SRI LANKA TRAVEL GUIDE

Increasing popular, this small island has everything from beautiful beaches, vast tea plantations, mountains and wildlife parks. The people are friendly, its pretty cheap to get around, and the scenery is stunning.

There are 22 national parks in Sri Lanka, I visited Yala National park which has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. As well as leopards you might also see elephants, primates, buffalo, crocodiles and many bird species.

From the tropical rainforest drenched lowlands to the chilly mountain regions, where you can walk up to ‘World’s End’, there is so much variety here. There are some stunning beaches too, like Mirissa beach, Hikkaduwa or Arugam Bay – a top surfing spot. Being a small country, you won’t have to travel far to find a gorgeous white sand beach to lie on.

A popular attraction is Lion Rock, which you can climb up to get stunning views of the countryside. You can also check out the tea plantations. Kandy is a pretty area for this, plus puts on a great cultural dance show. If you haven’t done so already then put Sri Lanka on your bucket list and start exploring!

Sri Lanka is relatively safe for female travel. Be very careful at night though- it can get dangerous in some places if you are seen out alone after dark. During the day however it’s mostly safe to travel around by yourself. You may get a few stares or harassment here are there but during the day you shouldn’t encounter too many problems.

Buy a local sim and put in the emergency number, the number of your accommodation and a reputable taxi company- just in case you run into trouble.

Dressing appropriately is very much advised if you are a woman travelling alone. At the popular tourist beaches you should be fine in a bikini but do cover up walking around the streets- especially cover your legs.
If you book a tour group like a day safari, etc then it’s much easier to wear shorts and t-shirt as you will have a guide and other travellers with you.

Sri Lanka has different weather patterns for each region.

Central (Kandy & Nuwara Eliya): Much cooler than the lowlands with January to March being dry and sunny. The rainy months here are October and November.

South & West Coast (Galle & Colombo): The best weather is from October to March. April to September is monsoon season, the wettest months being April to June.

North & East (Trincomalee & Eravur): April to September are dry months, although small showers in August and September. November to March is wet season, November and December being the wettest.