Travelling Sri Lanka on a budget
Sri Lanka, a South Asian country attracts travelers from all around the world each year. It is often referred to as the pearl of the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka has all the attractions that every traveler looking for. From oceans, beaches, commercial cities to the hill country, culture & world’s best train ride.
Hence, are you looking to travel to Sri Lanka? Are you on a budget? You are in the right place since I am going to break down where you can save money and travel to Sri Lanka on a budget.
How much money do you need to travel to Sri Lanka?
Four things you need to decide before traveling to Sri Lanka. This will determine the budget tour to Sri Lanka.
Flight
It highly depends on from which country you will visit Sri Lanka. Flight charges vary from each country. Right now at the moment of writing this article, it costs USD 250 for Air India for you to travel Sri Lanka from India, that’s the round trip rate.
Therefore, the flight rate depends on which country you are traveling from. Sri Lanka budget flight fares are offered by some specific airlines. (Eg: IndiGo)
Hotel Accommodation
Are there budget hotels in Sri Lanka? Yes, there is a lot of budget hotels in Sri Lanka! You can find cheap budget homestays, 2, 3 and 4-star accommodation to up to 5 stars luxurious.
In case you are looking for a budget hotel in Sri Lanka, that highly depends on what is your budget? For example, Hotel Lindaura in Negombo costs you USD 50 per night. Lindaura is rated 3 stars and it is one of the budget hotels in Negombo.
Every major location in Sri Lanka has hotels that will suit your budget. As you are traveling Sri Lanka on a budget, it is ideal to check the prices, pictures, and location of the hotel before making a booking.
Transportation
Service motived drivers are a lot in Sri Lanka. But private transport or public transport? My recommendation, go for a private one. Public transport in Sri Lanka is slow and crowded most of the time. Trust me you wouldn’t have a good time on these buses.
On the other hand, don’t overpay the transport that you have rented. There’s a lot of rent a car service in Sri Lanka. The basic rate will be $40 per day for a normal budget car for two people with the chauffeur. Stick to your budget and don’t overpay.
Activities
After booking flights, hotels, and transport now its time for you to add the money that you will bring on hand to spend. Having a tight budget? Just skip the expensive activities, go for affordable ones.
Stay on the beach instead of going for Whale Watching. While the experience is good, but you can save up that money and go for better hotel accommodation.
Q: How much money to take to Sri Lanka?
A: Depends on what location you will stay, how many days you are staying and what activities you will be doing.
Now that you have figured this out, you might be happy that your budget tour to Sri Lanka is ready. But instead of going through all this, I can recommend you go for a tour operator to get personalized support and to save time.
There is a ton of budget tour operators in Sri Lanka, choose one wisely. Look for past client reviews, talk to at least 3 tour agents.
I hope that this guide has cleared off most of your doubts and questions. Plus am sure that the main question that’s cleared here is “How much money do I need to visit Sri Lanka?”.
Here are some bonus tips that can help you travel Sri Lanka on a Budget:
- Pre-book air tickets which offer you the free cancelation. Since air ticket price changes every day, check every week or days before your travel to get some bonus savings.
- Look for early-bird hotel offers, once you choose an accommodation don’t book through online booking sites. Online booking sites include their commission charge it will be high. Instead, try a travel agent or contact the accommodation and negotiate. Ask for a special rate.
- Avoid unnecessary spending. Stick to your budget and never go off the path.
- Most hotels offer breakfast, but if they don’t try restaurants which are not too much crowded with tourists for lunch and dinner. These restaurants tend to have high prices but you can find better.
- Don’t be shy about not buying anything. It’s your money, you own it.
