Sri Lanka Travel Guide

After reading a book about Geoffrey Bawa, I decided to take a trip to see his architectural works. As the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, the Tear of the Buddha, the Tea/Spice Empire, and a bankrupt country, Sri Lanka has many other themes worth exploring, but I like this cultural route the most. [WHEN] The best time to visit is generally from December to March, but it was still the rainy season when I visited in January. Due to climate change, the best time to visit is now from February to August. [WHERE to go/stay (for reference only)] Theme: Architectural Tour × Religious Exploration × Natural Symbiosis Main route: Jetwing, Negombo for one day, seafood market to see sharks, St. Mary's Church (p15–18) ➡️ Kandalama for three days, Dambulla Cave Temple, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa (p11–14) ➡️ Kandy for one day, Temple of the Tooth, city tour ➡️ Nuwara Eliya for two days, tea plantation, Nine Arches Bridge, train, Horton Plains, Adam's Peak, afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel (p9–11) ➡️ Lighthouse Hotel, Galle for two days, fort/coastline/fishermen/lagoon/pottery (p5–8) ➡️ Colombo for two days, Lunuganga Estate, train, Parliament Building, museum, Bawa's residence, and more (p1–4) [WHAT to note] 1. Transportation: For long trips, it's best to rent a car. Agree on the itinerary and tip in advance, and confirm with the driver on the first day. PickMe is slow to respond. Second-class train seats are better for taking photos than first-class seats. Before going to Nine Arches Bridge, you can ask the guide for the train schedule and go up the mountain at the right time. Tips: I usually give small change, <500 rupees, 2,000 rupees/day for a driver. Clothing: Bring a jacket. You must take off your shoes when visiting temples, such as the Temple of the Tooth or the cave temple. Wear slippers if you can, as they are more convenient. 2. Pitfalls: The Parliament Building is closed on weekends. The Heritance Tea Factory is really far away. If you don't have to go, just stay at the Grand Hotel for one night and leave overnight. All the tea factories are owned by Darmo, so it doesn't matter which one you visit. You can't enter Lunuganga without a guide. Check the time in advance. It costs USD 15. If you finish early, you can go to Bentota to make pottery and watch the sunset. Local curry is okay. I think Curry Club and Ministry of Crab are average. Agree on the price before taking photos of fishing. They asked me for 5,000 after taking the photos, but I paid 1,500 in the end. I only stayed at Jetwing Lagoon, Kandalama, and Lighthouse, which were designed by Bawa. I think the private residence in Colombo and Lunuganga are a bit expensive unless you really love design. You can visit them, and Bawa's designs are relatively old, so the hotels are old, but they are beautiful. Unless you really like hiking, there's no need to go to Horton Plains if you just want to see animals. There are only elk at the entrance.