Sri Lanka On A Shoestring Budget

Quick information

Country in South Asia

Language: Sinhala and Tamil are the two main languages in Sri lanka.

Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)

Let me take you on my journey through this diverse, beautiful island of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is known as “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean” falling from the South East coast of India. And it is one of the cheapest countries I’ve been to. You will see lots of green everywhere you go. This country is so beautiful.

My friend and I spent travelling together in Sri Lanka for 4 days. Though she came 3 days earlier before I arrived in the country.

I have jotted the breakdown of my daily expenses throughout my 4 days and 5 nights in Sri Lanka. I hope this will help you in case you are planning to travel in Sri Lanka on a budget. I was traveling with one friend of mine, which is always a good way to ease the cost of travel.

Day 1

From Bandaranaike International Airport I hired a private car going to Colombo Fort Station to meet my friend. From Colombo, we have to go to Ella and we bought 2nd class tickets which was really cheap for a 9 hours of travel time.

Meet my travel buddy – Airene 🙂

Colombo Fort Train Station

Day 2

After the long haul train journey from Colombo to Ella, we spent our night at Rawana Den. Our second day was one of the most tiring and busiest days we had during our travel in this country. We started our early walk in the morning  from our hotel to Little Adam’s Peak to see the sunrise in there.

The views from hikes in Ella are phenomenal. Ella is known as the hiking hotpots in the mountain country of Sri Lanka.

At Little Adam’s Peak!!

After the tiring hike at Little Adam’s Peak, we proceeded at the Nine Arch Bridge. We recommend you to go early in the morning for the best views and it will be less tiring.

Next stop is the Nine Arch Brdige..It is a bit tricky to find but we managed to find our way by asking locals.

We walked to the bridge following the road out of Ella. The bridge is quite spectacular looking. This Nine Arch Bridge is one of the several top most beautiful sights in Sri Lanka.

See the below expenses for our second day. I calculated this for only one person (myself).

Day 3

We traveled all the way to Sigiriya. And it took us another 6 hours train ride to get there.

 

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 Here are some photos where we stayed at Sigiriya.

Kashyapa Kingdom View Home. It is near to Pidurangala Rock and Lion’s Rock.

With Lion’s Rock View from Kashyapa Home

Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited historical places in Sri Lanka.

Lion’s Rock

Day 4

After our Sigiriya adventure, we traveled to Negombo around 10Am. We reached Camelot Hotel at 4PM.

We chose this hotel as it’s just 20 minutes from the Colombo Airport. My friend and I agreed to book this 3 star hotel since this is our last day to stay in Sri Lanka. This one  is the most expensive accommodation we booked during our trip, but it’s still   slightly cheaper compare to the hotels in UAE. Not bad!! lol.

 

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We just stayed here for one night and we spent our time chilling in the pool and sun -bathing on the beach.

Day 5 (Last Day)

And so we ended our trip on our 5th day! This is a country of contrasts and surprises and one I very quickly fell in love with.  I would love to visit again in this beautiful country.

And lastly,  I have summed up my daily expenses and you’ll be surprised how affordable it is to travel in this country.

For those who are adventurous and love mountainous places, I would highly recommend Sri Lanka. You can squeeze in mountains, tea plantations, train rides, culture, history and the opportunity to interact with the local people.

Than you Sri Lanka!!

Note: Conversion rates  fluctuate from time to time and it may vary from today’s rate.

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How to apply for a Sri Lankan Tourist Visa online ?

If you are holding a Philippine passport you can consider the below information and guide on how you can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in Sri Lanka.

All visitors must obtain an ETA prior to arrival or on arrival to Sri Lanka.

However, the below nationals of the following countries & category are exempt for ETA.

Nationals:

1. The Republic of Singapore
2. The Republic of Seychelles
3. The Republic of Maldives

Category:

1. Crew members of flight / ship
2. Children under 12 years old

Documents required:

• Valid Philippine Passport – should have at least six months of validity from the date you arrive in Sri Lanka.
• Completed ETA application form (https://eta.gov.lk/etaslvisa/etaNavServ?payType=1)
• Passport Copies – Face page & UAE Residence Visa page (if you are residing in UAE)
• Return air ticket
• Proof of hotel accommodation or an invitation from hosts in Sri Lanka

Here are the 3 easy steps:

1. Fill out the application form and submit it online. Make sure that you have your passport number, address in Sri Lanka, and intended arrival date as you need to input those details in the application.
2. Once you finish filling up the form, you can then proceed on the payment section. Payment Options – Pay via credit or debit card. I paid 35 USD

For SAARC region Passport Holders – US$ 20 (AED 73.44)

For All Other Country Passport Holders – US$ 35 (AED 128.52)

The payment online  must be paid with a valid debit or credit card.

3. After payment submission, you will then receive ETA confirmation. Wait for the acknowledgment from the Department of Immigration & Emigration, which will be sent to you via e-mail.

I’ve got mine within 2 minutes. Please see sample email. 

Here’s the sample approval email.

I would advise that it is best to get your ETA in advance as it’s cheaper and faster rather than getting it upon your arrival.

I also suggest to keep a copy of the ETA approval notice to be produced at the port of entry in Sri Lanka.

Note: Your Sri Lankan ETA visa is electronically linked to your passport number, you will not need a stamp, nor will one be issued.

You can also apply Sri Lankan tourist visa through embassy.

If you have any doubts/ questions, it’s better to contact or visit the nearest Sri Lankan Embassy in your country.

