Sri Lanka Resource Guide: Packing, Transport Apps & Bus Tips

Planning my adventure to Sri Lanka meant preparing for a tropical trip filled with golden beaches, misty mountains and plenty of sunshine. From my pre-trip research, I knew the island would be warm but even as someone coming from Singapore, I quickly realised on the ground that Sri Lanka’s tropical sun was significantly more scorching than expected! 🥺

My homework before flying out had flagged how hot and humid it would get, especially when exploring bustling coastal towns or ancient ruins, making hydration an absolute top priority. Combining what I planned before setting off with what I actually learned while riding the coastal railway, tracking wildlife on safari and hiking through the hill country, I’ve put together my ultimate resource guide.

Here is what went into my day pack, my daily supermarket ritual and a breakdown of Sri Lanka's most iconic retail landmarks.

My Day Backpack Packing List (Planned & Tested)

When I planned my day bag ahead of the trip, I made sure it was large enough to hold my jacket (for the cooler hills) alongside my daily essentials. After surviving the elements, here is what proved indispensable:

• Digital camera with video function (preferably water-resistant for dolphin/whale watching boat rides)
• Phone with panorama mode (essential for sweeping mountain, national park, ocean and tea plantation views)
• Powerbank and charging cable (for full days out and long bus/train rides)
• Compact umbrella or raincoat (tropical downpours can happen unexpectedly)
• Lip balm and high-SPF sunscreen (absolute must-haves to survive that intense, scorching sun)
• Disposable masks and first aid/medicines (for dusty safaris, motion sickness on winding roads, before dolphin/whale watching boat rides and after curries)
• Snacks and energy bars
• Water: I carried a 1.5-litre bottle of water in my daypack every day.

• Carry Small Plastic Bags for Thrash: I kept a few small plastic bags tucked in my day pack for my rubbish. I realised that public bins are practically nonexistent on the streets across most of Sri Lanka (I didn't spot my first public bins until I reached Galle!). My hack was just saving and reusing the small plastic bags from my Cargills or Keells supermarket runs whenever I bought daily groceries. It saved me from stuffing trash into my pockets until I finally got back to my accommodation!
• Sarong: I kept a lightweight sarong tucked into my backpack. It’s an absolute lifesaver for visiting sacred sites (like Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi) where security checks strictly require my knees to be covered. Having my own means I did not have to waste time or money buying, renting or borrowing one at the entrance!

Staying Hydrated: My Cargills & Keells Lifeline

One of the things I did during my pre-trip research was to look for the availability of supermarkets and I read Cargills Food City and Keells are in major cities.

Popping into a bright Cargills or Keells store at the end of the day became my daily ritual. True to what I had read, and amplified by how exhausting the heat felt, they were absolute lifesavers for isotonic drinks to keep my electrolytes up. From historic red-brick facades to modern express outlets, both brands quietly became my trusty companions across the entire island.

Cargills & Keells Across My Journey

As I journeyed across the island, I spotted these local supermarkets in every major destination:

Negombo

Anuradhapura

iseasywith.me Travel Tip

Don't buy imported fruits such as oranges unless it's really necessary.
For the 2 oranges I bought, I can get 6 at home. 🙃

Jaffna

Dambulla

Kandy

Matara Bus Stand

Mirissa

Colombo

CMB

Other shopping

Kaltipiya

There was no Cargills or Keells thus the best alternative was small supermarkets like these.

Kaltipiya- New Zumana's

This was where I bought my sarong (LKR 1,200) to take along for the rest of my adventure.

Sigiriya

No Cargills or Keells but small shops like these.

Buying from village shops

iseasywith.me Travel Warning

When buying from village shops, check the printed prices.
When I bought items like bread and drinks from small village shops, I checked the packaging for prices as they are printed directly on the wrappers or containers. On my trip, I encountered a few dishonest shops that tried to overcharge when I asked for the total cost, not sure if it was because I was not a local. I pointed it out to them, they looked embarrassed and I simply paid according to the printed prices.

