Are you bored with life in a gray and stuffy city? Have you thought about changing your location radically? Or having the opportunity to work remotely? Maybe you’ve heard stories about wintering on tropical islands and a life of travel. Perhaps you already have experience of remote or freelance work and realize that its meaning is not just to change one box in the office to another in own house. Do you want to act, but do not know where to start? Do you have questions but are tired of collecting conflicting and insufficient answers from different sites? Well, you’ve finally got to the right place! In this article, we will try to cover everything you need to know about living and working on a tropical island.
There are many attractive places for a long stay and remote work, but they differ greatly in climate, immigration rules, comfort, connectivity and cost. This article grew from our personal experience of living in Hikkaduwa and travelling around Sri Lanka. It turns a move into practical steps: check your legal status, prepare your work setup, choose accommodation, arrange connectivity, food and transport, and build a realistic budget. It is not a promise of permanent summer for a fixed amount and not legal advice. Confirm current requirements yourself before travelling.
Tickets
Flight prices cannot be honestly fixed at one number: they depend on the departure city, season, baggage, connections and booking date. Compare several dates and airports, check refund and baggage terms on the carrier website, and remember that a very cheap long connection may be hard with a child or work equipment.
Short visits and ETA
Check visa rules immediately before travelling on the official websites of the Department of Immigration and Emigration and ETA. The current ETA information says that a short visit generally requires electronic authorisation and that the initial short-visit period is 30 days; nationality, fees and conditions can change. Since 25 May 2026, nationals of several countries, including Russia, may receive a 30-day tourist ETA without a processing fee, but they still need to obtain the ETA and comply with the other entry requirements.
Travellers may need a passport valid for at least six months, a confirmed return or onward ticket and sufficient funds. Do not assume documents will never be checked, and do not make a false statement in an application.
For remote workers, the critical point is that a tourist ETA is for a short visit and its terms state that the holder must not engage in paid or unpaid employment, trade or business other than the purpose specified in the authorisation. Therefore, “you can simply live and work on a tourist visa” is not safe advice. If you will perform work, provide services, run a business or carry out activity connected with Sri Lanka, obtain written guidance from immigration authorities or the appropriate permission in advance. Working for an overseas client should not automatically be treated as permitted merely because payment comes from abroad.
Extensions
Official information says that an eligible short-visit visa may be extended up to six months subject to conditions. This is not an automatic entitlement or a guarantee of a particular period. Apply through the Department of Immigration and Emigration or its current online service, and confirm the fee, documents and deadline for your nationality. Keep proof of the application and do not book a departure with no time buffer.
Prepare your passport, photograph, proof of funds, onward travel and documents explaining the purpose of the stay, but follow the current official checklist rather than an old blog. Overstaying can create fines and problems when leaving or applying again. A visa also does not replace a work permit, business registration or professional licence.
Preparing, collecting a suitcase
So, what is best to take to Sri Lanka, and what is best to leave home, so as not to carry excess things in vain?
Clothing. It is worth taking swimsuits/swimming trunks (there is a limited selection to buy here which can only be found in tourist zones as local people usually swim in their clothes), basic clothes (shorts, T-shirt, dress), perhaps underwear. In Sri Lanka, clothing made from natural fabrics is cheaper however there is less variety than you might be used to. Having said that, everything you need can be bought here, so it is not worth bringing too many clothes.
Cosmetics and hygiene. Bring a small amount of any makeup and other cosmetics you feel are essential; remember it is a hot and humid climate so makeup won’t stay on the same way it does at home! In Hikkaduwa in the supermarket a good selection of sunscreen products (with protection up to SPF+50). For burns, there is cream with aloe, but we recommend taking panthenol with you. We advise that you bring pumice (useful if you are going to stay for a long time as it is not sold here), a sponge (you cannot find the usual sponges here), a towel (50/50 not always essential for example if you stay with us at the villa we will provide), antiperspirant, comb, manicure set. You should take necessary mosquito repellent, Deet is not available and local remedies do not help much, but fumigators for premises work well.
You can easily buy toothpaste, a brush, hygiene products (shampoos, shower gels, soap and cream.
First Aid Kit. In local pharmacies, you can theoretically buy something without a prescription, but it may be difficult to explain what you need. Therefore, it is better to take the essentials with you. Sorbent (enterosgel, activated carbon), diarrhea remedies, nurofen / ibuprofen, special drugs (if there are chronic problems, allergies, cardiac agents, etc.), medical glue, plaster, bandage, iodine, ear /eye drops.
