Best Times to Visit

Weather

Sri Lanka has a tropical climate and is warm all year, except in the highlands, which are cool and wet. The coastal areas ate typically cooled by sea breezes. Average temperatures in Colombo vary between 26-28°C, with minimums and maximums falling between 22-31°C. There are two monsoons, which occur May to July and December to January. Colombo receives 35-37 cm of rain in May, and around 6-15 cm in other months.

Visitors are advised to bring lightweight clothing and waterproofs.

More information about the Sri Lankan weather may be found in Climate in Sri Lanka.

Festivals

The full moon day (Poya) is in Sri Lanka is celebrated each month. Duruthu Perahera Festival commemorates the visit of Buddha to Sri Lanka. Esala is a season of festivals from July to August - the full moon of Esala signifies its climax. Kandy Esala Perahera is the most magnificent, a medieval pageant for ten nights with Kandyan chieftains, dancers and drummers, all dressed in colourful costumes.

Public Holidays

The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Sri Lanka. It is worth noting that Poya holidays are also observed on the day of each full moon.