Getting Around: Navigation, Ride-Hailing Apps & Public Transit

• Google Maps: Reliable for general navigation, walking directions and checking local spots.
• PickMe & Uber: (The Ride-Hailing Strategy): Researching transport beforehand saved me a lot of hassle. In Sri Lanka, Uber rates are generally lower, making it a great first choice when booking a bike or a tuk-tuk. However, driver availability can fluctuate. My strategy on the ground was to try booking on Uber first; if no drivers picked up, I would switch to PickMe or even open both apps at the same time to see which one secured a response first! Using these apps also saved me from haggling over fares.
  • City limitations: Not all cities have bikes for hire (for example, PickMe bikes were unavailable in Kalpitiya, Sigiriya and Dambulla).
  • App adoption varies: Not all local drivers use the apps everywhere. In Ella, PickMe bikes were available but the honest drivers were quite secretive about it as many others preferred not to use the apps because they felt the fares were too low. In fact, drivers could even get annoyed when they saw other drivers accepting rides through the apps. As a result, drivers often tried to take advantage of passengers in need of transport, making app bookings much trickier there.
  • Watch out for scare tactics: When I did my 3-temple loop in Kandy, a bike driver tried to intimidate me, claiming there were no bikes around the temples and proposing a hefty private fee instead. I rejected his offer and it turned out to be completely untrue as I managed to book subsequent bikes through the apps within minutes!
• Bus/Rail Timetables:
  • I found bus timetables essential for tracking first and last departures especially since I was on such a fast-paced adventure.
  • My rule of thumb: I always aimed for the second-to-last bus instead of the absolute last one just to give myself a safety buffer for local transport unpredictability.
  • Also, make sure to wait for the bus at least 20 minutes before the scheduled time, as buses may not always follow the timetable strictly!
  • I also relied on train schedules for mapping out my scenic rides between Ambewela and Demodara, as well as down the coast between Galle and Colombo.
• Local Bus Realities (The True Adventure):
  • Non-AC & Packed: Most local buses are non-AC, warm, humid and get packed like sardines. I was prepared to stand, squeeze and sweat!
  • Moving Boarding: I was prepared to run with my backpack and hop on some buses while they were still slowly moving, as they didn't always come to a complete stop just for a single passenger.
  • Bring Small Change: I made sure to always keep small change ready for my fare. Bus conductors often couldn't give back sufficient change, so having exact or small notes was a lifesaver.
  • Requesting My Ticket: I made it a habit to always request my paper ticket from the bus conductor. They are officially supposed to issue them, which is the best way to make sure I was paying the correct, standard fare. To keep things friendly, I just smiled and told them I was collecting the tickets as souvenirs! 😉
  • Squeeze Through: The aisles are painfully narrow so I had to squeeze my way through whenever I needed to alight, just like all the other local passengers!
  • Luggage Placement: I didn't have to worry about my backpack. It either got stuffed below someone's seat or I asked to place it right on top of the engine compartment in the front next to the driver.

Services

• Cobbler: My old trekking shoes took a beating after just 2 days. After buying some super glue from Keells and preparing to glue them back together, I came across a local cobbler right across from the Anuradhapura bus station while walking back to my accommodation. He neatly sewed them back up for me in minutes (LKR 600) and they survived until the end of my adventure! 🚨
• Laundry Strategy & Pitstops: Travelling light on a fast-paced adventure means keeping tabs on where to refresh a wardrobe. Instead of packing heavy, I relied on two strategic laundry pitstops, one at the halfway mark and one right at the end of my trip:

• The Halfway Mark (Sigiriya): When the dust and sweat from exploring caught up with me, Sigiriya served as my ideal halfway pitstop to reset. I found local options for quick wash-and-fold services by weight (LKR 900/kg). I dropped off my clothes before I went for lunch and Hurulu Eco Park and collected them after dinner. This meant everything was clean, dry and ready to pack back into my backpack without having to carry days of accumulated travel gear.
• The Final Mark (Colombo): Before heading home, I used Colombo as my ultimate end-of-trip checkpoint. Because the city has plenty of reliable services, it was the easiest place to drop off everything I wore during my final stretch. I dropped off my clothes (express LKR 500/kg, normal LKR 300/kg) before I went for my afternoon adventure and collected them in the evening before I went food hunting. Getting a full refresh done here ensured I returned home with a backpack full of completely clean, ready-to-put-away clothes.
• Pharmacy

• Jaffna: There are quite a few pharmacies near Jaffna Market.

Ready for your Sri Lanka adventure? Explore my city guides to start planning your itinerary, because planning your adventure iseasywith.me. 🤙