Solo Female Travel in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, a gem nestled in the Indian Ocean off Southeast India, is a radiant blend of tropical beaches, verdant tea plantations, wildlife-strewn savannah, and intricate sacred relics. Known as the 'Pearl of the Indian Ocean', Sri Lanka boasts eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the Sigiriya rock fortress, and the sacred city of Kandy. It's globally renowned for its Ceylon Tea, prolific wildlife - featuring elephants, leopards and a myriad of bird species - and vibrant Sinhalese and Tamil cultures. From the Dutch colonial architecture of Galle to the traditional festivals brimming with dances, masks, and fire-walking, and the sun-kissed, palm-fringed beaches of Trincomalee and Unawatuna, Sri Lanka pulses with an irresistible allure for explorers.

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Is Sri Lanka good for solo travel?

Safety:

Safety:Safe

Sri Lanka is generally a safe destination for solo female travelers. The locals are friendly and willing to help, and it's common to encounter many female tourists. However, it's important to be cautious especially in crowded areas to avoid pickpockets or scams. It is also recommended to follow cultural norms, particularly when visiting religious sites. A good practice is to always let someone know your itinerary and keep in regular touch. Night travel is usually considered safe, but as always, vigilance is essential.
Transport:

Transport:Moderate

Navigating through Sri Lanka can be of moderate difficulty. While there are many transportation options like buses, taxis, and trains, language barriers might occasionally pose a challenge. Some rural areas may also be less accessible. However, most locals are helpful and friendly, easing the process to some extent. As a solo traveler, it's important to plan your travel well in advance and stay aware of your surroundings.
Things to do:

Things to do:Interesting

Sri Lanka is a paradise filled with natural beauty and historical attractions. Its diverse landscapes offer everything from sandy beaches and high peaks, to dense forests and sprawling tea plantations, sure to satiate any nature lover’s thirst for adventure. Wildlife enthusiasts will relish in the opportunity to see a variety of animals, including elephants and leopards, in their natural habitats. History and architecture buffs will be enticed by ancient Buddhist ruins, colonial-era buildings, and UNESCO world heritage sites. Foodies will find great pleasure in the country’s rich and spicy cuisine, while those seeking relaxation will enjoy pristine beaches and wellness retreats. The country is teeming wildlife safaris, hiking trails, surf spots, and yoga retreats.
Food:

Food:Above average

Sri Lanka offers a very diverse and flavorful food palette. The cuisine includes a variety of curries, seafood, and the famous rice and curry. Signature dishes like hoppers, kottu, and sweetmeats like kavum can be tried. However, it might be little spicy for individuals not familiar with South Asian cuisine. Also, vegetarians or vegans might find limited options. Overall, the food experience is quite unique and worth exploring.
Budget:

Budget:Very affordable

Sri Lanka is very budget-friendly for solo female travelers. Accommodation, food, and transportation are all quite reasonably priced. In addition, Sri Lanka is known for its friendly locals, and stunning landscapes that can be explored for free or at a very low cost. However, it's recommended to always keep some emergency cash as card machines are sometimes out of order.

Is Sri Lanka worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.4 /5

based on 29 experiences

Things to do

4.5/5

Safety

3.8/5

Food

4.4/5

Budget-friendly

4.3/5
Mia

Mia (22)

Taiwan

Solo travel experience

It was one of my favourite trip ever. It's my first time doing solo travel but I never felt alone during the travel. The locals are so nice that offer me to love in there home and provide food for free. I feel really thankful and touched in the end of the trip. I travel Sri Lanka mostly through Bus, the Bus system is so good that you can literally travel anywhere there! I'd say except the capital, Sri lanka is quite safe overall, but I would still suggest you to just stay at home at night if you are a female solo traveller!

