SRI LANKA GENERAL
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You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
Hi travelniggers!
Im going to Sri Lanka in july, does anyone have any great reccomandations?
I was thinking of driving down to Galle from Colombo, maybe stopping in Hikkaduwa (or is it a shithole?)
Then checking out the beaches in the south, around Tangalle, surfing a bit (any good ones?).
Driving up to Ella, hiking in the tea plantations and maybe even up Adams Peak which is 2 k masl. On the way stopping in the national parks etc.
Does it sound like a good plan? Any must sees? Hidden treasures? Wasn't really thinking about hitting up the north, but open to suggestions.
Is the big rock fortress worth it?
>>1107907
You had me at
>travelniggers
>>1107907
>I was thinking of driving down to Galle from Colombo, maybe stopping in Hikkaduwa (or is it a shithole?)
Galle is easily worth a day, quite nice really. Hikkaduwa isn't much to look at, but there's nice beaches along that stretch of the coast. Road's quite busy though, and the driving style is rather Asian.
Don't know about surfing, but definitely an option.
Ella/Adam's Peak/National Parks are definitely nice, the scenery around that area is quite neat. Adam's Peak may be busy, pilgrims often flock to it, avoid holidays. Big Rock Fortress aka Sigiriya is worth it, in my opinion. Quite touristy though - still, it's easy enough to make it look mostly deserted on pictures - pic related, there were about a hundred people right behind me when I took this shot.
>>1107907
>maybe even up Adams Peak which is 2 k masl
Do that. It's out-of-this-worldly beautiful. Bat as the other anon said, it can get busy.
>Hi travelniggers!
What board are you coming from?
It's funny, my travelsense is telling me that the whole Sri Lanka can be done in 2 weeks or 2 weeks and a half.
>>1107907
Heading down the west coast? Take the train and sit by the open door while gazing onto the ocean. Seriously, the tracks for the most part are just behind the beach. It's lovely.
>>1108063
Does the train go from Colombo to Galle/Tangalle? Is so, then for sure.
>>1108101
I went from Colombo down to Galle. Pic related.
>>1108329
Gorgeous! Will definitely do the same
Best surfing in Sri Lanka? Heard good things about Mirissa
>>1107907
You need to see Kandy. The city is just full of megabats - it is incredible
And Horton Plains National Park is seriously beautiful as well
>>1107907
Anyone have any experience with Intrepid Travel? I'm thinking of taking their food tour.
Link: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/sri-lanka/real-food-adventure-sri-lanka-93688
I know its 2k but fuck it I'm having a stressful year and I can afford it.
Also, what other cool shit am I missing out on in Sri Lanka because I'm taking a tour?
I was there last year
It's awesome
but it's cheap as fuck so why rent a car and deal with that nightmare? the roads between the south and ella are a hellscape my man, forgettaboutit
Galle is probably cool to check out, but why waste your time in a shitty city? Mirissa man. Just go there, have fun and use it as the base of operations since all the infrastructure is there for you. They run surfing tours out of there as well.
One thing I did that was fuckin great was I took the cinnamon air flight from Kandy to Colombo. It was about $150, and wouldn't have taken long, but it stopped in Batticaloa on the other side of the island so I got a great birds eye view of the topography. Thats another reason why you shouldn't drive, you can take a float plane to avoid the shitty windy ass roads
>>1108749
>>1107907
"Big rock fortress" aka Sigiriya is worth it, but honestly I think the better experience is going to the giant temple rock nearby, it's slightly taller than Sigiriya and the entrance fee is almost nothing and there's hardly any other tourists. Plus, to get to the top, you basically have to rock climb without ropes and what not, not really difficult, just kind of an "oh shit" moment. The big selling point is the views of Sigiriya from the top and the panorama of the entire forest around you. Also there's a giant old sleeping Buddha there that's kind of cool to see.
I'm going in November or December and can't wait.
Was thinking around 3 weeks to travel the country, basically going anticlockwise from Colombo - South to Beaches, through the highlands travelling north then maybe north east coast and back down?
Is 3 weeks enough? can do 4, as I'm pairing it with a short break in Thailand.
>>1108831
I think you'll be tired of the place
I spent 5 days and it was plenty
>1 night negombo after arriving at the airport
>next day took taxi to mirissa, took a couple hours on the freeway
>2 nights mirissa went whale watching on the full day
>spent day driving from mirissa to nuwara eliya, had lunch in Ella and went on a Pedro tea plantation tour on arrival in nuwara eliya
>1 night nuwara eliya
>next day drove to Kandy and went to the temple of the tooth relic (wear pants) then caught sea plane to Colombo
>went to dinner at nice restaurant in Colombo after going for a swim in the roof pool (cinnamon red)
fuckin sri lanka done
>>1108845
I'm not on a tight budget and travelling with my girlfriend, so I don't mind lounging about some days.
