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Season planner · two monsoons, one island

When to go

There is no bad time to be here, only the wrong coast. When one side storms, the other shines. Pick a month and see what's at its best.

Right now · {{ nowMonth }}
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The whole year

Every activity, month by month

Tap a month to read the island that week, green is prime, ember is the season to skip.

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Prime
Shoulder
Off-season
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In season in {{ selMonthFull }}

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Nothing is at its peak in {{ selMonthFull }}. A shoulder month: pick the coast that is drier and go anyway.
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Why it works

Two monsoons, pulling opposite ways

Sri Lanka gets rain from two directions at two times of year. Whichever coast is being soaked, the other is dry, so something is always in season.

Yala · south-west
May – Sep

The south-west monsoon soaks the south and west coasts and the hill country. The east is bone-dry, and the surf season moves to Arugam Bay.

Wet · south & west coasts, hills
Dry & prime · east coast, dry-zone parks
Maha · north-east
Dec – Feb

After the October–November inter-monsoon storms, which reach the whole island, the north-east monsoon turns and rains on the east and north. The south and west settle into their long, clear, dry-season peak.

Wet · east & north coasts
Dry & prime · south & west

The short answer

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