Our guide to Sri Lanka

Here is our little guide to the island to help you plan your luxury holiday to Sri Lanka. Everything we do is totally tailor-made, so do call us and we can plan an itinerary totally around you, but we hope this guide will help you in the initial stages of your planning.

Our guide to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka simply has it all: an amazing history and culture, dramatic views, national parks teeming with leopards and elephants and palm-fringed beaches. With a range of luxury boutique hotels throughout the island, it is one of Scott Dunn’s favourite destinations.



When to go to Sri Lanka

It is fairly difficult to accurately predict the weather patterns in Sri Lanka given it is an island that receives a range of weather fronts moving in from the Indian Ocean throughout the year. However, here is the general rule of thumb! There are two monsoons which affect Sri Lanka, the South-West Monsoon, or Yala Monsoon affects the south and west coasts from May to September, whilst the Maha, or North-East Monsoon affects the Cultural Triangle and East Coasts from October to January. That said, August is a little sunny sandwich for the south coast, so perfect for a beach break. For the summer, you can easily combine the Cultural Triangle with the East Coast beaches, or even the Maldives.


Weather in Sri Lanka


How to get to Sri Lanka

There are many airlines that fly to Sri Lanka. Many Middle Eastern carriers fly to Colombo such as Emirates, Oman Air, Etihad, Qatar & Turkish and provide good connections around the globe. For the UK and Europe, Sri Lankan Airlines either fly direct from London or allow good connections from a number of European hubs. From North America, on the west coast it is best to connect through Asia while it makes most sense to connect through the Middle East or India if you are coming from the east coast. Asia provides many routings into Sri Lanka and is served by many major carriers (Singapore, Thai, Cathay and Malaysia) in the region.


Getting around with a private driver/guide

Whilst in Sri Lanka, Scott Dunn only uses private driver/guides using luxury air conditioned vehicles. They drive you from A to B but also bring the destination to life. Things are really flexible, and often they will uncover the sort of the experiences you like the most and ensure your expectations are exceeded.

Should you want to travel around Sri Lanka in style, we can arrange private helicopters or seaplanes to avoid the driving. Cinnamon Air provides domestic seaplane flights mostly from Colombo to all parts of Sri Lanka, as well as Sri Lankan Airtaxi run by Sri Lankan Airways. There are some great connections such as Kandy to Bentota, Koggala or Dickwella on the south coast – this links the Hill Country to beach destinations and saves you a great deal of driving.

Driving in Sri Lanka

 

What are the major highlights in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka brings together so many diverse experiences from history, stunning landscapes, local culture, tea plantations and palm-fringed beaches. Here are our tops picks:

  • Cultural Triangle (also known as the Ancient Cities): Located to the north of Colombo in the centre of the island, these sites are well worth visiting. The climb to Sigiriya Rock is hugely rewarding, as too is visiting the Buddhist Caves at Dambulla.
  • Kandy: The city that houses the Temple of the Tooth, and located to the south of the Cultural Triangle. It is also well worth visiting the Botanical Gardens. Close to Kandy is the Pinnawella Elephant Orphanage.
  • Tea & Hill Country: Located to the south of Kandy, the Tea Country is surprisingly large. Stay in colonial planters' bungalows and either take light day walks or just sit back and look at the amazing views. For the more active, you can head off exploring Horton Plains, or climb Adam's Peak.
  • Leopards: The best place to see leopards is in Yala National Park on the south-west coast, but Wilpattu on the north-west coast is very up and coming (best seen in the summer rather than the winter for Yala). For seeing wild elephants, head to Minneriya close to the Cultural Triangle (the Elephant Gathering happens in August). Other parks include Uda Walawe, and ideal link between the Tea Country and the South Coast.
  • Galle: Galle is a wonderful city on Sri Lanka’s south coast, built as a fort by the Dutch East India Company. Perfect to wander around with an expert guide, or stay just outside in one of the superb beach hotels such as Cape Weligama or The Fortress.
  • Colombo: Colombo is not the most picturesque of cities, but if you like the idea of seeing the bustling melting pot of Sri Lanka then we can arrange an uber guide to show you around.
  • Food: Nothing quite beats a Sri Lankan curry either indulge in eating, or try your hand at the secret techniques.
  • People: The Sri Lankan people are fantastically welcoming and meeting them and hearing their stories can be some of the most rewarding experiences you can have on your travels. We can arrange for you to visit local homes to see what Sri Lankan life is all about.
  • Beaches: The Palm-fringed beaches of Sri Lanka’s coastline are hugely inviting, we have seen all the many hotels first-hand and will advise on the one that is perfect for you.

