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The Natural Spring Fed Infinity Swimming Pool at GlenMyu Estate

The Best Time to Visit Sri Lanka

Holiday, Travel / By Mikeez

When is the Best Time to Visit Sri Lanka?

Avoiding the Humidity and Mossies

I was reading an article on TripAdvisor about the Humidity & Mosquitos and the best time to visit Sri Lanka.

Clearly these are 2 things that visitors to this Paradise Island would like to avoid.

The Humidity does take some time to get adjusted to however, I have never got used to Mossies biting me!

Mosquito bites are quite annoying however fortunate Malaria from Mosquitos has mainly been eradicated from Sri Lanka.

The most concerning matter regarding Mosquitos is the risk of contracting Dengue.

I have been living in Sri Lanka for 6 years and feel quite lucky that I have not contracted Dengue.

The number of Dengue cases have been rising in Sri Lanka and there are efforts to reduce the breeding grounds by ensuring that places where there is standing water are removed. There are regular checks in urban areas by the health department to try to educate the population and reduce the breeding grounds.

The Sri Lankan Hill Country

We live at GlenMyu Estate Hotel, Beragala, Haputale which is located in the Sri Lankan Hill Country. The estate is at an elevation of around 900-1000 metres and is a little cooler than other parts of the country. Average temperatures during the day are between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius.

We have found that, although there are some Mosquitos, they are manageable compared to when we lived in Colombo. We also understand that there is no Dengue in the area.

The Humidity is also substantially lower than other parts of Sri Lanka. We have had plenty of guests from countries such as Denmark, Germany, France, UK, Netherlands and also Sri Lanka who arrive and you can see that there is a visible sense of relief to get back to a more comfortable climate.

It’s one of the reasons why we decided that we would be located permanently in the Hill Country. We just love it here!

So, when is the best time to visit the Sri Lankan Hill Country?

Well, it appears that climate change has reached here as well so it is a little more difficult to advise when the rains will come. We have inter monsoon rains so, in the main, it is not as severe as when the main monsoons hit the other parts of the island.

We originally canvassed our neighbours who had resided in the Hill Country for many more years than us to get an insight into when the rains come. In part it is important for us as it determines when we should be planting crops and trees on the estate.

From our conversations historically rains are normally expected from the 15th September to the 15th December and also 15th March to the 15th June. Our experience has not been so and we have prepared lands for planting and the rains have not come. We then take the hoses out and prepare the sprinklers in readiness for a dry spell and we have showers!

Our guests have arrived in heavy rain in mid November and it is sunny the next days enabling them to do their hike around Horton Plains National Park, visit Ella or spend time at Upper Diyaluma Pools and Waterfall.

It’s not as much help as I would like to give but nature doesn’t appear to give any guarantees in the Hill Country!

Why is Sri Lanka so Humid?

The climate in Sri Lanka is tropical (and relatively wet) due to its location slightly North (6-10o) of the Equator in the Indian Ocean.

There are 2 wet (monsoon) seasons.

During May – October, the winds over Sri-Lanka are Westerly to North-Westerly

From December – March, the winds over Sri-Lanka are North-Easterly.

Wind speeds rise in the land surfaces during the months of June – September and also from December – February.

Regionally the average wind speeds are high in the South-Eastern and North-Western extremes of the island and also in the mountain passes

The island is humid all over Sri-Lanka with the relative humidity normally being around and over 65%.

On the coast the humidity can rise to 90% in the wetter seasons.

There are dry dehydrating effects on the levels of humidity due to mountain effects in the windier months. The humidity drops in the eastern region from June to September.

There is a weaker dehydrating effect on the western mountain slopes of the Sri Lanka.

Rainfall

Sri Lanka receives around 1,800 mm of rainfall on average annually distributed unevenly ranging from 500 to 5000 mm/year.

Rainfall follows a bimodal climatology.

Main rains are from September – December.

Subsidiary rains are from April – June.

The Eastern and Western Hill Slopes garner orographic (mountain induced) rainfall from December – March (North-Easterly winds) and May to October (Westerly wind) respectively.

The North-East receives cyclonic rainfall from November to December from the storms and cyclonic systems that are steered from the Bay of Bengal by the North-Easterly winds towards Sri-Lanka. Once they make landfall, these systems can dissipate quickly unless they are particularly strong.