**Kindly note that all information mentioned above is based on my experience applying for a tourist visa through ETA.

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Source: Best of Armenia in 3 Days

Big Buddha

The Big Buddha is located in Ngong Ping Lantau Island as one of the famous tourist attractions in Hong Kong. Lantau Island is the largest Island in Hong Kong.

You can easily reach the Big Buddha within a few minutes walk from Ngong Ping 360 Cable car terminus. But for me it’s more thrilling when you ride a bus going up to the Lantau Island and climb the 268 steps.

From Ngong Ping Village, you will see the Ngong Ping Piazza and the Bodhi Path. At the end of the Bodhi Path you can already spot the entrance of Big Buddha. And if you are courageous enough you can climb the 268 steps to reach to the platform, and it is highly recommended for all visitors of Bug Buddha.

Okay, let’s get sweaty!! 268 steps.

And here’s the view after reaching the platform.

View from Big Buddha Platform

Me in front of Big Buddha.

How to get there: 

By MTR: Take MTR and transfer to Tung Chung Line. Get off to Tung Chung Station and take Exit B. It’s pretty easy if you can read and follow the signs.

Then get to Ngong Ping Island (Ngong Ping  360  Cable Car terminus or Bus Terminus).

The Lantau Bus starts from Tung Chung Town Center to Ngong Ping Road. The adult ticket is around $17 from Monday to Friday. If it’s weekends or holiday it will cost you $27. This option is much economical instead of taking the 360 cable car. However, riding a bus will take time so you have to be patient while waiting to get to Big Buddha. Approx. 50 minutes travel time I think.

Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu

Here you go! Am gonna post this photo no matter what I look like. 🙂

The ancient Swayambunath Stupa (known to tourists as the Monkey Temple) is Kathmandu‘s most important Buddhist shrine.The glory of Kathmandu Valley is said to have started from this point.

I was roaming around the temple with my tourist guide and suddenly He asked me to wear this dress and take a photo with the Stupa on my background.

We rented this costume and my tour guide doesn’t want me to shell out money to pay for the costume rent. I insisted to pay Him but he doesn’t want to take it. I was so lucky to have these people around me during my stay in Nepal. I’ve met beautiful person who are willing to help those tourist / jet-setter  like me.

Highlights of my visit to Swayambhunath Stupa:

• I would recommend you to climb the full 365 steps to the top.- you’ll enjoy watching those monkeys on the way up to Stupa, also you can see vendors selling some stuffs.
• The Stupa offers great views over Kathmandu, especially in the early evening.To catch the Tibetan pilgrims, you will need to arrive before 9am.
• You can roam around the Stupa at the very top.
• Enjoy the fresh air and the view of Kathmandu from the top.

Let’s start to climb the 365 steps

View from the top

Vendors are everywhere 🙂

These women from Malaysia were so nice as they want me to take a photo with them. (New Found Friends)

Facts:  Monkeys live to the north-west of the complex; they are said to be holy because they grew out of head lice living in the bodhisattva (enlightened person) Manjusri’s long hair!

Beware as some of them will grab your bag and steal your food. Look what happened to my ice cream Lol.. I was shocked and freaked out ahaha it was so funny as this little monkey stole my ice cream and I can’t do anything but to share it or else he might run after me Lol.

He really enjoyed it!! 😛

Guest House in Siem Reap

Outside view of the Guesthouse

Bousavey resto..

I am lucky to have this spacious room to stay on my 2 nights in Siem Reap. Unfortunately, I’ve been travelling solo that time so this room was all mine lol.! I found this Guesthouse online and If I remember I’ve booked only for one single bed, as obviously I am traveling solo. The good news was when I arrived in the guesthouse the owner asked me to stay in this room without any additional charge. (Oh thank you!)

Oh Btw, you’ll meet a lot people with a kind heart along the way and that’s for sure!! Unfortunately, you will come across  those disrespectful and jerks too, so be careful.

This guesthouse will not cost you arm and leg. I recommend this to those who would like to travel solo, couple or wether you’re traveling as a group.

Check out their website for more infos. — http://www.bousavyguesthouse.com/

Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2013

Cambodia 2013

This was the first-ever out of the country I have visited in 2013. And guess what, this was my first-ever solo travel that i really enjoyed without companionship. I was 23 years old when I first visited this beautiful country of Cambodia.

This obscure country is worth visiting especially for those who are fond of visiting temples. Cambodia has a massive stone temples to offer. The picture you can see behind me was the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. Visitors are allowed to visit only the throne hall.

And if you would like to go & see what’s there inside, you have to remember these things:

• Be aware ladies, there is a strict dress code, regarding how much skin you can show, No Shorts or skirts are allowed. Don’t show your beautiful and smooth legs Lol!
• You better cover yourself or you can either wear a short/skirt below the knee.
• No Picture taking allowed. (I’m not really sure if they are allowing it now as this was 3 years ago.)
• It is also not allowed to wear any hats and backpacks.
• It is always best to search online beforehand and see what are the do’s and dont’s of those particular tourist spots you would like to visit.

Those are the things you can consider while visiting this place. But as I’ve said earlier, you better check beforehand to make sure you know the rules, and you will not screw up your travel while visiting some tourist attraction.

As you can see on the picture, I’m showing off my skin and I wasn’t able to enter the Palace WaaaHHhh…!Lesson learned.

So always be aware about the Do’s and Dont’s of the places you’re going to visit so you will not miss all the fun!..