How to Travel to Sri Lanka without Breaking the Bank
Sri Lanka was bereft of the rightful attention of the wanderers in the past couple of decades but that tide is turning. The finger points to the small island south of India on the map, much bigger in its list of activities for your travel diary. Pristine beaches, rolling tea gardens, fresh jungles, and scores of animals are waiting for you in this country teeming with history.
Habarana hotels, beach shacks at Hikkaduwa or cottages in Eliya, this paradise country offers what travel packages alone cannot cover. The core of the pearl-shaped country can only be explored with time at hand and giving the local modes of transportation a chance. Here are a few things you can do to get the best of the nation without getting bankrupt:
Visa
Getting a Visa to Sri Lanka is as simple as booking flight tickets. All you have to do is visit the ‘Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorisation’ and forget about immigration worries for 30 days with a double-entry visa. A two-day transit visa is available free of cost, which is not nearly enough to explore its vast attractions. If you can’t break free from the nation’s charismatic spell (quite possible), then an extension to visa is easily available as well.
Accommodation
At the emerald peaks of Ella accommodation is equally simple as finding a decent stay in Colombo. Needless to say, 5-star hotels and resorts are out of the question if you’re on a budget. You can take it a step ahead and go for non-A/C rooms if travelling from September through March. Make it a point to stay at one of the homestays to witness the ‘all smiles’ hospitality of the locals with homemade delectable food. Homestays are humbler than guest-houses with only 2 spare rooms or so, and they usually include breakfast in the fare. You can find a clean room within US$20-30 and forget about all your expenditure, otherwise.
Commuting
Go visit the cities of Sri Lanka with time on your hands and you won’t have to spend that extra buck on private taxis.
Train – the aged railway system of the country is laid back but then it takes you through all the picturesque spots. Go for the second-class tickets instead of the first class and you’ll get a chance to chill with the locals.
Bus – you can travel to the remotest corners of the island via bus for peanuts. They are always on time and takes you just about anywhere.
Food
Make sure you have a subscription at the gym because you’re going to be eating a lot. Sri Lankan delicacies are often compared to Indian counterparts, but that accounts only for a humble part. You can hope to savour the same dish with different flavours in different cities. The portions are usually copious and cost more or less from 1 US dollar to 10, the latter being the amount of a check at a fine restaurant.
If you thought you cannot go around Sri Lanka on a shoestring budget, you have another think coming.
Habarana hotels, beach shacks at Hikkaduwa or cottages in Eliya, this paradise country offers what travel packages alone cannot cover. The core of the pearl-shaped country can only be explored with time at hand and giving the local modes of transportation a chance. Here are a few things you can do to get the best of the nation without getting bankrupt:
Visa
Getting a Visa to Sri Lanka is as simple as booking flight tickets. All you have to do is visit the ‘Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorisation’ and forget about immigration worries for 30 days with a double-entry visa. A two-day transit visa is available free of cost, which is not nearly enough to explore its vast attractions. If you can’t break free from the nation’s charismatic spell (quite possible), then an extension to visa is easily available as well.
Accommodation
At the emerald peaks of Ella accommodation is equally simple as finding a decent stay in Colombo. Needless to say, 5-star hotels and resorts are out of the question if you’re on a budget. You can take it a step ahead and go for non-A/C rooms if travelling from September through March. Make it a point to stay at one of the homestays to witness the ‘all smiles’ hospitality of the locals with homemade delectable food. Homestays are humbler than guest-houses with only 2 spare rooms or so, and they usually include breakfast in the fare. You can find a clean room within US$20-30 and forget about all your expenditure, otherwise.
Commuting
Go visit the cities of Sri Lanka with time on your hands and you won’t have to spend that extra buck on private taxis.
Train – the aged railway system of the country is laid back but then it takes you through all the picturesque spots. Go for the second-class tickets instead of the first class and you’ll get a chance to chill with the locals.
Bus – you can travel to the remotest corners of the island via bus for peanuts. They are always on time and takes you just about anywhere.
Food
Make sure you have a subscription at the gym because you’re going to be eating a lot. Sri Lankan delicacies are often compared to Indian counterparts, but that accounts only for a humble part. You can hope to savour the same dish with different flavours in different cities. The portions are usually copious and cost more or less from 1 US dollar to 10, the latter being the amount of a check at a fine restaurant.
If you thought you cannot go around Sri Lanka on a shoestring budget, you have another think coming.
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