Family holidays to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a truly fantastic destination to take the family, whether you want a simple beach holiday, a soft adventure, or something that will fully entertain your teenager’s sense of exploration. Children will love the opportunity to spot elephants and leopards in the national parks, learn about exotic spices, clamber over ancient ruins, cycle through local villages, learn to pick tea and then end on the south coast for some beach time. For teenagers, you can head to Kitugala for some excellent white water rafting and trek to remote waterfalls. If you just want to kick back on the beach, then the Fortress and Cape Weligama are wonderful family hotels with kids clubs and connecting rooms.

Do however note that interconnecting rooms whilst touring the more cultural aspects of Sri Lanka are fairly hard to come by (the hotels are fairly small and boutique so many of our families who travel with Scott Dunn have found it to be absolutely fine).


Honeymoons to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is impossibly romantic, and so laid-back making it an ideal destination for a honeymoon, and perfect to combine with the Maldives for the ultimate combination of adventure and beach. Maybe tie together a little time in the Cultural Triangle with a stop in a colonial tea bungalow where you can have al fresco dinners overlooking amazing scenery. End on the south coast of Sri Lanka for some R&R or head off the Maldives to kick back in a villa perched on stilts in a turquoise blue lagoon.


Colonial Ceylon & Tea Plantations

Sri Lanka’s Tea Country is strikingly beautiful, and a wonderful way to access it is via the train from Kandy to Hatton in the observation car as the train snakes it make through the vibrant green plantations dotted with bright sari-clad ladies going about their daily tea leaf collection. Many of the old colonial bungalows have been restored:

  • Ceylon Tea Trails: The iconic luxury tea hotel has five bungalows overlooking Lake Castlereagh
  • Rosyth Estate House: A former planter's bungalow dating back to 1926 on a working rubber and tea estate.
  • Ellerton: Dating back over 100 years, and run by two British ex-pats and close to Kandy
  • Mas Villa: Over 250 years old, located in an untouched hillside location
  • Lavender House: Dates from the 1890s and a former tea planters residence
  • Warwick Gardens: Close to Nuwara Eliya and within easy reach of Horton Plains

What are the best beach hotels in Sri Lanka?

One thing guests aren’t usually aware of is that all beaches in Sri Lanka are public, and as such you won’t find too many beaches where you have them to yourself. Also be aware that the sea can be fairly choppy, especially in the summer months on the south coast. Don’t expect amazing snorkelling, or even diving and see the beaches more as picturesque places to sit back and relax and possibly spend more time in the main pool than the sea. The further down the coast from Colombo you get, the less touristy the beach destinations become.

There are a range of luxury beach hotels in Sri Lanka. Let’s start with Amanwella, located in Tangalle on the south coast – they have a range of amazing pool villas and a wonderful beach. Cape Weligama is located just down from the town of Galle and has amazing views and two quiet beaches. The Fortress is well known for families, and again just outside of Galle. Our favourite boutique beach hotels include Frangipani Tree, Villa Bentota and Rock Villa.


First time trip to Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka can of course be seen time and time again, but if you want a classic first time trip to Sri Lanka then consider looking at our Extraordinary Sri Lanka itinerary which combines Colombo, Wilpattu National Park, the Ancient Cities & Trincomalee. 


