Visiting Sri Lanka in August
When visiting Sri Lanka in August, keep in mind that the island is under the influence of Monsoon. Plan your August Sri Lanka trip carefully so that you can escape the torrential rain in some areas of Sri Lanka. May through August most part of the islands west and south coast is soaked up with teh rain. However, during the same period north and east cost of Sri Lanka remains dry and sunny. In this blog post we discuss many things that you need to know when visiting Sri Lanka in August and planning a trip in Sri Lanka from weather to restrictions to safety.
Table of Contents
- Is August good time to visit Sri Lanka?
- Festival in August
- Visiting Sri Lanka in August-Where to go in Sri Lanka?
- How is the weather in Sri Lanka in August?
- What are the benefits of visiting Sri Lanka in August?
- Colombo tour while visiting Sri Lanka in August
- Anuradhapura tour while visiting Sri Lanka in August
- Sigiriya tur while visiting Sri Lanka in August
- Exploring Kandy while visiting Sri Lanka in August
- Exploring ancient Dambulla golden temple in August
- Exploring Polonnaruwa while visiting Sri Lanka in August
- Minneriya safari in the month of August
- Visiting Trincomalee on your Sri Lanka trip in August
- Touring to Pigeon Island marine sanctuary
- Visiting Nuwara Eliya on Sri Lanka trip in August
- Touring in Ella mountain resort
- Sri Lanka august beach tour in Hikkaduwa
- Sri Lanka august tour to Unawatuna beach
- Visiting Bentota beach on your Sri Lanka trip in August
- Places for wildlife tour in August
- Best beaches for Sri Lanka holidays in August
- What are the activities available for travellers on the east coast in the month of August?
- Transportation of the Sri Lanka tour in August
- Language of the Sri Lanka tour in August
- Sri Lanka in August itinerary
- Visiting Sri Lanka in August-Cultural triangle tour
- Duration of the Sri Lanka tour itinerary in August
- Wildlife tour while visiting Sri Lanka in August
- Visiting Sri Lanka in August-Sri Lanka hill country tour
- Hill country train ride while visiting Sri Lanka in August?
- Visiting Sri Lanka in August-How to get more information?
Sri Lanka is a little island paradise located in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka is an amazing holiday destination offering a wide range of places to visit and activities to engage in for travellers. The tiny island offers a wide range of environments and tourist attractions to enjoy and experience. The travellers can trace the island’s fascinating history that goes back many millennia by visiting Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle and exploring the historical monuments. Sri Lanka is relatively compact island boasts eight UNESCO world heritage sites, where the Sri Lanka’s history is preserved. Fascinating out door landscapes and wildlife experiences can be found in Sri Lanka’s national parks, which are filled by wide range of animals from illusive Leopards to mighty bear, giant elephants, greedy crocodile and many more.
Sri Lanka is also a popular beach holiday destination and offer ideal places all year round for a refreshing beach holiday. The palm fringed beaches are dotted with beach restaurants, cafes, bars, luxurious hotels and many other recreation facilities. When visiting Sri Lanka in August, keep in mind that the island is under the influence of Monsoon. Plan your August Sri Lanka trip carefully so that you can escape the torrential rain in some areas of Sri Lanka. May through August most part of the island’s west and south coast is soaked up with water. However, during the same period north and east cost of Sri Lanka remains dry and sunny.
Is August good time to visit Sri Lanka?
August considered being one of the best months of the year to visit Sri Lanka due to many reasons such as warm and sunny tropical climate, low travel cost and low crowd in hotels and tourist attractions. August falls in the low tourist season in Sri Lanka, it means that island attracts comparatively fewer numbers of travellers in the month of August compared to the number of travellers arrive on the island during the Peak Holiday season (from November through April). The low tourist season of Sri Lanka starts in May and remains until October. However, there is a considerable up beat of tourist arrival in the month of August comparing to theer off-season months such as May, June, July and october.
Festival in August
Sri Lanka is a cultural melting pot with nearly a dozen of cultures. There is hardly any month without an important cultural and religious event in Sri Lanka. August is called the month of “Esala” in the Sinhalese language.