Posted: July 18, 2024Experienced: July, 2023
Things to do: 4/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 4/5
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Sabrin

Sabrin (27)

Bangladesh

Group travel experience

So few months back i travelled to Sri lanka with one of my female colleagues. I was there for 5 nights and 6 days (could not manage any more days from office 😭). But 5 days are definitely not enough to cover the beauties of Srilanka. What an amazing country it is! But still we covered as much as possible within these days. Thanks to our travel agency who arranged the tour plan based on our travel taste and budget. I must say it was pretty cheap comparing the accomodation and the beautiful locations! He took only 600 USD for 5 days accomodation and 6 days full time car service. We had spent 5 nights in 5 different cities! Yeah it was hectic, but man i hadnt missed one place from the itinerary and thank god i havent. Because all the places were just amazing. I know there are much more things to do and places to go. But because of the timings constraint i couldnt 😭. Here are the places we have been. * Dambulla cave temple * Sigriya rock fortress * polonnuwara ancient city and Museum * Kandy city explore * Tooth relic Temple at Kandy * Ramboda waterfall * Tea factory visit at Nuwara Eliya * THE train journey * Ravana waterfall * Nine arch bridge * Mirissa coconut hill tree and beach * Galle Fortress * Shopping at Galle Turtle hatchery was in our itinerary but we didnt visit even though we had chance. Because we were just not into hatchery that much. Two of the best part of Srilanka are the local people and the food. They are super friendly and the food is just delicious 😋🥰. Please try the local foods as much as possible if you ever visit Sri lanka. Thanks.

Posted: July 9, 2024Experienced: March, 2024
Things to do: 4/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 4/5
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Maria

Maria

United States

Group travel experience

That was an incredible experience!! I had lots of fun. I spent 2,5 months exploring this magnificent country, I was staying in Weligama - it was less crowded than Hikkaduwa or other popular towns. It’s a great spot to learn surfing. I totally recommend to visit Adam’s peak, nine arches bridge, sigiriya. Locals are very friendly and nice, everything is pretty cheap.

Posted: June 26, 2024
Things to do: 5/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 3/5
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Joana

Joana

Germany

Solo travel experience

Sri Lanka became a second home for me. It feels just great, cozy and i enjoy it a lot. Very nice people, good food, good surfing and amazing landscape. You can join the mountain life in the middle of the country or the beachlife at the south- or eastcoast.

Posted: June 25, 2024
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
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Solo travel experience

I feel safe I really recommend surfing at the welligama beach I recommend Kottu roti as a food The city was really cheap including accommodation and transportation I stayed 4 different airbnb and all of them were great Transportation around the whole country was so easy and accessible

Posted: June 19, 2024
Things to do: 4/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 3/5
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Family travel experience

Sri Lanka is one of the safest travel destinations for women traveling alone (at least according to the rankings and even though I didn't travel alone, I would have felt safe anyway). The locals, in my experience, are very hospitable and helpful, even though they like to negotiate at least at all shopping opportunities/taxis/tuk-tuks. It's better to always start with low prices to avoid having to pay too much ;) Some of my highlights included a safari near Arugambay (our guide's name on Insta is lesitha_prabath - I can recommend him 100%, he has eyes like an eagle and finds leopards without much difficulty) :) The best hostel, in my opinion, is the Yoyo Surf Hostel Ahangama, a host with a golden heart, you feel like part of the hostel family. There are opportunities for parties with transport organization to top locations every second/third day and Sunday curries at family dinners <3 Whale watching trips are ok, but the safari was better. Restaurant prices are very cheap, especially breakfast on the beach in Wedigama which is highly recommended after the perfect surf wave at the Blue Wave surfboard rental. Don't underestimate the sun, 50+ sun cream is a must in the tropics. Always drink water only from packaged/sealed bottles (even my filter bottle was unable to protect me from poisoning). Enjoy the Sun, Waves and people :) The food was too spicy for me.

Posted: May 3, 2024Experienced: February, 2024
Things to do: 5/5Food: 3/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 4/5
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Solo travel experience

I was alone in Sri Lanka and felt safe. People really like to talk and offer their hospitality to travelers. But if you don't like to be squeezed or hanged on public transportation then traveling between cities is quite challenging.