Useful things for travelers and for those who travel for a long time to Sri Lanka: lighter, boiler, silica gel (wet climate and metal very quickly rusts, and the skin and other clothes mold), razor, needle and thread, universal knife, multitool , a flashlight, a pen, a notebook, a tee or an extension, glasses, bowls with a lid, a spoon-fork, a proven mosquito repellent, an adhesive tape, a small padlock. All this can be bought here, but can sometimes be difficult to find so much easier to have them at hand!
The most important things!
- Passport and other necessary documents (driver's license, print out with a visa).
- Small photos (to extend the visa).
- Money. It is ideal to take dollars at the airport. The euro is changed at a bad exchange rate before passing the visa control, and the payment for a visa is only accepted in dollars. You can read more in our article "Everything about money in Sri Lanka".
- Technology (phones, laptops, cameras, cameras, charging, etc.).
- Think carefully about what is useful/essential for your work.
Insurance. Make sure you have medical insurance for the period of stay in Sri Lanka. We did not have insurance, simply because there was no option for a long-term stay abroad. It is worth it to pass a physical examination/ check your teeth. Reception in a private clinic costs $ 15-20, and treatment is likely to be more expensive than at home. Though, it is possible to be treated practically free of charge in the state clinic (yes, even for tourists!), but there are long queues and uncomfortable conditions. We cannot comment on the quality of care as we have not tried it.
The flight, the first steps on the island and the road to a new home
With a direct flight, everything is simple, but it is more likely that you will have a flight with a transfer. This is often in Dubai, Sharjah or Doha - depending on what airlines you fly. It is worth checking how long you have to stay at the transfer point and take enough food with you as food can be expensive. If your budget is not tightly limited, you can buy something to eat everywhere. As you know, it's impossible to carry water on flights, but in our airports it is very expensive, it may even be cheaper to buy it on the plane. But keep the bottle empty - in the interchange areas there is free drinking water, which you can take with you on the second leg of the journey.
So you have finally landed in Colombo; what’s next? Since most likely you here to work or for a long time, you will need a local SIM card for the internet. If you fly just for a month, you can take sim card with a tourist package, but there will not be much internet allowance included. If you’re staying for a long time, it is sometimes better to get a sim card outside the airport, as many sold there are only for tourists for one month.
It’s best to change money whilst at the airport, the rate is the same as everywhere, and more currencies are accepted here.
How to get to Hikkaduwa and to our home?
You have two options: with sufficient funds you can use the transfer (taxi), if you want to save - public (bus or train from Colombo to Hikkaduwa, go often and fairly comfortably). We advise you to use gps to directly locate our house on the map.
Life on the island
Everyone has their own opinion about Sri Lanka; for some it is too wild and the lack of familiar infrastructure can be daunting, for others it is a happy escape from civilization and a plunge into nature and almost rural life. We are some of those who like it here. We feel there is a special paradise atmosphere, where people are friendly and smiling, the intoxicatingly clean air is flavoured with exotic flowers, everything is buried in verdure, and the ocean is a stone's throw away. The most surprising thing is that this small island is home to the same variety of culture, landscape, climate as in several countries at the same time. Deserts and mountains, waterfalls, beaches, reserves, ancient temples and palaces, mines of precious stones and boundless tea plantations. Each region is different from the last, even in the smallest town you can find something interesting (which is exactly what you will see in our blog).
Climate
We are often asked about the weather in Sri Lanka. And it is not surprising as there is a lot of conflicting information on the internet. According to the forecast, the rains do not stop here all year round (having lived here for 3 years we are continually perplexed by this..). We even planned to install a weather webcam in to make it easier for people to navigate in the weather. We postponed this due to the high cost of the internet but we often put out sunny photos on our instagram!)
So what's the weather like here?
Almost the same year round; we have 10 sunny months and 2 rainy months (usually this is May and October, but can be shifted in any direction for a whole month). The temperature during the day is from 27-31, at night 25-29. The hottest time of day is 12-3pm when it is better to be in the shade. In general, it is much more comfortable here than in the SE Asian countries – for example Thailand or Vietnam as there is no sticky moisture. But most importantly – there is no depressive dullness, slush and cold, never ever!)
Hikkaduwa - the best resort for long stays
This is the first and largest resort town in Sri Lanka, which means there is everything necessary for a comfortable life and, because of the abundance of options, some of the lowest prices for accommodation. There is a full range of options from the town to the beach and even then the long beach is more crowded at one end and almost deserted at the other.
