Sri Lanka, at its own pace

Indian passport holders get a tourist ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) free of charge, valid for 30 days with double entry, under the scheme Sri Lanka runs from 25 May 2026. Apply online on the official ETA site, eta.gov.lk, before you fly; a longer stay needs a paid extension. We build the paperwork into your planning timeline; check the official site before travel, since entry rules can change.

December to March is the dry season for the west and south coasts, Kandy and the tea hills; the east coast has its own drier stretch from May to September, so one side of the island is always in season. Yala's main safari blocks close for about a month in the driest weeks (in 2026, 14 September to 15 October), and we plan the safari around that.

The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR). Most journeys run by road with a private driver, since the places are only a few hours apart. The hill train is the famous exception: after the late-2025 cyclone the Nanu Oya to Ella stretch reopened in July 2026, while the line up from Kandy is still being repaired, so we drive into the hills and board there. We check the line before you travel.

Rice and curry is the everyday meal: rice with several small curries, dhal and sambols. Hoppers, bowl-shaped rice-flour pancakes, often with an egg cooked into the middle, come with lunu miris or pol sambol (coconut sambol); string hoppers are the steamed noodle-nest version. Kottu roti, chopped roti stir-fried on a hot plate, is the sound of the evening street. In the hills, taste Ceylon tea where it grows.

Match the stay to the region. In the hill country, a restored planter's bungalow on a working tea estate is the signature stay. In Galle, a converted heritage house inside the Fort keeps you within walking distance of the ramparts. Around the Cultural Triangle, choose a garden-style hotel near Sigiriya, and in the Kandy hills a small boutique hotel with nature trails.