Temperature

The mean annual temperature of the country is 27 oC with lower temperatures in the mountains that rise to 2500M.

The temperature drops during December and January and increases from April to September.

The mean daily range is approximately 6 oC.

These temperatures are more moderate than what is typical for such latitudes during the Northern Hemisphere summer from June – August. This can be attributed to the cooling effect of the oceans during the warmest months.

You can find more detailed information about weather patterns and the climate in Sri Lanka at the Climate Change Knowledge Portal.

Climate for Travel is another good website providing more detailed information.

The Sri Lankan Department of Meteorology also provides moree details for those who want to delve deeper.

So, when its the Best Time to visit Sri Lanka?

Well, it depends on where you want to go and what time of the year you want to come.

The weather and best time will be major fact to consider before planning your Sri Lanka travel.

Sri Lanka’s position between 5 and 10 north latitudes results in an Island with a year-round warm tropical climate.

Seasons

There aren’t any prominent seasons like winter, spring, summer, or autumn that many countries experience around the globe.

But there are monsoons!

2 monsoons, 2 parts of the Island

There are 2 separate monsoons in different regions at different timing in Sri Lanka.

Therefore, you need to avoid the monsoon and select the best time to visit Sri Lanka. The good news is that there is usually good weather somewhere on the island most of the time of year.

When are the Monsoons?

The South Western Monsoon

May – September

Intermittent rains in the wet zone

Frequent showers in Colombo, Kandy, Galle, or Nuwara Eliya

Best time to visit Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya or Dambulla

An ideal to visit north and eastern beaches

Best time to visit Trincomalee, Jaffna, Mannar, Arugam Bay

August-September elephant gathering at Minneriya and Kaudulla

The North Eastern Monsoon

December to February

Rainy season in the dry zone

Frequent showers in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee or Jaffna

An ideal to visit the south and western beaches

Best time to visit Colombo, Kandy, Galle or Nuwara Eliya

Whale watching season at Mirissa

See the amazing wildlife in Udawalawe or Yala National Park

Horton Plains National Park and Knuckles Mountain range

Pilgrimage season of holy Adam’s Peak

In Summary - The Best time to visit Sri Lanka.

If you are visiting Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, or Galle on the South and western side, the best period is December to April. Catch some waves and chill out on splendid beaches in southern coastal areas including Weligama, Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Hikkaduwa, Mirissa, or Unawatuna Bay.

If you are visiting Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, or Jaffna on the North and Eastern coast, the period between May to September is best. Enjoy the pristine beaches of the north, northwest, and eastern coast and ride the waves at Arugam bay or Kalpitiya.

Overall, January, February, March, and April are the best time to visit Sri Lanka when most of the parts of the island are not affected by monsoons. This period is the peak season of tourism, while the months from May to October are the low season of tourism.

The unique feature of totally different weather in different parts of the country attracts a lot of visitors to Sri Lanka as a year-round destination. Whatever time of the year you travel, you can arrange a satisfying itinerary to enjoy the best weather.

So we would recommend….

Choose your destination to avoid monsoons to have an incredible holiday in Sri Lanka.

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Birds of Sri Lanka – what you might see at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Birds, Birdwatching, Holiday / By Mikeez

What kind of birds live in Sri Lanka?

What birds will I see when I stay at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka?

We are lucky at GlenMyu Estate to have an environment that is attractive to birds and we have a variety that we regularly see here foraging, nesting and swooping around the land.

Here are some pictures and videos of birds that I have seen visiting the Estate.

Unfortunately my camera and video are great for capturing the birds and if you visit the estate with better equipment you will no doubt get much better pictures than I have!

A Black Throated Kingfisher — A White-Throated Kingfisher

A White-Browed Fantail and Chicks — A White-Browed Fantail and two chicks

A pair of Ceylon Hill Mynas — A pair of Lesser Hill Mynas.

A Hill Swallow on a nest — A Hill Swallow nesting.

A Hill Swallow with some twigs — A Hill Swallow gathering twigs.

Black eagle — A Black Eagle passing over GlenMyu Estate

Birdwatching in Sri Lanka — A bird starting flight

A Purple Rumped Sunbird — Purple Rumped Sunbird

Here are some videos that I have taken of some birds that visited the estate.

