Backpacking in Sri Lanka is one of the best places in Asia to do it.

These are all the reasons you should go and some of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka.

It’s one of my favourite countries!

Why You Should Go Backpacking in Sri Lanka

The Nature

It’s such a beautiful country. One minute you can be up in the mountains and a few hours later relaxing on paradise beaches.

The central highlands offer plenty of hiking opportunities and some have great religious significance.

Join the throngs of pilgrims heading above the clouds when climbing Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka. Yeah, it kind of sucks getting up at two in the morning and climbing up steep stairs for a few hours but the view and experience is worth it for sure.

Then there is Horton’s Plain with its short but stunning hiking trails past waterfalls and steep cliff views.

Sri Lanka is famous for its tea and there are plenty of plantations to visit in the highlands and should definitely be on any Sri Lanka Itinerary.

Watch time slowly go by with a cup of tea at a guesthouse overlooking it all, or go hiking among the plantations yourself.

Away from the highlands, you have national parks to visit where you can go on safari to spot the numerous wildlife around.

My favourite place was Udawalawa where you can see the Sri Lankan elephant.

Sri Lanka is well known in the surfing community for its beaches, but you don’t have to surf to enjoy them.

Just sit back and relax and enjoy life in paradise.

Out at sea you can easily spot whales and dolphins. The small town of Marissa is the main hub for doing this.

Again it is a very early morning thing getting up before sunrise, but hey some of the best experiences in travel happen then.

Meh, if you’re not a morning person like me multiple cups of coffee may be needed.

The Trains

This was probably the thing I enjoyed most about backpacking around Sri Lanka. I love train travel and there are trains all over the country.

But the best was the slow-moving trains up in the central highlands.

You can just sit down by the door entrances and dangle your legs out as you pass by tea plantations, mountain peaks, and forests.

If you love trains this is travel at its best.

You can also go hiking along the train tracks in the highlands as the trains are less frequent.

I didn’t get around to doing this myself as time-wise I had to pick and choose the experiences I would have, but I met other travellers who did and they loved it.

Just another excuse to head back there again sometime.

Taking the train from Kandy to Ella is easily one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka on your trip there.

The Food

Sri Lankan food is very similar to Indian food, being right next door. That means food heaven!

There’s nothing like a good curry or a dosa pancake meal.

The fish curries are particularly tasty with the country being surrounded by sea and fresh seafood everywhere.

Then there are the tasty lentil and vegetarian dishes.

My personal favourite was all the cheap samosas everywhere at the street stalls.

Relax in Sri Lanka

There are ayurvedic massage places everywhere and really good value for money. Get a cheap one or splash out and go for a full-on spa day.

With a lot of Buddhist influences in Sri Lanka, you can find some quiet places to retreat to and find peace in some meditation.

Escaping into nature is the best way I find to relax the mind.

The History

There are so many historical things to see. You have hidden Buddhist rock caves and ancient cities, as well as old colonial towns like Galle on the coast.

The best town in Sri Lanka for me was Kandy.

It’s peaceful enough with a chilled-out lake in the centre of the city, has plenty of temples to see and is a good base for getting to some of the rock caves and ancient city ruins like climbing up Sigiriya Rock.

In the centre and north of Sri Lanka, you have some of the oldest ruins in the country.

While in the south there is the old colonial town of Bile with its laid back streets full of cafes and a sea wall to walk around.

The People

Sri Lankans, in general, are friendly to meet, especially away from the bigger cities. If you get lucky you may be there to join in with the action at a festival.

It’s Small!

This is one of the things that makes the place great for the traveller. It’s not a very big country and you can see a lot in a short period of time.

Most people I met were there for 2 weeks and in that time you can get around easily.

It’s only around 12 hours from the north to the south by train and bus. As mentioned before the train network is really good and will get you to most places.

It’s Cheap!

Yes, the cherry on top of the cake for the traveller backpacking in Sri Lanka is that all of this is really cheap to do. $3 for an awesome fish curry – need I say more?

Go Backpacking in Sri Lanka

After over 20 years of travelling around the world, I can tell you again that it’s one of the best places I have been.

Someday I’ll pack my backpack for Sri Lanka again and head to one of my favourite countries.

I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.

I hope this has inspired you somewhat to think about Sri Lanka for one of your future adventures.

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If you want a good tour operator for Sri Lanka then check out Olanka Travels.