For a wilder beach holiday than in Thailand or Bali, for more civilized and hygienic travel than in India and Nepal. It is a surfer’s mecca, as well as a favorite place for winterers and fans of easy hiking, elephants and Buddhism.
Sri Lanka is good for its sincerity, ubiquitous English, ease of orientation in public transport and a variety of different tourist services. There you can stay in a leaky house, or in a five-star hotel, you can go to the humid jungle and take your camera from macaques, or you can drink piña colada under a palm tree the whole way. The massage is worse than in Thailand, the food is spicier than in Vietnam, there is less spirituality and yoga than in Bali, and the people are kinder than anywhere else.
The peak tourist season is from November to February. At this time, the popular southwest coast and the center of the island are warm and dry. From the end of February, it starts raining everywhere, and it is recommended to hide from the waves on the southeast coast. You shouldn’t be too afraid of the rain, most often it rains heavily, but once a day.
Considering the local temperature, you shouldn’t take a lot of clothes with you (summer clothes can be bought on site), but you should take glasses, hats, good sun protection, shoes for the beach and mountains.