We are also very lucky to have a neighbour who has a lifelong interest in birds and bird watches daily. She has identified a large number of the 34 endemic species of birds that visit this part of Sri Lanka.

How do I find out more about Birds of Sri Lanka?

If you want to know more about the endemic birds of Sri Lanka, the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka has a complete list pf birds and additional interesting information in the following link https://fogsl.cmb.ac.lk/list-of-birds-of-sri-lanka/

Another website where a community identifies birds is https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-sri-lanka

Avibase – The World Bird Database gives details of the birds and also some examples of bird song https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/avibase.jsp?lang=EN

The Ceylon Bird Club is another good resource http://www.ceylonbirdclub.org/endemic_birds.php

Books?

I use “A Photographic Guide to theBirds of Sri Lanka” by Gehan De Silva Wijeyaratne which I find has some good pictures to help identify the birds.

Find out more about GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and B & B, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

There are three king size on suite bedrooms for guests which all have superb views of the hills below.

A natural spring fed swimming pool is available for the use for guests and is a great place to have a refreshing swim or just hang out listening to the nature that passes by.

Where is GlenMyu Estate?

You can find out where we are on the map below.

Birds of Sri Lanka – what you might see at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka. Read More »

An Egg Hunt ….but it’s not Easter!!!

Accommodation, Holiday, Organic, Our Animals at GlenMyu Estate, Photography, Sri Lanka, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

An Egg Hunt… but it’s not Easter

It’s been a really steep learning curve being new to raising ducks and only being 18 months in

It started with a ......

A spur of the moment birthday present for my wife in late 2019 brought four ducklings to GlenMyu Estate.

We didn’t know at the time that you cannot work out the sex of the duckling until it grows a bit and therefore we were unsure what mix of a batch we had picked from the retailer.

Waiting, waiting and......

We waited with anticipation and we thought that we were lucky as it turned out we had two males and two females. We thought we would have a stream of eggs coming from these pairs in the coming months.

Little did we realise that there is a rule of thumb ratio of one male to four or five female ducks however we were soon to find this out. From the markings we appeared to have two Muscovy Ducks and two ….well we don’t really know what they are!

The dominant Drake would bully the Muscovy Drake and it was pitiful to watch.

One day the Muscovy Drake decided enough was enough and flew away never to be seen again despite and extensive search by us and our team. We often think about what happened to him. Did he manage to survive or was he lunch for a mongoose or one of the other predators that may be hiding in the forests.

Anguish and agony!

The remaining Muscovy female was a little bit lost for a few days however settled into life with her duck house mates.

The Muscovy female decided one day that she was going to sit on her eggs and our egg production was reduced however, we were intrigued to see what would happen

Amazing Mother Nature.

We are amazed by mother nature and how animals, without any training or knowledge, instinctively mate, deliver and care for their offspring.

Been here....done it!

We had witnessed this with our first dog, Clove, who had been on heat whilst we were in Colombo and we missed the boat on getting her spayed to avoid adding to the already large number of dogs in the community.

Clove was so young but delivered, cleaned and fed her seven puppies to our astonishment and admiration. We were disappointed that she decided after three or four weeks feeding them was too much of a bother and handed the responsibility over to us!

Mama Duck.

Mama Duck, as she is now known, also instinctively did what was required to see seven eggs through to the emergence of seven beautiful, cute, and hungry ducklings.

Mama Duck has turned out to be quite prolific and has delivered several batches of new life since.

The Lonely Duckling.

We have one of her offspring who are now sitting on its own batch of eggs and we are awaiting to see if she are as successful as their mother is. Mama Duck is also sitting on eggs so we are expecting lots of new arrivals in late July or early August.

Both females are sitting on eggs in the security of the greenhouse and duck house. This is a first as Mama Duck usually sets up her next near our Temple Rock which is not secure from predators and we have had many nights of lost sleep concerned about her safety. We are sleeping better now knowing that they are better protected and can be locked in at night.

You have to laugh.

We joke that every morning we have to go on an egg hunt to find where the ducks have laid their eggs so we can collect them. They can lay their eggs in the most awkward of places and are really good at hiding them!

Hide and Seek!

One of the other females is now laying and hiding her eggs in anticipation of sitting on them delivering more life to GlenMyu. She has tried a few spots before settling on one place.

