I was nervous jumping into a random car at night.

Sometimes there’s an art to finding a driver in Sri Lanka, other times it’s pure luck.

But a word of warning: only take the bus if you’re game.

Hiring a private driver in Sri Lanka

We arrived at Colombo Airport around half-past-midnight. We got our bags, I bought a SIM card and we were on our way out of the airport.

We were greeted by a uniformed taxi hustler trying to coax customers. I was a bit sceptical if it was a real taxi, and feeling nervous jumping into a random car at night.

Asha assured me we’d be okay, so I took a photo of the hustler guy’s ID badge and jumped in his friend’s taxi. The driver, Jay, turned out to be delightful. Thank goodness.

Jay was 33 and had completed an accounting degree at university but preferred working as a driver for tourists. He spoke great English, was chatty and funny. We rang him the next morning when we were uninspired by Negombo’s off-season, and he came and picked us up to drive us to Kandy.

Getting between towns by public transport can be a bit of a mission because there’s not a lot of direct routes, so some legs are best done by car.

We negotiated to pay 8000LKR ($70AUD) to go from Negombo to Kandy via the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. (I wouldn’t recommend Pinnawala – will explain in a later post.)

We were really lucky because Jay acted as tour guide, buying us local food from roadside stalls and teaching us about the local culture, food, traditions, religion and history.

The four-hour journey extended to a whole day after detouring to additional temples and rivers, and enjoying a meal together in the evening – just because he was genuinely enjoying showing us his homeland.

We couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to this country. And Jay really was representative of most people we met in Sri Lanka.

Tuktuk adventures in Sri Lanka

Tuktuks are the best and cheapest way to get around within a town.

I once took a tuktuk for a three-hour journey between towns – rugged up in a cardigan and scarf as the breezy mode of transport transitions from freeing to free’z’ing after a while!

I have many great memories of going off-road in tuktuks to random surf breaks in Sri Lanka. They strap the surfboards onto the roof, you pile in the back and you’re off.

The trip involves dodging wandering wildlife and stock animals, making it an interesting ride with lots to see!

Travelling by bus in Sri Lanka

I was warned before I went to Sri Lanka: whatever you do, don’t catch a local bus – the drivers are on a death wish!

The buses seemed safe enough from the outset, the ticket prices were insanely cheap and locals took the buses every day, so we thought ‘why not?’.

We got ready to check out the waterfall at Ella, jumped on a local bus and whizzed down the road, which wound down a steep cliff.

When I say whizzed, I mean, the bus was bouncing up and down, while sharply turning corners that overhung beautiful cliff faces.

It wouldn’t take much for the bus to take a fatal tumble down the valley.

Of course we were fine, but it’s not for the faint hearted. And the impressive view made it enjoyable, while distracting the mind from its potential impending death.

The night bus from Arugam Bay to Colombo Airport

Now to the night bus, which felt like the driver was re-enacting a game of Mario Kart with a much bigger vehicle and real-life people on board.

All I can say is, don’t plan to get any shut-eye, unless you can sleep through constant sudden jolting, honking horns and blaring Bollywood music.

We took this delightful night bus from Arugam Bay on the east coast to Colombo on the west coast.

Our local friends recommended we book three seats between the two of us so we could spread out a bit. This was great advice and the cheap ticket prices meant it only cost us a few dollars extra each.

When you compare the bus tickets cost of 800R per ticket, or 2400R for three seats between two, to the 16,000R cost of a driver, you can see why it’s worth it if you’re on a budget.

If you’re a male, it’s fine. Two or more women travelling together is okay, but I would be cautious travelling on the night bus as a solo female traveller.

I had an unpleasant experience when I was half-sleeping, half-praying for survival, when the bus ticket steward was standing way too close for comfort, leaning against my seat and creepily resting his hand on my leg several times during the journey.

The restaurant stop during the journey was welcome relief to get the fuck away from that man and move my backpack into a makeshift barrier for the rest of the journey.

TIPS FOR PLANNING A TRIP TO SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka Taxi Share

To save some dosh on drivers, there is an AMAZING Facebook group called Sri Lanka Taxi Share. Travellers post their routes, days and times so you can arrange to meet up and split the cost.

And to organise the driver, there is another group, Sri Lanka Taxi Driver Offers. Travellers post their desired route, day and time, and the taxi drivers quote their price – a great way to get a competitive deal. Drivers also advertise empty taxis returning from a drop-off for a cheaper rate.

They also have Uber and PickMe in Sri Lanka if you have a local SIM card, but this is only good for getting around within cities.

Overall travelling by train, bus and car in Sri Lanka

I would definitely recommend taking the train through the Central Province.

Most routes are possible to get buses between but they often require several bus changes, so we took fewer buses than expected.

As always, if taking buses or trains, pack as light as possible and be prepared to jam your backpack into tight spaces or have to throw it in the cargo section of the bus (read: keep your valuables and breakables in your handbag).

Safe travels and you can watch my Sri Lanka travel videos below to get some inspiration!