Esala ceremony Kandy
The Esala ceremony is celebrated in the month of August in many parts of the island. The main celebration of Esala ceremony is taking place in Kandy, the hill country capital of Sri Lanka. Esala ceremony is one of the most beautiful pageants in the world, which attracts more than 600000 spectators from all around the world. This world renowned religious event is a main reason for the upbeat of foreign travellers in Sri Lanka in the month of August.
Esala ceremony Kataragama
The Esala ceremony of Kataragama is one of the most important festivals in Sri Lanka. The festival is attended by many thousands of Hindu devotees. This annual event draws many thousands of hindu devotees form all around the island. The event takes place in July or August. The tempel of kataragam or murugan temple is the main venue for the celebration. The festival lasts 10 days.
The festival of vel
The festiuval of vel is a celebration of tamil community in sri Lanka. The festival takes place in the month of Aufgust with participation of a large hindu devotees. The tamil community of Sri Lanka pay homage to its religious and cultural heritage. The main vel festival with a beautiful procession take place in Colombo. The vel celebration signifies the victory of Skandha’s trident again evil forces.
Visiting Sri Lanka in August-Where to go in Sri Lanka?
From bustling cities to tranquil beach resorts, alluring hill country and ancient temples each destination that you encounter on your Sri Lanka trip in August will captivate your senses and leave you awe. If you are wondering where to go in Sri Lanka in August, you should first consider the weather. Because by jumping into the area with monsoon can make you stuck in the beach resort due to the rain. In this article we show you 15 important places to visit on your August tour, by considering the time available for the trip, however, you will encounter many other important paces outside of the listed places below, that can be visited on this 10 days tour. You can even add few of them to your tour with a minor twist to the itinerary. Here are the 15 best places to explore in the month of August.
- Colombo
- Kandy
- Anuradhapura
- Polonnaruwa
- Sigiriya
- Dambulla
- Minneriya national park
- Nilaveli beach
- Nuwara Eliya
- Ella
- Hikkaduwa
- Unawatuna beach
- Bentota
- Galle
- Aru Gam Bay
- Yala national park
How is the weather in Sri Lanka in August?
Sunny, warm weather prevails most parts of the island in the month of August. A few showers may occur on the south coast and west coast; however, it is not frequent. Most parts of Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle, Sri Lanka hill country; northern Sri Lanka and East coast experience a dry weather in the month of August.
If you look for a beach holiday in the month of August, it is recommended head on to the east coast beaches. During the month of August east coast beaches experience a dry weather. The sea off the east coast remains very calm and quiet sans the mighty, big waves. Therefore, East coast and north coast beaches are ideal for beach hopping, swimming, diving, surfing, snorkeling and many other water sports.
In the month of August the sea off southern Sri Lanka and west coast behave totally differently, due to the effect of monsoon. The sea can be very rough on the south-west Sri Lanka in teh month of August and underwater current makes it dangerous to swim in the Ocean.
What are the benefits of visiting Sri Lanka in August?
Visiting Sri Lanka in August enables you to see one of the most popular and one of the most scenic pageants in the world, known as Esala ceremony. Esala ceremony is an annual event, takes place in the city of Kandy. The ceremony lasts only for 10 days, therefore, it is recommended to find out the exact dates of the event before planning you Sri Lanka trip.
The travellers who are visiting Sri Lanka in the month of August are also benefitted from the low cost. The cost of accommodation, transport and other service is lower in teh month of August comparing to the prices you get in the peak holiday season in Sri Lanka from November through April. The price reduction is mainly resulted due to the low tourist arrival in the country. Some hotels offer special discounted prices in the month of August in order to attract the customers. Due to the low number of travellers in the country, the most hotels are not fully occupied in the month of August. Even the tourist attractions and places like historical cities, national parks are less crowded. Therefore, no hustle and bustles in torust places and the travellers are able to have a very peaceful time everywhere they go.
