There’s a new adventure on every plate with this food exploration of Sri Lanka
Leave moderation at home and indulge on this gourmet adventure in Sri Lanka. Lie back on the coast, cool down in the highlands and weave through the streets of the buzzing capital. Taste melt-in-the mouth desserts, cook seafood straight out of the hands of a fisherman, uncover fiery curries and spend time with welcoming locals keen to share the mysteries of Sri Lankan cuisine. There’s also time to explore the rich culture of Sri Lanka: elaborate temples, ancient fortresses and wildlife-filled countryside. This is truly an adventure for the senses.
Witness the amazing Sri Lankan seafood on offer at the Negombo seafood market
Spend time with welcoming locals keen to share the mysteries of Sri Lankan cuisine – learn Tamil, Sinhalese, and Bergher cooking in their homes
Soak up the scenery while sipping a glass of the local arak – Sri Lanka’s signature local liquor
Spoil your tastebuds with flavour-filled curries and sweet desserts, and treat your eyes to banquets of rainbow spices, vibrant vegetables and colourful sambol
Many of the cooking experiences on this trip are in local homes, as this is where some of the best food is to be found. While you'll have the chance to get involved in the preparations in the kitchen, learning will be in a more informal environment.
This trip aims to give you an exciting, diverse and well-rounded experience of Sri Lanka's cuisine. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. If you have dietary requirements, simply contact your agent at the time of booking for further information on how this may impact on your ability to take part in included activities and meals. Come with an open mind and open mouth, and you won’t be disappointed!
Sri Lanka is a great food destination for vegetarians, with a large amount of the nation’s favourite dishes meat free – vegetable curries, hoppers, string hoppers, vegetable rotty and, of course, the incredible selection of fruit on offer.
At 6 hours, the train from Kandy to Bandarawela is the longest travel day. However, the scenery is so beautiful that you might not even want to get off!
The drive from Bandarawela to Yala goes down from the mountains to the coast on a very windy road, and while this means the going can be a little slow, it also means that you’ll be able to appreciate the scenery from every angle.
We visit a number of temples on this trip, which requires a certain level of modesty. Please bring clothes that cover the arms and pants/skirts that go past the knees. A light scarf is also a good idea for covering shoulders and arms when it’s hot.
Though its equatorial position means fairly constant year-round temperatures, the summer months in Sri Lanka are very hot with short, sharp monsoons in the south-west of the country. Be sure to use adequate sun protection and drink plenty of water.
If you have issues with heights, you may wish to sit out the climb of Lion Rock at Sigiriya. there are lots of rough, narrow steps and tight walkways.
Tourism in Sri Lanka is booming, and with it has come a huge increase in visitors to Yala National Park. Overtourism and lack of sustainable management practices have become a major concern for us in continuing to visit Yala. In order to reduce our impact on wildlife and the environment we are trialling visiting a less touristed section of Yala, known as Block 5. Should we determine that high tourist numbers at Block 5 also make it difficult to continue visiting responsibly we will change our itinerary to visit Udawalawe National Park, where wild elephants, wild buffalo, sambar deer and leopards also reside, and the nearby Elephant Transit Home.
From September to mid October when Yala National Park is closed annually for infrastructure development and rejuvenation we follow the alternate itinerary of Udawalawe NP and Elephant Transit Home.
This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2019 - 31 December 2019
Trip search is unavailable.
There are currently no scheduled departures on our Sri Lanka Real Food Adventure trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.
A Single Supplement is available on this trip, please ask your booking agent for more information.
Tourism in Sri Lanka is booming, and with it has come a huge increase in visitors to Yala National Park. Overtourism and lack of sustainable management practices have become a major concern for us in continuing to visit Yala. In order to reduce our impact on wildlife and the environment we are trialling visiting a less touristed section of Yala, known as Block 5. Should we determine that high tourist numbers at Block 5 also make it difficult to continue visiting responsibly we will change our itinerary to visit Udawalawe National Park, where wild elephants, wild buffalo, sambar deer and leopards also reside, and the nearby Elephant Transit Home.
Please note that from September to mid October when Yala National Park is closed annually for infrastructure development and rejuvenation we follow the alternate itinerary of Udawalawe NP and Elephant Transit Home.
Our Sri Lanka Real Food Adventure trips score an average of 4.83 out of 5 based on 290 reviews in the last year.
What could be better than a trip round Sri Lanka? Answer: one that also involves eating through the diversity of cuisine in the country! This tour ensures that the traveller can tick off the cultural highlights but combines that with visits to family homes to learn how to cook - it's not all rice and curry.
Review submitted 14 Aug 2018
Really good trip, just as advertised it was a trip focussed on food, and covered a flange of local dishes well.
Review submitted 14 Aug 2018
