Hi guys, I just returned from a trip to Sri Lanka two weeks ago (in September) and just thought I'd share about my experience and perhaps some useful information. My friend and I covered the following places during our 8-day trip: Udawalawe, Ella, Nuwara Eliya, Yala, Galle, Bentota and Colombo. We love nature and animals so our trip mainly revolved around these. My only gripe is that our trip to Yala National Park was in vain because we did not manage to see much, save for some deer and peacocks. It is a huge regret but I know perfectly that it was just our luck (visited when Yala National Park was closed except for some blocks).
Transport
I would say we made a great decision to travel by car because we saved a lot of time and could get the rest/ comfort we needed en route to our destinations. We did take a train from Ella to Nanuoya (Nuwara Eliya) for the experience though and it was lovely! If you need a driver/ guide's contact, you can try Anu/ Shiran from www.srilanka-4u.com I got to know Anu by word of mouth but as he had to be on an Arabic-speaking tour, his friend Shiran (who speaks French and fluent English) brought us around instead. Shiran is a skilful driver and his car was always clean. He'd often look out for us because we are both female travellers. Search on Tripadvisor and you will find many reviews of them. In addition, you may discuss your itinerary with them/ seek advice prior to the trip, but there was also flexibility during the trip itself.
Accommodation
On some nights we booked our own accommodation and on others our guide decided for us (no-frills guesthouses at about US$60/ night). He let us view the rooms before deciding whether to stay the night. I particularly enjoyed our stay at Ella Mount Relax Cottage which had a great view! If you're booking your own accommodation, just let the guide know beforehand so he can arrange his own as well. When we were at Nuwara Eliya, the temperature at night time was about 10 degrees so just note that it is important find a place that is well-insulated or at least provides heaters. The wifi we had at the guesthouses was usually just enough for us to send messages and browse sites (i.e. no videos).
Mobile Plan
We bought a local SIM card (with help from our guide) that gave us 1.5GB of data and some talk time for LKR 500. It was useful to get one because we used Google Maps to navigate/ search for reviews of food establishments when we went exploring on our own, after which we contacted our guide to pick us up.
Money
We did not bring a lot of LKR because we did not want to have to deal with leftovers, and paid by card when necessary. We did run out of local currency at some points in time but managed to change SGD/ USD for LKR in Nuwara Eliya and Galle and the rates were slightly better than if we had changed back home so that was great.
Well, I hope what I've shared helps! Sri Lanka is beautiful and I hope you'd love it too! Safe travels :)
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