Hikkaduwa has all the necessities: a large supermarket and three smaller ones, a market with vegetables, fruits and fish, numerous shops with clothes and groceries. Cafes, restaurants, beach bars; scooter and bicycle rental, diving centers, snorkeling and of course, surfing. In the center there is a bus and railway station, post office and many banks. Good private hospitals are located in the nearby town of Galle, which is only 30 minutes away by bus.
Hikkaduwa as a base
Hikkaduwa can be a convenient base when you want the ocean, cafés, shops, a market, transport and tourist services close by. Sri Lanka Tourism describes it as a south-coast resort known for its beach, coral and opportunities for surfing and snorkelling. “Best” depends on your routine: roads can be noisy, the coast is humid and salty, and a quieter neighbourhood may require transport.
Before signing a long lease, stay in the area for a few days. Check noise at different times, ventilation, water, the bed, kitchen, desk, sockets, deposit terms, electricity, cleaning and who handles repairs. Get the price, duration and included services in writing. Do not send a large deposit to an unverified landlord.
Accommodation and host offers
The old version contained specific room prices and a promotional offer for our villa. Those figures belong to a past period and are not a current price list. If a particular room or special rate is available now, confirm it through a current listing: season, utilities, room inventory, internet and booking rules change. Compare with independent options and calculate the full cost.
For work, the important details are a reliable desk, quiet calls, backup power, a responsive host and a plan for an outage. A homestay can provide useful local support, but a personal mobile connection and a backup place for calls are still sensible.
Internet for work
Do not treat island connectivity as one guaranteed service with one speed. TRCSL is working to expand 4G and fibre coverage, while operators offer different mobile and fixed options. Internet can be perfectly usable in many places, but quality still differs by building, neighbourhood and weather.
Test the connection inside the actual room before renting: make a video call, upload a large file, check latency and ask about data limits. Hotel Wi-Fi may be shared and congested. Buy a local SIM or eSIM from an official operator with passport registration and keep a second connection from another operator. Save important work offline, carry a power bank and identify a nearby café or coworking space.
Do not carry old speed or price figures into a new budget. Dialog’s current tourist plans, for example, are data-limited packages and can change. Check data volume, validity, tethering, day/night limits and top-up conditions directly before purchase.
Food
You have a choice of 3 options - cook yourself, eat in cafes and restaurants or combine. Naturally, the most economical option is self-cooking, we have an average of $ 80 per person per month for food. Eating in an inexpensive cafe costs about 4-5 dollars, in a restaurant - from $ 10. The cheapest option for ready meals is a serving of rice and curry for $ 1 from local cafes.
Food, rent and ready-made meals change by season, area, exchange rate and purchasing format. A market, supermarket, local café and restaurant produce different totals, so old figures should not be treated as a current price list. Before a long stay, record several real shopping baskets in your chosen area and keep a reserve.
In addition to the above, and not including imports, you can also buy mangoes, avocados, pomegranates, guavas, rambutans, jackfruit, durian, mangosteen, cocoa fruits, local oranges and several other kinds of fruits in Sri Lanka at different times of the year. And also vegetables: beets, cauliflower, onions, carrots, peppers, green beans, green onions, pumpkin, eggplants and very exotic local vegetables.
Transport
Hikkaduwa has buses, trains, tuk-tuks, taxis and scooter rental. For everyday work, choose transport for safety and predictability rather than the lowest quoted price. A bus or train may take longer than expected, so do not schedule an important call immediately after a long journey.
Use a scooter only if you have suitable experience and a lawful right to ride. Home or international licences do not automatically prove compliance with Sri Lankan requirements. Check the required permit, insurance, helmet, vehicle condition and damage liability before renting. Do not rely on the old idea that police will usually let an undocumented rider go.
Agree a tuk-tuk fare, route and payment before departure or use an app where available. Do not treat an old per-kilometre figure as a current tariff. For longer trips compare train, bus, taxi and a car with driver, including luggage, stops and weather.
Leisure
Sri Lanka can offer much more entertainment and leisure in addition to the luxury beaches and historical and cultural monuments. We provide a list of possible options, and more detailed information about each of them can be found online or on our site.
- Cafes, restaurants, bars and night discos on the beach are available in developed tourist cities such as Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna and Mirissa.
