Places You Should NOT miss in Sri Lanka!

City hotels are targeted at the citizens, business travelers and for visitors to the city to stay for a few nights. You can find plentiful city hotels in Colombo and Kandy. These properties are priced based on their star ratings, and usually conveniently-located and offer a good night’s sleep plus various dining options, but are less spacious with less recreational activities on-site.

Resorts are usually larger hotels located outside the main cities with sprawling grounds and numerous recreational activities on-site. Resorts can be crowded depending on the season, but are generally aimed at those looking for a holiday or a vacation, either with family or friends. Resorts in Sri Lanka are usually located near a main attraction, for example, either a beach, a lake, mountains, waterfalls etc. and are styled in suitable ways.

Boutique hotels are smaller properties, offering complete privacy and personalised service. Boutique hotels are usually luxury properties although the price can vary depending on their offerings, location, brand name and star rating. You can find boutique hotels in most cities and locations. Most boutique hotels are stylish and artfully-decorated with curated furniture and items.

Hostels are catered especially to backpackers and budget travelers. You can expect no luxury from hostels most of the time, as hostels are designed to offer a place to sleep (in clean and safe surroundings) and maybe some breakfast in the morning, at very low prices. The offering is a large room shared by many people who each get an individual bed or share a bunk bed. If you are traveling with a friend group on a tight budget, a good hostel might be your best bet. You can usually find hostels with quarters separated by gender.

Feeling and experiencing the great outdoors is becoming increasingly popular by travelers who wish to see the world. Why travel to a beautiful natural attraction and hole up in a brick and mortar building? There are campsites available for people, with and without equipment (make sure to ask before booking), but it is always advisable to bring your own sleeping bags and toiletries. Glamping is a new concept for people who wish to experience camping but still require facilities such as beds and bathrooms, and there are many such facilities.

Bungalows are usually large houses or planter’s bungalows that have been converted into accommodation for travelers. There are various types of bungalows such as circuit bungalows or luxury bungalows, which can be booked as individual rooms or the entire bungalow. The luxury bungalows in Nuwara Eliya are especially renowned.

AirBnB is another popular form of accommodation in Sri Lanka, very much preferred by locals. You can find many properties on AirBnB that might not be listed anywhere else so make sure to check out your options here as well. AirBnBs include houses, apartments and normal BnBs as well. AirBnBs are the perfect solution for cheap lodgings, and especially for holidays or parties with friends.

Capsules are the latest entry to the market in Sri Lanka, with one in Colombo. Capsule hotels originated in Japan and are also known as pod hotels. They offer a sleeping pod just big enough for a bed, where you can climb into and spend the night. Capsule hotels are becoming more and more popular around the world, and we can expect to see more of them popping up in Sri Lanka.