic situation is improving but slowly.
Useful travel tips for Sri Lanka!
- LANGUAGE – Walking the streets you will notice road signs written in 3 different languages: Sinhalese, Tamil and English! Most people will understand basic English.
- STREET FOOD – this land is a paradise for fruits– nowhere else do they taste better than in Sri Lanka! Coconuts – drink and ask to cut it in half so you can eat the meaty part! You need to taste all these fruits: papaya, pineapple, mango, avocado, banana, and watermelon – are the most popular and the taste is not even close to the one you know 😉 rambutan, mangosteen, wood apple, guava, pomegranate and jackfruits are also the one you must try!
- CURRENCY – Sri Lanka Rupees (LKR), ATM easily accessible but you can always change the currency in hotels. Use only big banks, skip no name ATM’s. Card payments are usually possible in shops, restaurants and sometimes small service points.
- LOCAL TRANSPORT – tuk tuks – ALWAYS agree price in advance or ask to turn on a taxi meter. Uber is available and provides good service (perhaps you feel safer in a car in crazy Sri Lankan traffic).
The best yoga and massage place in Colombo!
PRANA LOUNGE – magnificent place for yoga, massages, body and mind treatment, with beautiful shop and small lunch place. In general Sri Lanka is not a massage place, the service and massage knowledge is quite poor in both spa saloons and local places.
The quality of a massage has no comparison to a Thai, Burmese or Indonesian one. However Shawn Roche is an amazing physiotherapist and a wonderful person, and this would be best body treatment option you can choose in Colombo.
Sri Lanka National Parks.
There are so many adventurous things to do in Sri Lanka but Yala National Park is probably the best destination for a wild safari and animal watching.
Yala National Park is a must-visit. It is famous for its leopard population, Yala is one of the best national parks in the world for big cat sightings. You’ll be going on a thrilling jeep safari through the park, where they might spot elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, and a diverse range of bird species. The best time to visit is during the dry season from February to July when wildlife congregates around water sources.
Yala National Park - home to leopards, elephants and crocodiles.
Yala National Park is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka and with a huge diversity of animals, if you’re lucky you’ll be able to meet the king-leopard. The safari experience is a typical jeep drive through the wilderness of dense jungle. However, it is overwhelming how close you can get to the wildest animals.
An interesting option is spending a night in one of the bungalows in Yala National Park. This would give you an option to explore the park trails before the gates open for other travelers.
You’ll certainly meet the elephants – the most powerful animal on earth. Locals say it’s safer to meet a leopard than the elephant ;))) On my second visit to the park, I saw how aggressive elephants can be when the road was blocked by a few safari jeeps. No messing with this animal! One adult could easily flick over a massive jeep. If you decide to go on your own in the jeep the guide should take you away from the crowded watching spots and this is where you actually breathe the magical wilderness.
Safari tours Yala National Park.
There are a few options for Jeep Safari Yala National Park Safari experience:
- full-day safari
- half-day safari (around 3-4 hours), which trust me is more than enough for a bumpy offroad excursion in a tropical environment ;)))
During high season it is highly advisable to book safari tour tickets online well in advance.
Jeep Safari Yala National Park is one of the top adventurous things to do in Sri Lanka!
The driver will pick you up from the provided address unless you already have transport to the main gate of Yala National Park. Jeep safari takes you around the national park, tracking the animals that are not sitting and waiting for you, so sometimes you will drive through really bumpy and offroad terrain! Yala covers an enormous area of 1200 square km and has 5 blocks in the park.
Leopard spotting Yala.
Yala National Park overview.
BLOCK 1 – the most popular safari trail is best for leopards and elephants watching. Seeing the leopard was an extremely unique experience. But my favorite still remains buffalo!
BLOCK 3 – the concentration of wild animals is much lower but it is a land of pure nature and amazing landscapes. Last time it wasn’t available for a half-day safari.
BLOCK 4 and 5 – very attractive for real nature lovers and a great option for a private wilderness experience due to the fact that most people choose block 1.
Wildlife tours Yala National Park.
YALA TOUR RATES IN 2022
YALA NATIONAL PARK OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Block 1 (Palatupana) –Half-day USD 45
Block 1 (Palatupana) – Full-day USD 75
Block 1 (Katagamuwa) – Half-day USD 50
Block 1 (Katagamuwa) – Full-day USD 85
Blocks 4&5 (Galge) – Half-day USD 50
Blocks 4&5 (Galge) – Full-day USD 80
Where to see giant turtles - Hikkaduwa beach.
Hikkaduwa is a popular beach resort located between Galle City and Colombo on the west coastline of Sri Lanka. With its light and relaxed atmosphere, the place is so different from any other beach town on the whole island. There are many local travel agencies in Hikkaduwa, explore and compare offers first before you decide to buy any trip. There are many adventurous things to do in Sri Lanka but Hikkaduwa Beach gives an unforgettable opportunity of swimming, snorkeling or diving with giant turtles and exotic fishes.
Things to do in Hikkaduwa Beach.
