Is Sri Lanka Worth it for Digital Nomads?

1. Getting to Know Sri Lanka

The 7th destination of my digital nomad journey was Sri Lanka in South Asia. I stayed in Ahangama for 1 month, I had a lot of ups and downs but overall I had a very enjoyable time. I had many exciting first experiences in my life here.

So, is Sri Lanka suitable for digital nomads? What should we pay attention to? Is it worth going and giving this island country a chance? I explain it all in as much detail as possible, without using any artificial intelligence tools, based entirely on my own experience and experience. Welcome to the article, enjoy your reading! 

  - General Opinion: 

Ahh, my feelings and thoughts about this place have been a bit up and down. The first week I arrived I loved it, the second week I hated it, the third week I loved it, and the fourth week I don't want to leave anymore. There is a reason for all of this, and I will explain it slowly. 

Sri Lanka was a place in the Indian Ocean that excited me with its nature, sea and wildlife. I don't know how to describe it to you, but imagine a place where you are swimming in the ocean with a wonderful cleanliness and water temperature, where there are thousands of different shades of trees and green, where there are different creatures in the sea and very interesting creatures on land. This place is called Sri Lanka, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. 

Since I lived in Bali as a digital nomad for 3 months before I came here, I immediately compared it with Bali since it is also an island country. Sri Lanka is the version of Bali 10 years ago, and I can say that it continues to develop. Yes, this is definitely the right definition. It still lacks a lot in many ways. The infrastructure is not sufficient even in its current form, and if there is a population explosion like Bali, it will be even more insufficient. But the local people, again like in Bali, are sweet and loving, just a little shy. There will be improvements in this direction in time. Naturally, this place is directly influenced by Indian culture, which is another reason to differentiate it from Bali. 

The climate is hot, sometimes even too hot. But no matter how hot it gets, you can go to any one of the wonderful beaches by the ocean and swim in the sea and cool off and refresh yourself. And as someone who loves the heat, that wouldn't stop me from going back to Sri Lanka. It rains from time to time, and you know tropical rain, you can't do much during this heavy rain :) 

Let me also talk about the visa situation, when you land in Sri Lanka by plane, you can get a visa at the gate. You pay about $50 per person and you enter the country with a 30-day, double entry method. If you wish, you can go to the capital and extend your visa later.

To summarize at the end of this chapter, Sri Lanka is a wonderful country. But I would not recommend it for very short visits due to its location. There are so many places to visit and so many activities to do. That's why I recommend planning a minimum 1-month stay. As a digital nomad, would I add this place to my travel itinerary again? My answer to that is hell yeah!

Let's continue with other topics. 

- Language and Communication: 

The official languages of Sri Lanka are Ceylonese and Tamil. And this poses a problem because it's a language I've never encountered before. Especially the alphabet they use, oh my god, it just looks like randomly drawn circles :)

And most of the locals don't speak English. Sometimes, even for simple shopping, communication can be a problem, but thanks to the friendliness of the locals, it usually turns into a funny situation :)

In such cases, you can open Google Translate or any other translation application you are used to using, select Sinhala and continue the communication. I've used this method many times and everywhere, and I've gotten my needs met without any reaction.

However, in places such as cafes and co-working spaces, you can communicate very easily in English and fulfill your requests and needs.

Nevertheless, as a regular part of my blogs, I am writing down 5 simple words in the local language that will be useful for you. This can create a first contact effect that people like :)

• āyubōvan: Hello

• oyāṭa stūtiyi: Thank you

• ov: Yes 

• næta: No

• karuṇākara: Please

• āyubōvan: Goodbye 

2. Digital Nomadism in Sri Lanka 

This is my favorite part about Sri Lanka. Because during my time in Sri Lanka as a digital nomad, I felt very productive in terms of work and I did very good work. Now I'm coming to the reasons why.

When I was in Bali, I was very distracted, I'm not going to lie :D Because everywhere is vibrant, there are so many beautiful places and so many people. You want to explore it all. In Sri Lanka, these things are much lighter. There is almost nothing to distract you. You can find a seat in all the venues, there is no hustle and bustle and chaos. And that gives you a great focus in terms of work.

I always say Sri Lanka, I stayed in Ahangama but we can say similar things about Weligama. Although there are not many places, you don't have a problem to work, to sit and have something to eat and drink, and for accommodation. You can usually find a place wherever you want.

