Sri Lanka in five days

Sri Lanka is about 430 kilometres from north to south and it takes a very long time to cross. Outside the expressway network, average speeds are around 30 to 40 kilometres per hour, because roads pass through towns, share space with buses and tuk-tuks, and in the hill country wind continuously.

Concrete numbers: Colombo to Sigiriya is four to five hours. Sigiriya to Kandy is three. Kandy to Ella is four. Ella to the south coast is another three or four. A five-day itinerary attempting all of those spends two full days in a vehicle, which leaves three days of actual holiday and a lot of resentment.

This is the strongest choice for a first visit and the one that delivers the most distinctive Sri Lanka. Day one, fly in and transfer to Sigiriya or Habarana, roughly four to five hours, arriving in the afternoon. Day two, Sigiriya at gate opening and Dambulla cave temples in the late afternoon. Day three, Polonnaruwa by bicycle in the morning and a Minneriya or Kaudulla safari in the late afternoon.

Day four, transfer to Kandy, around three hours, with a stop at a spice garden or the Matale Aluvihare, arriving for the evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth. Day five, Peradeniya botanical gardens in the morning and transfer to Colombo or the airport, roughly three to four hours.

For travellers who want scenery, cooler weather and the train rather than ancient cities. Day one, transfer from the airport to Kandy, three to four hours, and the evening puja. Day two, Kandy in the morning, Udawattakele forest or Peradeniya, then the afternoon train towards Nuwara Eliya.

Day three, Horton Plains at dawn for World's End, then a tea factory and estate. Day four, the train to Ella, roughly three to four hours and one of the world's great rail journeys, arriving for the afternoon. Day five, Little Adam's Peak at sunrise and the Nine Arch Bridge, then transfer out. This is a slower, cooler and more scenic five days than option one.

The beach-and-wildlife option, and the easiest logistically because the southern expressway makes access fast. Day one, airport to Galle or Unawatuna, about three hours on the expressway. Day two, Galle Fort ramparts at dawn and the coast road east to Weligama or Mirissa.

Day three, whale watching from Mirissa at dawn in season, then the beach. Day four, transfer to Tissamaharama, about two and a half hours, and an afternoon Yala safari or the Kataragama evening puja. Day five, a dawn Yala drive and transfer back, roughly four to five hours on the expressway.

On a five-day trip, leave out anything that requires a long transfer for a short stay. Anuradhapura, the north, Trincomalee, Arugam Bay and the east coast all belong to longer itineraries. Adding Anuradhapura to option one costs four hours of driving for a site that deserves a full day.

Also leave out the idea of a beach day tacked onto a cultural itinerary. Getting from Sigiriya to a south coast beach and back is eight hours of driving for one afternoon on sand. If you want a beach, choose option three. If you want ancient cities, accept that you will not see a beach.

Be realistic about the first and last days. Most long-haul flights land in Colombo in the early hours, which means day one is a transfer and a recovery, not a sightseeing day. Similarly, an evening departure means the final day ends with a transfer to the airport rather than an activity.

This is why five days often functions as three. If your flights are timed badly, consider spending the first night in Negombo, fifteen minutes from the airport, and starting properly on day two, which is more restful than a four-hour transfer at three in the morning.

On a two-week trip, a slow morning or a wrong turn costs you nothing. On a five-day trip it costs a meaningful fraction of the holiday. A driver-guide who knows to leave at five thirty for Sigiriya, which road is closed, and where to stop for lunch that will not take ninety minutes, is worth more here than on any longer itinerary.

Trains are wonderful and slow. On a five-day trip, the Kandy to Ella train is worth including only in option two, where it is the point. Elsewhere, the time cost is too high.

First visit and you want the famous sights: option one. You want scenery, cool air and the train: option two. You want beaches, whales and a safari: option three. All three are genuinely good five days, and all three are better than a compressed version of a ten-day itinerary.

Lankan Stays & Trails builds short itineraries around one region and will say plainly when a five-day plan is trying to do too much, which is the most common problem with short Sri Lanka trips.