Travel advice: How can I get off the beaten track in Sri Lanka?

WANTING TO VISIT SRI LANKA FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. ORGANISED TOURS DON'T OFTEN GET YOU OFF THE BEATEN TRACK BUT NOT SURE ABOUT GOING IT ALONE. A HAPPY MEDIUM PERHAPS? N. FORREST, MORNINGTON, VIC

Guided tours do a great job of showing you the highlights in good time, fuss-free and at reasonable cost, without you having to do much more than show up at the appointed hour each morning. However you might miss out on some of the secret treasures. For example not too many guided tours will take you to Brief Garden, just inland from Bentota, and one of the fondest memories from my own trip to Sri Lanka in 2015. If you want to include those experiences in your itinerary you need to do your own research and organise a customised tour, or get someone to do it for you.
One way to strike a happy medium is with a theme tour. In the case of Sri Lanka your theme might be archaeology, colonial history or birdwatching, and it's not too difficult to find tours led by experts in these fields looking to share their passion.





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