Weather in Sri Lanka - when is the best time to go, personal experience
We have lived in Sri Lanka for almost 10 years. We lived in the south of Sri Lanka in January, when it is difficult to squeeze onto the beach due to the abundance of tourists, and in July, when it is difficult to find an open cafe or restaurant with food edible for foreigners, and in the east of the island - in Trincomalee and Passikuda.
In this article, we will try to talk in detail about the nuances of the weather and seasons here and give some tips on organizing a holiday in order to avoid surprises and even save on the weather of Sri Lanka.
Organization of excursions in Sri Lanka, car rental:
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"It is my pleasure to help people around the world to get better understanding about Sri-Lanka and Vietnam" |
The content of the article:
- When is the best weather in Sri Lanka?
- Dry season. pros
- Minuses
- Photos of the beaches of Sri Lanka in the high season
- Rainy season in Sri Lanka
- The secret that tour operators don't talk about
- Frequently asked questions about the weather in Sri Lanka
- General information about the weather in Sri Lanka
When is the best weather in Sri Lanka?
Answer: If you do not want to waste time reading the article and immediately need an answer to the question, when is a good season for holidays in Sri Lanka, then here it is: Sri Lanka is ALWAYS a good season. More precisely, the seasons alternate on the west and east coasts. In winter, you need to go to the southwest of the island. In the summer - on the east coast.
Let's start with the so-called "hot season", or, as it is rightly called, the dry season. By default, the dry season is called that in the southwest of the island (as already mentioned, in the east at this time the opposite is true - the monsoon season).
The season covers the following months: November, December, January, February, March.
We list the features, pros and cons of holidays in the southwest of Sri Lanka during this period:
Pros:
- no waves
- low chance of rain (but not zero)
- clear blue sky
- clear water (you can swim in a mask and look at corals and fish)
- you can ride a yacht, watch whales
Minuses:
- High prices (especially for the New Year) - in a good season, hotel prices are 2-4 times higher than in a rainy season
- A lot of tourists (if you dreamed of a secluded vacation on a wild beach, you need to choose certain hotels or resorts, such as Bentota. Popular resorts such as Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa are very crowded at this time)
- Often poor service (why bother if my restaurant already has more tourists than chairs?)
- It’s more difficult to find a guide, rent a car, book a hotel, a villa (especially on New Year’s Eve, there are often no free places in rooms, free guides and even cars)
Photos of the beaches of the west coast of Sri Lanka during the high season (December - January)
Beach and weather in Hikkaduwa in January. No waves, clear sky, sun. Right here you can rent a mask and swim, look at corals and fish. Minus - as you can see, there are a lot of people on the beach.
Beach and weather in Unawatuna at the same time (December - January):
Rainy season in Sri Lanka
Another thing is the rainy season (June, July, August, September). Again, we remind you that at this time the rainy season is only in the South-West. The good season moves to the east of the island, in particular to the best beach in Sri Lanka - Nilaveli. The pros and cons are reversed. However, many of the minuses may not be minuses at all and they can be solved or turned to your advantage. But we will talk about this a little further.
Minuses:
- The main disadvantage (and not rain at all, as you thought) is big waves in the ocean
- In the evenings it can rain for 15-20 minutes (and if you are not at all lucky, you can get into the period of showers, but this period is about two weeks a year)
- often cloudy skies (but many, especially locals, like it - it saves from the heat)
- because of the waves, the water can be cloudy, i.e. you can swim, but the picture is no longer like in the Bounty advertisement, and you can’t see the corals
- sea trips on yachts and boats are suspended (for example, whale watching), or you can get seasick on the waves if you go on a boat to the ocean for fishing
Pros of holidays in Sri Lanka during the rainy season:
- very low prices, prices for 5* hotels, for example, can be 5-7 times lower (!) compared to the hot season
- very few tourists (if you dreamed of a secluded holiday - an ideal choice)
- great service (if you are the only customer for a month in a hotel or restaurant, believe me, you will be licked from head to toe, if only you would come back tomorrow)
- it is easy to find a good guide, rent a villa or a good car with a driver for ridiculous money (example: to travel around the island you can book the cheapest economy class car via the Internet, instead you will be met by a driver in a suit with a brand new BMW - there is no work and it is better to go to work for little money than sitting at home and doing nothing)
Photos of the beaches of Sri Lanka during the rainy season
Unfortunately, many people do not quite understand what the "rainy season" is. And also what are the pros and cons of a holiday in Sri Lanka in each of the seasons.