And the price of everything I mentioned above is quite reasonable, except for a few things, which I will explain in the related chapter.

So what about the digital nomad community in Sri Lanka? I want to make an accurate assessment of this place. You have to set expectations right. It is definitely not as developed as in Bali or Bangkok, there are not many digital nomads. But that doesn't mean there are none. I met at least 10 digital nomads in Sri Lanka and we became friends. But because Sri Lanka doesn't have a center, like Canggu in Bali for example, they are a bit more dispersed and live in different regions. And rather than being a digital nomad hub (at least for now), Sri Lanka is a surf paradise. So there are a lot of surfers, there are places where they are especially regulars and it is quite enjoyable to hang out there.

The last thing I would like to say about this section is that there are great opportunities for many businesses in Sri Lanka. I can say that it is open for investment and in need. Because this place will definitely grow, develop and become more and more popular, I am sure of that. In the development process of this place, those who seize the opportunities and invest early will benefit a lot. For example, you can take a business that you have seen in Bali, that you think is working, that you think has a formula that works, and you can adapt it to Sri Lanka. In the 2nd week of my visit to Sri Lanka, I discovered many such opportunities and even received an offer, but I did not take advantage of it because it did not fit my current business plan. Nevertheless, I wanted to tell you about this opportunity :)

3. Working in Sri Lanka

This part is really important. Even though I have mentioned some very good things above, Sri Lanka has some negative features and it can be a problem for us digital nomads working online. But don't worry, I will tell you the solution to these problems right below :)

But before the negative part, I would like to mention again that Sri Lanka is a great place to work and produce something because of the lack of distractions.

Now let's talk about co-working spaces and cafes.

- Co-working Spaces: 

As I said, Sri Lanka is a newly developing country in terms of digital nomadism. That's why there are not many co-working spaces, but the ones that are there are very good and very sufficient. And you definitely need to go to a co-working space in Sri Lanka. Because in Sri Lanka there is the problem that the electricity goes out a lot during the day and sometimes for long periods of time! Yes, it's like a joke, but the power goes out all the time. When the power goes out, the internet goes out, the air conditioner goes out. You need both for sure.

And this is where co-working spaces come in. Almost all of them have generators and when the power goes out, they turn on immediately. In this way, your work is not in any trouble.

Now I will talk about the most beautiful co-working spaces, I am also adding their locations on the map.

NETS Cowork & Colive: This is my favorite place in Ahangama, Sri Lanka. It's very newly built, the location and amenities are great, and the owners are incredibly smart and fun people. There are daily, weekly and monthly membership options, with a monthly membership costing around $150 and free coffee and water. It's also a co-living space, so you can stay on the 2 floors below. And it has a pool :) I have one last thing to add about this place. We had a very fun and at the same time informative interview with Manu and Krõõt, the owners of NETS Co-living, about Sri Lanka's position and future in the digital nomad scene. And it's very new on YouTube, you can click and watch it right here. Love again to Manu and Krõõt :)

Focus Hub Co-Working: This is also located in the center of Ahangama. It is a one-story and functionally designed co-working space. It has a generator and air conditioning. Monthly membership is around $120. There is also a mini cafe where you can order coffee and drinks (for a fee). During my first 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, I worked here on the recommendation of my digital nomad friend Selman. It was a very quiet place where you could easily find a seat. But then I discovered NETS and spent the rest of my time working there.

Outpost Weligama: Average monthly membership price is $140.

Focus Hub Weligama: Average monthly membership price $120

Capybara Cafe Coworking: Located in Mirissa, this co-working space has an average monthly membership price of $90.

- Wi-Fi and Cafes: 

Almost all cafes have Wi-Fi and there is no problem in this regard. But not all cafes have generators :) Therefore, if the electricity goes out, the working part stops in the cafes. Also, most of the cafes have tables placed in the open area. This means that there is no air conditioning or it is not effective. Considering the hot climate, you use the cafes to have a snack and return to your air-conditioned co-working spaces rather than working :)

Also, the prices of some cafes are unjustifiably and unnecessarily higher than the average Sri Lankan prices. Unfortunately there is no alternative to this. If you are looking for something more affordable, you may prefer more local places.

Nevertheless, I will leave below the cafes that I visited frequently during my stay in Sri Lanka and enjoyed both being there and eating and drinking there with their location information.

