Sri Lanka - tips through my eyes

After 16 years and around 30 trips to Sri Lanka, I finally put together the guide I wish I had before my first visit.

Not a list of “must-see” places.

Not a rushed two-week checklist.

Just the things that, after all those years, I believe actually matter.

How to plan your route without spending half your holiday in a car.

When to go where.

How trains, buses, money, SIM cards and Poya Days work.

What to eat.

What to pack.

What to avoid.

And how to experience Sri Lanka without rushing through it.

My children have gone to school there. We have friends there. I return every year, and some places feel more like home than a destination.

So this guide is personal.

It’s based on experience, mistakes, conversations, long train rides, roadside coconuts, curries that were far too spicy — and a lot of time spent simply being there.