By the Sea

Mirissa beach - I would say this is the Surfers Paradise of Sri Lanka. For a cheap, clean and close room stay at Ocean Reach for about $20 a night. Whilst here head to Number #1 Dewmini Rotti shop for the most delicious breakfast of savoury or sweet crepes.

Tranquil Talalla Beach - Get on a scooter from Mirissa and head east to the most gorgeous crystal clear, pearly green waters for a well earned dip.

Nilaveli - Book a tour to head to Pigeon island for some of Sri Lanka’s best snorkelling, spying the occasional turtle and plenty of reef sharks. Then get back on your scooter and head north of Nilaveli to dive into the Blue Lagoon. Feed your hunger with a cheap and tasty meal from Siva cafe.

Chaotic Colombo - You don’t need much time here, a few days is enough to see the highlights so whilst here I recommend BED hostel, with free bike rental and friendly staff, it’s a pleasure checking into BED. Wake up with a coffee from HANSA coffee a short ride away. We stayed here on our first and last night in Sri Lanka which worked out super conveniently as we off loaded out big 20kg bags and took off with just our day packs for the two weeks.

High In the Mountains

Crushing on Kandy the cultural capital - Stay at Jungle View and be sure to enjoy your host’s famous pancakes for breakfast. If its a little too far out then theres plenty of hostels just near the lake. If you fancy something different, love art and aren’t afraid of a little dust and erie atmosphere, then Helga’s Folly will steal your heart and captivate your imagination. If you don’t want to stay you can definitely still go and check the incredible and eccentric hotel out, perhaps even treat yourself to a wine in one of the many nooks of the maze.

Train from Kandy to Ella - Considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful rail journeys,

Enchanting Ella - Stay at Ella’s Highest Inn and ask the friendly owner if he could arrange for you to be taken to the secret jungle waterfall. Climb little Adam’s peak at sunrise and devour a thin and crispy pizza at Dream Cafe by night. Treat yourself to a tour and enjoy a cuppa with a view at Halpewatte Tea Plantation.

The Heart Of Sri Lanka

The ancient cities - Hire a bike and explore Polonnaruwa for at least a day! Heading onto Sigiriya, most opt to climb the famous Lion Rock attracting the lines of tourists and the traps that come with that. We chose instead to climb Pidurangula Rock which looks at Lion Rock. In my opinion It was a much more beautiful and authentic experience and I would recommend taking a guide up. After the steep climb you will be rewarded with panoramic views that you will most likely have all to yourself.

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Pack the smallest bag you can find and explore Sri Lanka in just 2 weeks