Sri Lanka travel tips and suggestions

Hello, I am planning a trip to Sri Lanka in January. I will be there for 6days and am looking for any tips/tricks/suggestions from locals while traveling!

I'm someone who would much rather be in nature and get dirty than be in the city. I LOVE hiking and never turn down an opportunity to be around animals and wildlife.

I will land in Colombo around 7:30am and am planning to go to Kandy the moment I land. On my way to Kandy, I am planning on stopping at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage for a bit. If there are other places where I can get close to wildlife, please let me know!

I'm planning on spending night 1 and night 2 in Kandy. I'll explore the town on Day 1 in Kandy and then go to Knuckles Mountain Range on Day 2 for some hiking.

Day 3 will be in Ella where I'm thinking of doing some more hiking - Little Adam’s Peak, Ella Rock, Pekoe trail.

Day 4 - Spend time in some wildlife lodges in Yala National Park. I have heard that recently Yala has been extremely crowded and that Udawalawe National Park is a great alternative.

Day 5 and 6 in Colombo. Explore the city on Day 5. I fly out around 5pm on Day 6, so I'm thinking I'll take it easy and relax at some beach.

I am still working on how I'll get from one place to another, so any tips and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!