Nice to get a different perspective though - I do tend to get carried away. Thanks
>>1108845
How are the tea plantations? Still debating if I want to go up there.
Not OP but going to Sri Lanka over Christmas and New Year's. The family has been invited to a wedding there. Once my family go back home/split ways, I will have a free week to chill. Anyone know anywhere on a beach where people can stay but it won't be boring in social aspects?
>>1109067
Negombo, right near the airport.
Mirissa is way more laid back but also quite developed.
>>1108964
>>1109169
Cheers bru, will look into it
i'm half sri lankan tamil half murican. never been because of genocide and not having the funds -- i do now.
but still not sure if i can go. do any of you chads have any knowledge about the north/jaffna? i've heard very mixed stories.
>>1109201
Ive heard mixed things, its coming along, but still rebuilding. Should be safe though, lonely planet reccomends it thoroughly
>>1109201
heard its alright now. just do it.
Best food in Sri Lanka?
>>1109847
Yeah this anyone? This is the primary reason I'm going to the country
>>1109930
The coconuts are pretty damn good
Bump
hey guys,
im going to sri lanka in a few days and wanted to ask whether you know if its feasible to go from colombo airport to dambulla by taxi if we arrive around 2 pm?
thing is i dont want to waste half a day in colombo and read that you could go from colombo airport to dambulla in ~4 hours for ~55 Euro
>>1110715
>colombo airport to dambulla in ~4 hours for ~55 Euro
Should be fairly correct - the 4 hours is a sure thing, less sure about the price, but should be close enough. You might not be able to visit the rock temple in Dambulla that day, but while there isn't a whole lot to do in Dambulla itself, there's plenty of accomodation.
>>1110759
sweet man ty. i found the price at the airport site + some other board told some other guy the same price so it should be roughly correct!
thank you dude you really helped me :)
>>1107907
Every single flight I see into Colombo seems to land at 2 AM. Every. Godamn. One.
Is this common? Are there any amenities at the airport at 2 AM and can they still get me to my hotel? Help /trv/!
>>1111159
Landed at 2pm or so myself. Flew with Emirates if that helps.
>>1111621
Yeah I'm flying Emirates too. Weird man.
>>1112147
Unwatauna for real man, had a great night out there with people in the hostel I was in Galle fort, you meet a lot of the locals as well people on study leave etc.
>>1108476
It's definitely the place to go for surfing...can't recommend it on any other basis unless you just want to drink and meet other backpackers.
We got bored there so we paid some random dude with a tuktuk to take us around the nearby countryside. One thing everyone should know about Sri Lanka, there's interesting shit in the most out-of-the-way places. Centuries-old shrines with fresh flowers sitting at the base, turtle pools, cinnamon farms, random little museums. Either hire a tuk-tuk or rent a bike, and just get lost.
>>1108816
Huh, I wish I had known about that.
>>1109930
>>1109847
Oh man, the food. I came straight from Vietnam so I was a little spoiled, but I was still impressed.
I wonder if other people here agree with me -- restaurants don't seem to be a thing in SL? In a busy town there might only be one Western-style pizza place, and some hardware store that doubles as a roti joint.
When you do find a traditional restaurant, it's a hell of an experience. Sweaty, windowless, men eating soup with their hands...be brave and order boldly. It's spicy as a motherfucker but definitely rewarding. I'm a curry addict to this day.
We splurged on one fancy traditional restaurant in SL. All I remember from that experience is "spicy"
The best meal I've ever had while traveling was at a beachfront restaurant in Mirissa. Some of the hotels have old rowboats set on the beach, paced full of ice and with the day's catch on top. You point to the fish you want to eat, they grill it, and serve it to you there on the beach.
I'll post a few pics.
Here's a snake-tamer. Actually I don't know wtf his job was but he had a garage full of snakes.
>>1112177
Can't ride a train in southern Asia without this song getting stuck in my head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2gW3zwMMQ
>>1112179
Mirissa port. We went on a profoundly unethical whalewatching tour. It was great.
>>1112180
Only elephant we saw while there.
>>1112180
Thanks for the pics man I'm getting pumped, not leaving until Dec though it's painful.
What was unethical about the whalewatching tour?
Any offbeat experiences you can recommend?
Anyone with advice flying from Nepal to Sri Lanka?
Been watching flights but most are fucking retarded like going through the Middle East.