Posted: April 7, 2024
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 4/5
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Anna

Anna (38)

Spain

Solo travel experience

Wear a ring and say you're married. Even if you say you have a boyfriend, guys are going to insist. Be careful with CouchSurfing. They think it's tinder, so unfortunately I had bad experiences. Be careful. When I was in Mirissa, a touristic beach place, I went out to a bar. Some girls were drunk, completely, and local guys were there trying to take advantage. Thanks to some friends we walked two of them to their hostels. So if you travel solo, try to avoid a man thought apps (like CouchSurfing). Try to find someone to travel Apart from very insistent men, it's a safe place ( well they will try to make you paid like European prices, but apart from that, it's nice)

Posted: March 14, 2024Experienced: November, 2023
Things to do: 3/5Food: 1/5Budget-friendly: 1/5Safety: 2/5
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Solo travel experience

I felt safe travelling alone, people are extremely friendly. However, I was sexually harassed while just walking at daytime at the beach. Also, stuff was stolen from me. I wouldn't recommend walking alone at secluded beaches.

Posted: February 28, 2024
Things to do: 4/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 3/5Safety: 1/5
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Solo travel experience

I felt perfectly safe solo traveling Sri Lanka for 3 weeks. The people of Sri Lanka are the nicest and most friendly people I ever met. This small country has so much to offer and it's very affordable. Mountains, hiking, temples, history, great wildlife, amazing beaches, beautiful towns, and delicious food.

Posted: February 11, 2024
Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5
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Is Sri Lanka safe for women?

Sri lanka is moderately safe for solo female travellers as. Long as they take necessary precautions. Make sure you do not go out alone at night or travel long distances with unknown people. While most people are very kind and helpful, there are black sheep who ruin the experience. So better safe than sorry.

Posted: April 24, 2024
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Meet locals in Sri Lanka

Meet local women in Sri Lanka who are open to meet up for a coffee or a drink, show you around, give local advice or practice a language with.
Nelum

Nelum

About Me

I'm Nelum 55yrs old doctor married has 2 teenagers. I like travelling reading books music. interested in exploring different cultures and people and meet a travel buddy .

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Habbipriya

Habbipriya

About Me

People call me Habbi/ Habibi/ Habbs/ Hab and in multiple other ways. I enjoy meeting new people and engaging in deep conversations on the swarm of stories that make us who we are. I love traveling like a local, picking up languages, having a good laugh, trying out street food and learning about local traditions and culture. I don’t travel to live, I live to travel 💜

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Stay with locals in Sri Lanka

Stay with local women in Sri Lanka who offer free accommodation as part of cultural exchange. Couch surfing is a great way to meet new people, learn more about new cultures and experience destinations like a local.
Nelum

Nelum

Colombo

Can host for:

3 days

About me

I'm Nelum 55yrs old doctor married has 2 teenagers. I like travelling reading books music. interested in exploring different cultures and people and meet a travel buddy .

Speaking

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Dashini

Dashini

Colombo

Can host for:

3 days

About me

Hi Gals I’m a 42year old lady living in the colombo suburbs. I wish I could say I’m a a regular person at day and moonlights at night, however I’m a doctor working at one of the largest hospitals in Colombo. Don’t let my profession discourage you! I was brought up in Dubai, so I’m quite fun loving and I know the ropes to surviving in SriLanka . I am also an extensive travel enthusiast and have travelled to over 30 countries. I’m the nature lover and an adventure sport junkie

Speaking

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Upcoming visitors to Sri Lanka

Connect with upcoming visitors to Sri Lanka who are looking for travel buddies or meet ups.
Federica

Federica

About Me

Hey!, I'm Federica and I'm interested in solo travel, photography, fashion, art, nightlife, nature, health, events & social, dancing, cinema, culture, books, backpacking and animals

Speaking

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Rejane

Rejane

About Me

I am artist and designer, love plants, pets, arts, languages and travelling.

Speaking

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Explore Sri Lanka