Road trip in Srilanka under 30K

Meet me where the sky touches the sea is the only way I would describe SRILANKA!! The mesmerizing beaches, the endless ocean, salty air, scenic view, scrumptious sea food, tea estates and so much more...

One of the entrancing sunsets at Srilanka

And the best way to visit as many places as possible would be through a road trip. So I was given this task to plan a bachelorette party for my best friend in Srilanka pre-covid and we girls had very limited budget. Here's the epic itinerary for a budget trip under 30 k . We tried to cover maximum places , party and have fun at the same time.

Entering into Srilanka

Sri Lanka government has electronic Visa called ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) for a short visits. Travelers intending to visit Sri Lanka must have a valid visa issued by Department of Immigration & Emigration, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The tourist visa for single entry up to 90 day stay costs 35$. One can apply visa online. You will receive the visa to your email account within 24 hours. Things to note : Only Fully Vaccinated Indian tourists and international tourists arriving from India are permitted to apply for Tourist ETA. Non-Vaccinated or Partially Vaccinated travelers are not considered.

The Colombo International Airport is well connected to most cities in India. We travelled from Bangalore, so it took us about 1-1.30 hours to reach. Since we took an Indigo flight , it didn't feel like we were on an international travel.

Cab from Airport

If your hotel has not provided you free airport transfers, no need to pre book. You can avail uber cabs which are readily available at basic cost right outside the airport. The same app which you use in India works, you can use the airport wifi to connect and book.

Getting around in Srilanka

For Colombo local travel, you can either go around in tuk tuks ( autos) , uber or can hire a car on a days rent. Except airport transfers , we had hired a car on rent for throughout our stay at Srilanka.

Day 1:Colombo

Srilanka has tons of pretty airbns. We had rented out a Airbnb villa called AV15 Villa in Western province close to all the happening places. Cinnamon group of hotels are the most preferred here among hotels.

Few places to add to your city tour :

Independence Square : It takes its name from the Independence Memorial hall built there to commemorate the Independence of Srilanka from the British rule in 1948.Close to the Square is the Arcade, a modern shopping mall housed in former colonial government buildings brightened with a fountain, covered ponds, and more statues of lions.

Ministry of 🦀 :Must visit place to eat incase you love sea food. This is housed at the old Dutch hospital complex. The bride to be was a big time crab lover and we couldn't say no to the bridezilla 👰 !! Unfortunately, a few of weren't into sea food, so we settled at one of the Dutch pubs to eat devilled chicken, a famous and only chicken starter in Srilanka 🤣. Another place to eat authentic Srilanka food is Raja bourn. Here you can binge on some yummy hoppers, string hoppers, Mukul mas curry, mango curry , various sambols and kottu (roti).

Team Bridezilla

Mount Lavinia Beach : Another must visit beach is Lavinia beach,a 20 mins drive from the center but took almost 45 mins due to traffic. Once you find parking, cross the railway track to reach the beach. This place has one of the most amazing sunsets ever !!

Me enjoying the sunset at Mount Lavinia Beach

Srilanka is famous for its nightlife and there are plenty of options available for one to explore. This was the very reason for us to visit Srilanka. Can't disappoint the bride to be can we ? (Wink wink )

To gamble the night away, one can visit the Bally's casino, an upscale place with poker tables, live music and dance shows Or Dance the night at popular clubs like Rhythm and Blues, W lounge, On 14, rooftop bar etc

The color changing decor at Rhythm and Blues. Must try the sambuca 🔥 shots here.

Day 2-4 : Drive to Hikkaduwa and Southern province

This is where your actual road trip starts. We took the fast expressway instead of the coastal roads. The drive took almost 3-4 hours.

Even thou we stayed at Hikkaduwa for 2 nights , got a chance to explore the places nearby . Few must visit places here :

Drive to the Mahamadora sea turtle hatchery and spend sometime with turtles who are rescued from the fishing nets when they are caught along with the fishes.

Unawatuna beach is on the way to galle and is one the the gorgeous beaches in Srilanka.

Insta famous swing near Dallawella beach

Must do activity here is the famous Unawatuna swing . Swing like a spider man on the coconut palms and enjoy a cool drink while you do so at one of the bars.

You can also spend a day exploring Galle's historical centre - especially Galle Fort, Dutch Reformed Church and the iconic light house.

This is a 5 day itinerary, incase you have 6-7 days, you could go dolphin spotting at the Mirissa beach further south or visit the Yala national Park. At Yala can choose to stay at glamping tents to hotel rooms.

Do leave a comment , if you have any questions. Do feel free to subscribe to know more about my adventures 🙂