SRI LANKA TRAVEL GUIDE 🇱🇰 EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

[Music] [Music] we recently spent an entire month  exploring the amazing island nation of Sri Lanka   a country rich in history culture and natural  diversity although we tried to do as much research   as possible before visiting nothing prepared us  for what ended up being the trip of a lifetime if   you've ever heard someone say traveling changed  me and thought to yourself what do they mean by   that well we're here to tell you that our trip  to Sri Lanka made a lasting impression on us one   that will ultimately change our way of thinking  forever if you read the news reports about Sri   Lanka you will no doubt hear about the Civil War  that ended in 2009 the growing issues with the   economy and civil unrest and protests that have  plagued the country since 2021 this is the latest   video from the Sri Lankan government showing what  it says is another victory in its 25-year fight   with the Tamil tiger Rebels SRI L but what you  may not hear is just how beautiful and inviting   the people of Sri Lanka are to foreigners visiting  their country we've traveled all over the world   in the past 2 years and I've met some of the most  amazing people along the way but Sri Lanka had to   be the most welcoming country we've ever visited  the local people will literally greet you with   open arms and welcome you into their Community  as one of their own so with that being said here   is our ultimate travel guide to what is known as  the pearl of the Indian Ocean Sri [Music] Lanka   before we get into today's episode we just want to  say a big thank you to Surf shark for supporting   our Channel and sponsoring this video if you've  been watching our channel for a while you would   know that we've been using surf shark VPN since  the day we started our travels it's been a game   changer and something we can't live without as  digital Nomads if you don't know what a VPN is   it's stands for virtual private Network having  a VPN keeps you safe basically by covering up   everything you do online it's kind of like wearing  a mask when your laptop or phone connects to the   internet all of your information is encrypted  basically whenever you log into public Wi-Fi   you're running the risk of a hacker stealing your  information which is why we always use surf shark   in public settings but aside from providing us  with extra security while we're on the road surf   shark also makes it possible for us to access  online streaming sites that we wouldn't normally   be able to access because we're in another country  so basically how it works when you're using surf   shark VPN you can choose which country server  you want to connect to and not only that you   can connect an unlimited amount of devices using  just one surf shark account if you're interested   in trying it out click the link in the description  and use code Lloyd and Mandy and you'll get an   exclusive surf shark deal of an extra 3 months  free and if you've never used a VPN before and   you're not really sure about it they have a 30-day  money back guarantee so no worries thank you surf   shark for for supporting our Channel and thank  you guys for listening now let's get into the episode Columbo when flying to Sri Lanka you will  land at Columbo International Airport which is   located about 40 minutes north of the city center  but don't worry as public transport is generally   on the more affordable side well it's super simple  to book a taxi upon arrival if you want to save   time and money you can actually get an Uber from  the airport to your hotel for just under to make   it even easier we use Olaf eim when traveling  which gives us an active Data Network as soon   as we touch down making it even easier to book  an Uber right at the arrival gate alternatively   at the airport there are SIM cards available  just right outside the baggage collection area   and you can expect to pay as little as $10 for  30 days of unlimited data using a local company   called dialogue this is a great option if you're  planning an extended trip Columbo is the bustling   capital of Sri Lanka and the most populated city  in the country located on the coast of the Indian   Ocean it is not only the epicenter of business  and trade but has many cultural monuments that   can be viewed in a single day by Tuk Tuk we used  Capital tours as our local guide to Columbo who   picked us up from our hotel in a convertible  Tok Tok with drinks and snacks provided our   driver kavit was extremely knowledgeable on the  city having lived there his whole life a herbal   potato herbal potato okay why is it so big uh we  don't know M so he took us to many different areas   of Columbo including the spice District the famous  Marine Drive and showed us all the old historical   buildings in the city including Dutch and English  Colonial sites as well as ancient temples churches   and mosques but no trip to Columbo would be  complete without tasting some of the amazing food   the