Christmas and New Year as a visitor in Sri Lanka what is it like and where to be for the festive season
We are tempted to escape the European winter and spend Christmas and New Year in Sri Lanka Is it a thing here is Christmas celebrated what is the vibe over the festive season where is best to be for Christmas Day and for New Year Eve beaches hill country Colombo is it peak season and pricey and busy and how do the locals mark it Anyone who has spent the festive season here please tell me what it is like
4 Answers from travellers
Local so the festive season picture Is Christmas a thing YES Sri Lanka has a significant Christian community (Catholic and other denominations especially along the west coast Negombo is called little Rome) so Christmas is genuinely celebrated midnight mass beautiful church decorations carols lights and a warm festive feeling and beyond the Christian community Christmas has a broad cheerful commercial presence in the cities the malls and hotels go all out with decorations and Santa it is a multi faith friendly festivity here The vibe and the season this is PEAK tourist season December to March is the prime dry season for the south and west coast and the hill country so the festive season is the busiest and PRICIEST time of year the beaches and resorts are full hotels raise rates and book out and a buzzy international holiday crowd fills the south coast plan and book WELL ahead and expect peak prices Where to be for Christmas the SOUTH and WEST COAST beaches are the classic festive choice (in their dry sunny season) sunshine sand and resort Christmas dinners Negombo for the Catholic Christmas atmosphere and midnight mass the HILL COUNTRY (Nuwara Eliya) has a cooler colonial Christmas charm For New Year Eve the south coast beaches host the big parties (beach bonfires resort galas the surf town scene from the nightlife threads) Colombo has hotel galas and parties and Nuwara Eliya has its own festive scene the coast is the lively NYE choice Peak busy pricey YES all three so book early Locals marking it the Christian community with church and family the wider country with a cheerful festive overlay and then the big Sinhala and Tamil New Year is separate (in April) this December festive season is Christmas led so the plan come for sunshine over the European winter book early for peak season and prices choose the south or west coast for beach Christmas and NYE parties Negombo for the Catholic atmosphere or the hills for cool colonial charm and enjoy a warm tropical festive season
Negombo for midnight mass at Christmas is genuinely special the little Rome churches go all out and the atmosphere is lovely even as a non Christian visitor it is a beautiful cultural experience to witness
The book well ahead warning is real we left it late one year and the good south coast places were full and dear it is the peak of peak season so lock the festive accommodation months out
A genuine festive season peak and pricey so book early south or west coast for beach Christmas and NYE parties or Negombo for the Catholic atmosphere this is exactly the picture I wanted sunshine over the Austrian winter it is thank you
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