Started in Colombo - gladly left there for Kandy where we camped for a couple of night. Train (south then north) to Polannaruwa. As an ex-builder I totally loved the ancient ruins there. Camping in Sri Lanka is not culturally common. Cricket is the most outdoorsy it often gets. There are many paid sites and freedom camping is a very variable experience. Mostly we approached locals and found a patch somewhere (not always requiring exchange). Walking south there are several areas of reserve land. The two guys I was with spoke Sinhala so often we could, after tea and chats and discussion, find agreement on spending the night in the forest or some fallow farm land somewhere - not always in the parks. We wiggled south along back roads and skirted-crossed as much forest as we could. Remember that Sri Lanka is very densely populated so privacy can not be expected. People are curious - and also incredibly generous. After about 3 weeks the weather was closing so we took a few buses and stayed in various 'accomodations' for a week or so. Yala, in the SW is awesome. We stayed in a monastery there for several nights. The weather was great and the countryside easy walking. No elephants to be seen. pity? Nearly a week on the coast (place of a friend of a friend well east of the tourist beaches) camping next to a lagoon. I was told about the crocs on the last day. Fell in the river - with camera attached - but, overall a wonderful trip.