Sri Lanka vs Kerala: so similar, so different

By the Nexara Holidays travel desk · 2 min read

Sri Lanka and Kerala look similar on paper: tea hills, beaches, palm trees and spicy food. But each has a distinct character.

Tea country

• Kerala: Munnar's rolling tea estates. See Munnar.
• Sri Lanka: Nuwara Eliya and Ella's tea country, with the famous scenic train.

Culture and history

• Kerala: temples, churches, mosques and synagogues, Kathakali and the colonial heritage of Fort Kochi.
• Sri Lanka: ancient Buddhist cities like Sigiriya and Anuradhapura, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and Galle Fort.

Wildlife

• Kerala: Periyar's elephants and Wayanad's forests.
• Sri Lanka: leopards at Yala, elephant gatherings at Minneriya and whale watching off Mirissa.

Beaches

Both have lovely beaches. Sri Lanka's beaches cover more of the coastline, with seasons on different coasts.

Backwaters

Kerala's backwaters and houseboats are unique.

Food

Similar flavours, but Sri Lankan rice and curry, hoppers and kottu differ from Kerala's appam, stew and sadhya.

Travel

Kerala needs no passport for Indian citizens. Sri Lanka is a short flight from Chennai and needs a passport and entry formalities.

Our verdict

Choose Kerala for backwaters, Ayurveda and an easy domestic trip. Choose Sri Lanka for ancient cities, wildlife and a first international trip.

Combine them?

With ten to twelve days, you can do both: Kerala's backwaters and hills, then a short flight to Colombo for Sri Lanka's cultural triangle and beaches.

Seasons

Both are best from about December to March on their west coasts.