Best time to visit Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, is a tropical country, which is an Island Paradise located in South Asia, in line with 5º55′ and 9º55′ north of the equator and between the eastern longitudes 79º42′ and 81º52′. Therefore the location of Sri Lanka is one good reason why a guest should visit Sri Lanka. It also has sunshine throughout the year, even though the monsoon is expected to take place from May to October and the second season for monsoon is from December to March is the northeast monsoon.
However, the beauty of the country lies between the two monsoons, where from May to October the east coast is enlightened with bright sunshine, calm beaches with soft sugar sandy beaches, and the season for beaches such as Trincomalee, Arugam Bay and Pasikudha begins. From November to April takes place the season for down south beaches such as Bentota, Wadduwa, Kalutara, Galle, Hikkaduwa, Balapitiya, Ahungalla, Mirissa, Tangalle that enjoys a calm weather, beautiful beaches with golden sand, many options for dining, unique experiences such as fishing, boat riding, water sport activities, and the major highlight of the season will be Dolphin and Whale watching in Mirissa.
Therefore the travel month does not actually matter since either way, a traveler will still be able to visit the beach and enjoy the waves of the Indian Ocean.
Similarly, Negombo remains a stable beach for any visitor throughout the year, however, Negombo is well known for delicious sea food cuisine, Lellama fish market, where you’ll get to buy your own fish and prepare your own meal with our chefs.
Elephants can be seasonal, which will take place from June to August, famous for Minneriya Elephant Gathering. Compared to other months June to August is the dry season in the cultural triangle, therefore Elephants of Minneriya National Park gather around the Minneriya Tank in search of water. There can be hundreds to thousands of elephant gathering annually at Minneriya Tank. This can be coupled with a Safari at Udawalawe National Park where a safari ride can take you into the natural habitat of the Sri Lankan elephant, commonly found in Udawalawe National Park, which is one of the Big Five of Sri Lanka, the mighty elephant.
A visit to the Senanayake Samudraya, located near Gal Oya National Park hosts the annual crossing, which can also add value to the annual gathering of elephants, annual crossing is where the elephants swim from one shore to the other. A boat hire will allow you to witness the elephant crossing, and beware not to get too close, the elephants might get disturbed and panic. Therefore it is always advisable to stop the boat and let it float while the elephants take their route to the shore.
Thereafter the elephant season brings another important feature, the “Dalada Perahera”, which takes place in the month of August each year. The Temple of the Tooth Relic is believed to be the home of the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, which was brought to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamala and Prince Dhantha for protection during the war times in India. It is now securely deposited in Kandy, Temple of the Tooth Relic and it has many rituals and traditional ceremonies throughout the year, and the Esala Perahera is one of the most exciting and glamorous of them all.
If a guest is looking for cool weather, less rain and more festive spirit, then the best time to visit would be December, January, February and March, also August and June can be the season as well. Best season for hill country would be August and April when the weather is not too cold, but more like spring and autumn.
Sri Lanka can be visited during any month, any date, there will be a combination of activities and festivals to make your stay in Sri Lanka a colorful one. It can be elephants, leopards, whales, Kandy Festival, Beaches, Hindu festivals, Sinhalese and Tamil New Year, Christmas, New Year, Kite Surfing, Water sports, rafting, hiking etc. Sri Lanka is a small island full of diversity, full of energy and a whole range of experiences to make your stay a remarkable and a memorable holiday that you will think of even after few years!!!
By Milani Wickramaratne
