Sri Lanka from Kolkata

Getting there from Kolkata

There are no non-stop scheduled flights between Kolkata and Colombo. The routine route is one change, most often through Chennai, Bengaluru or Mumbai. The connecting journey is usually quoted at roughly four to six hours, and the wait on the ground can be longer than the flying. Southern Indian hubs have frequent departures. Timings, carriers and the number of changes shift with the season, so compare schedules for your dates and confirm terminals with the airline.

Kandy has no international airport. Arrive at Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport and continue by road, a drive of about three hours through the hill country, or by a domestic connection to a closer airfield if one is operating. The road route is the usual choice and can be arranged at the airport or in advance. Allow a full half day for the transfer, more if you stop at the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala or the spice gardens on the way. Check current domestic flight options with the airline.

Colombo or Kandy

Colombo is the practical first stop. The commercial capital has the island's main airport nearby, the widest choice of hotels, and a compact core of markets, colonial-era buildings and the seafront at Galle Face. It is a working city rather than a resort, and two nights are enough for the Gangaramaya temple, the Pettah bazaars and the national museum. From Colombo, the coastal railway and the road into the hills both begin, which makes it the natural base for a longer loop.

Kandy sits in the hills at the centre of the island and suits a stay of two or three nights. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the lake, the royal palace grounds and the Peradeniya botanical gardens are the anchors, with tea country beyond. The climate is cooler than the coast, evenings need a layer, and the streets climb. Kandy is also the gateway to Nuwara Eliya and Ella by the hill railway, a line worth booking in advance in the dry months.

• Colombo suits: Colombo suits arrivals, business, city food and the quickest onward transport; two nights cover the central sights well.
• Kandy for the hills: The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the lake and Peradeniya gardens, with tea country and the hill railway nearby.
• Combine both: Five or six nights allow Colombo, the drive up to Kandy and a slow return without rushing any one place.
• Add the south coast: From Colombo the coastal railway reaches Galle; add nights there only when the trip extends past a week.

When to go

Sri Lanka's weather runs on two monsoons, which is why the best months depend on which coast you plan to visit. For Colombo and the south-west coast, December to March is the driest stretch. For Kandy and the hill country, January to April brings clearer mornings, though showers fall in the hills most months. The island is warm year round, and the Cultural Triangle in the dry zone is comfortable from December to March as well. Check the forecast with the Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology before booking.

Sri Lanka's own calendar matters as much as the weather. Sinhala and Tamil New Year falls in mid-April, Vesak in May, and the Kandy Esala Perahera, a procession of dancers and decorated elephants, runs in July or August. Hotel rooms in Kandy fill early for the perahera. Dates follow the lunar calendar and move each year, so confirm them with Sri Lanka Tourism or the temple authorities before building a trip around one.

Practical tips

Indian passport holders need an Electronic Travel Authorisation or a visa before arrival. The rules and the application categories have changed several times, so check the Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration for the current requirements and apply online well before the flight. Carry a passport valid for at least six months, a return ticket and proof of accommodation, since these are commonly asked for at check-in. Travel insurance and a printed copy of the approval are worth having.

The Sri Lankan rupee is the local currency, and cards work in hotels, larger restaurants and shops in Colombo. Carry cash for buses, small eateries and hill-country guesthouses with no card machine, and change money at the airport or a licensed bank. Sockets are mostly the three-round-pin type, so pack an adaptor. If your dates straddle Durga Puja, Diwali or Christmas, book flights and the first two nights early, because Kolkata empties outward then and seats fill fast.

• Documents to carry: Passport with six months of validity, a printed approval, a return ticket and the first hotel address for the arrival counter.
• Cash and cards: Cards in Colombo, cash in the hills; keep some rupees aside for buses, tea stalls and small purchases.
• Book around festivals: Durga Puja, Diwali and the Christmas fortnight are the busiest exits from Kolkata; reserve flights and first nights early.
• Health cover: Check that your insurance covers the hill-country road journey and carry regular medication in its original packaging.

Indian passport holders need an Electronic Travel Authorisation or visa; rules have changed several times, so check the Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration.

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