That One Time I Got Stuck in a Human Stampede
So I booked flights to Sri Lanka last December like a total rookie. Heard about beaches and temples, didn’t bother checking WHEN people actually go. Big mistake. Landed at Colombo airport, and bam – felt like the whole world decided to visit too. Got shoved around baggage claim for like an hour. My passport got more stamps from sweaty elbows than immigration.
Hired a tuk-tuk to Negombo. Traffic jam? More like a parking lot made of people, cars, and horns blasting non-stop. Driver kept shrugging “Season, sir!” Took us two hours for what should’ve been 20 minutes. Every hotel I called just laughed. Ended up sleeping in a place that smelled faintly of fish. Charged me triple, too.
The next week was pure chaos. Went to Sigiriya Rock. Picture this: single-file line winding up the path, slower than a sleepy turtle. Sun beating down, kids crying, someone ahead kept stopping for selfies. Took over three hours just to get up! View was nice, yeah, but mostly saw the back of someone’s sweaty t-shirt. Got kicked off after 10 minutes because the line snaking down needed to move.
Beaches? Forget peaceful walks. Mirissa beach was packed tighter than a can of sardines. Every spot covered in towels and bodies. Wanted a sunset beer? Ha! Every beach shack had a queue. Even the damn waves felt crowded with surf schools. Couldn’t hear the ocean over the noise.
Got desperate. Asked a shop owner, “When does this… stop?” He grinned. Said two magic words: “Shoulder Season.” April-May or September-October. Explained everything in broken English:
- Tourist herds vanish. Hotels empty out.
- Prices crash. That triple tuk-tuk ride? Half price.
- You breathe again. Temples feel quiet, beaches stretch empty.
Took his advice. Came back last September. Night and day difference. Landed, sailed through immigration. Hotel guy upgraded me for free ’cause they had space. Rode tuk-tuks with wind actually hitting my face instead of exhaust fumes. Climbed Sigiriya almost alone. Beaches? Miles of sand, just for me. Chilled at a shack without waiting. Felt like a different country.
Lesson hammered into my thick skull: visiting Sri Lanka? Skip the hype dates. Don’t be like me. Save your cash and sanity.