Around six thirty this morning I decided I would go open an egg hunt and watch where she went after her morning dip in the stream.

I kept my distance and had an idea of roughly where she was sitting.

At around midday I had a look at the spot and eventually uncovered five eggs well hidden by leaves, grass and other flora. I took a short video showing what I found.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

An Egg Hunt ….but it’s not Easter!!! Read More »

A Beach or the Hills? – the choice is yours.

Holiday, Sri Lanka, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Where should I go on my holiday to Sri Lanka? - I want experience something different and new.

A beach resort or hanging out in the Hills? Different options in Sri Lanka

The idyllic image that comes to mind of Sri Lanka is pristine beaches edged by Palm Trees looking out onto the azure sea with gently rolling waves.

My early experiences of visiting this wonderful Paradise Island reflected the normal pattern of tourists spending their holidays.

The usual tourist thing.

We would arrive at Bandaranaike Airport which is situated on the West Coast of the Island and, after reacquainting ourselves with my wife’s family, we would hug the coastline and visit some of the beach resorts of the West such as Negombo, Bentota, Kalutara and on the South such as Hikkaduwa, Matara or Galle.

In later trip we ventured towards the splendid East Coast visiting Arugam Bay, Passikuda and Trincomalee.

We stayed at Maalu Maalu Hotel in Passikuda and enjoyed a pristine beach with very few other tourists https://www.themeresorts.com.

Each beach has its own unique personality and vibe. Some are great for surfing, some are great for swimming and some are just a place to lie on a subbed and soak up the sun.

A word of warning

It is important that you are aware of the timing of the North Eastern and South Western Monsoons which hit the Island annually so that you can plan what side of the island you should visit on your holiday. The weather and waters are not that friendly depending upon what time you visit.

The Centre of the Island, Cultural Sites, Safaris, National Parks, Hiking, Tea Plantations and Waterfalls

If you are not a sun worshipper and want to wander away from the beaches Sri Lanka has an abundance of things to see and do if you venture inside the Island.

Around 60% of people that visit the Island do not explore the interior.

Do something different!

What people normally do (which is just fine).

Typically a tour would be clockwise around the Island and enjoy a mix of reconnecting with nature, enjoying spectacular scenery and visiting cultural sites.

The itinerary would normally be as follows:
Land at Bandaranaike Airport and stay at one of the beach hotels in Negombo.
Travel towards Kandy and stop at the Pinnawella Elephant Orphanage.

Stay in Kandy and visit the Temple of the Tooth.

Head towards Dambulla and visit the rock temple.

Travel to Polonnaruwa and then Anaradhapura to visit the many ancient temples.

Travel to Nuwara Eliya and visit the tea country and take in a tea factory tour to see how the worlds favourite beverage is made.

Go South and do a safari at Yala National Park.

Visit the former Dutch port of Galle and then head back to Colombo.

It sounds quite exhausting does it?

I have known friends who did this type of trip as part of their honeymoon and then went on to the Maldives for a week of doing nothing on one of those beautiful Islands.

Perhaps it’s my age and energy levels but I always thought that I would need a week of doing nothing if I was going to endure this trip.

Sri Lanka may be a small island however it can be quite exhausting travelling around as it can take quite a while to get from one place to the next.

A stay in the Hills

Being from the UK and experiencing a week or two (if we were lucky) of weather of 25-30 degrees celsius during the summer where we would be complaining about the heat after a few days I am pleased that we ended up in the Hill country.

A pleasant temperature.

I can handle a day or two at a beach resort but I find that I need to get to a place where the temperature is a bit more comfortable for me.

Where we live at GlenMyu Estate the temperature ranges from around 22 degrees to 30 degrees during the day. It can get cooler at night and we provide a duvet for our guests.

Our neighbours advise that we are living in the closest thing to a Mediterranean climate and that is really soothing.

I read some reviews of other hotels in the area before we built GlenMyu where the guest wished that they had stayed there for more than one night as they loved the scenery and climate.

So - do something different and visit the Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is located in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. The Hill Country is also commonly known as Up Country.

The nearest town is Beragala which is located on the main A4 road towards Welawaya.

The nearest larger town is Haputale which lies 400 plus metres above Glenmyu.

If you enjoy peace and relaxation we believe that there is no better place to be.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

A Beach or the Hills? – the choice is yours. Read More »