Sri Lanka Travel Guide

Some facts about Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is roughly the same size as Ireland and sits to the south-east of India. The island boasts impressive safaris, the best cup of tea you'll ever taste, 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites and warm and wonderful weather.

Compared to the rest of South Asia, Sri Lanka ranks highest on the UN's Human Development Index, which essentially means that the quality of life is good - the majority of the population have access to both healthcare and education.

With the history of tea-growing in Sri Lanka it's not surprising that almost 5% of the population work in the billion-dollar tea industry. Ceylon tea is arguably the most familiar from Sri Lanka and is named after the country itself, which changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972 when it became a republic.

Perhaps more surprisingly, even though cricket is the most popular sport played in Sri Lanka, volleyball is their official national sport.

Practical Info

Culture and etiquette

Religion

The official religion of Sri Lanka is Buddhism, but Hinduism and Islam are commonly practiced as well. Here are some important things to bear in mind…

Posing for pictures with the Buddha is frowned upon because it's custom never to have your back to him, so bear this in mind when taking photos. That's not a 'never take photos' just be mindful about your angles.

Cover any tattoos of the Buddha - The mistreatment of Buddhist images and artefacts is a serious offence and claiming ignorance doesn't fly here. Tourists have been convicted for their disrespect and British nationals have even been refused entry to Sri Lanka or faced deportation for having visible tattoos of Buddha.

If you've been to countries like Thailand, you'll have been told to never point your feet in the direction of Buddha. This is only loosely observed here, though you might occasionally see people sitting in front of Buddhas with their legs neatly tucked under them – so try to be respectful.

When visiting any temples or religious sights, guests must be appropriately dressed – take off your shoes and any headgear and make sure that legs and shoulders are covered. If in doubt, do what the locals do.

Tipping

Do you need tip in Sri Lanka? Culturally it's not expected but if you're feeling generous or received particularly good service, then by all means go ahead.

Smoking

Smoking is banned in most indoor public spaces and public transport, with some exceptions like smoking areas in airports.

Language 101

Sri Lanka has not one, but two official languages to get your head around – Sinhala, which is spoken by roughly three quarters of the population, and Tamil, which is spoken by a large chunk of the remainder.

English is widely spoken and will be used in most public or commercial environments, but here are some phrases to get you started if you want to give the languages a go:

Sinhala

Yes – Ow

No – Naa

Hello/good day – Ayubowan

Thank you – Istuti

Thank you very much – Bohoma istuti

Please – Karunakerara

OK/very good – Hari hondai

I don't understand – Mata terinneh neh

Please stop here – Metana nawaththanna

Where is the station? – Stesemeta eka ko?

What is this? – Mekeh mokadeh?

How much (is this)? – (Meeka) kiyadha?

Do you speak English? Ingirisi dannevada?

Tamil

Hello – Vanakkam

Goodbye – Poyvituvarukiren (then they reply Poyvituvarungal)

Yes – Amam

No – Illai

Thank you – Nandri

What is your name? – Ungal peyar yenna?

My name is (name) – Yen peyar (name)

What is this/that? – Idu/Adu yenna?

What is the price? – Yenna vilai?

I don't understand – Puriyadu

Jabs, visas and other advice

For up-to-date advice on jabs, visas and other foreign advice, we recommend following the government's website

Emergency numbers

118 or 119 for police. 110 for fire or ambulance.

Getting to Sri Lanka

Direct flights are the easiest way to get to Sri Lanka, with an average flight time of around 11 hours.

Depending on the airline, some flights have a stopover usually in Dubai, Qatar or even the Maldives. The main airport for Sri Lanka is the Bandaranaike International Airport and this is found just north of the capital Colombo.

Getting around Sri Lanka

Be prepared before you go and have realistic expectations about what transport in Sri Lanka is like. What you may not get in efficiency, you get back in heaps of character and experience.

In a nutshell, buses are the standard means of travel, trains are good for long-distance travel, cars are for saving time and tuk-tuks are for those short journeys here and there.

Buses

Buses are a standard and fairly reliable mode of transport, albeit a little uncomfortable! The public Sri Lanka Transport Board buses are usually red and surprisingly more enjoyable since the driver isn't compelled to fill it right to the brim like the private white buses. Take anything described as luxury or express with a very generous pinch of salt!

