Elephants dressed in strings of lights walking in the Kandy Esala Perahera at night

Sri Lanka with Sudusinghe

Tours of 5 to 14 daysFrom 2 to 200+ travellersPickup at Colombo airport

Temples, tea hills, leopards and the sea, with a local who knows every story.

Kandy Esala Perahera. Photo: Daniel Liabeuf, CC BY-SA

Plan your trip See the journeys

Sudusinghe means white lion

My name means white lion: the lion on our flag, the white of every dagoba at sunrise.

Fishermen perched on wooden stilts in the surf near Galle — Stilt fishermen near Galle, on the south coast

Each season I welcome hundreds of travellers. First face at arrivals, last wave at departures.

A Kandyan dancer in a silver headdress and red costume — A Kandyan dancer in Kandy

Pilgrims, planters and poets have come for two thousand years. Let me show you why they stayed.

Old photograph of women plucking tea on a hillside estate in Ceylon — Tea pluckers in old Ceylon, from a museum archive

Sigiriya rock fortress rising above its water gardens

Kingdoms of the lion

The white Ruwanwelisaya stupa in Anuradhapura with Buddhist flags

6 days · Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla

Best from February to September

We climb Pidurangala at dawn for the one view that has Sigiriya in it.

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A blue train crossing the Nine Arch Bridge near Ella through green jungle

Tea country by train

5 days · Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Haputale, Ella

Best from January to April

Seven hours on the blue train, then breakfast on a working tea estate.

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A Sri Lankan leopard resting on a rock in Yala National Park

Leopards and elephants

A leopard walking through green scrub in Yala

6 days · Udawalawe, Yala, Minneriya

Best from February to August

Out of the park gate at first light, before the jeep queue forms.

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Galle Fort lighthouse and ramparts beside the Indian Ocean

The south coast

5 days · Galle Fort, Ahangama, Mirissa, Tangalle

Best from December to April

Blue whales off Mirissa in the morning, the Galle ramparts at sunset.

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The island, month by month

Sri Lanka has two monsoons that take turns, so one side of the island is always dry. Pick the month you are coming.

Place	What	Region	Status

Every full moon is a public holiday here, called Poya. In July or August, Kandy holds the Esala Perahera: ten nights of drummers, fire dancers and elephants. In May, Vesak fills every town with lanterns. Plan around one and it becomes the heart of your trip.

Painted Buddha figures covering the rock ceiling of a Dambulla cave temple — Painted ceilings in the Dambulla cave temples, in use for over 2,000 years

The golden-red tower and gateway of Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna — Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, Jaffna. Its 25-day festival falls in August and September

A troupe of Kandyan dancers and drummers in red and silver costumes on stage — Kandyan dancers and drummers in Kandy, in the silver ves costume

From the road

After every tour Sudusinghe shares the story and the photographs. Tap a circle to watch it like a story on your phone.

All stories

About Sudusinghe

Ayubowan, I’m Sudusinghe. My name means white lion. I was born on this island and I have spent my working life showing it to visitors, most of them from Europe. I meet you at Colombo airport and stay with you until the last morning. I know which temple is quiet at six, which family in Ella cooks the best rice and curry, and how to move two hundred people through Kandy without anyone missing the evening drums. I don’t read from a script. I tell you what my grandmother told me, what the monks at Mihintale told me, and what the stones tell anyone who stops long enough to look. Bring good shoes. The best views here start with a climb.

Sudusinghe සුදුසිංහ

Before you fly

Non-stop to Colombo from London Heathrow and Paris with SriLankan Airlines, and from Zurich with Edelweiss in winter. About 10 to 11 hours.

In winter Sri Lanka is 4½ hours ahead of Berlin and Paris, and 5½ hours ahead of London. One hour less in summer.

The money is the Sri Lankan rupee. Cards work in hotels; cash is better in villages and at temples.

Do I need a visa?

Yes, an ETA, which you apply for online at eta.gov.lk before you fly. Since 25 May 2026 the 30-day tourist ETA is free for citizens of the UK, Germany, France and most of Europe. Check the site before you book.

When should we come?

December to April for the south coast and the hills, May to September for the east coast. The ancient cities are good most of the year. One side of the island is always dry.

What do I wear at temples?

Cover shoulders and knees, take off shoes and hats, and never pose for a photo with your back to a Buddha statue. White clothes are always welcome.

Which plug do I need?

Sri Lanka runs on 230 V with British three-pin (type G) and round-pin (type D) sockets. A British plug usually fits; from the continent, bring an adapter.

How long should we stay?

Ten to fourteen days covers the ancient cities, the hill country and the south coast without rushing. A week suits one region.

Can you take a large group?

Yes. For groups over 25, Sudusinghe works with a team of licensed guides, coaches and hotels, all under one plan.

Ask Sudusinghe Apply for the ETA

Sigiriya rock seen from the top of Pidurangala, above the forest — Sigiriya from Pidurangala, and the drummers of the Temple of the Tooth

Drummers in white at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy — Sigiriya from Pidurangala, and the drummers of the Temple of the Tooth

Aerial view of Mirissa's curved beach, palm trees and turquoise sea

Write to Sudusinghe

Pickup at Colombo airport (CMB) or your hotel, anywhere on the island.

WhatsApp: +94 7X XXX XXXX
Email: hello@sudusinghe.lk
Replies: 07:00–21:00 Sri Lanka time
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