We’re a group of girls planning a 4N/5D trip to Trincomalee in mid June and we’re VERY confused about budgeting/prioritising activities.
Our total budget is around - 30,000 INR per person (USD 350 or LKR 105,000) (excluding flights)
Stay is already expected to take around INR 6-7k INR pp (USD 70-80 or LKR 24k-28k)
We really wanted to do:
- Snorkeling at Pigeon Island / Navy Island
- Minneriya elephant safari
But from what I’m estimating, EACH of these activities may end up costing close to 8k-10k INR pp (USD 95-115 or LKR 28k-35k)
Which basically means we’d spend almost 66% of our total budget on just these 2 activities 😭 and probably go over budget overall.
So our BIG question is:
If you had to pick ONLY ONE — would you prioritise:
- Minneriya safari
OR
- Snorkeling at Pigeon Island/Navy Island
Some extra context:
- 2 of us can’t swim 😅
- We know life jackets are provided for snorkeling, but they may still be scared throughout the experience
- We also considered skipping one of these and instead doing Sigiriya/Lion’s Rock hike since that seems more budget friendly + iconic
- it’s also a Bacholerette trip for one of us and she loves safaris
- as for me I am a water baby snorkeling would be a new experience for me
Would love honest opinions:
- Which experience felt more worth it?
- Is snorkeling still enjoyable for non-swimmers?
- Is Minneriya worth the long travel + cost?
- If you were us, what would you prioritise?
My friends are super indecisive so please help us decide 😂