10 Days in Bentota | Bentota, Sri Lanka

I spent 10 days exploring the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka. My journey started in Bentota, Sri Lanka. Prior to travelling, I had a jam-packed itinerary of all the things I wanted to do. Our itinerary was full, leaving little room for 'rest days'.

Cash or Card ? | Money, Finance, and Exchange Rates!

Prior to our departure, we debated whether or not to convert money, bring card, or change our cash at the airport. But after researching, I trusted bringing my 'trusty' Monzo card. I read that ATM's were easily accessible and that many shops took card payments. My mum decided otherwise, and ultimately got me onboard with changing our funds before we left.

As Sri Lankan rupees are a closed currency, ( meaning it is a currency that cannot be bought or sold freely outside of Sri Lanka) we knew it would be hard to get.

Eurochange was the only bureau de change we found, that had Sri Lankan rupees available. So, after confirming the currency and checking the exchange rates, we decided to change £300 with them. We were offered LKR90,000 rupees. Unbeknownst to us, that was a terrible deal, but nevertheless we went ahead.

Shortly after, we had spoken to someone who knew that our Eurochange offer was way below (about £100) what we should have received, so we decided to cancel the order. We were charged a £10 cancellation fee, but it was better than being £100 worse off!

We transferred money from our current account to our Monzo account in small batches. This helped us to control our spending. It certainly helped me!

Upon arriving, we were able to use our Monzo cards freely throughout Sri Lanka. We did have a few problems with some ATM's, but once we found a trusted ATM, we were all set!

It took me a little while to get used to the exchange rate, but after a few days, it got easier.

TIP: Get familiar with the rupee to pound convert rate as quickly as possible, before you get duped into thinking you've grabbed a bargain!

After a wonderful, first 5 BUSY days, things started to take a turn for the worse...

The BAD Bits

After a long day travelling to Colombo, our train decided NOT to stop at Bentota, and we ended up at least 40 - 45 minutes away, stuck in Ahungalle. Too dark to explore, we sat on an empty platform waiting for our train back. We waited on the platform for 45 minutes. We had to make a joke out of it, before we started crying from fatigue!

And, as if that wasn't bad enough...The attacks began to flood in.

Not that I am formally diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure I may have mentioned before that I have an allergy to sandfly/mosquito bites. (Imagine that!) I usually end up with a swollen ankle, or being unable to walk after being bitten, but the Sri Lankan sandflies really had a banquet on me! And my reactions this time was much more severe than usual.

So, after a few days of exploring this gem of an island, I was officially stuck inside the hotel (at-least until the swelling went down). I couldn't walk.

I usually buy the same products prior to travelling, but I was lucky enough to have the 'extras' such as antibiotics and the rest of my prescribed medications.

My little Travel Clinic and Travel Health

As usual, I ensured I packed all of my holiday travel essentials.

My holiday essentials usually include:

Antihistamines

Hydrocortisone cream

Repellent

Neem oil

Ibruprofen

Although I packed all my necessities, I was attacked so severely by those pesky insects - that I was unable to walk. I had to scoot across my hotel room on a stool just to use the toilet!

Looking Back

Back In 2019, during a wonderful holiday to Antigua, I also suffered with swollen ankles from sandfly and mosquito bites. After being unable to walk properly, I consulted a pharmacist, who urged me to take antihistamines. She said it was likely I had an allergy to the mosquito and sandfly bites. So since then, I have always taken additional precautions to protect myself form those pesky enemies!

But this time was different, this meant I had to miss out on many of the trips I had planned to Kandy, Ella, Sigirya and Nuwara Eliya.

My entire Sri Lankan experience was up in the air!

Nevertheless, I made the most of every second, and still managed to squeeze in a few trips, and travel around Colombo, Galle, and Bentota.

We tried a wide variety of Sri Lankan restaurants, and ensured we had loads of 'beach and pool' days. We explored different areas using tuk-tuk and train, and walking to those close by.

Close to Bentota, you'll find a quirky area called Aluthgama. Here you'll find supermarkets, mini-markets, clothes stores, pharmacies, and much more. Aluthgama has a little vibe to it too. There are many people shopping around and exploring.

Tuk-tuks and Trusted Transport | Getting Around

The tuk-tuk was our first choice of transport, as they are fairly cheap and easily accessible. Scary? Yes, but we quickly turned that fear into excitement. Many tuk-tuks offer prices which are simply for tourists, but don't get disheartened - they are easily negotiable too. There are tuk-tuks everywhere - move on to the next if you not happy with the price quoted, but be sure to walk around and explore the area as much as possible. Many places aren't as far as you may think. Unfortunately, I wasn't spoilt for choice as much, due to my ankle, but I still managed to walk as much as I could.

A Promise to Return

I'm not a superstitious person, but I do believe everything happens for a reason. So having my holiday cut short by a swollen ankle, is something more spiritual for me. I'm sure it means I must return to Sri Lanka, and that this magnificent country is calling me back faster than I can imagine, (so be prepared for my return.)

I must admit, I didn't have much expectations about Sri Lanka, as all I wanted was rest, but I never knew I'd come back feeling so emotional. I'm giving all the glory and praise to the Lord for ordering my footsteps to Sri Lanka and allowing me to have such an experience - one that I can never forget. Although I binged watched travel vlog after vlog, I'm glad my experience was just that - (mine).

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