city has to offer Capital tours also offer an  authentic street food tour where you will get to   taste all of the local cuisines in one night just  make sure you have an appetite cuz you'll need it   we stayed at two different hotels during our time  in Columbo the first one being the grand Bell   Hotel Columbo which had an amazing view of the  city and the ocean we also stayed in Pearl Grand   Hotel in Columbo which was a more budget option  and not so fancy but it was actually really good   value for the location and the rooftop pool next  stop is Sri Lanka's beautiful South Coast where   you can visit pristine beaches and national parks  all in the same day getting to the south coast is   super simple using the public train one of our  favorite parts about Sri Lanka is the incredibly   scenic train rides and this is the first of  a couple trains that we will recommend riding   while you're here first class train tickets are  as low as $7 per person to get from Columbo to   Gul which is where we recommend you spend at least  a few days checking out the famous Gul Fort an Old   Dutch Colonial settlement on the water that has  been extremely well preserved and even survived   the tsunamis of 2004 we wish we would have known  before arriving in Gul about all the amazing cafes   and restaurants located at Gul fort because we  would have allowed for more time to spend the   whole day there because there's just so much to  see and do so we recommend you do that there's   also beautiful Fields where locals seemed to like  to play cricket and have picnics in the grass and   there was cows wandering around and it was just  a really Pleasant place to spend time we also   recommend checking out the Maha modara sea turtle  Hatchery where you can see the great work they're   doing to help preserve these beautiful creatures  the cost to enter the sanctuary was about $4 each continuing your journey down the coast you can  rent a Tuk Tok to drive the rest of the way using   tuktok rentals.com making your experience in  Sri Lanka all the more authentic taking in the   breathtaking scenery while having some access to  the best parts of the country on three wheels Tuk   to rentals will take care of everything for your  journey including delivering your Tuk Tok to your   accommodation making you feel comfortable driving  the Tuk Tuk before you take off and even getting   you sorted with a local license so the place won't  bother you the cost of the license is just $50 and   is a requirement when renting from them the rental  of the Tuk Tok was also about $18 per day you can   also add on having like an esy or having a speaker  there's plenty of different options to make your   Tuk Tok Journey more comfortable believe it or  not we managed to fit all of our luggage plus   two of us and a speaker in this tiny little  Tuk Tok and driving it was much easier than   we thought it made our trip that much better  having our own transport and having the Tuk   Tok made the trip for us honestly we really  recommend experiencing this at least [Music] once the next stop on the south coast is a cool  little surf town of wellig Gama which feels sort   of like a throwback to 1980s Bali before it  became a little bit more overdeveloped and   westernized here you'll find some of the best  beginner surf spots in Sri Lanka as well as   many y yoga studios and healthy cafes there's  not really a huge party scene in welli Gama   so if you're looking for nightlife then this  probably isn't the place for you but it's a   great place to chill out even when you're  not a surfer and the vibe is really chill   and peaceful and we really liked it we aren't  really big Surfers but if we're going to head   somewhere to learn I think this would be the  place it looked like the going rate for a surf   lesson was about $20 and there were plenty of  people of all ages learning how to surf at the   main Beach on wama we also loved going to yoga  at hangtime hostel just across the street from   the main Beach for $6 each and watching people  serve from the balcony our favorite beach near   weligama was Jungle Beach but be weary of your  personal items on the beach as pig pocketing   is quite common in the area as we were warned  continue your journey along the south coast up   towards yala national park with quick stopovers  at hiri Keta Beach all the way up to tissamaharama   where you can spend a day exploring the massive  Temple and begin your journey to yala National   Park but beware of elephants if you happen to  cross one like we did wait for a bigger vehicle   to help guide you past the animal and remember  do not feed the wild [Music] elephants around   2 hours north of yala National Park is a cute  little Mountain Village of Ella where there's   an abundance of cafes restaurants and beautiful  homestays set up on the high hills with views   of the waterfalls and famous Ella Rock expect  to pay anywhere between 20 $40 per night for   a fully equipped Airbnb don't forget to visit the  Instagram worthy 9 Ares bridge