🇱🇰 Sri Lanka or 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Which one, honestly
Sri Lanka leads on nature, value for money and the sea. United Arab Emirates leads on cities and getting around.
A normal day costs about $70 in Sri Lanka and $175 in United Arab Emirates.
Side by side
- 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
- Jan, Feb, Mar, DecBest monthsJan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec
- $70A normal day$175
- 11h to ColomboNonstop from London7h to Dubai
- ExceptionalBeaches and seaGood
- Not the drawCities and cultureVery good
- ExceptionalFoodVery good
- ExceptionalNature and hikingNot the draw
- ExceptionalValue for moneyNot the draw
- GoodEasy to get aroundVery good
- A car with driver is the norm, and the hill country train is worth a slow dayGetting aroundMetro in Dubai, taxis everywhere else, a car for the mountains
- The southwest in May and June, and the east from October to DecemberWhen to avoidJune to September, when outdoors stops being an option
Pick by what you want
🇱🇰 Choose Sri Lanka if
you want beaches, tea mountains, safari and ruins inside one small island, on a very small budget.
🇦🇪 Choose United Arab Emirates if
you want guaranteed winter sun, very short flights from Europe and Asia, and a city that works like clockwork.
Full Sri Lanka guide →Full United Arab Emirates guide →
And what the world thinks
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates leads by 3 votes.
Compare something else
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.