Is Sri Lanka safe for solo female travelers?
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How safe is Sri Lanka for female travelers?
Travel safety index
based on 43 experiences from female travelers
Alexandra
Spain
Sri Lanka, Solo travel
I was traveling solo in Sri Lanka, in between I joined a group of backpackers. I had an overall good experience. The locals were mostly helpful and when I had a doubt or question, I could ask a person around and they would mostly try to help. Public transport can get crowded, and there is no centralised bus schedule, so you need to figure it out by asking around. I had some misunderstandings, but all went well in the end. In buses and trains, people were mostly nice to me, I had pleasant conversations and several people shared their food with me when sitting next to me (which I am not used to at all:) ). For booking a taxi or tuktuk, I recommend to use the Pick Me app. Otherwise, I used to tell the tuk tuk drivers the price I would get on PickMe, so I wouldn't have to bargain, and they normally accepted. I haven't spent much time in Colombo, but I felt fine. A lot of traffic, I didn't like to walk around. Some stray dogs (I was fine, but a fellow backpacker got attacked at some point). Places like Sigiriya and Ella have a tourist infrastructure, many guesthouses and restaurants, so it's very easy to be there as a traveler, but also the prices are higher and there are not many locals. Keep in mind that pickMe doesn't work in Ella, so tuktuks are expensive. If you stay far from the centre, it's not always ideal in the night (especially if you have to walk, it is very dark, couple I met got attacked by dogs on the way back; I heard a story of somebody who had to stay at a different person's hotel room, because the tuktuk wouldn't come that "far" in the night for a reasonable price). Tricomalee has a touristy part which has a bar with beach access where all the party happens, many western people stay there etc. But the city centre is not touristy at all. That's the only place where I felt a little uncomfortable sometimes when young men were staring/ calling me "baby", etc., so I recommend not showing to much skin not to attract attention. But also it was the part where I have experienced a festival and learned a lot about the culture. In Kandy I felt generally safe, I just didn't like the air pollution, and around the lake there are many people trying to sell you tickets for the dance show. They will walk behind you and not leave you alone for some time. In Galle (Fort area) I felt very safe, but I was only there for a few hours till sunset. There were many local families with kids, so it had a nice ambience. Also, I went to Ambalangoda and a tea plantation in Dolosbage, and I had good experiences and felt safe there. But I was Couchsurfing, so I was not alone. If you feel I can help you in any way, feel free to reach out:)
Posted: September 3, 2025Experienced: July, 2025
Anastasia
Russia
Sri Lanka, Solo travel
My experience on Sri Lanka was quite good. It was my first solo trip and it wasn’t just a vacation, I came there with one way ticket and eventually stayed on the island for 3 months. Local people seems nice and friendly, sometimes they can be intrusive, but I think it’s just part of Asian culture. I felt safe out there. I stayed at Weligama and I rented a room in villa. It cost me around 300 bucks, in general I spend 1-1,5k in one month. If you stays in Weligama I definitely recommend you to visit Nomad and Pasijou, both places have great kitchens.
Posted: August 28, 2025Galle, Group travel
Truly everything went well just don’t go alone anywhere I did that and almost got raped by a group of men I went to the beach after sunset to get some fresh air and they started following me. Please don’t make the same mistake as me.
Posted: August 27, 2025Galle, Group travel
I felt generally safe. I visited there with my girlfriends and we weren't disturbed or interrupted by any one. We mostly walked. The food inside the fort is bit more expensive but not too much. We didn't spend that much because we are students and we were on a tight budget but maybe around 3000 LKR for each? It was a one day trip so we didn't spend the night anywhere but our home. But I think there are many safe place around
Posted: August 13, 2025Experienced: April, 2025
Meera
Germany
Sri Lanka, Solo travel
I felt really safe in every region of the country! As a tip: the centre of the island was surprisingly the most impressive part, instead of the beaches - so don’t miss out on that! And beware of their fragile toilet systems :)
Posted: June 23, 2025How safe is Sri Lanka for women?
Local safety index
Based on 10 local experiences
Local crime index
Based on 10 local experiences
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was as a solo female traveler not really what I expected. I could not walk 2 meters without getting talked to, whisteled at. Colombo was worst, men always came and walked with me. I did not went out at night.
Posted: October 10, 2025
Nimeshika
Weligama
It's usually safe. Bit tricky after dark since it isn't very crowded past around 9 pm. I don’t actually live in the town, so I can’t speak from experience about living there. The neighborhood I’m from is generally very safe, but it’s not touristy, so I’m not sure about what it’s like to live in a tourist-heavy area. That said, I’m in the town every day, and from what I’ve seen, it’s generally safe for a female solo traveler.
Posted: August 13, 2025
Devni
Unawatuna
It’s pretty chill if you’re not local. I’m local and so far I’ve not had any concerning experiences. Only heard things here and there. I wouldn’t worry too much if you’re a traveller. The locals usually leave them alone
Posted: July 27, 2025Colombo
Colombo is a beautiful and clean city . The residents are helpful and it feels safe to travel around. I had visited in 2023 with my sister and faced no problems. People were warm and welcoming. There were people wanting to be your guide in the tourist parts but, they were not aggressive.
Posted: June 27, 2025
Olga
Sri Lanka
In touristic places there pretty safe but when you move a bit far from the city center you can face some problems. Also it was an attempt of physical abuse of a friend of mine. Another friend of mine was robbed and police did literally nothing, even though it was some cameras at that place
Posted: June 21, 2025Safety in Sri Lanka
