Quick answer
On a cricket tour of Sri Lanka, bed and breakfast usually suits best, as you eat lunch at the ground and can choose dinner freely. Half board suits rural bases with few restaurants nearby, such as Kandalama, Yala or hillside hotels around Kandy. Full board rarely makes sense on match days. Ask for an early breakfast and a packed lunch on match days, and check whether half-board dinners can be moved later after day-night games.
Key takeaways
- Bed and breakfast suits most match days and towns with restaurants.
- Half board suits rural bases with few restaurants nearby.
- Full board rarely suits match days, as lunch is at the ground.
- Many hotels prepare packed lunches on request.
- Check whether half-board dinners can be served late after night games.
The three plans
Bed and breakfast includes the room and breakfast. Half board adds dinner, usually a set menu or buffet. Full board adds lunch too. Some resorts offer all-inclusive packages with drinks.
Breakfasts in Sri Lankan hotels often include both Western dishes and Sri Lankan options, such as hoppers, string hoppers, kiribath and curries.
Meal plans are often cheaper than paying for meals separately, but only if you will eat them.
Hotel buffets in Sri Lanka are often generous, with several curries, rice, salads, a carvery and desserts. They suit families and groups with different tastes, but can become repetitive over a week. A la carte menus offer more variety on long stays.
Many hotels also offer a Sri Lankan rice and curry lunch or dinner as a special, a good introduction to the island's food for first-time visitors.
- →Bed and breakfast.
- →Half board.
- →Full board.
Match days
On Test days, you will usually eat lunch at the ground, where food stalls sell rice and curry, short eats and snacks, or bring a packed lunch from the hotel. Full board makes little sense if lunch goes unused.
For day-night games, you may eat dinner at the ground or very late. Half board can work if the hotel serves dinner late or allows you to take it earlier as a late lunch.
Ask for an early breakfast on Test days, around 7.30 to 8 am.
Grounds have rules on outside food and drink that vary by venue and match, so check before packing a large lunch. Small snacks and sealed water are usually fine; glass bottles and alcohol are not.
After a long day in the sun, many fans prefer a light dinner. Ask the hotel whether a half-board dinner can be swapped for a lighter dish or a room-service meal.
- →Lunch at the ground.
- →Packed lunches.
- →Early breakfast.
Where half board makes sense
Half board suits rural bases with few restaurants nearby: Kandalama, Yala and Tissamaharama, Sigiriya resorts away from the village, and hillside hotels outside Kandy. It saves a drive out each evening.
In Galle Fort, Unawatuna, Colombo and Kandy town, bed and breakfast is better, as there are many good restaurants nearby.
Villas often include breakfast and offer a cook for other meals at extra cost.
At safari lodges near Yala, full board can make sense on rest days, as the day revolves around early-morning and afternoon drives with lunch at the lodge in between. On a match day, switch to half board.
In Kandy, the lake area has many restaurants, but hillside hotels can be a steep drive away, so half board can make sense there too, especially after a long day at Pallekele.
- →Rural bases: half board.
- →Towns: bed and breakfast.
- →Villas: cook for extra.
Eating out
Eating out is one of the pleasures of a Sri Lankan cricket trip. Rice and curry in a local restaurant, seafood on the beach, kottu from a street stall and hoppers in the evening cost little and taste wonderful.
The companion pages on Sri Lankan food for Australian cricket fans and where to eat in Kandy on a cricket trip have ideas.
Lankan Stays & Trails usually books bed and breakfast in towns and half board at rural bases, with drivers who know the best local restaurants.
In Galle Fort, restaurants range from simple rice and curry houses to fine dining in restored mansions. In Unawatuna and Mirissa, seafood grilled on the beach is a classic end to a day at the Test.
Tips
Check what a half-board dinner includes: set menu, buffet or a la carte allowance, and whether drinks are extra. Tell the hotel about dietary needs.
Mix plans across the tour: bed and breakfast in Galle and Colombo, half board at Kandalama or Yala.
Ask whether unused meals on a half-board plan can be credited if you eat out. Some hotels allow this; most do not, so choose the plan you will actually use.
- →Check what dinners include.
- →Tell hotels about dietary needs.
- →Mix plans across the tour.
Frequently asked questions
What meal plan should I choose for a cricket tour?
Bed and breakfast suits most match days, as you eat lunch at the ground and can choose dinner freely. Half board suits rural bases with few restaurants. Full board rarely makes sense on match days.
Can Sri Lankan hotels make packed lunches?
Many Sri Lankan hotels will prepare a packed lunch if you ask the day before, useful for Test days. Check the ground's rules on bringing food, and keep it cool in the heat.
What is half board in Sri Lanka?
Half board includes the room, breakfast and dinner, usually a set menu or buffet. It suits rural bases with few restaurants nearby. Check whether drinks are included and whether dinner can be served late.
Is full board worth it on a cricket tour?
Full board is rarely worth it on match days, as lunch is at the ground. It can suit rest days at remote resorts or safari lodges where there is nowhere else to eat.
What food is available at Sri Lankan cricket grounds?
Grounds usually have food stalls selling rice and curry, short eats such as patties and rolls, snacks and drinks. Choice varies by ground and match. Many fans bring a packed lunch from the hotel.
Can hotels cater for dietary needs?
Most Sri Lankan hotels cater well for vegetarian diets, and many can manage gluten-free, vegan or allergy needs with notice. Tell the hotel when booking and remind staff on arrival.
Can I change my meal plan during a stay?
Many Sri Lankan hotels let you upgrade from bed and breakfast to half board during a stay, paying the difference, especially at rural bases. Downgrading is harder, as plans are often priced as packages. Ask at check-in, and check whether the change applies to the whole stay or particular nights.