Sri Lanka, a beautiful landscape, unique heritage, and a thoroughly underrated country. A few weeks
ago, I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Sri Lanka with the Tourism Board and I couldn’t say
no. I packed my bags and off I went for the 11 days tour of the Island of Sri Lanka. Now let’s get to it, is it worth visiting Sri Lanka?
Is it worth visiting Sri Lanka: On the tour we embarked on an immersive experience, seeing the country’s rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, experienced warm hospitality amongst the locals, partook in excellent food and saw natural wonders that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I saw historical buildings that I had only read about in books, learned about the country’s religion practices; Buddhism, ate and socialised with the local people. It was an experience beyond my imagination and one that I will never forget. If I haven’t sold you on why you should visit Sri Lanka yet, here are the reasons:
Safety/Security when visiting Sri Lanka
First of all, let’s address the safety/security issues as when planning most trips in today’s world it is often
one of the first concerns to cross your mind. When I first received the offer to travel to Sri Lanka, I
know that I was incredibly nervous, pouring over various government and travel sites, fearing what I
would find. That is why I’m pleased to report that my fears were unfounded, the country is perfectly
safe for you to visit by yourself, with friends or as a family. Most residents understand and speak
English, especially in resort and at attractions, so getting around is not a problem.
It should be noted, just like any other country in the world, you of course have to be causcious. Careful who to
trust with your belongings and double check your route and plans in advanced. You wouldn’t
randomly jump in someone’s car in the US or the UK so be just as cautious in Sri Lanka and you’ll end
up having a great time, I guarantee it! Now after that little interlude I won’t leave you in suspense any longer; let’s talk about if is it worth visiting Sri Lanka:
Why ELEPHANTS!!! – A LOOK ON THE WILDSIDE
Anyone who knows me will know that had to come out first, I adore seeing animals in their natural habitat and rarely get the chance to see anything exotic. who doesn’t want to see elephants, crocodiles and a myriad of other species on safari roaming free. I will never forget seeing the elephant calves sheltering with their mothers, peaking out at us from between those massive legs at Habarana. There are so many interesting animals to see in Sri Lanka and at least for me elephants were the top highlight.
I hope you enjoy the elephant gallery below and that one day you can see them in person and experience what I felt, if even one person experiences what I felt because of this post I will be over the moon! For me alone this experience tells me it’s worth visiting Sri Lanka.
SIGIRIYA LION ROCK FORTRESS – WATCH YOUR STEP
This is a very challenging experience if you have a fear of height, which I’m afraid I do. The Rock
Fortress was built in the fifth Century and is a UNESCO world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa
(447-495). It is absolutely a remarkable Archaeological site that is unforgettable, especially placed in
such a dramatic setting. The Rock was a stronghold of a 70 – Hectare fortified town. The king, ever
fearful of attack, decided for safety to live right at the top where he would have everything he could
ever need and feel safe. In order to get to the top you need to climb up an 1200 step spiral staircase along the cliffsides and it is certainly no easy feat. The king’s staff used to carry food and drinks by climbing the extreme narrow staircase with no railing or safety, an extremely dangerous trip.
We of course had to take the same journey, now thankfully with railings, climbing up the side of the rock to get to the peak. I was almost petrified; however, I was shocked and humbled to see young kids between the age of 9-15 years old walking up with no issues at all, while I was left shaking, sweating and afraid behind them. As you can see by these gorgeous pictures, I did eventually make it to the top and the view was so worth it! I will say one thing, when climbing up don’t look down and when going down, don’t look down either for good measure!
POLONNARUWA ANCIENT CITY – THE SINHALESE CIVILIZATION
The ancient city of Polonnaruwa is spread across a vast area and showcases the architectural
prowess of the Sinhalese civilization. There you will find well preserved ruins, stunning statues and
intricately carved temples that show the rich cultural heritage if Sri Lanka. In the heart of the Ancient
City, you will find the Royal Palace where the Sri Lankan kings of old resided.
Here are some of the other areas that are worth visiting:
The Quadrangle: a sacred area within the ancient city surrounded by a wall. It holds a few important
structures such as the Vatadage (relic house), Thuparama Image House, Gal Pota (Stone Book) and
the Hatadage (relic shrine).
Gal Vihara: a remarkable rock temple featuring four colossal statues carved out if a single granite
rock face. The statues take the form of one standing, one seated and two reclining Buddhas.
Rankot Vihara: An ancient stupa, a large domed structure that holds relics and is a place of
meditation.
I would highly recommend you visit the Ancient City and see it in person. Please note for cultural
reasons you must cover up, nothing above the knee and wear long sleeves to cover your shoulders.
PIGEON ISLAND – SAND, SEA, SERENE
No, it has nothing to do with pigeons, it is however a beautiful place. On our trip we had a wonderful
opportunity to visit this protected beach island. It was so serene, beautiful and unique, a truly
magical place, I’m afraid the pictures do not do it justice. A few of us went snorkeling in the clear
blue water where we spotted a wide range of beautiful fishes. Some of us spent more time in the
water than we did on the land!
While in the sea, I spotted two black and yellow and yellow sea snakes. These are known to be venomous and are from the subfamily Hydrophiinae and can be found in tropical oceanic waters. If
you see one, don’t swim next to it or try to touch it, just keep your distance and appreciate them
from afar! When I saw them I legged it out of the water, better safe than sorry!
Other than that, Pigeon Island is not a place you want to miss when you are in Sri Lanka. The Island is
based in Trincomalee and is well worth going out of your way to see. This is yet another reason why it’s worth visiting Sri Lanka.
