Sri Lanka

Travelogues Sri Lanka

345 Travel reports · 60 travel bloggers · 5.9K photos · Best time to travel: February & September · Create a travel blog · About Vakantio

Vacation in Sri Lanka : Highlights & Travel Tips

Sri Lanka packs an impressive variety of experiences into a relatively small island, making it especially rewarding for travelers who want culture, nature, beaches, and wildlife in one trip. You can explore ancient cities and sacred temples, ride scenic trains through misty hill country, sip fresh Ceylon tea in the highlands, and unwind on golden beaches along the coast. The country’s warmth extends beyond its tropical climate: many visitors are drawn by the hospitality, flavorful cuisine, and the ease of combining very different regions in a single itinerary.

Key highlights include the Cultural Triangle, where places like Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa showcase the island’s long history, as well as Kandy, home to the Temple of the Tooth. Nature lovers can head to Ella and Nuwara Eliya for cool mountain scenery, waterfalls, and tea plantations, while safari parks such as Yala and Udawalawe offer chances to spot elephants, leopards, and abundant birdlife. For practical travel, plan for varied weather across different parts of the island, book popular train routes and safaris in advance, dress modestly when visiting religious sites, and allow extra travel time since road and rail journeys can be slower than distances suggest.

Best time to travel Sri Lanka

The best time to visit Sri Lanka based on this popularity data is February, with September also standing out as a strong secondary option. February is the clear peak travel month, suggesting especially favorable conditions and broad traveler appeal, while September is another popular time for visitors looking for a lively but slightly less crowded experience.

All travel reports from Sri Lanka

Arugam Bay

The next day we went to the beach at 10 o'clock. No resorts, no large areas with beach chairs, many fishermen, plenty of space to swim and surf, that's how I would describe...

Anrudhapura - Kaudulla - Sigiriya

Hello dear people! The first night was a treat for the body. I slept for almost 11 hours. I only woke up 2-3 times briefly. What I never expected was that Sri Lanka celebrates...

Matara - Bad weather, no whales, but Salties (saltwater crocodiles)

The next section of the route was completed very quickly, it's only about 50 kilometers from Tangalle to Matara. We could squeeze in a sight to see. In this case, it was the...

Ella - Sri Lanka

The popular train journey from Kandy to Ella, which I took with an Italian woman, took 7 hours past mountain ranges, through tea fields, valleys, small villages and lakes. After...

Trincomalee - sun, sand and whales

After a delicious breakfast in Dambulla, we got on a bus again and made our way to Trincomalee . After lots of culture and temples, it was time for some sea! Breakfast in...

Anuradhapura - Sri Lanka

The first stop: Anuradhapura, the longest appointed capital in the world with the oldest relic of ancient times after the Pyramids of Gyzeh and the oldest sacred Bhodi tree in...

Sigiriya - Lions Rock

Today we got up early again because we wanted to climb the Sigiriya Rock, also known as Lions Rock. The alarm clock rang at 06:15 and after a light breakfast we headed to the...

Anil, seven women and a ring

Today we are going on another trip to Galle. It's the weekend and I'm going again, otherwise I'll go crazy here. 🤪 And that can happen even in paradise. Tina&Ellina from...

A boat tour through the Madu River

Before we go out on the boat in the afternoon, I have another wonderful experience during my treatment. I sat somewhat lost in thought on my stool, savoring the aftereffects of...

Land and People

... you get to know them best when you travel alone. 💁🏼‍♀️ Although there are exceptions, as Claudia and Ralf show. I mentioned before that we understood each other right away...

A Panchakarma treatment

...calms the mind and detoxifies the body. Usually, I start the end of winter with a week of fasting. This time, I decided to do a Panchakarma treatment in Sri Lanka. Basically,...

Dalhousie (Adam's Peak) – Nuwara Eliya

Auf Anraten der hilfsbereiten Rezeptionistin sollten wir uns bereits um 01:30 Uhr auf den Weg machen anstatt wie eigentlich üblich um 02:30 Uhr, denn es waren massenhaft Leute...

Weherahena Temple - the somewhat different temple

Since Louise and I wanted to culturally educate ourselves after our early morning surf (6:00 am), Silva recommended that we visit the nearby tunnel temple. The Weherahena Temple...

From surfing, eating, and enjoying

Now the first few days have already passed. I am slowly starting to settle in. The heat is still overwhelming, as is the weather. Usually, there are only a few clouds in...

Kandy: Buddha's canine tooth and a significant encounter with Namal

Next stop was Kandy. The city that we would have skipped in our previous plan. In hindsight, maybe Nuwara Eliya's bad weather was just right for us :) The train ride, which is...

Relaxing days in Arugambay

In the middle of the day, we made our way to Arugambay. So we stopped a bus again that took us to Matera. There we actually managed to get another bus to Arugambay without any...

Food in Sri Lanka

Of course, the most important thing about traveling is not to forget to taste local cuisine. And Sri Lanka did not disappoint us in this regard. Now you might think that the...

Kandy and the highlands!

Our driver took us to Kandy. On the way, we stopped at the Dambulla rock temple, a World Heritage site. Entrance fee was 10€. The caves and wall paintings were nice to see, but...

Kandy - Tooth Temple

Last evening we visited the famous Tooth Temple. On the way, we walked on a promenade teeming with bats! The wingspan is really enormous, I would almost say it's about...

In Mirissa

Finally back on the beach. After we had moved into our room, we immediately secured two loungers on the beach, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. At 6 p.m. we had a date...

Strandblick

Well, did you miss us? Just have a few days off and relax on the beach. What could be nicer? Our hotel in Trincomalee was right on the beach. As always, the furry friends are...

Bye, bye Sri Lanka

We spent our last days in Sri Lanka in the beautiful city of Ella. Tomorrow we are going to Negombo. The city is close to the airport and the day after tomorrow a new chapter of...

Colombo

After six wonderful days in the Maldives, we landed back in Colombo on Sunday (September 10th, 2023). Since we skipped the city last time, we decided to stay here for two...

Shirodhara - The Ayurvedic forehead oil pouring

Today I will receive my first forehead oil pouring. The forehead oil pouring, also known as Shirodhara, is a key component of Ayurvedic therapy. Those who have experienced this...

Welcome to Sri Lanka

Hello everyone. As promised, we are checking in after our first leg, the journey. We are completely exhausted. Due to the time difference, we basically stayed awake all night,...

A few days on the beach of Sri Lanka 'Unawatuna - Galle - Gintota - Hikkaduwa'

I needed a few days of relaxation and to end my stay in Sri Lanka, I chose a nice peaceful little place right by the sea. And once again, I was lucky to find the perfect beach...