Safety as a woman alone in Sri lanka

I found out that, fortunately, that doesn’t make sense. As a woman alone, it is perfectly safe in Sri Lanka. Sure, most Sri Lankans find you very interesting but that’s mostly because of your white skin. You are watched not only by men but also by many women and children because they just find it special to see you. That’s not crazy at all, either. Tourists generally stay in the luxury hotels. In fact, these hotels are very cheap by our standards. As a result, most do not stay in the same surroundings as locals. Some Sri Lankans barely come into contact with tourists because of this. Then when they see a tourist on the bus, for example, they find it very special and prefer to stare at you for a long time. This may feel uncomfortable but most of the time you probably won’t even realize it.

Tip: check out our overview of the nicest hostels in Sri Lanka so that you, as a female solo traveler, can meet the best people and stay in the finest hostels.

Unpleasant experience

So did I not have any unpleasant experience at all as a solo female traveler in Sri Lanka? Unfortunately, that’s not true. At the Colombo bus station, I got off at 8 p.m. after a 7-hour bus trip. I was tired and fairly hangry because I still had to catch a bus to Negombo. Then suddenly I was grabbed by a man about 20 years old. He wanted to know where I was going to go. Since this is a really big bus station I liked his help and indicated that I wanted to go to Negombo. He asked around and walked with me to the bus. He told about himself, that he would like to go on a world trip and asked where I was going. I replied that I would spend 1 more day in Negombo and then fly back to the Netherlands. Then he indicated that he wanted to come with me to the Netherlands and live with me, etc. At that moment I thought oh this is not okay. He wanted to get on the bus with me and, of course, I didn’t want to. He continued to insist. Eventually I got angry with him and said I didn’t like that he kept insisting and sought help from the bus driver. After some angry looks and a lecture from the bus driver, he finally left and I was able to sit quietly.

This was actually the most “intense” experience I have had as a solo female traveler in Sri Lanka in terms of intrusiveness. I found it more annoying and irritating than threatening. If you just have the courage to say what’s on your mind and, if necessary, involve other people, like the bus driver in this case, things eventually, in most cases, end with a hiss.

Something can always happen anywhere

Can’t anything serious happen then? Yes, of course it can. Something serious can happen in other countries, and I have often felt unsafe in my home country of the Netherlands as well. But is this then a reason never to go out on the streets again? Something can always happen, but having been to Sri Lanka in 2014, 2018 AND 2024, I can honestly say that – except for that one time – I have not felt unsafe. It’s a different culture that Sri Lankans have, that involves a lot of staring at tourists (also from women and children) but this is mostly uncomfortable and not unsafe (how I experience it).

Just go

Therefore, I would advise women who want to go to Sri Lanka alone to just go. The stories and tips you read on the Internet are far too exaggerated and good for nothing. Use common sense and enlist the help of others when it is really necessary. With safety as a woman alone, things are heartily fine in Sri Lanka. On top of that, the country is “booming” these days. It is increasingly visited by tourists and the locals look less and less surprised by this.

If you have any doubts or want to spar further, you can always send a message via Instagram or an email. Then I can take you further into this.