Sri Lanka as a wheelchair user the unvarnished assessment after two weeks

The audit so far Infrastructure truth pavements are an obstacle course where they exist at all road shoulder rolling with traffic awareness is the practical reality in towns Curb cuts essentially absent outside new Colombo developments The compensating factor is human Sri Lankans materialise to lift carry and problem solve with zero awkwardness more spontaneous assistance than anywhere I have travelled Transport vans with ramps exist through two Colombo accessible transport operators book days ahead standard cars work with a transfer board and a folding chair trains are a lift on lift off operation with helpful staff but no level boarding tuktuks surprisingly workable for short hops transfer onto the bench chair folds across the back Heritage sites Galle Fort the rampart top walk is rollable for long stretches via the vehicle ramps inside the fort streets are cobble jolts but compact Sigiriya the summit is off the table obviously but the water gardens museum and the base boulder gardens fill a genuinely worthwhile half day Temple of the Tooth has ramp access to the main shrine level staff guide you past the step sections Polonnaruwa surprisingly good the road network rolls between major ruins Gal Vihara viewing platform has a ramp Anuradhapura similar by vehicle between sites Beaches the killer is soft sand no matting culture yet Negombo and Mount Lavinia have firm sand windows at low tide Hotels roll in showers exist only at the upper tier and even then verify with photo evidence the phrase accessible bathroom means a grab bar beside a tub to half the industry Email photo requests work hosts respond honestly when asked specifically What is off the table without heroics Adams Peak Sigiriya summit Nine Arch area paths Ella trails generally hill country is the hard region Overall verdict harder than Thailand easier than expected and the human factor changes the equation daily