Hi Reader,

Summer is coming to an end, which means only one thing. The nights are drawing in, and the weather is getting colder.

So what better way to escape the cold, miserable months than to take a holiday somewhere hot and sunny, with plenty to see and do?

So where would we recommend going this winter?

Sri Lanka

You’d probably know by now that we’ve been to Sri Lanka multiple times, to the point that we’ve lost count. But it is one of those destinations we think will work well for escaping winter, with a good mix of experiences, without spending it all at the beach, although that would be nice.

Why would we recommend Sri Lanka this winter?

One of the reasons we’d recommend Sri Lanka for a winter trip is that the south and west of the island, along with the hill country and central regions, have the best weather conditions, and it’s the tourist season in Sri Lanka from December to April.

Which can only mean one thing: you can combine a few different experiences while having time to spend at the beach, all in one trip.

You could start with ancient sites and temples, head into the cooler tea country, take one of Sri Lanka’s famous train journeys, go on safari and then finish your trip relaxing on the south coast.

And this is exactly what we like about Sri Lanka.

You don’t have to choose between an adventure holiday and a relaxing holiday.

You can have a bit of both.

So where would we recommend visiting in Sri Lanka?

Although Sri Lanka is a small island, we wouldn’t try visiting the whole island in one visit, just because of the logistics of each location and how long you’d be on the road.

Instead, what we have done in the past is build our trip around different areas.

We’d start with:

1. Sigiriya & the Cultural Triangle

We’d start with some of Sri Lanka’s history and culture, as these are our favourite spots.

This gives you the chance to see some of the island’s ancient sites and get a feel for Sri Lanka beyond the beaches.

1. Nuwara Eliya & the hill country

Then we’d head into the hills.

This is one of our favourite parts of travelling around Sri Lanka, particularly if you enjoy scenery, tea plantations and travelling by train.

Nuwara Eliya is also very different from the warmer parts of the island, so it gives you a completely different experience within the same trip.

If you’ve never experienced the Sri Lankan train through the hill country, we’d definitely recommend looking into it.

1. Wildlife

Next, we’d add a safari.

Sri Lanka is a great option if you want to include wildlife in your trip, and we think it’s worth making space for rather than trying to squeeze it in as an afterthought.

1. The south coast

And finally, we’d finish on the coast.

After travelling around, sightseeing and spending time in the hills, having a few slower days by the sea is a pretty good way to finish the trip.

You could explore places such as Galle and the surrounding coastline, or simply choose somewhere you can slow down for a few days.

How long would we recommend?

In our opinion, the ideal time to spend in Sri Lanka is 14 days, if you can spend longer, then a month or more, will allow you to slow travel and explore more of the island.

A rough itinerary we’d recommend would look something like:

Culture & history → 2–4 days

Hill country → 2–4 days

Wildlife → 1–2 days

South coast → 3–4 days

Of course, you can change this depending on what you enjoy.

If beaches aren’t really your thing, spend longer inland.

If you love relaxing by the sea, give yourself more time on the coast.

The key is not to try and tick off every destination you’ve seen on Instagram.

Want to start planning Sri Lanka?

If Sri Lanka sounds like your kind of winter escape, we’ve got a few guides that can help you plan it.

​Check out our Sri Lanka travel guide - It has everything you need to help you plan your trip.

And if you’re looking for inspiration for where to visit in Sri Lanka:

​Check out all our guides on Sri Lanka​

We’ve also shared the eSIM we actually used in Sri Lanka, which kept us connected while we were travelling around the country:

You can download the Saily app here.

Hopefully, this has given you a better idea of why Sri Lanka is one of the destinations we’d recommend for a winter trip.

You don’t need to have the whole trip figured out yet.

Start with where you want to go, how long you have and what you actually want from the trip.

Then build the rest around that.

And if you’re thinking about travelling to Sri Lanka and have a question, just hit reply and let us know.

Happy travelling

Bev & Shams

If you’re travelling abroad, don’t forget to sort your mobile data. We use Saily eSIM recently on our trip to Sri Lanka, it enabled us to stay connected without having to worry about expensive roaming charges, and it’s become one of our travel essentials.

Stay connected with Saily​

Email: bev@bevandshams.com

Website: www.bevandshams.com​

FREE 5 Step trip planning checklist – It has everything you need to plan your next trip from start to finish

​Download it here​

Useful links:​

Resources: www.bevandshams.com/travel-resources/​