For 91 Days in Sri Lanka

Adventures, anecdotes and advice from three months exploring Sri Lanka

For 91 Days we lived in Sri Lanka, the island nation off the southern coast of India. With incredible nature, a fascinating culture, and innumerable historic sites, Sri Lanka provided an unforgettable base for three months of adventure.

Whether you're planning your own journey to Sri Lanka, or just interested in seeing what makes it such a special country, our articles and photographs should help you out.

For 91 Days in Sri Lanka – The E-Book

We've gathered together all of the articles and over 250 photographs from our three-month adventure in Sri Lanka into an E-Book for your Kindle or E-Reader. Carry all of our Sri Lankan experiences along with you in this portable format. The book includes a comprehensive index, which makes navigation a cinch, and features all our anecdotes, advice and the best full-color images from our months in Sri Lanka. We had an unforgettable time in this beautiful and occasionally frustrating island nation, and hope our experiences can help enrich your own visit there.

Good Night, Sri Lanka

From the taxi's windows, we watched the Colombo night blur by. The few cars which remained on the highway had none of the breakneck urgency which normally characterizes Sri Lankan traffic. And though the unbroken chain of shops and restaurants still had their neon lights blazing, there weren't many people on the sidewalks. It was 10pm, and we'd rarely seen the island in a deeper state of rest. We were headed to the airport, and putting Colombo to sleep.

Friend-Friends and Other Observations

Confusing slang, seat-snatching monks, bizarre Spanish phrases, indecipherable head bobbles... all just part of learning to live with a new culture! These are some of our favorite quirks and misunderstandings from three months in Sri Lanka.

The Best of Galle Fort

Though the crazy monsoon weather we experienced during our two weeks in Galle soured our moods and ruined planned excursions, it did give us the chance to explore the Fort neighborhood in full -- particularly its restaurants, cafes and bars. Here were some of our favorite spots during our time there.

Tap that Toddy

We had seen toddy tappers at work a few times, high up in the palm trees around Jaffna and Trincomalee, collecting the liquid of coconut flowers into plastic jugs. The toddy can later can be distilled into arrack, but is one of the country's favorite drinks even in its unprocessed state. And for nearly three months, we had traveled throughout Sri Lanka without ever trying it. We were being derelict!

Colombo Short Stay – Your Posh Condo in the City

With a magnificent setting in the 22nd floor of the Emperor Building, itself part of the five-star Cinnamon Grand's complex, the luxury condo offered by Colombo Short Stay was an incredible place to spend our last night in Sri Lanka. Out on the balcony, with a bottle of red wine and a view that stretches over the Indian Ocean and most of the city, we couldn't have found a better spot to wrap up our journey.

The Rocky Southern Coast of Sri Lanka

An unbroken string of tiny towns and hotels stretches out to the east of Galle. The busy road which hugs the coastline passes through Unawatuna, Dalawela, Thalpe, Habaraduwa, Midigama, one right after the other; each offering tourists an insane number of places to stay and things to do.

The Jungle Beach at Galle

After visiting the gleaming white Japanese Peace Pagoda which provided a wonderful view of Galle Fort, we climbed down toward the true destination of our day trip -- Jungle Beach. Not another person in sight, just twin stretches of deserted sand trapped between the ocean and Rumassala Rock. Having just experienced the soul-crushing lameness of Unawatuna, this beach was exactly what we needed. Peace, solitude and gorgeous nature.

Sri Lanka Reading List

Every time we head to a new location, we'll hunt down novels which are set there. Books help satisfy our curiosity about the place, and deepen our understanding of its culture. Here's what we've been reading during our three months in Sri Lanka.

Unawatuna

On our way to the beach village of Unawatuna, just a few kilometers up the coast from Galle, we saw a sign that read "Unawatuna: Tourist Paradise!" Which just goes to prove what we've been saying all along -- Sri Lankans have a hilarious and darkly ironic sense of humor! Unawatuna, paradise for tourists. Ha! That's a good one.