Cafe Ceylon 

Marshmellow: 

Cactus: 

The Kip: 

The Jam House: 

4. Living in Sri Lanka 

Life in Sri Lanka is simple and easy. Now let's go a little deeper into this aspect and decide if it is worth coming here to live.

- Accommodation: I can say that accommodation in Sri Lanka is divided into two or even three. First of all, there are popular places by the ocean that cater to surfers rather than digital nomads. These places are really expensive, up to $100-$150 per day. There are guest houses that have been renovated or offer a modern experience. I chose this type of accommodation, a guest house right in the center of Ahangama, with air conditioning, balcony, private bathroom and pool. I stayed for $25 a night and $750 a month. By the way, the price on the Airbnb ad was $1,200, but we negotiated the price down to $750 a month :) There are also detached houses for rent that are 10 minutes away from the center. The prices of these are incredibly good. You can rent 1+1 or even 2+1 detached houses with gardens for $200-$400 per month.

By the way, wherever you stay, there is the situation I mentioned, but there is something you should definitely be informed about, especially if you prefer detached houses. This is a place where the wildlife is very powerful, intertwined with nature. And it's not just flies and insects that you need to prepare yourself for. Huge spiders, rats, snakes, giant lizards and even crocodiles depending on where you stay! Yes, I am not kidding, you need to be ready and resilient for all of these.

If you don't have your own motorbike or other means of transportation, I suggest you choose an accommodation location as close to the center as possible.

- Cost of Living: Sri Lanka is a very cheap country in general, except for some extreme examples. By extreme examples, I mean the prices of some western restaurants and cafes. But in general, if I include everything from accommodation, shopping, transportation, eating and drinking, traveling and exploring, you can live a super life for 1,400-1,800 dollars per person per month.

5. Transportation and Safety in Sri Lanka

- Transportation: Transportation in Sri Lanka is really problematic. I'm not going to lie or hide it, you have very few options, and the few options you have are not good. There are crazy buses, there are tuk-tuks, you can rent your own motorbike or you can use a pre-arranged taxi by stating your needs to the quest house where you are staying.

The crazy buses are really as crazy as their name. They are very old, very cheap and go very fast. They have no rules. They drive right in the middle of the traffic lane and cause really dangerous situations. Not just being in them, but being around where they are going is very dangerous. And I have heard many times that they cause a lot of fatal accidents every year. I don't recommend using it except to experience adrenaline, to feel this experience. Even though I was very curious, I couldn't take the risk and didn't ride. Also, as a motorcycle rider, these crazy buses gave me stressful times. Behave yourselves, crazy people!

Tuk-tuks! You will see them everywhere. Even if you don't see them, you will hear them, they will talk to you and offer to take you where you want to go. Unfortunately, since you are a foreigner, they show very annoying behavior in charging. In fact, their popular name in the country is “tuk-tuk mafia”. Because they act like the mafia. They can threaten to harm you if you do not give them the money they want. You need to be careful about this. Or you can also have an experience like renting your own tuk-tuk. There are many places where you can do this. Then you have to deal with the police, which I will talk about in the following chapters.

Renting a motorbike in Sri Lanka is the best way in my opinion. If you have good negotiation skills, you can rent a Yamaha NMax for about $100. The things you should pay attention to are that sometimes the gas stations run out of fuel, so buy fuel at every opportunity and travel with a full tank, watch out for crazy buses and tuk-tuks in traffic, and if you are going to stay for a long time, make sure you get a local driver's license. This driver's license issue is really annoying, you have to deal with the police a lot and often. I will touch on this in the Challenges chapter.

Finally, for longer trips you can rent your own car or arrange a transfer to and from the airport.

In summary, you will not benefit from technological blessings like Uber, Grab and you will always have stress about transportation :)

- Safety Tips: Sri Lanka is a country under the influence of Indian culture. And there are only locals and tourists in the country. Although it has been attracting tourists for a long time, it is still a developing place and the process of getting used to tourists continues. Personally, I did not feel any danger, but it is always good to be cautious everywhere. Especially if you are a woman traveling alone, I'm sorry but you need to be a bit more careful. Even if nothing happens, you need to protect yourself from the long and sharp glances or get used to it by ignoring it :(

6. Free Time and Exploration

I think I had the most fulfilling and enjoyable time in Sri Lanka, exploring, trying new things and seeing very interesting places. There are so many opportunities, so many activities that it is almost impossible to do them all and keep up. But I will share with you what I did, what I highly recommend and what I definitely want to do next time.