Colombo tour while visiting Sri Lanka in August
Visiting Colombo is highly recommended in the month of August. Colombo is the commercial hub of Sri Lanka, which is the most populated city in the island. The travellers can witness a wide range of tourist attractions in Colombo from beaches, to ancient temple, beautiful gardens and world class shopping malls. The weather in Colombo during the month of August is warm and sunny. Explore Colombo on a city tour, which lasts about 5 hours. Hit street in the early hours of the day or evening so that you can escape the mid-day heat.
Anuradhapura tour while visiting Sri Lanka in August
The cultural triangle of Sri Lanka experience dry weather in the month of August. Anuradhapura is one of the oldest cities in the world, which dates back to 3rd century BC. The city tour of Anuradhapura takes about four hours, and the travellers able to witness many dozens of ancient monuments in the city during the trip. Anuradhapura is the first tourist attraction you visit on your ten days Sri Lanka trip in August.
Sigiriya tur while visiting Sri Lanka in August
Sigiriya rock fortress, the iconic tourist attraction is one of the most visited tourist places in Sri Lanka. Sigiriya rock fortress and the surrounding area have dry, sunny weather throughout the month of August. It can be very warm in Sigiriya in August, therefore, it is recommended to avoid the mid-day hike due to the scorching heat. The mid-day heat makes it very sweating and makes the hike a little bit tiring.
Exploring Kandy while visiting Sri Lanka in August
Ancient city of Kandy is an ideal destination to explore the rich historical past of Sri Lanka. Marvel at some of the well-preserved ruins of this ancient capital of Sri Lanka. Kandy should be a part of every Sri Lanka trip, because Kandy offers many important tourist attractions such as ancient temples, botanical gardens, museums, lakes, waterfalls and Pinnawala elephant orphanage.
Nestled in the mountain of central province of Sri Lanka, Kandy awaits with its cultural bliss and natural beauty. Kandy is packed with tourist attractions such as ancient temple, historical monuments, national parks, waterfalls, rivers, and beautiful tea plantation. The world renowned hill country blue train journey of Sri Lanka starts in Kandy. Kandy is also popular for arts and craft, immerse you in the traditional arts and music scene. Relax amidst mountain network, savour local delicacies, sip a cup of Ceylon tea, and embrace the laid-back charm of this hidden gem.
Exploring ancient Dambulla golden temple in August
Dambulla golden cave temple is another tourist hot spot in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. Dambulla golden temple is UNESCO world heritage site due to its historical and religious importance. Dambulla golden temple is one of the oldest cave temples in the world. Dambulla golden temple is a sacred for Buddhist since it was constructed in 1st century BC. The temple attracted many hundreds of thousands of Buddhist devotees and travellers over the last few millennia. The temple shows cases a large number of ancient Buddha statues and ancient wall painting, most of them are closely connected to Buddhism.
Exploring Polonnaruwa while visiting Sri Lanka in August
Polonnaruwa is the second most historical city in Sri Lanka, dating back to 10th century AD. The visitors can witness well preserved historical monuments in the ancient city. A large number of temples, Stupas, Buddha statues, gardens, palaces and many other ancient structures scattered in the city. Don’t forget to visit the cultural museum of Polonnaruwa, where you see a large number of exhibits that discovered during the excavations in the city.
Minneriya safari in the month of August
Minneriya is one of the best national parks in Sri Lanka to witness elephant; large herds of elephant can be easily witnessed in the park. August is ideal for a safari in Minneriya due to the dry and sunny weather.
Visiting Trincomalee on your Sri Lanka trip in August
The east coast beaches in Trincomalee and surrounding areas such as Nilaveli beach are ideal for beach holidays in the month of August. The east coast has dry and sunny weather from May through October. The sea off the Trincomalee remains very calm and ideal for swimming due to the absence of monsoon in the region.
Touring to Pigeon Island marine sanctuary
A few nautical miles from Nilaveli is the pigeon island marine sanctuary, which is one of the two marine sanctuaries in Sri Lanka. Pigeon island marine sanctuary is one of the best places for diving and snorkeling. The travellers can witness a wide range of exotic fish species as well as large coral reefs here.