where you can watch   the train traveling through the breathtaking  scenery up to four times a day it's completely   free to visit but make sure you wear the right  shoes to avoid slipping down the very steep [Music] descent after a few days in Ella we decided we  wanted to take the train through the mountains   to head to our next destination which thankfully  tuktok rands.com has a service where a local will   drive our Tuk Tok for us and meet us at the next  destination and I'm so glad we did this because   the train ride was so scenic and we got to eat  fruits and nuts from locals up the mountains it   was just a really special experience our next stop  where we met our Tuk Tuk and the driver after the   beautiful mountain train ride is the quiet Town  known as little England noira alah which is a tiny   little mountain town set on a huge Lake and as the  name suggests draws very close similarities to the   English Countryside if you love tea then this is  the place for you with hundreds of tea plantations   in the area you can be sure to find a great cup  of tea here beside a warm fireplace and yes it   does get very cold here believe it or not so make  sure you pack the right clothing for the journey   a rain jacket definitely wouldn't hurt also we  stated beautiful cozy little cottage called The   Tea Garden where we paid just $35 a night for a  room in a shared house we ate dinner at a super   cool local restaurant called temperatu which was  a real Vibe and it had some delicious local food   as well as great music and a fireplace next stop  on your trip will be the second largest city in   Sri Lanka candy to be completely honest we didn't  love the city of candy it wasn't our favorite just   after spending time in smaller towns we realized  we enjoyed ourselves more in laid-back atmosphere   of Sri Lanka but that was just our preference if  you're a city person you definitely would like   candy although we did really enjoy visiting the  famous Buddhist temple of the tooth which was a   great experience and you can couple your trip  to the temple with a viewing of the local cand   on dance performed by local artists for just $10  per person at 5:00 p.m. every night right outside   the temple a couple nights in candy is long  enough as the best of Sri Lanka is yet to come sigara and Habana probably the most iconic stop  on any Sri Lankan itinerary is the well-known   UNESCO world heritage site of sigara sigara is  a ancient Rock Fortress located near the town   of dula in the central province of Sri Lanka  it is a site of historical and archaeological   significance that is dominated by a massive column  of granite approximately 180 M High On Top of the   Rock is an ancient city consisting of Buddhist  settlements and rock shelters however there's   a rather large fee of $30 to enter the site we  decided to climb the padur gala rock at Sunrise   to get an amazing view of the rock as well as the  surrounding Landscapes we were told by many locals   that this alternative is just as good if not  better than climbing the rock itself and with an   entrance fee of only $3 it was certainly much more  affordable for us and less crowded as [Music] well there are many hotels and airbnbs close by to the  Rock itself we decided to stay in a nearby town   of Habana where we got to experience a local  hom stay with a beautiful Sri Lankan family   at bis Villa the mother of the family cooked  us all of our meals for 4 days including some   great local organic dishes all of which were  sour straight from their backyard and nearby   Farms it was so delicious this was truly an  amazing experience for us and really capped   off the entire trip not only did they take the  time out of their day to show us around the   village but they even took us to the local  temple so we could experience the Buddhist   holiday of Pua the once a month holiday where  the whole country shuts down to reflect and   live peacefully without any distractions so  don't be surprised if you can't buy alcohol   or go out to your favorite restaurant on POA  day which falls on the full moon of every month all in all we truly loved our experience in sh  Lanka the Simplicity of the way of life here   made us realize just how amazing this country  is we would highly recommend anyone who might   be on the fence about visiting this country to  give it a chance you will not regret it if you   have any tips for Sri Lanka fire them down  in the comments and if you found this video   helpful at all please hit the like button  and consider subscribing to our channel so   we can continue making helpful videos videos  like this one for you thank you so much for   watching and we will see you as always in the  next one [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] bye [Music]

Channel: Lloyd & Mandy

Views: 46,704

Keywords: Sri Lanka, travel Sri lanka, lloyd and mandy, kandy, ella, habarana, colombo, sigiriya

Id: JZu8TdiotTY

Length: 15min 4sec (904 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 24 2023