Usual and unique experiences in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a range of unique experiences that simply make your trip and create fantastic memories. Here are our highlights:

  • Take a rural cycling tour near Galle through local villages, paddy fields and temples
  • Visit the Kosgosa Sea Turtle Conservation Project
  • Have tea with a local family in Sri Lanka
  • Take a walking tour with Juliet Coombe in Galle exploring the city with the best guide in town
  • Learn to cook amazing Sri Lankan curries
  • Go on Hot Air Balloons in Dambulla
  • Climb the amazing Adam's Peak in the Hill Country
  • Go deep sea fishing in Bentota
  • Take a train journey through the tea country from Kandy to Hatton
  • Explore Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka’s last untouched rainforest
  • White-water rafting at Kithugalla
  • Cycle through the ancients ruins of Polonnaruwa

Luxury Sri Lanka holidays in style

With a little thought, you can certainly do Sri Lanka in style. By using private helicopters and chartered seaplanes, you can take out all the travelling so you can access remote corners of the island. Take a helicopter to a remote hillside location for a champagne breakfast, take a luxury plantation house exclusively or have the best wildlife naturalist in Sri Lanka at your disposal. We have the creativity to think outside the box and come up with something utterly spell-binding and designed completely around you.


Wildlife

Sri Lanka’s wildlife is superb. There are a range of national parks that can be incorporated into a journey, or combined to create an ultimate wildlife itinerary through Sri Lanka:

  • Yala National Park – located on the south-east corner of Sri Lanka and ideal from December to May, it offers the best chance of seeing leopard, but you can also see wild elephants, boar, deer and buffalo.
  • Wilpattu National Park – Located close to the Cultural Triangle, and good to visit from May to December, you can see leopard, spotted deer, bears, boar and crocodiles.
  • Uda Walawe National Park – located mid-way between the Hill Country and the southern coast, it acts as the perfect place to break the journey, and very scenic. There are fewer leopards here, but the park is really well known for its 500 wild elephants, water buffalo, langur monkeys, deer and bird life.

Active and adventure

For those who enjoy getting into the great outdoors, then Sri Lanka is a perfect adventure playground

  • Adam's Peak is Sri Lanka’s holiest mountains and located in the Hill Country, climb early in the morning for an amazing sunrise
  • Horton Plains and World's End is located close to Nuwara Eliya and gives a chance for a full day of trekking in the mountains
  • Lipton’s Seat was the favourite view point of Sir Thomas Lipton (of tea fame) and is another superb walk
  • Mountain biking in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country is the best way to get onto the more remote trails and see the rural highlights of Sri Lanka away from the main tourist routes
  • You can go sea kayaking in Bentota
  • White water rafting in Kithugalla

Combinations with Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka combines well with a multitude of destinations. The Maldives is the most popular twin-centre, where you can spend a week seeing the more cultural side of Sri Lanka before ending up on the beach at one of the luxury resorts in the Maldives.

India is another popular combination, with flights to a great deal of destinations. Kerala or Tamil Nadu work well together given the proximity, but you can also fly direct to Delhi to access Rajasthan or Mumbai to explore the Tiger parks.

The Middle East also works well and often breaks the journey, so consider a stop in Dubai or Abu Dhabi on the way to Sri Lanka, or maybe think about Oman for an ultimate combination of deserts, culture, mountains and beaches!

Explore Our Sri Lanka Tours

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11 nights
Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Kotugoda, Cultural Triangle, Hill Country & Maldives

An exciting, varied and in-depth twin country adventure that will whisk you away to the best that Sri Lanka, a truly tropical paradise has to offer. This includes the Cultural Triangle which boasts an array of ancient Buddhist sites and exploring the beautifully scenic highlands where you can immerse yourself in the breath-taking tea plantations....