Flying Aus -> Nepal -> Sri Lanka -> Aus
>>1107907
LEARN TO GROW YOUR OWN CINNAMON AND BLACK PEPPER
>>1112174
Im really looking forward to the food, but two of my friends are gigantic pussys when it comes to spice, will they find something to eat?
>>1112398
Two words: short eats. Short eats are a broad category of pasty-like foods. They can be filled with dal, mild curry, or sweet coconut stuff. Traditionally they bring an enormous platter of the things to your table; you eat only what you want, and they don't charge you for the leftovers.
Like I said it was hard to find restaurants so we ended up eating short eats for 80% of our meals there. Not that I'm complaining.
Anyone know if they have this shit in India?
>>1112343
>What was unethical about the whalewatching tour?
Well the greenies are saying the whales might change their migration route because so many whale watching boats are harassing them every day. It wouldn't surprise me -- basically there's one high-quality tour company in Mirissa which uses sonar to find the whales, and then half a dozen sketchy, half-assed tour companies follow them all around the coast. We used one of the half-assed ones. It's a frantic procession of noisy tourist boats; must freak the whales out.
I still recommend it, though.
Thanks for the hints so far, have booked tickets to Sri Lanka for early next year.
>>1112459
Beautiful! Did you check out the beaches on the east coast at all? Or stay in Ella?
>>1109201
I'm mixed as well. Went to Jaffna in 2013. It was fine, visibly signs of conflict and businesses were popping up. Its definitely worth checking out
How are the prostitutes in Lanka? Preferably not local ones, they are too brown
>>1112169
Nice one, anywhere else?
>>1112459
Those look fucking lovely
Are drugs allowed in Sri Lanka? Is weed common?
>>1114113
yeah what about this?
>>1114113
>common
ask a tuk tuk driver for some good quality kerala ganja or K.G. as they call it in sri lanka
>>1112179
Just listening to this makes me want to see India so badly. Pls tell me it's really like it is in Bollywood.
>>1107907
I'm thinking about going to Sri Lanka /trv/, should I go on a tour or do independent travel?
>>1115703
You can hire a private guide/chauffeur plus a car for like $30/day. He'll translate for you, take you to out-of-the-way places, and take you anywhere you want to go. Way better than an organized tour.
The only catch is he will want to take you to specific hotels and restaurants so he can get a cut.
>>1115792
Where do I get one of these private chauffeurs?
>>1115877
If you want to spend more, find one in lonely planet or online. If you want to spend less, ask your hotel or a local tour operator. That's where I got the $30 figure.
If you're a poorfag, just walk around Colombo until someone approaches you with a tour proposal, then start haggling hard.
>>1116028
Hm interesting. What's the local alcohol like?
>>1116581
I only tried the local Lion beer. They do a lager and a stout; the stout always really fucked me up. I get nostalgic about it because I write, and while staying in Mirissa I wrote some really good shit while sitting on the beach tipsy on Lion stout.
The local liquor is called Arrack, distilled from coconut milk. people go crazy about it. I only tried the cheapest brand -- not particularly pleasant but definitely unlike anything I'd tried before. One of our guides told us if we offered a bottle to some fishermen they'd take us on the ocean with them. We tried this; they demanded a hundred bucks *and* the bottle. Cheeky fucks
>>1116581
High end Arrack can be very decent and still dirt cheap by western standards. The lager is just lager, nothing special. Didn't get the chance to try toddy - fermented palm juice - myself.
>>1118649
Any stupid shit I have to watch out for in Sri Lanka? Stuff the guidebooks don't mention? Annoying touts, weird customs, tourist rip offs etc?
>>1119615
Amazingly few, I expected them in considerable numbers, but locals are almost universally polite and hospitable. They may show you a small favour/show you something nice/etc and sometimes ask for a few rupees, but just as often they help you out because they're a friendly bunch, or they just like to have a chat. I'd suggest to keep your wits about you, but nothing the guidebooks haven't warned you for.
Even the people who make a living off of tourists are polite; a simple but kind and firm 'no, thank you' is usually enough.
>>1120767
Wow, sounds like exact opposite of India. I'm really looking forward to my Sri Lankan vacation now!
>>1112459
u r a fucking idiot wow
Debating going to either Kerala or Sri Lanka. Where to /trv/ bros?
>>1121745
Sri Lanka for sure. Why would you want to go to india?
>>1121745
Both are very cool. Besides, Kerala has a lot of similarities with Sri Lanka. Green and lush. Shy white-clad people.
When I flew from Trivandrum to Colombo, about 20 years ago (yes, oldfag), the ticket was very cheap. Also, the inflight meal of french cheese, orange juice and crackers, cured me of the Delhi Belly that had plagued me for months. 10/10!
>>1122601
The Backwaters seem pretty cool. What's wrong with India?
