If you were to choose an amazing destination with a wild, wonderful landscape for your vacation in 2019, let it be the dream destination of Sri Lanka. An island paradise, a couple of days spent travelling around the country would take yours through some of the best coastlines, majestic mountains and valleys, incredible world life, scenic train rides, wonderful people, and mouth-watering food. This could be a vacation that you would remember for your lifetime. If you are planning an incredible vacation, it would be worth a look at some of the travel guides and plan for the trip with some of the best local travel people like Olanka Travels.

The allure of an island nation

They say it is pretty hard not to fall in love with this island nation once you land there. The welcoming people, their warm smiles, the quaint tuk-tuks, the hot yummy food and a wide variety at that, along with the wonderful landscapes surely leave a lasting impression.

The coastline and the seaside beach towns are what most tourists go in for and Sri Lanka does have an amazing number of shores. You could visit the sandy beaches of Trincomalee, Bentota, Unawatuna, or the beautiful beaches of Marissa to just relax and unwind. When on the island, you should never miss the train ride to Ella from Nuwara Eliya. The ride up the hills across gorgeous valleys and endless tea plantations is a scenic train ride and it is cheap too. 

Do not miss out on the cultural triangle and the ancient sights and monuments. Visit Kandy to see the sacred tooth relic, the city of Sigiriya and its ruins that is steeped in history, and the cave temple at Dambulla. And, whether you are a fan of wildlife or not, do make it a point to take one of the wonderful safaris across some of the fantastic wildlife parks in the island. If you are with the family and with kids, you will be having a fantastic time on these game drives where you could possibly spot beside elephants and deers, a wide variety of monkeys and if lucky, leopards too.

When to go

You can visit the country at any time of the year with tropical climates prevailing the year round. Though geographically small, the country has complex weather patterns. The Yala monsoon during May to August brings rains to the southern and western coasts whereas the North and the East gets their rain from April to September. December to March is usually the peak season for tourists.

Quick Notes

Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)

Electricity Socket: The country uses 230V/50Hz and has triangular pattern sockets. Do carry a Universal Travel Adaptor before you leave.

Stay:The entire island nation has multiple options for every budget. Big hotel chains, as well as homestays, are fairly easy to find. Book ahead of your visit though.

Language:Sinhalese and Tamil are the two main languages. English is widely understood in the cities, but people may not be as fluent. 

Travel:Local buses crisscross the country. Some can be luxurious, but some can be rickety too. Taxis are easily available and Uber and other local cab-hailing apps are available in the big cities. The all too popular tuk-tuks are a common sight and travel is dirt cheap.

Safety:The country is fairly safe, and tourists are widely welcomed.