Here is why the place attracts tons of tourists each year:
- Hikkaduwa is a popular snorkeling destination – with amazing sparkling beaches, giant turtles and hundreds of tropical fish species.
- Hikkaduwa offers amazing accommodation options: from beach bungalows along the whole coastline for affordable prices and fantastic chilling facilities to luxury resorts with private swimming pools.
- Fresh exotic seafood restaurants with giant crabs straight from the sea! (One restaurant owner literally carried two live giant crabs to show us before cooking).
- One of the best surfing areas in Sri Lanka. The gear is easily available for rent from one of the beachfront stands. Best surfing season November to March.
- Lovely local bars and tasty lunch places.
Swimming with giant turtles in Sri Lanka.
Hikkaduwa Beach was an amazing surprise when I saw the giant turtles rubbing my legs. Turtle Beach is just in front of the Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon Hotel. There are a number of spots on the beach offering snorkeling/diving facilities – Blue Surf and Water Sports School and Padi Diving Centre. But you can also rent a snorkeling mask from locals who are occupying the beach – an hour was something like 500 Rupees. They might also give you some weed to feed the turtles.
In high season and on weekends, the beach is really crowded. The giant turtles are a fantastic attraction for all visitors, and so it was for me! The lagoon waters are a fabulous snorkeling spot and the whole beach facilities make it a really friendly place and it’s definitely on the top of my list of things to do in Sri Lanka.
Catamaran snorkeling tour in Hikkaduwa.
The catamaran snorkeling tour is a huge attraction, the boat will take you to the nearest rocks, visible from the shore to snorkel in blue ocean waters. It’s a manual catamaran and it takes about 30 minutes to reach the rocks. It’s a marvelous experience for any diver but please keep in mind the currents are very strong around this rocky area.
Water is deep and rough and I wasn’t wearing any wetsuit, so remember to pay attantion how far you are from the boat. There are number of catamarans and boats floating around and some of them are on engines – which in general is not safe to have them around divers. The sea world was beautiful, the visibility was great, giant fishes were magic 😉
Galle and Koggala stilt fisherman village.
Galle is definitely one of the most attractive cities on the island. But it’s the small fishing village – Kogalla, located 10 km south direction from Galle, that should be on your list of top things to see in Sri Lanka! Near Koggala there is a small Stilt Fisherman Village, where you can observe this unusuall traditional way of fishing, characteristic of the southwest coast. The fisherman sits on a wooden stick with a crossbar, planted out in the sea, waiting for his catch of the day. It is very rare to find this tradition nowadays, but for small money, they would present the fishing style and there would some nice photo opportunities.
How to get to Koggala from Colombo?
TRAIN – The easiest and cheapest way is to take a train. It stops at Koggala train station – which is exactly near the stilt fisherman village!
CAR – You can also hire a car with a driver, which should cost around $50 from Colombo to Galle.
Golden Dambulla Temple Cave.
Dambulla temple cave is the largest temple in Sri Lanka, it’s beautifully preserved a real piece of art. To explore the temple you would need to climb 300 steps, as it sits on a top of the hill. Watch out for the monkeys, they can be tricky especially when you carry food. You would also ned to dress properly – no shorts, skirts below your knees, you would also need to cover your shoulders. There are not that many temples in Sri Lanka comparing to South-East Asia with insane number of impressive shrines.
Entry fee is around $10 ~ 2000 LKR (only CASH accepted).
Inside the cave there are 153 Buddha statues, few for ancient kings and Vishnu, and amazing wall paintings. The place really impressed me a lot, even though I probably saw thousand temples in my entire traveling.
20 km from Dambulla cave the famous Sigiriya Rock is located, which one of the most popular places to visit on the island.
Climbing Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress is an architectural marvel, offering one of the most iconic views in Sri Lanka – the surrounding landscape and the remains of a royal citadel. The best time for hiking Sigiriya is early morning for a number of reasons:
- avoiding crowds
- enjoy cooler temperatures
- witnessing the sunrise illuminating the landscape below.
Hiking in Elle.
Sri Lanka is full of outdoor adventures with Ella as a hiker’s paradise. Two most popular trekkings:
- Ella Rock, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding hills and scenic valleys.
- Little Adam’s Peak, a popular spot for sunrise views, characterized by clouds rolling over the hills.
Kandy – the last capital of the Sinhalese kings, is located in the central part of the country is highly recommended for adventurous travelers wanting to explore its hilly green landscape.
Train from Kandy to Elle - the most beautiful train journey in the world.
The train journey from Kandy to Ella in Sri Lanka offers one of the most picturesque rail routes in the world. Spanning nearly 100 kilometers, this journey is not just about reaching a destination, it’s about admiring a breathtaking panorama of tea plantations that dominate the countryside, dense forests and past cascading waterfalls.
There are 4 trains daily from Kandy to Elle and the journey takes 6-7 hours.
The train station itself is a quaint hub of activity, filled with locals and travelers eagerly awaiting their adventures.
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