Visiting Nuwara Eliya on Sri Lanka trip in August
Nuwara Eliya remains dry most of the time in the month of August. In fact Nuwara Eliya attracts a large number of local travellers in the month of August due to the local school holidays. The cool and healing climate is appealing to most travellers, especially for the local travellers. Nuwara Eliya offers beautiful botanical gardens, lakefront esplanade for walking, Gregory lake for boating and fishing, Colonial mansions and ancient monuments. Nuwara Eliya is also ideal for adventure seekers, the tea plantations and mountains provide interesting places for trekking, mountain climbing and, hiking.
Touring in Ella mountain resort
The hill country resort of Ella is located in a beautiful setting with green capped-mountains, sweeping valleys, rolling tea plantations; Ella is an ideal place for peaceful holiday. Travellers, who choose the Sri Lanka trip on the southern route will come across Ella mountains resort.
The world renowned Sri Lanka hill country rail journey either starts in Ella or ends in Ella. Ella is most popular for scenic rail trips, cascading waterfalls, scenic countryside, beautiful mountains and legendary nine arch bridge.
The rail journey from Kandy to Ella is an iconic one and will take you chugging along in a blue train up through the lush verdant hills. Ella is not a big mountain resorts with large number of world class hotels but if you love hiking, trekking, walking or just relaxing in a peace and quiet nature Ella is the place for you.
Top 5 things to add to your Ella tour
- Mini adam’s peak hike
- Ella rock hike
- Visiting Ravana waterfall
- Visiting Nine arch bridge
- Taking a rail trip from Ella to Kandy
Sri Lanka august beach tour in Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa is a small seaside city on the Galle-Colombo main road. Hikkaduwa is just few Km from the colonial city of Galle, and it is one of the most popular beach resorts on the west coast. Hikkaduwa is trodden by travellers who are looking for a slice of sand and a chilled-out time, Hundreds of restaurants, bars, cafes and tiny shops dotted along the Hikkaduwa beach. Hikkaduwa can accommodate any tie of budget thanks to its wide range of accommodation facilities from cheap dormitories to 5-star hotels and luxurious boutique villas. So if you are looking for sandy clean for a few days of beach stay, this might be the place or you.
Sri Lanka august tour to Unawatuna beach
Further south of Hikkaduwa is Unawatuna beach, another tropical jewel with stunning beaches. Bask in the sun on the idyllic beaches of Unawatuna, indulge in luxurious resorts, and explore the beautiful nature around Unwatuna. Visit popular Galle Fort, with its remarkable building that showcases the 16th century Dutch architecture. The highly secured walled city was the main administration centre in Sri Lanka during the Dutch colonial era. Take a dip into the crystal clear waters of the sea in Unawatuna and take a opportunity to see the fascinating underwater world on a dive or on a snorkel. Unawatuna is frequented by foreign travellers, hence it is one of the best places on the south to enjoy vibrant nightlife and indulge in delicious seafood.
Visiting Bentota beach on your Sri Lanka trip in August
The first destination is Bentota, experience charm of Bentota, coastal town popular for its beautiful beaches and relaxed ambience. Take time and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the palm fringed, golden coloured sandy beaches. Visit the Bentota River and enjoy thrilling and adventurous water sports offered by local boat operators. In the city next to the river is Aluthgama, where you can explore the day market with shops and stalls offering variety of local treats, handicrafts, and liqueur. Don’t miss a visit to Kandevihara temple, which has one of the biggest seated Buddha statues in Sri Lanka along with a very beautiful image house that showcases a large number of Buddha statues.
Places for wildlife tour in August
Thanks to two dozens of national parks and wildlife reserves, Sri Lanka is considered as one of the best places for wildlife tours outside of Africa. There are many national parks that give you a memorable wildlife experience such as Yala national park, Minneriya national park and Udawalawe national park.
Yala national park is tucked away in the deep south of Sri Lanka and it is well over 170 km from Colombo. It would take about 4 hours to reach Yala from the Colombo airport. Yala is one of the best places in the world to spot elusive leopards because Yala has the highest density of leopards in the world.