Therefore, we will simply share photos of what the most popular resort in the south, Unawatuna, looks like during the rainy season.
Beach in the Galle area (near Unawatuna) during the rainy season (photo taken in August):
Beach in Hikkaduwa (the second popular resort in the southwest) at the same time (month of August):
But sometimes or in certain places there are such waves (2-3 meters). You need to look for a place protected by a coral reef that would dampen the waves if you want to swim.
Good weather in Sri Lanka in summer. The secret that tour operators don't talk about
Sometimes travel agencies and tour operators will say that the summer in Sri Lanka is "off season". This is wrong.
In fact, there is NO bad season in Sri Lanka.
You can go here absolutely at any time of the year!
The whole point is that the rainy season is local.
That is, when on one coast - waves and cloudy, on the other - perfect heavenly weather.
We just talked about the weather in Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna in August. And here is the weather at the same time in Trincomalee:
The thing is that cyclones run around the island during the year. And when on the Southwest coast (Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, Mirissa, Bentota, Weligama) there are waves, cloudy and rainy (in June, July, August), on the East coast (Trincomalee, Nilaveli, Pasikuda) - heavenly weather, clear skies and transparent water.
It is also convenient to visit the sights of the cultural triangle from Trincomalee, or you can combine a transfer with an excursion by adding an intermediate night in the center of the island after arrival.
Our tours in Sri Lanka:
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from $680 per person
Jeep Safari Yala or Udawalawe
(1 day) from $170 per person
from $790 per person
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Outcome:
In short, here are the resorts to choose depending on the season:
Good weather in Sri Lanka in winter (December, January, February, March) - South and South-West coast:
- Unawatuna
- Hikkaduwa
- Mirissa
- Bentota
- Beruwala
- Tangalle
- Kalutara
- Weligama
Well, their surroundings. You can just look at the map.
In winter, the weather here is ideal, but the truth is that there are many tourists. But if you need a secluded place, you can always find it. To do this, you can simply write to us and ask for advice on a good place to stay at a certain time.
Nice weather in Sri Lanka in summer (in May, June, July, August, September) - East Coast:
- Trincomalee
- Nilaveli (the best beach in Sri Lanka in almost every way)
- Pasikuda
- Arugam Bay
What happens if you go to Sri Lanka during the rainy season?
You will be flooded, you will drown, there will be a flood, everyone will die, and the few survivors will revive human and civilization from scratch.
Nothing really bad will happen. In fact, you can go to Hikkaduwa or Unawatuna in the summer. You can also sunbathe on the beach and swim. Moreover, it will be very cheap and the service will be on top, you will be treated with care and attention, as you will be almost the only client.
If you need ideal weather, clear water and a really beautiful picture, then in winter you need to go to rest in the South-West, in summer - in the East. But hotel prices will be higher.
Accordingly, in winter, for ideal weather, we go to the southwest. If we want to save money - go east, to Trincomalee.
Tip: not sure which coast to visit? Both are possible!
Another feature - all this can be combined.
If you are traveling on your own and not through a tour operator, you can break your holiday into several parts. Spend a few days on the East coast, then drive through the central part of the island, see the sights, mountains, go on a jeep safari and come to the south coast and spend a few more days there. And compare where you like best. In my subjective opinion, this is the most interesting option.
How to save on bad weather in Sri Lanka
If in the hot season (for example, if you are going on vacation to Sri Lanka for the New Year), we highly recommend booking hotels in advance (otherwise there will simply be no places and you will have to spend the night in a dirty guesthouse for crazy money), then in the rainy season the recommendation is the opposite - better book hotels at the last moment.
And here's why: since many hotels remain empty during the rainy season, at the last moment they often give very large discounts in order to somehow fill up and have at least some business.
So, for example, hotels that cost 300-400 dollars in the season can be booked for 60 dollars under the promotion in the low season.
Same with drivers and guides. Write to us, as a rule, we can arrange an educated English or even Russian-speaking driver in a great car at a good price.
Answers to some popular questions about the weather in Sri Lanka
Question: How can I find out what the weather is like in that resort of Sri Lanka where we are planning to go in the near future?
Answer: Very simple - just ask. Just write to us. It is not at all difficult for us to answer and this does not oblige you to anything. We have up-to-date information and will give a clear answer, we can even send a photo :)
Question: Yandex (or another site with weather forecasts) shows that at this time in Sri Lanka there are constant rains and thunderstorms, what should I do?