- Tourist Attractions: I don't know how many times I have said it but I have to say it one more time, the nature is amazing, incredible. You can come across thousands of wild animals in their natural habitats and in human habitats. In this way, Sri Lanka hit a nature and animal lover like me in the heart. I felt like waking up to a National Geographic documentary every morning :)

There are endless places to explore, from lush green forests to pristine oceanfront beaches. And surfing! This is a true surfing paradise, Sri Lanka welcomes world class surfers. All beaches are free. There are cafe concept places on many beaches, you can use the sun loungers for free. It is enough to have a few drinks, no one bothers you.

For the first time in my life I didn't see a caretta caretta there, when I was in Bali I took a little trip to Gili island and we swam together for the first time. But in Sri Lanka, caretta caretta are like cats in Istanbul. There are so many and they are everywhere in the sea. At some points you can even see 15-20 of them at the same time 2-3 meters ahead of you. They are harmless but they are big animals, if you dare you can swim right there with them :)

The first week we were there, we took a river tour with a handmade boat organized by the locals. This was the first time I was impressed. We saw thousands of different bird species, monkeys jumping from tree to tree, fighting with each other, and huge bats flying close to dark. Maybe 2,000, maybe 3,000 bats flew right over us, it was very impressive.

I went to Galle for a day trip, it is a very old administrative center, it was built during the Portuguese colonization and many buildings are still intact. It is a place that especially attracts European tourists. Here for the first time I took 2 pythons on my shoulders and watched a cobra dance with my eyes. It is impossible to forget.

And now we come to the experience that brought me to my peak. We arranged a car trip for the weekend with my digital nomad friends in Sri Lanka. We went to Ella and Sigiriya. There was a completely different nature and incredible weather in Ella, we climbed and climbed the mountains, there was no Sri Lankan heat and humidity we were used to. It felt good to experience this in Sri Lanka. And of course the main reason for going was the famous train bridge and the view. I don't know what to say, it is really not easy to go and come. But after you overcome it, nothing is left in your eyes and you say that you are glad you came and did it. We stayed in Ella for one night and the next day we set off for Sigirya.

I couldn't get enough of Sigiriya, it is like a completely different geography in a very different geography. As you get closer to Sigiriya, the shape of the trees, even the color of the soil changes, you feel that you have entered a different environment. I was very excited along the way, I believed that I was going to see a real elephant with my own eyes for the first time. But before we reached Sigiriya, we came across monkeys of completely different species and types on the way. We stopped next to many of them and shared the food we had with us, it was a lot of fun. And the big moment came out of nowhere, when I wasn't expecting it. I saw my first elephant. Yes, the first elephant, so there could be more? Yes, there could be more and there was. Without further ado, the next day we went on a safari tour, a safari in a natural wildlife park where I had the opportunity to see dozens of elephants, both adults and babies, to watch them very closely and to take photos and videos of them. I left with unforgettable and wonderful memories, and Sri Lanka will have a very different place in my life.

By the way, whale watching tours are also organized by boat in the ocean coastal areas of Sri Lanka, I was not able to participate, but I will definitely try it on my next visit.

Lastly, Sri Lanka is so close to the Maldives that I surprised my girlfriend, who I was in a relationship with at the time, and took her to a wonderful villa in the Maldives for 5 days. I swam with sharks here. It was a very nice experience.

It doesn't matter what you do, big or small, you will enjoy whatever you do and you will make all the memories you spend here unforgettable.

- Food and Cuisine: You may be a little confused about the food. Because this place is under the influence of Indian culture, naturally so is the food. Almost all the food is very spicy. But as a Turkish, I didn't have any difficulties as the use of spices is also very common in our cuisine. On the contrary, the local food tasted much better to me than the western style food.

And definitely when you are in Sri Lanka, you have to eat a dish that will change your life forever, Sri Lankan Rice and Curry! You can choose fish or chicken with many delicious and varied side dishes. I would eat it right now without a second thought :D

I also had the chance to experience a very interesting way of eating in Sri Lanka :) The owner of the place where we stayed in Sri Lanka invited us as a family to host us in their house for our last week. They prepared such delicious food that I couldn't get full :) They eat all the food with their hands, they gave us a spoon in case we were not used to it, but I refused. I told them I wanted to eat with you, in a real Sri Lankan house and in the same way as this lovely family, it was really hard to eat with my hands but I enjoyed it :)

You can find western style food, you can also find middle eastern food, for example falafev and hummus. These are delicious. But there can be price policies much higher than the Sri Lankan average. It doesn't make sense to sit at a table in Sri Lanka and eat at European prices.

