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Lonely The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Sri Lanka is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Follow in the footsteps of Buddha and modern-day pilgrims to the summit of Adam's Peak, wander the crumbling ruins and lost cities of the cultural triangle in the heart of the island or explore undiscovered beaches on the recently reopened east coast; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Sri Lanka and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Sri Lanka Travel eBook (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Stuart Butler, Iain Stewart. About Lonely Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.

899 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

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About the author

Ryan Ver Berkmoes

162 books3 followers
Ryan Ver Berkmoes is an accomplished travel writer who has contributed to several Lonely Planet guides. His portfolio includes Lonely Planet Poland Travel Guide, Lonely Planet USA Travel Guide, Walking Chicago, Lonely Planet Sri Lanka Travel Guide and Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok Travel Guide.

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5 stars
125 (27%)
4 stars
202 (44%)
3 stars
100 (22%)
2 stars
21 (4%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Brandon Forsyth.
917 reviews183 followers
January 1, 2020
My full review to come, but I have found this an indispensable resource for planning my trip to Sri Lanka. I’ll see how accurate it is and report back!
1 review
October 2, 2017
Ok, but not as good as for other destinations.

Some useful information like how to travel between different areas and stuff to do in each place, but quite out of date information regarding where to stay at times. Also sometimes oversells how good a place is or how long to spend there e.g. 3-4 hours in Galle Fort which is actually quite small to walk around and would only take that long if you went into every shop.
Profile Image for Elizabeth A.
2,151 reviews119 followers
December 28, 2015
When I'm planning a trip there are certain travel books that are my go-to guides. Turns out that many of my go-to companies do not publish a book on Sri Lanka. Seriously? Been dipping in and out of this guide book, highlighting, planning, dreaming, getting excited. While this is a good overall introduction, it is not of the caliber I expect from Lonely Planet.
Profile Image for Veronika Pilátová.
8 reviews4 followers
March 8, 2018
Pri prvom plánovaní dlhšieho výletu po krajine pomohla. Prakticky sme ju počas troch týždňov na Srí Lanke nosili stále so sebou. Ale akosi automaticky sme po nej siahali stále menej a menej.

Kniha je to úslužná, obsahuje mnoho máp, navrhovaných trás podľa času stráveného v krajine, oboznámi vás s históriou aj aktuálnou situáciou, obsahuje tiež základný slovník, veľa fotiek a všetkého možného, čo vie pomôcť.

Treba však filtrovať, pretože tieto guide sú ako články pseudotravel blogeriek - množstvo veci si pri lowcost cestovani nedokážete, či ani nechcete dovoliť.
Profile Image for Heidi (MinxyD14).
456 reviews106 followers
December 4, 2017
It was good for a generic weekend guide; however, I found it surprisingly judgmental and overly opinionated about some of the areas. A specific example being Unawatuna. Why it's not necessarily my cup of tea, it does appeal to others and was far from what the author described. I just feel a Lonely Planet guide book should stick to the facts and be some what neutral, taking into account that all types of people travel, not every one is a 20-something backpacker.
6 reviews
May 27, 2025
Lonely Planet’s Sri Lanka guide was my go-to for planning an unforgettable trip—from the beaches of Mirissa to the tea hills of Ella, it covered everything with practical insights and local flavor. One tip that made my journey smoother: applying for the Sri Lanka eVisa online [ https://www.govt.sl/en-us/apply.php ] in advance. It was super easy and saved me from long lines at the airport. If you're heading to this gem of an island, definitely get your eVisa sorted before you fly!
Profile Image for May Ling.
1,086 reviews286 followers
June 5, 2018
I read two guides. I liked this one the second best. Sri Lanka is huge. It's hard to find info on it at the current time. this book was fairly close to what I saw. That said, there is a dire need for more info on this country. It just extremely dense with sites.
Profile Image for Tina Pegar.
282 reviews1 follower
July 9, 2019
A great look at travelling in Sri Lanka. I like the Lonely Planet style of guide book with options in lots of budgets.
Profile Image for Serena.
133 reviews1 follower
December 18, 2024
Fine for itineraries and country history.
Very commercial otherwise
Profile Image for Luke.
416 reviews6 followers
July 10, 2025
Great country but I’m a bit over Lonely Planet. No more cartilage crunching alliteration.

Sri Lanka has a lot to offer. The book covers the standard tourist stuff that happens to be on the foreigner lists. But listen to locals and go where they say also. Less touristy, less cost and still amazing.
29 reviews
June 4, 2014
Normally the Lonely Planet series books are useful and close to the the reality/Truth.

This book completely missed the mark in many ways.

To Authors: Ryan Ver Berkmoes, Stuart Butler and Amy Karafin: PLEASE read the well researched, valuable Huffington Post article and update your kindle version and/or update your next version of the book.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/lucy-...

If you understood and really felt about the Holocaust, the different Genocides (Armenian, Rwandan), then it makes sense to do the Ethical Tourism in Sri Lanka:

http://www.srilankacampaign.org/touri...
Sri Lanka is a great place to visit but with Ethical Tourism. I hope this info helps the authors & readers.
Profile Image for Rea.
726 reviews42 followers
Read
June 13, 2015
I found the bits of information available in here of use when I was in the country and visiting the sites.

However, I'm very surprised that there is no mention of the huge number of dogs that can be found all over the place in the country.
Profile Image for Maria.
242 reviews
Read
August 7, 2011
I like the Lonely Planet. Having discussed Sri Lanka with a couple of friends who have been the recommendations seem pretty good. The real proof will be when we go in July !
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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