Adventure Beach Couples

GBP £6,000 pp

13 nights
Epic Sri Lanka

Epic Sri Lanka

Colombo, Kandy, Gal Oya National Park, Hatton, Galle & Balapitya

Enjoy the very best that Sri Lanka can offer on this carefully curated itinerary, taking in everything from the verdant Hill Country plantations, to the cobbled streets of Galle and the cultural sites of Kandy. With an interesting heritage, Sri Lanka offers beautiful boutique properties full of character and charm which you can enjoy throughout...

Beach Culture Wildlife Adventure

GBP £5,500 pp

11 nights
Extraordinary Sri Lanka

Extraordinary Sri Lanka

Colombo, Wilpattu National Park, Ancient Cities & Trincomalee

This extraordinary adventure combines off the beaten track Sri Lanka with the island's main highlights which include wildlife, verdant rolling hills, tranquil beaches and important cultural sites. It is ideal for the adventurous traveller, who wants to spend their days searching for the illusive leopard, watching the sun rise on the top of Sigiriya...

Adventure Beach Couples Culture

GBP £5,400 pp

12 nights
Sri Lanka with Kids

Sri Lanka with Kids

Hatton, Yala National Park, Tangalle, Kotugoda

This easy but unique journey to Sri Lanka is great for families with children with a private guide and driver included throughout. Carefully designed, it avoids too much driving around but it brilliantly blends lots of time exploring the hills and national parks with time to relax and play on a family friendly beach.

Beach Culture

GBP £4,200 pp

13 nights
Family Fun in Sri Lanka

Family Fun in Sri Lanka

Colombo, Wilpattu National Park, Hill Country, Nuwara Eliya & Tangalle

Sri Lanka is a fantastic destination for families. Remote villages to explore, national parks to visit and leopards to find, tuk tuks to take through ancient temples – the list is endless. Through this itinerary you’ll be able to experience all the highlights with a great combination of wildlife, adventure and culture before finishing up with some...

Adventure Culture Wildlife Eco/ethical tourism

GBP £4,500 pp

14 nights
Ultimate Sri Lanka

Ultimate Sri Lanka

Kotugoda, Ancient Cities, Kandy, Hatton, Yala & Tangalle

Throughout this bespoke itinerary, discover the best of what Sri Lanka has to offer, staying in the very finest hotels. Travel through the country taking in the rich culture and history in the fascinating Cultural Triangle and the verdant Hill Country. Coupled with the adventures in Yala National Park searching for the elusive and majestic animals...

Adventure Couples Off the beaten track Wildlife

GBP £8,300 pp

14 nights
Limitless Sri Lanka

Limitless Sri Lanka

West Coast, Hatton, Kandy and the Hill Country, Yala National Park, Maldives

Brace yourself to be blown-away by the extreme level of luxury and stunning vistas this ultimate trip to Sri Lanka and the Maldives brings. You will be in seventh heaven as you submerge in the rural beauty of Sri Lanka, exploring hill towns and colonial tea plantations, National Parks brimming with wildlife and the tranquillity of the coast. All...

12 nights
Honeymoon to Sri Lanka

Honeymoon to Sri Lanka

Koggala, Yala National Park, Tea Country & Bentota

Do you like the idea of long, lazy days on a palm-fringed beaches with a dash of adventure thrown in? If so, then Sri Lanka might just be the perfect destination for your honeymoon! Picture coming across elephants and leopards whilst out on safari, sipping freshly picked tea (or a gin and tonic) whilst looking out over the plantation and rolling...

Adventure Beach Culture Wildlife

GBP £5,600 pp

15 nights
Sri Lanka Safari

Sri Lanka Safari

Kotuguda, Wilpattu, Sigiriya, Gal Oya National Park, Nuwara Eliya, Yala National Park & Galle

Experience wild Sri Lanka on this off-the-beaten track itinerary. This journey takes you through the length and breadth of this diverse teardrop isle. Through undulating hills, low grasslands and golden coast, enjoy incredible wildlife and culture throughout. With hundreds of species of endemic birds as well as a growing number of leopard sightings...

Beach Wildlife Couples Culture

GBP £4,800 pp

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