the trip why hardly solo about us faqs contact grab your spot
nov 1 — spots filling fast

solo was just the start.

come solo, leave with mates.

15 days in sri lanka
20 spots only
5 locations
21 meals included
20-35 age range
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what awaits

surf. mountains. safari. parties. yeah, all of it.

surf at hiriketiya south coast
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surf and beach

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lion's rock sigiriya
🏔️

mountains and yoga

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leopard at yala national park
🐆

safari

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group on a night out
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party

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surf at hiriketiya
surf

hardly surfing solo.

sri lanka's south coast is the kind of place that makes you question why you're paying rent back home. warm water, palm-lined beaches, perfect beginner waves and sunsets that look suspiciously edited. whether you're standing up for the first time or just claiming a spot on the sand with a coconut in hand, this is where life slows down and the good stuff happens.

"how is this actually my life right now?"

  • included surf lessons with local instructors in hiriketiya and kabalana
  • catch your first wave in weligama, mirissa or ahangama
  • level up with extra sessions if you're hooked (and you might be)
  • lazy afternoons beach hopping along the south coast
  • watch the sunset with your new mates after a day in the water
lion's rock sigiriya
mountains

hardly a bad view.

welcome to sigiriya. home to a giant 200-metre rock fortress built by a king who decided a palace on top of a rock was a perfectly reasonable idea. hidden among jungle, ancient ruins and wild monkeys, this UNESCO-listed wonder is one of sri lanka's most iconic adventures, with sunrise views that make the early wake-up call worth it.

"hardly a history lesson. hardly leaving."

  • hike the legendary lion rock and explore the ancient sky palace
  • climb pidurangala rock for the most epic sunrise view in sri lanka
  • nine arch bridge visit in ella — timed for a passing train
  • wander tea fields and slow down with a long lunch and a view
  • spot elephants in the national parks on the way through
leopard at yala national park
safari

hardly tame.

welcome to yala, where you're suddenly no longer at the top of the food chain. home to one of the world's highest densities of leopards, this wild corner of sri lanka is packed with elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles and enough wildlife encounters to fill your camera roll before breakfast.

"this isn't a zoo. there's no fence. the animals didn't get the itinerary."

  • jump in a safari jeep and track wild leopards through the jungle
  • spot elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, peacocks and hundreds of other animals
  • catch an unreal sunrise as the park comes to life
  • safari dinner under the stars with the crew
  • swap safari stories over cold beers afterwards
group night out
nights out

hardly strangers.

sri lanka knows how to throw a party. one night you're dancing barefoot on the beach with people you met three days ago, the next you're on a boat in the indian ocean watching the sun disappear with a drink in hand. the best part? just good people, good music, warm nights and the kind of stories that get better every time they're retold.

"hardly sleeping. hardly leaving the dance floor."

  • dance under the stars at legendary beach parties along the south coast
  • sunset boat party in mirissa — last blowout before the farewell
  • dinner at smoke & bitters (#86 on the world's 50 best bars list)
  • the secret jungle party deep in the rainforest
  • recover the next morning with yoga, surf, swim or beachside coffee
the trip

sri lanka. 15 days. lifetime mems.

one country. five locations. a mix that covers everything from big surf to quiet rainforest to nights that go way too long.

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hardlysolo
sri lanka. 15 days. come solo, leave with mates. ✈️🌿🏄
sri lanka
15 days.
departs
nov 1, 2026
15 days
14 nights
5 locations
21 meals incl.
🏄 surf lessons 🐇 yala safari 🏋 whale watching 🌶 ancient temples 🍅 tea country 🌒 beach nights 🆕 group cooking classes ⏪ founder-led 🧘 yoga sessions
view the full itinerary A$2,500
only 20 spots total — some already filled.
the route

15 days. 7 stops. zero regrets.

