5 Things I Wish I Did BEFORE Travelling To Sri Lanka

After visiting Mauritius in 2022, I can't deny - I fell in love. After binge watching a few travel vlogs, I knew I wanted to be back in the arms of the Indian Ocean! But this time, I wanted to try somewhere new. So first up on my 'Indian Ocean' list (well, technically second up) was supposed to be Tanzania.

Turquoise seas and white sand had me sold as usual, but there was a lot of doubt when it came to making a decision on Tanzania, and the costs were certainly not helping.

After looking around Sri Lanka popped up out of nowhere. Sri Lanka had been somewhere I had always wanted to go, in fact it was on my bucket list.

So here are 5 things to do before travelling. (I wish I did before travelling to Sri Lanka)

1) Prepare a Medical essentials kit - If you are travelling to a tropical country, then there's nothing better than taking extra precautions with healthcare products.

As someone that suffers with insect bite allergies, I knew I had to carry my antihistamines, painkillers and the list goes on. But don't take anything for granted - especially the things you most likely will need.

For example, mosquito repellent doesn't usually work for me, so I decided to travel without it. Even though it doesn't usually work for me, there are many different types of insects and many different vengeance levels with those pesky mosquitoes. DON'T make my mistake, always travel with repellent, two different ones if you must.

2) Don't be too hasty to convert your currency - I would strongly advise you NOT to change the majority of your money before you visit Sri Lanka. (You will most likely be duped in broad daylight!) I learnt the hard way, but I was lucky enough to be able to cancel my order (with just a small £10 cancellation fee.) Although I was charged a cancellation fee of £10, I still managed to save just over £100 pounds by terminating that order. The Sri Lankan Rupee is a closed currency so bureaus are able to charge nonsense prices to you and I. Don't fall for it. Many places in Sri Lanka take card, and there are lots of banks and ATM's scattered across the country.

3) Bring footwear comfortable for long standing, and no - I don't mean flat sandals, I mean comfy shoes, even orthopedic shoes! Train journeys can be anything up-to 9 hours! (depending on where you are going.) and most of the time, you'll be lucky if you can get a seat. If you dare to think of visiting Sigiryia... forget it. You need hiking boots!

4) Book Hotels Separately - Don't be like me and opt for a package deal. Instead, book maybe three hotels in different areas, so you don't have to worry about transport. Transport can easily take 10 hours for a return journey, and in my opinion, that is way too long. I wish I had planned my trip better and broken my stays up, area by area. But seeing that I was injured, i'm not so sure how this would have worked out for me. If you're set on booking a package holiday because of the costs, be sure to try find cheaper hotels in other areas for a couple of nights, while still being checked into your main hotel. This will help you to navigate and explore areas around the mountains, such as Ella, Sigirya and Kandy. (This will be my last time booking one hotel.)

If you love affordability, comfort and class, book your stay today, and find a hotel of your choice in every area!

5) Hire A Car - I must say, I've never done this before only because I enjoying exploring the city by public transport or walking on my travels, simply because I love stumbling across places. I like to feel like a real tourist when I'm on holiday, but if you want easy access, and mostly to save on spending, possibly think about hiring a car. I'm not sure how cheap or expensive it is in Sri Lanka, but many of the tourist attractions across different areas are very far away, and your bucket list attraction could easily be 5-6 hours away.

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