- Walking and cycling in beautiful places. Swimming pool and gym can be visited in one of the largest hotels for a moderate one-time fee.
- Surfing. Independently, taking a board for rent directly on the beach or with an instructor (if you are just starting out). For those who are not ready to start with surfing, we recommend trying out a bodyboard - a small board on which catch waves on whilst lying down - it's very fun and simple.
- Another exciting activity is diving on the coral reef, of course with an instructor, if you are not a professional. There are several good diving centers in Hikkaduwa.
- A more simple and non-expensive option is snorkeling. Just wear a mask and go to the reef directly from the beach.
- There is good sea fishing for fans of this sport.
- You can rent a moped and ride in the picturesque surroundings. Not far from Hikkaduwa there is a small waterfall, moonstone mines, tea plantations, large lakes, many Buddhist temples, small forest reserves. If don’t want to drive the scooter yourself, you can visit these places within one of our one-day tours on tuk-tuk.
- We’d highly recommend going on a river safari. You can see many things on the Madu Ganges safari including mangroves, a lot of different birds, crocodiles and lizards, islands with cinnamon farms, temples and spice gardens.
- It is possible to take a day trip to the tropical forest - Sinharaja rain forest, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- If you’re missing Europe, go to Galle - an old Danish fort with beautiful architecture, atmospheric cafes and souvenir shops, as well as the famous lighthouse.
- Take a bus or train and visit the nearby resorts - Unawatuna, Mirissa, Bentota
And these are only the options nearby. Though the island is small it is densely packed with things to do and see. To visit the main sites of interest would take at least two weeks, and that would be if you did not stay anywhere more than one day. The ancient ruins and temples in Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, the caves of Dambulla, the city on the rock in Sigiriya, the walking monuments of Sri Lanka, the European architecture and the English climate in Nuwara Eliya, the Temple of the Tooth of the Buddha and Adam's Peak are the most famous sights for lovers of history and religion and culture. Several national parks (and they are all different!) with many animals and birds including endemics, the royal botanical garden in Kandy, rainforests, waterfalls, rivers, wild jungles, mountains, coral reefs, whales and dolphins, deserted beaches with breathtaking dawns and sunsets for connoisseurs of nature. Rafting, kiting, hiking in the mountains for those who want a bit of excitement.
Outcomes
Living and working near the ocean is possible when the postcard is separated from the operating details. First check your lawful basis for staying and working, then test connectivity and your work rhythm, live in the chosen area briefly, and only afterwards decide on a long rental. Hikkaduwa may be a useful base because of its coast and infrastructure, but it is not right for everyone and is not always cheap.
You need more than income: keep reserves of time, money and energy. The ocean does not remove visa limits, humidity, outages, seasonal rain, traffic, medical costs or the need to respect local rules. With a realistic plan, however, the island can offer more air, walks and experiences than a familiar city routine.
Before buying a ticket, answer seven questions: on what basis will I enter and work; where will I check the current visa; what happens if an extension is delayed; what are my primary and backup connections; what is the full cost of housing; what will I do in bad weather; and how long can I live without new income? Written answers turn a leap into a manageable experiment.
How to test the idea before moving
The safest test is not to buy a six-month ticket, but to arrange a short trial. Book two to four weeks with a possible extension, set your working hours and live through several ordinary workdays. Test more than download speed: make sure calls are quiet, sleep is possible after a noisy evening, familiar food is available and a household problem can be solved quickly.
Check the time zone separately. If your clients or team work in Europe or Russia, calls may fall in the evening or at night in Sri Lanka. That affects your room, lighting, ventilation and relationship with neighbours. Ocean living should not become a permanent night shift unless you are ready for its consequences.
Keep cloud copies of your passport, insurance, tickets, visa documents, bank contacts and emergency numbers. Have two payment methods and a plan if a card is blocked or a phone is lost. Check whether insurance covers active activities, scooters, dental care and existing conditions. Do not assume a clinic, host or acquaintance will solve every issue for you.
Families should divide household work in advance. One person cannot always work, shop, care for a child and negotiate with a landlord at the same time. Note nearby pharmacies, shops and child-friendly activities, and decide what you will do if someone feels unwell. Shade, sleep, water and a safe place matter more to a child than a packed excursion list.
Check your home-country tax and banking position before leaving. A long stay can affect tax residence, reporting, health insurance and the terms of a work contract. A website or tourist visa cannot answer those questions for you. If the stay or income is significant, ask a qualified adviser before moving.
