I remember that the most troublesome part when planning our Sri Lanka itinerary was figuring out how to connect all the places we wanted to visit. So here I’ll first share with you our final transportation choices and itinerary.
?Dambulla Cave Temple
This time, we only stayed in Sri Lanka for a total of9days. It may not sound too short, but Sri Lanka is actually not a small country—9days were spent exploring only the southwestern part. In the end, we decided to4book a private car for some days, and use public transport for the rest.
?Sigiriya Rock
The reason is quite simple: we wanted to experience local public transportation, but also didn’t want to worry about navigating everywhere. Also, we chose to book a car for those specific days because places likeSigiriya Rock andHorton
Plainrequired us to arrive very early, which is easier to arrange with a private car. Plus, it’s a bit less tiring?After all, carrying a backpack and camera gear while rushing for trains and buses can be quite daunting?.
Let’s first take a look at our9day itinerary:
*Note:Day 2 ? Day 5Private car
Day 1
Late flight23:40ArrivalNegombo(Currently, only Cathay Pacific offers direct flights from Hong Kong to Sri Lanka) (The private car provided airport pickup to the hotel)?In the morning, we drove directly from
Day 2
toNegombovisited the Dambulla Cave TempleDambullathen headed to(Sigiriya Rock). Since we arrived in the afternoon, we just went to the hotel and ended the day’s itinerary there.Sigriya On the
Day 3
day, we went to visit Sigiriya Rock early in the morning. After lunch, we headed straight south to3(to visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic), then continued further south toKandy(Visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic) and then head further south toNuwara Eliya
Day 4
Got up at five in the morning to head toHorton Plainthe opening (you must come early, or it’ll be foggy later), then returnedNuwarato visit the tea plantation and stroll around
?Horton Plain
Day 5
The driver took us early in the morning toNuwarathe train station, and from there we took a train toNuwara[destination missing]Ella(since this was the last day of our private car hire, but we wanted to take the train to enjoy what’s said to be one of the most beautiful stretches of scenery in all of Sri Lanka. So our big backpacks were driven to [destination missing] by the driver (how luxurious!), and at the train stationElla[details missing]. Upon arriving atmeet
up[destination missing], we seized the last chance to ask him to take us toElla[location missing] and the hotel, marking the official end of our private car hire.Nine Arch Bridge
? The sea of clouds we saw
in the morningEllaOn this day, we were still staying in
Day 6
[location missing], and since the train we took yesterday was so crowded that we could barely move, let alone take photos, we decided to take the train back fromElla[location missing] toElla[location missing] (this area also has the famousHaputale [attraction missing]), though we didn’t have time to explore further. We got off after half an hour and took the train back toLipton seat[location missing], but this stretch of the train ride had far fewer people — those looking to take train photos might want to consider this option.EllaIn the morning, we took
Day 7
[transport missing] toTukTuk[location missing], and then headed to the seaside city ofLittle Adam’s Peak[city missing]. We had originally planned to take a bus, but when asking for directions at the police post, we met a driver looking for passengers.MirissaSince taking the bus would take5000-6000rupee[number missing] hours and require transfers, we ultimately decided to share a car to5-6[location missing] and then transfer toMirissa[transport missing] to get to the hotel. We stayed at a hotel inTukTuk[location missing] forMirissa[number missing] days, choosing a slightly nicer one to properly rest.2The next day, I chose a slightly better hotel to get some proper rest.
?We encountered an absolutely stunning sunset by the beach in Mirissa.
Day 8
Because we heard from the hotel staff that the beach here is beautiful, we decided to take a bus toHikkaduwathat day. For the bus ride, we just waved to stop the bus and directly asked if it was going there (some buses don’t stop at stations), and for the return trip, we took the train.
?Bus scenery
Day 9
On our last day, we went on our final train journey, fromMirissatoColombo! It’s said to be the train route closest to the sea, and the most beautiful part appears when approachingColombo.
Basically, the train runs across the entire island. If you’re not renting a car for the whole trip, remember to check the train schedule at the local train station as soon as you arrive. Also, note that service may be less frequent during local festivals.
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