Answer: It is very sad, but for some reason these sites often do not display up-to-date information, but simply give out a template - they simply have information in the database that it should rain in Sri Lanka at this time. This information is not taken from any real sources and often does not correspond to reality. Yandex can show that every day it rains at a time when in reality this beach has a clear sky and a calm blue ocean. A similar problem sometimes happens in the dry season - weather forecast services show that it is clear in this resort of Sri Lanka, although in reality it is still raining there.
Question: How then can you find out the latest information about the weather in Sri Lanka now?
Answer: Very simple - ask those who are there. For example a local guide or just write to us.
Question: What about the transitional months (April, October), where is it better to go on vacation in Sri Lanka?
Answer: Once again - ask those who are there. For example a local guide or write to us. But as a rule, according to the observations of recent years (2014 - 2022), the seasons are a little "delayed". That is, in April, good weather is still in the south. And in October it is still held in the east. But it needs to be clarified. Every year is different.
General information about the weather in Sri Lanka:
The island has a tropical climate with a rainy season from May to October. But it is difficult to call this time rainy, because all precipitation is mostly short-term showers that last 20-30 minutes. From November to April, rain is rare on the island.
In Sri Lanka, the air temperature is stable throughout the year and is 27-29°C. The exception is mountainous areas (Nuwara Eliya), where in winter the temperature can drop to +10°C. The water temperature is 24-26°C.
Important for choosing a vacation spot with a calm ocean, with clear skies, is knowing the nature of the monsoons. From October to April, the northeast wind blows, so the southwest coast of the island is the best place to relax at this time. From May to November, the southwest wind blows and the east coast is more favorable for recreation at this time.
Table of average temperatures in the main parts of Sri Lanka (°C)
Weather in Sri Lanka in January - intermittent rains and winds in the northeast of the country, favorable for recreation at this time is the southwest coast (resorts of Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Bentota) water temperature - 26°C. Where to rest? In Sri Lanka in January, the best weather is in Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Bentota and other resorts on the Southwest Coast.
Weather in Sri Lanka in February - intermittent rains and winds in the northeast of the country, the southwest coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 30 ° C, the average water temperature is 26 ° C. Which resort to choose in Sri Lanka in February? Definitely, the best weather in February will be in Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Bentota and other resorts of the Southwest coast.
Weather in Sri Lanka in March - intermittent rains and winds in the northeast of the country, the southwest coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 27 ° C, the average water temperature is 24 ° C. Which Sri Lankan resort to go to in March? The most comfortable weather in March will be in resorts such as Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Bentota and other resorts on the Southwest coast of Sri Lanka.
The weather in Sri Lanka in April is a period of monsoon change and, as a result, a shift in precipitation. In the southwest and northeast, approximately the same weather sets in, at this time the average air temperature is - 27 ° C, the average water temperature is 24 ° C. Which resort to choose at this time? In April, the weather can be good both in the west and in the east, so you can go to Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa, as well as to Trincomalee or Passikudhu.
The weather in Sri Lanka in May is the beginning of the rainy season. Rains and winds in the south-west of the country, the east coast is more favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 30 ° C, the average water temperature is 26 ° C.
Weather in Sri Lanka in June - intermittent rains and winds in the southwest of the country, the southwest coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 30 ° C, the average water temperature is 26 ° C.
Weather in Sri Lanka in July - intermittent rains and winds in the south-west of the country, the east coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 30 ° C, the average water temperature is 26 ° C.
Weather in Sri Lanka in August - intermittent rains and winds in the south-west of the country, the east coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 30 ° C, the average water temperature is 26 ° C.
Weather in Sri Lanka in September - intermittent rains and winds in the south-west of the country, the east coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 30 ° C, the average water temperature is 26 ° C.
The weather in Sri Lanka in October is a period of monsoon change and, as a result, a shift in precipitation. In the southwest and northeast, approximately the same weather sets in, at this time the average air temperature is - 28 ° C, the average water temperature is 24 ° C.
Weather in Sri Lanka in November - intermittent rains and winds in the northeast of the country, the southwest coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 28 ° C, the average water temperature is 25 ° C.
Weather in Sri Lanka in December - intermittent rains and winds in the northeast of the country, the southwest coast is favorable for recreation at this time, at this time the average air temperature here is 30 ° C, the average water temperature is 26 ° C.