About Sri Lanka

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Things to know about Sri Lanka include, the people, religious beliefs, the climate, what to expect when you arrive, accommodation, tipping etc…

About Sri Lanka lets cover these one at a time.

The People
The people are friendly and kind. Please respect their customs, be polite and they will respect you. In fact the people of Sri Lanka are some of the kindest I have met.
If you are fortunate enough to be invited to dine with them at their home you are in for a treat. Remove your footwear before entering a private house. Guests are expected to eat first while the family waits for you to finish. We made the error of insisting we all eat together, unfortunately we offended them but we did get a second invitation. We had learned by our mistake and the family were only too pleased to invite us back.

Religious Beliefs
Buddhism is the major religion in Sri Lanka, about 70% of the population are followers. Hindus make up 16%. Islam and Christianity makes up the rest.

The Climate
Tropical, temperatures range from about 33C (91F) in the coastal areas to 16C (61F) higher up in the hills. The average annual temperature ranges from 28C (82F) to 31C (88F). Day and night temperatures only vary by 4C (7F) to 7C (12F). Lovely…

The best holiday you have ever had…
You will need to apply online for a 30 day tourist visa, your passport is stamped at emigration on entry. If you plan to stay longer than 30 days you can apply for your visa prior to arrival. A 90 day visa can be applied for from your nearest Sri Lankan High Commission.

About Sri Lanka

Driving is chaos, especially in Colombo, the capital. Avoid using the bus service in Sri Lanka, the bus drivers are maniacs, they race to beat each to the next stop. You are recommended to arrange an airport pick-up on your arrival and departure. Reasonably priced air conditioned vehicles are the best bet.

Beware of the hot sun take plenty of high factor sun lotion. Mosquito/insect bites can be painful so bring some repellent with you.

The local currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). This currency is closed so you cannot exchange you money before you arrive. Euro EUR, US dollar USD and the British pound GBP can be easily exchanged once in this beautiful country.

When buying goods or services not from a supermarket or main shop tourists generally are charged more for goods. Local people can buy these goods/services at a much better price. Negotiate and you should be able to reduce the price by quite a lot.

About Sri Lanka Coffee

About Sri Lanka coffee, well it is not very nice, they know how to produce tea but not coffee. You would be better to ask for Nescafe when in a restaurant or cafe. Slightly more expensive but well worth the extra few rupees.

Tipping is optional, about 10% is a good guideline. Remember you can tip more or less. Tipping is not set in stone use your judgment, if you have had really good service then show it by leaving a slightly larger tip. The reverse is also true.

About Sri Lanka Accommodation
Accommodation varies from cheap budget hotels to luxury hotel accommodation. Self catering apartments are a good choice if you prefer your independence.

There is also a good range of Bed and Breakfast accommodation available at very reasonable prices.

Rates are generally based per room rather than per person so check this out with your tour operator before you book your hotel or apartment. why not consider booking your flights and accommodation yourself to save money…

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