Is night travel in Sri Lanka safe? Is it advisable to move around at night?

No problem, I'm quite familiar with this. Let me break down the transportation and safety situation in Sri Lanka at night for you.

Generally speaking, there are two levels to consider: major cities/tourist areas and inter-city/rural areas, and the situations are completely different.

First, let's talk about safety and convenience:

1. In major cities or established tourist areas like Colombo, Kandy, and Galle Fort:

• Safety: Relatively high. These places have many tourists and are relatively lively at night, especially the main streets and areas with restaurants and bars. They are well-lit and bustling with people. As long as you don't deliberately venture into dark alleys, you'll feel quite safe. Of course, basic precautions are still necessary, such as keeping an eye on your bag and not flaunting your wealth – this is true everywhere.
• Convenience: Very convenient. In Colombo, Uber and a local ride-hailing app called PickMe are incredibly useful, almost like magic. Prices are transparent, and rides are available on demand, making it much easier than hailing a "Tuk-Tuk" on the street, and you won't get ripped off. In places like Kandy and Galle, PickMe also has good coverage. After dinner, getting back to your hotel from a restaurant by calling a car via the app takes just a few minutes and is very hassle-free. If the distance is very short, for example, just strolling within the fort, walking or taking a short tuk-tuk ride is fine, but remember to absolutely! absolutely! negotiate the price before getting in.

2. For long-distance travel between cities, or in mountainous and more remote rural areas:

• Safety: Not recommended! This is not a joke. Inter-city roads in Sri Lanka, especially in mountainous regions, have complex conditions. Many are narrow, two-way single-lane roads, and there are no streetlights! Driving at night, when an oncoming vehicle's high beams hit you, you basically can't see anything. What's more thrilling is that sometimes there can be "surprises" on the road, such as dogs suddenly darting out, or even elephants (this really happens on certain roads near national parks). The risk of driver fatigue is also higher than during the day. Therefore, for your own safety, it is strongly advised against making long-distance movements between cities at night.
• Convenience: Extremely inconvenient. Sri Lanka's trains and long-distance buses primarily operate during the day, with very few services at night, or even none at all. If you want to travel from one city to another in the middle of the night, apart from hiring an expensive private car, there are basically no other options. But as mentioned above, drivers may also be unwilling to drive long distances at night due to the danger.

To summarize, here are a few practical tips for you:

1. Arrange all long-distance travel for the daytime. Taking a train during the day to enjoy the scenery (especially the highland tea plantation lines and the coastal train line) or taking a bus are great experiences, safe and economical.
2. Download Uber and PickMe in advance on your phone. After arriving at the Sri Lanka airport, buy a local SIM card and register for these two apps, and you'll be able to navigate cities with ease. PickMe can even call tuk-tuks with transparent pricing.
3. Stay within the city or town where you are staying at night. Going out for dinner, visiting a night market, or going to a bar is perfectly fine. In tourist towns (like Ella, Mirissa), the town center is small enough to walk around, and the main street is also very safe at night.
4. For short tuk-tuk rides, negotiate the price first! If you're not using an app to call a ride, always clarify your destination with the driver and agree on a total price (Ask for total price), rather than relying on the meter (many meters are broken or tampered with).
5. Ask your hotel for help. If your accommodation is in a remote area, or you have special arrangements like needing to go to the airport in the early morning, you can directly ask the hotel front desk to call a reliable car for you. They usually have long-term合作 drivers, and the price will be more reasonable and safer.

In short: Partying in the city at night, totally fine; trying to travel between cities at night, forget about it. As long as you plan well, travel during the day, and enjoy local life at night, your trip to Sri Lanka will be very safe and pleasant.