KANDY – A CITY OF MOUNTAINS AND LAKES
Kandy used to be the seat to Sri Lanka’s last independent kingdom and survived two centuries of
colonial incursion before falling to the British at the start of the nineteenth century.
While in Kandy, we paid visit to the Temple of the Tooth, the Royal botanical Gardens, and enjoyed a
panoramic view of the city from Upper Lake Drive.
One of my favourite hotels was based in Kandy, Maulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge 5* Boutique! An
award-winning luxury boutique hotel property on Sri Lanka. I will be doing a more in-depth article
about the hotel in due course, however if you are ever in Kandy, please stay at Maulkelle Tea & Eco
Lodge. I’ve never really understood the appeal of glamorous camping (glamping) but this lodge
completely sold me on it, I was more comfortable in a tent than I have been in many hotel rooms
over the years!
ELLA – YES THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL NAME FOR A CITY
Ella is a small town in the central Highlands of Sri Lanka, known for its picturesque views. It is
surrounded by green mountains, tea plantations and beautiful valleys. It is the perfect escape for
peace.
While in Ella you can travel by scenic train from Nanu Oya in the morning as the train only comes a
few times a day. The train ride is considered one if the most picturesque ride in the world. Riders are
able to hang out and take pictures of while the train is moving. I wasn’t brave enough to risk it so I
just enjoyed the view from the comfort of my seat.
The train passes through mountains, tea estates, mist covered valleys and charming villages. The
train ride is truly a wonderful experience that immerses travellers in the beauty of Sri Lanka’ hill
country. If you are a content Creator, a photographer or someone that simply enjoys seeing beautiful
countryside then the Ella train ride is a diversion you will not regret!
UDAWALAWE – THE SOUTHERN COASTAL BELT OF SRI LANKA
In Udawalawe you’ll find the fantastic Elephant Transit Home, an organisation supported by the Born
Free Foundation based in the UK (www.bornfree.org.uk). The home’s goal is to support orphaned
elephants. Once rehabilitation is complete, elephants are released back into the wild and many go
onto the Uda Walawe National Park.
Unfortunately, due to traffic we weren’t able to see the baby elephants being fed, make sure you
leave yourself with plenty of time if you want to visit and you will no doubt witness some truly
amazing moments.
YALA NATIONAL PARK – MONKEY BUSINESS
Another top experience for me was visiting Yala National Park where you’ll find many different
species of animals. We saw lots of beautiful birds, deers drinking water (oh dear!), monkeys and we
even spotted a leopard sitting on a distant branch.
One does not simply stroll into Yala National Park, you must buy your tickets and bring ID with you
to present to security at the gate, the sad reality is that poaching is always an active threat but a
threat they at least take seriously. Once you are in you’ll be with an experienced Safari driver to
guide you through the park, point out animals you see along the way and help you get the most out
of your visit.
I spotted a few snakes too and I’m very glad we were in the jeep as I would have turned around and
ran in an instant!
The Sri Lankan National Bird captured at Yala 
Captured at Yala National Park 
A Monkey family captured on the way to Yala National Park 
MOON FESTIVAL – DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
One of the biggest events in Sri Lanka is the Full moon Festival which takes in June on the night of a
full moon. The festival involves elephants dresses up in lights and being marched down the planned routes,
dancers dressed in colourful Sri Lankan traditional clothing all doing a choreographed dance and lots
of street food to try. The streets were decorated with beautiful colourful lights leading up to the
temple and the entire atmosphere felt very dreamlike.
I must say however that I found the dressing up and marching of Elephants quite unethical and
distressing for the elephants, I truly felt for them. Despite the cultural reasons of the festival, I felt
the animal cruelty very hard to stomach and compromises what would otherwise be a rather
impressive event, keep this in mind if you consider attending.
A NOTE ON RACE
I would like to take this time to make you aware about travelling to Sri Lanka if you are black; it’s
quite likely going to be a strange experience for you. I had all eyes on me everywhere we went, I was
an item of fascination and so many questions from the locals about my background, my hair and my
facial features. At one point I had locals queuing up to photograph me which was rather
uncomfortable. I came to understand that many Sri Lankas have never seen a black person and even
though our skin colours were, in my opinion, similar to them I’m still different because of my
features. If you are black and travelling to Sri Lanka, beware of this.
So is it worth visiting Sri Lanka? Did my experience sway your views?
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experience in Sri Lanka and the reasons why you should visit. I had a truly great time and I hope you get to experience it too one day. Keep your eyes peeled for my next post covering my
favourite hotels in Sri Lanka. You can also dsicover some of my other travel articles here .
WOWOWOWIIWOWOWOOWOWKW!! These photos are absolutely breath taking 🤩 I am so glad that you got the chance to learn more about another country.
I was worried when you went but it’s obvious you had a great experience, even if you had some issues along the way.
Loved reading about your experiences and appreciate your honesty when it comes the the problems you and others might face.
My favourite post you’ve done, those pictures make me feel unnecessary as your photographer, they’re so good!
Your photos and insight are a delight! Thanks for this content! 🤍
An interesting and honest account of your experience. Stunning photography and a lot of useful information. Very refreshing for a travel blog. I would certainly consider Sri Lanka as a holiday destination in the future.
What an amazing trip. Such great stories and photos. Thanks sharing that with all of us. I love the photos of the elephants.
And thank you for your brave reflections on your experiences being a black traveler there. I’m sorry you had to experience that as part of the trip. Thanks for letting others know.
I hope you continue to travel the world and let us all know what you see