The most important thing you should pay attention to in Sri Lanka is that there is no such concept as home delivery. And many places close before late at night. If you don't cook at home and always eat and drink out like me, you should definitely be prepared for this situation. Unfortunately, I had to experience this when I was incredibly hungry and had to eat a watermelon I had just bought that was not yet cold and not fully ripe :D

- Entertainment: The nightlife in Sri Lanka is surprisingly good and a bit wild. There is really hard music, hard environments, you know what I mean :D You mostly see Australians, Israelis and Slavs as the masses who come to have fun.

And in most of the places, there is an entrance fee, regardless of boys and girls. Drink prices are not very expensive but you don't get drunk, they steal it at some point :D It's best to drink beer.

You can find a short list of my favorite entertainment places here.

Ying-yang

Trax

Lamana

The Doctors House 

7. Challenges in Sri Lanka

In every country there are certain challenges, and they are overcome. Although Sri Lanka is a wonderful place, I will be honest that there were more challenges here than I normally face.

Sri Lanka definitely has a traffic problem. But don't think of it as heavy traffic, it's a traffic disorder problem. No one knows any rules, everyone does as they please and this requires you to be constantly careful and cautious.

The 2 factors that make traffic dangerous are crazy buses and tuk-tuks. If you see them moving or stopped on the road, make sure you pay attention and prepare yourself for the worst.

If you are driving any motor vehicle, even a tiny scooter, you are expected to have a Sri Lankan driver's license. Or you need to have an international driving license. Because of this situation, a lot of police can stop you anywhere on the road. And I am sorry to say, they scare you and ask for bribes :(

As a man, I didn't have any security problems except for traffic, but I recommend women traveling alone to be a little more careful. Here you can sometimes experience unpleasant situations, such as being under constant scrutiny, being teased, etc. Unfortunately....

I mentioned it above but it is worth reminding again, electricity is a problem in Sri Lanka. Sometimes it goes out and may not come back for hours. You should take precautions against such situations and if you have a regular online job, you should definitely get a membership to a co-working space.

You will have a big communication problem with the locals. It is not a problem in cafes and tourist spots, but almost no one else speaks English. Make sure you have dictionary apps ready on your cell phone.

This is not a challenge but I would advise you not to be surprised if you encounter it, if you are a tourist in less touristy places, locals may want to take pictures with you or of you. You are still a surprising factor for them. But this is definitely part of their love, respect and interest in you, part of their hospitable nature :)

And finally, no matter how wonderful I talk about the nature, especially in rural areas you have to watch out for wild animals. Crocodiles, poisonous spiders and snakes, monkeys, stray dogs are always a potential danger for you.

8. Final Thoughts

Despite all the difficulties and challenges, I really enjoyed the whole time I was in Sri Lanka. It is a place that is just starting to develop and will definitely develop. So from now on and in the future we will hear more about it, it will attract more visitors and maybe one day it will be as popular as Bali.

Do your research well before you go, take precautions in the parts you consider risky. When all is said and done, enjoy this beautiful island country.

And I hope you will visit here, read the blog, appreciate that my analysis is really correct and give me a little thank you for its usefulness :)

Maybe we will bump into each other in Sri Lanka on my next visit, who knows :)

Before I end the blog here, I would like to make 3 little reminders, I had a very special interview with Inspector Gamage from Ahangama Police Station in Sri Lanka, if you haven't watched it yet, let me take you here.

I also interviewed the crazy founders of NETS co-work, if you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, the video is waiting for you right here :)

And I did an amazing interview with my very special digital nomad friend Gerasim. You can watch the video also from here and the below :)

My next city is Bangkok, Thailand. I had a great time there and I have already started writing the blog post. Hope to see you in the next posts, I love you! And I am always open to your feedback and comments, whether you dm me or comment, I always see and reply to every post.

Thank you for reading this far, I invite you to follow NomadVibe Instagram account so that you can quickly reach content, stories and insights about the countries I travel to. This way you will support me and be a part of my journey to realize everything I want to do with you :)

And as I always say, until the next post arrivederci folks :)