Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with two monsoon seasons affecting opposite sides of the island. Colombo and the west/southwest coast experience the southwest monsoon (Yala) from May to September, with the heaviest rain in June and July. The east coast (Trincomalee, Arugam Bay, Batticaloa) has its dry season from May to September and receives the northeast monsoon (Maha) from October to January. The Cultural Triangle (Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa) is hot year-round at 25-33°C and is driest from February to September. Hill Country (Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella) offers cooler temperatures of 15-22°C year-round with rain possible any month. The island’s compact size means you can switch coasts to find good weather: the key is knowing which monsoon is active where.