Travelling Sri Lanka with a stoma | by Summer

I have just got back from the most amazing trip travelling around Sri Lanka, visiting their white, sandy beaches to getting up close a personal with elephants on safaris, and everything in between. So I am here to tell you all about it and what backpacking in the more than 30 degree heat with a stoma is really like.

Home stays

There is so much of Sri Lanka to see, so during my two and a half week trip so I ended up staying in five different places.

One of the best ways to experience Sri Lanka is through home stays. We had one home stay that completely blew all the others out the water. He basically became our local guide, took us on safaris, and I even had a cooking class with his wife in their traditional Sri Lankan kitchen.

One thing about home stays is they can be quite remote and often come with breakfast and/or dinner. There isn’t a menu option so you do have to eat what you are given. I actually really loved this approach because it pushed me out of my comfort zone. Since having my stoma, I often stick to having ‘safe’ foods, things I know I can digest, but during my home stays I was eating vegetables like okra, brinjal and jackfruit – all of which we wouldn’t really have back home. So the only way to tell if I could eat them was to try them. It definitely made me want to be more adventurous with food when I got back home.

Learning how to surf

One of the highlights of my trip was definitely learning how to surf, even if I did end up with a slight concussion and a split chin on my first attempt! Don’t worry, I quickly realised I would need some proper lessons if I was ever going to do it properly.

One thing I was quite anxious about before starting was my stoma bag, as you are constantly lying down on your belly and then standing up. In the end, I found the best way was to fold up my ModaVi bag, under my swimsuit and then wear a rash vest, which kept my stoma protected from the board and waves.

It was really great to be able to learn something new and there is nothing like the feeling when you finally catch a wave, even if they are just baby, white water waves!

Safaris

Can I have two highlights of my trip?! Because the two safaris are up there with the most memorable moments of the entire trip. There is something so peaceful about sitting quietly in the open plains of Sri Lanka, watching herds of elephants walk by. We also saw water buffalo, peacocks, crocodiles and so much more.

The heat

It was hot! It probably averaged about 32 degrees the whole time I was out there, not dropping by much in the evenings. Which meant I definitely struggled with dehydration while I was out there. So I ended up having to take a lot of Imodium, rehydration sachets and electrolytes. I also found Imodium to be particularly useful if I was going anywhere super remote where I wasn’t quite sure what toilet facilities would be available if I needed to empty my bag. It’s one of those things you don’t always think about before travelling with a stoma, but being prepared made a huge difference.

Sri Lanka was definitely the trip of a lifetime learning how to surf, going on safaris, and trying all the amazing local cuisine. With a few hiccups along the way and learning how to adapt with my stoma it was 100% worth it. So let this be your sign to not let your stoma stop you from trying new things and visiting places you want to go.

Summer
@summers_stoma