Hi Reader,

Navigating Sri Lanka may look and sound simple until you try to plan how you’re going to get around.

The question is, do you:

Hire a vehicle and drive it yourself?

Do you hire a tuk-tuk and drive around the island?

Do you book onto a pre-planned tour and let someone else handle the logistics?

Or do you travel by public transport?

These are some of the biggest questions we see on social media, and honestly, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all.

From our experience, we have travelled around Sri Lanka using public transport, hired drivers and taken plenty of tuk-tuks. And this is what we have learned.

We’ve never taken a tour or driven ourselves.

Not because it’s a bad option, but because we aren’t confident in driving the chaotic Sri Lankan roads, we’d rather leave that to someone else to do. But also, because we love to plan our own independent itineraries, where we can be flexible and choose where we want to go and for how long.

Just because they are not right for us, it doesn’t mean they are not right for you.

But to help you make the right decision between self-drive vs tuk-tuk vs tours, we’ll break it down simply.

Tours around Sri Lanka

For many, tours are by far the easiest option.

Everything is planned for, from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, included in most tours are:

• Transport
• Each stop and destination
• Accommodation
• Sometimes even meals

You don’t need to worry about planning the logistics or routes; it’s just turning up, and the rest is done for you.

Tours are a fantastic option if this is your first visit to Sri Lanka, or you’re a female traveller looking for something safer and organised.

But with anything, there are negatives, including flexibility.

You’re following a set itinerary that can’t be flexible, and it’s normally at quite a quick pace, with little time for resting.

The purpose of a tour is to fit as much into as little time as possible.

We have done tours in the past in New York City, and it just felt like we didn’t have a lot of time to explore a region before setting off to the next.

We personally prefer to set our own pace and create our own itinerary.

If you’re looking for a bit of security, with as little planning as possible, then a tour is definitely worth it.

But if you are like us, who like to discover places as you go, change plans at the last minute, then you may not appreciate a tour quite as much.

Self-drive in Sri Lanka

If you are a super confident driver, then this is a fantastic option.

It gives you total freedom. You can go where you want, when you want, and travel at your own pace.

But in reality, it is completely different. It isn’t as straightforward as you first thought.

The roads are extremely busy, especially in the capital. Driving styles are completely different, and long travel times can make it tiring.

The simplest way to describe driving in Sri Lanka is chaotic.

We haven’t driven in Sri Lanka for this reason. We would consider driving in smaller villages and away from large cities to avoid congestion and the chaotic roads.

If you are a confident driver, love a bit of an adventure, then definitely drive a vehicle in Sri Lanka.

You don’t just have to hire a car to drive; a lot of tourists hire a tuk-tuk and drive it around the island, which is another great option.

If you’re not a confident driver and don’t want to stress driving, then we’d recommend either hiring a driver or travelling via public transport.

Hiring a driver

This is something we have done on multiple occasions.

For long journeys and multiple destinations, this is by far the best option we’ve found.

You can still be flexible; you can stop where you want, change plans, take a detour. The only difference is that you’ll be leaving this to an experienced driver, and you can sit back and relax and take in the scenery.

We’ve usually hired a driver to take us from Dambulla to Kandy, and Ella, before dropping us on the south coast.

The downside is the cost. It’s way more expensive than public transport. But this does outweigh the comfort and convenience of it.

We’d definitely recommend this as a strong reason to hire a driver.

Tuk-tuk

We’ve used tuk-tuks on countless occasions, mainly for shorter journeys.

They’re great for getting around locally, and they’re part of the experience.

For any longer journeys, it does get a bit uncomfortable, plus there is no boot space to store the luggage.

However, hiring and driving a tuk-tuk is very popular among tourists.

Although it isn’t something we have done ourselves, we do see the appeal and would love to try driving one in smaller villages and towns.

Tuk-tuks are small, which makes it easy to weave in and out of traffic, and still allows you independence and adventure.

But it does have some responsibilities. You’ll need to navigate, be road aware, and longer distances can be more tiring.

So, based on this, which one would you choose?

It really is going to come down to how you like to travel.

If you like everything planned and handled for you, then a tour is your best option.

If you want your own independence, then self-driving or tuk-tuk hire might suit you.

If you’re looking for a balance of flexibility and ease, then hiring a driver is hard to beat.

Our honest opinion

For longer distances with multiple destinations, we’d always lean towards hiring a driver. For shorter distances, we’d happily use a tuk-tuk or public transport.

Hiring a driver and taking public transport still allows you to build your own trip, rather than follow a fixed plan.

That’s just how we like to travel, as independently as possible, without restrictions.

Over to you

What are you leaning towards for your trip?

Are you someone who likes complete freedom, or would you rather have everything organised for you?

Hit reply and let us know — we always love hearing from you.

And just so you know…

Later this year, we’ll be opening up a small number of one-to-one calls to help you plan your trip properly, routes, transport, timing, all of it.

We’ll share more soon, including a pre-order option if that’s something you’d be interested in.

But for now, just focus on what feels right for your style of travel.

P.S. You can check out our latest YouTube video on our stay at Hilton London Metropolitan, in London. You check the video out here. And don't forget to subscribe to our channel, so you can watch our latest videos as soon as they are released.

Happy travelling

Bev & Shams

Email: bev@bevandshams.com

Website: www.bevandshams.com​

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