Quick answer
On a luxury 7-day Sri Lanka itinerary, choose the meal plan stop by stop. Take half board at Sigiriya and in Kandy, where the lodge is the best place to eat and evenings are short. Tea bungalows and safari camps are full board or all-inclusive by design. Take bed and breakfast on the south coast, where Galle Fort and the beach restaurants are worth going out for. Hotel dinners cost roughly US$30 to US$70 a person before taxes of about 25 to 30 per cent.
Key takeaways
- Half board in Sri Lanka means breakfast and dinner, and full board adds lunch.
- Hotel menu prices marked with two plus signs exclude a 10 per cent service charge and government taxes.
- Dinner at a luxury hotel in Sri Lanka costs roughly US$30 to US$70 a person before drinks.
- Tea bungalows and tented safari camps are nearly always sold with all meals included.
- Lunch falls on the road on at least three of the seven days, so full board is often wasted.
The four meal plans
Meal plans on a luxury 7-day Sri Lanka itinerary come in four kinds. Bed and breakfast covers the morning only. Half board adds dinner. Full board adds lunch. All-inclusive adds drinks, and in practice means different things at different hotels.
Dinner on a plan is often a set menu or a buffet with a spending cap, with the full menu available at a supplement. Ask which applies. At small luxury properties the plan usually gives a choice from the main menu, which is what you want.
- →BB: breakfast only.
- →HB: breakfast and dinner.
- →FB: three meals.
- →AI: three meals and specified drinks.
Sigiriya and Kandy: half board
Sigiriya's better lodges stand alone in forest or beside reservoirs, 10 to 30 minutes from the nearest town, and the local restaurants cater mainly to passing tour groups. Dinner at the lodge is both the convenient choice and the better meal.
Kandy is similar for a different reason. After the evening puja at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, you return to the hotel at about 8pm in slow traffic. Half board at both stops removes a decision when you are tired. Leave lunch off the plan, since you will be travelling or eating lightly by the pool.
Tea bungalows and camps: everything included
Tea bungalows in the hill country do not really offer a choice. The nearest restaurant may be an hour away on estate roads, and the rate is built around four meals a day, from bed tea at dawn to a four-course dinner.
Tented safari camps work the same way. The value at both is in the kitchen. A bungalow chef cooking for eight guests produces food that large hotel restaurants cannot, and special requests made in the morning appear at dinner.
- →Tell the chef about allergies and dislikes on arrival.
- →Ask for a Sri Lankan rice and curry dinner on one night.
- →Check which drinks are included before ordering wine.
South coast: bed and breakfast
The south coast is where a meal plan costs you choice. Galle Fort has more than a dozen good restaurants within a few streets, and the coast road from Unawatuna to Mirissa has seafood places on the sand where the catch is shown on ice before it is grilled.
Take bed and breakfast for nights 5 and 6 unless you are in a staffed villa or a remote resort at Tangalle. Eat one dinner out and one at the hotel, and you have had both versions of the coast.
- →Night 5: dinner at the hotel after the long drive.
- →Night 6: dinner in Galle Fort or on the beach.
- →In a villa: the cook shops and you pay for groceries.
The plus plus on the bill
Hotel and restaurant prices in Sri Lanka are often shown before a 10 per cent service charge and government taxes. Together these add roughly 25 to 30 per cent, and menus signal it with two plus signs after the price.
The effect is that a US$40 main course costs about US$52. Meal plans are normally quoted with these charges included, which is one reason half board can be better value than it first looks. Confirm that your quote is fully inclusive.
Putting the week together
A sensible luxury week combines three plans: half board for the three inland nights at Sigiriya and Kandy, full board or all-inclusive in the hills if you stay in a bungalow, and bed and breakfast for two nights on the coast.
Lankan Stays & Trails sets the plan for each stop separately and says why in the quote. If an itinerary shows the same plan at every hotel, it was probably chosen for the planner's convenience. Ask what there is to eat near each property before accepting it.
Frequently asked questions
Is half board worth it in Sri Lanka?
At remote lodges and on one-night stops, yes. Around Sigiriya and in Kandy the hotel is usually the best place to eat, and half board saves both money and effort. On the south coast, where good restaurants are close, bed and breakfast gives more freedom.
What does all-inclusive mean in Sri Lankan hotels?
It varies by property. All-inclusive usually covers three meals, afternoon tea, soft drinks and local alcohol such as beer, arrack and house wine. Imported spirits, premium wines and minibar items are often extra. Ask for the written list before you book.
How much is dinner at a luxury hotel in Sri Lanka?
A three-course dinner at a luxury hotel costs roughly US$30 to US$70 a person before drinks, with a service charge and taxes adding about 25 to 30 per cent. Imported wine starts at roughly US$40 to US$60 a bottle and rises quickly.
What does plus plus mean on a Sri Lankan menu?
Two plus signs after a price mean that a 10 per cent service charge and government taxes will be added. Together they increase the bill by roughly 25 to 30 per cent. Prices marked nett already include them. Rates change, so check the menu footnote.
Can luxury hotels in Sri Lanka cater for dietary requirements?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan food is part of everyday Sri Lankan cooking, and luxury hotels handle gluten-free, nut-free and halal requests routinely. Tell the hotel before arrival and again on check-in. Small bungalows and villas adapt most easily because they cook for few guests.
Should I eat outside the hotel in Sri Lanka?
In some places. Galle Fort, Colombo and the beach restaurants of the south coast are well worth an evening. Around Sigiriya and in the tea estates, choice outside the hotel is limited. A chauffeur-guide can also arrange a home-cooked lunch on driving days.