Best beaches for Sri Lanka holidays in August
Sri Lanka is surrounded by Indian Ocean, the island possesses more than 1600km of pristine beaches and the island is a popular beach holiday destination in the world. The island attracts tens of thousands of beach holiday lovers to its beaches every year. Choosing the right place for your beach holiday is very important, mainly due to the bad weather resulted through the monsoon. If you plan to stay on the beach for several days head on to the beach, that is free of monsoon effect, so that you can enjoy dry and sunny weather. Some of the best beaches for beach holiday in the month of August are,
- Nilaveli beach
- Aru Gam Bay beach
- Kalkudah beach
- Pasikudah beach
What are the activities available for travellers on the east coast in the month of August?
East coast of Sri Lanka offers a wide range of activities to the visitors, here is a list of interesting things to do in in the east coast in the month of August.
- Beach hopping
- Surfing, Diving and Snorkeling
- Fishing and boating
- Whale watching
- Take part in Wildlife tour
- Taking a whale watching tour
- Visiting ancient monuments
- Visiting Hindu and Buddhist temple
- Exploring colonial forts
- City tours
Transportation of the Sri Lanka tour in August
The transport on the Sri Lanka tour in august mainly in a private car or a van, depending on the number of persons. This is a private tour and therefore, we do not mix groups. Private transport with a local driver/guide is the best way to travel in Sri Lanka. It is the most efficient way of travelling in Sri Lanka. It saves time, and gives maximum privacy and safety to the passengers.
Language of the Sri Lanka tour in August
Usually the standard tour package includes an English speaking driver/guide, however, the trip can be booked with other languages as well such as German, French, Italy, Spanish etc.
Sri Lanka in August itinerary
Sri Lanka august tour itinerary available in two variations, Sri Lanka tour on northern route and Sri Lanka tour on southern route.
Sri Lanka northern route tour itinerary
- Day 1 Colombo >>Kandy
- Day 2 Kandy
- Day 3 Kandy >>Sigiriya
- Day 4 Sigiriya >>Polonnaruwa
- Day 5 Sigiriya >> Trincomalee >>Nilaveli
- Day 6 Nilaveli
- Day 7 Nilaveli
- Day 8 Nilaveli
- Day 9 Nilaveli >>Anuradhapura >>Colombo
- Day 10 Departure
Sri Lanka southern route tour itinerary
- Day 1 Colombo >>Anuradhapura >> Sigiriya
- Day 2 Sigiriya >> Polonnaruwa
- Day 3 Sigiriya >>Kandy
- Day 4 Kandy
- Day 5 Kandy >> Nuwara Eliya
- Day 6 Nuwara Eliya >> Yala
- Day 7 Yala >> Galle >>Bentota
- Day 8 Bentota
- Day 9 Bentota
- Day 10 Bentota >> Colombo airport
Visiting Sri Lanka in August-Cultural triangle tour
The Sri Lanka tour includes cultural triangle hot spots such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya.
Duration of the Sri Lanka tour itinerary in August
The standard tour package lasts 10 days. However, the tour package can be extended or curtailed depending on the requirement of the participants with minor changes.
Wildlife tour while visiting Sri Lanka in August
Sri Lanka august tour on the northern route gives you the opportunity to do the safari in Minneriya national park. The travellers, who opt for the Sri Lanka august tour on the southern route, have the possibility to do safari in both national parks in Minneriya and Yala.
Visiting Sri Lanka in August-Sri Lanka hill country tour
The travellers can explore the scenic hill country in the month of august without any hindrance. The month of august is ideal for outdoor activities in the hill country resorts such as Nuwara Eliya and Ella due to the very warm and sunny weather.
Hill country train ride while visiting Sri Lanka in August?
Hill country train journey can be done throughout the year. The traveller who do the Sri Lanka august tour on the northern route have the opportunity to do the rail journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. While tourist, who pick the southern route can do the rain journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and extend it up to Ella.
Visiting Sri Lanka in August-How to get more information?
More information about the Sri Lanka tour on august can be obtained by writing to us on adminW”seerendipitytours.com or wending us an Whatsapp message to 0094774440977.