Best hostels in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a hostel scene you wouldn't expect if you're going there for the first time. Not generic dorms with six floors and a flimsy locker door, but relatively small places with verandas above the jungle, owners who personally pick you up from the bus station and restaurants that just pull you in for the family meal. The good news: the best hostels in Sri Lanka are genuinely good at this. The bad news: there are quite a few that promise exactly that but don't deliver.

What follows is based on personal experience and stories from people I met during the trip. If multiple backpackers independently name the same hostel without me asking, that's usually a reliable sign.