negombo to galle — one loop around the island. view the full interactive map →

1
negombo
day 1 · 1 night
you've landed. your driver is waiting. 20 minutes later you're on the beach. 6pm: welcome drinks, orientation, dinner on the beach. the trip starts now.
negombo
2
sigiriya
days 2–3 · 2 nights
ancient kingdoms and a 200m rock fortress. optional sunrise climb before the crowds arrive. jungle, ruins, wild monkeys and views that genuinely stop you mid-sentence.
sigiriya
3
ella
days 4–6 · 3 nights
three nights in the mountains. nine arch bridge, tea estates, little adam's peak, ravana pool club and an included dinner at chill cafe followed by their legendary party night.
ella
4
hiriketiya
days 7–9 · 3 nights
beach mode: activated. the world's best beginner horseshoe bay. taster surf lessons included. dinner at smoke & bitters (#86 on world's 50 best bars). dott's bay party until sunrise.
hiriketiya
5
yala safari
day 10 · 1 night
open-top jeeps at 3pm. leopards, elephants, crocodiles, peacocks. safari dinner under the stars and drinks around the campfire. one of the highest leopard densities on earth.
yala
6
mirissa & south coast
days 11–15 · 5 nights
no more packing. five nights at satori — the only beachfront hostel in mirissa. whale watching, ahangama surf, boat party, final beach dinner. the emotional peak of the trip.
mirissa ahangama
7
galle
day 15 · trip end
galle fort cultural walk, then closing rooftop brunch over the ocean as a group. from here, onward transfers are arranged around your flights. the trip ends here. you don't.
galle
why hardly solo

you don't need a group to go.
you'll have one when you land.

worst case, you make a few friends.
that's also the best case. 😉

girls drinks

all about the people.

the people are everything. that's what hardly solo means. it's the friends you make over drinks at sunset. the high of being fully, stupidly present with people who get it, because they're living the exact same two weeks you are. you just can't believe this is your life right now.

book alone, pay the same as everyone else. brave enough to show up solo? you should be rewarded, not penalised.
carefree travel

the lifetime mems.

hanging off the train, feeling the mountain breeze. yoga at sunrise with ella's mountains doing all the work so you don't have to. the karaoke nights, singing your heart out with your new harshest critics. these are the moments you won't forget.

the kind of connections that don't end when the flight home lands.
surf session

strangers one day, hardly strangers the next.

sunset surf sessions where nobody's checking their phone because the swell is better than the signal. jeeps at dawn, engines off, everyone holding their breath because there's a leopard twenty metres away and nobody wants to be the one who scares it off.

this is the trip people tell stories about. you'll be one of the first ones.
Ash, founder of Hardly Solo
meet ash

for a love of sri lanka.

last year, at thirty, i stopped waiting and just went. packed a bag, no plan, through the caribbean, europe and asia. i was terrified i'd be on my own the whole time. i wasn't. not even close. meeting the most incredible people around the world, turns out i was hardly solo.

but the idea didn't start there. it started in sri lanka, where i was born. we moved to sydney when i was five, but flew back every year. at eighteen i lived with my grandparents for six months, and that's when i fell for it properly. coastline that stops you mid-sentence. the mountains of ella at sunrise. leopards crossing dirt roads in yala. parties down south where the music carries over the water. and the people, who make you feel like family before they know your name.

two things i love more than anything: this island, and what happens when you stop waiting and just go.

so i put them together. me and my mum, around a kitchen table in sydney, building something for the person sitting at home right now who wants to see sri lanka but isn't sure where to start, who to go with, or if they'll meet anyone. we built hardly solo so the answer to all of it is simple. book the trip. we'll handle the rest. and on the other side, nineteen new mates are waiting.

this is home. we know every hidden beach and late-night spot, and we want to share it with you. not through a bus window. not on a cookie-cutter tour. through the best two weeks of your life, with people you didn't know you needed.

come solo. leave with mates.

ashfounder of hardly solo
get in touch

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