Regardless of bus type, expect to pay between 50 to 100 rupees for around an hour's travel and bear in mind that express buses will probably expect the full route fare, regardless of where you want to get off. Some things to keep in mind:

• You'll need to have cash to hand to buy your tickets - you can buy at the booth or on the bus.
• Timetables only really apply to longer routes or less-popular services. Short or popular routes tend to leave when the bus is full.
• Reserving a seat is pretty much unheard of, so if it's empty, sit down.
• Most signs and timetables do have English versions but where they're in Sinhalese, look for information booths or ask a member of staff.
• Allow plenty of time to get where you need to go!

Trains

Trains are an option for travelling long distances, though they're surprisingly slow. That being said, the views are fabulous! They are pretty basic but are certainly something you should experience.

Carriages and ticket types are divided into three classes. There's not a huge difference between 2nd and 3rd, but the seats in 2nd do have a little more padding, the carriages have fans and are less crowded.

Fares are really cheap. The iconic Ella – Kandy route is LKR 1000 (around £4), travelling 1st class. Tickets can only be purchased on the day of travel. Travelling 1st class won't make a huge dent in even the most stringent of budgets, but don't expect luxury.

Cars

As for cars, hiring a driver to chauffeur you about Sri Lanka is surprisingly affordable and a lot less stressful – plus it's a massive timesaver, which is always a bonus.

The roads themselves are in relatively good condition. You just have to watch out for other drivers, wildlife and throngs of people that make driving a little hair-raising at times.

Tuk-tuks

For a bit more of an adventure you could always haggle for a tuk-tuk (or rickshaw, depending on what you call them) which are ideal for short journeys. Just remember:

• Always agree your price with the driver BEFORE setting off.
• Be prepared to barter a price - you don't have to accept their first offer.
• Be firm about where you want to go
• If you're offered detours or 'quick stops' it's often a bid to get some more money out of you, so don't be fooled.

What to eat in Sri Lanka

You'd be forgiven for assuming that Sri Lankan food is a staple of rice and curry, because, well, it is. But really, it's more than that – it's a fusion of local produce, imports from neighbouring India, and colonial influence from the Dutch, the British and the Portuguese.

A key feature of Sri Lankan food is its versatility. The core spices and ingredients that make up Sri Lanka curry are always the same; coconut shavings and/or milk, turmeric, chilli, curry leaves and/or powder, garlic and cumin. But they're used in a variety of different ways that mean no two dishes are ever the same.

Buddhism and Hinduism have heavily influenced the cooking style here, meaning that you'll find a lot of veggie dishes. Beef isn't as common as chicken or fish, which is extremely popular. Expect jackfruit, which vegans have been raving about since everyone else clocked onto avocados.

King coconuts are as refreshing as they are popular. While fresh fruit juices and smoothies are also widely available. The fruit is genuinely delicious, so make sure when ordering fresh juices that they're not topped up with water (unless it's bottled).

In Sri Lanka it's customary to eat with your fingers, but knives and forks are widely available. Custom states you eat with your right hand, but it's not taboo if you're a lefty - just tuck in.

Another thing we liked – without sounding like a typical Brits abroad – Sri Lanka is one of the only countries outside of home where you should definitely drink the tea because it's exceptional.

Lastly, bear in mind that alcohol and meat are not usually available on religious holidays and that you can be fined if you ignore instructions about not drinking or smoking in certain public areas.

What Wildlife can you see in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka has an amazing amount of endemic species as is common with island nations - it's one of the world's top spots for biodiversity. In our opinion, Sri Lanka has one of the best safari experiences outside of Africa - Uda Walawe National Park alone has around 210 different species. Here are some of the top animals to spot on your holiday:

Elephants

Many people travel to Sri Lanka to get up close with the elephants and though there are a number of sanctuaries you can see them at if you want to spot them in the wild you need to head to Udawalawe or Minneriya National Park. Tours can be easily arranged through your hotel, but you can do it at the park on the day as well.

Leopards

These are incredibly shy and elusive animals so don't be disappointed if you don't manage to spot one. The leopards in Sri Lanka don't have the same level of competition as they do in Africa, so they are much bigger - if you want to try see one then head to Yala National park.

Turtles

There are 5 different species of turtle in Sri Lanka - leatherback, Olive Ridley, loggerhead, hawksbill and green. There are a number of conservation projects to help ensure their survival.

Sloth bears

Not to be confused with sloths, sloth bears are a bear species that are unique to the Indian Subcontinent. They eat mostly termites and fruit and if you visit at the right time of year you might be lucky enough to see them carrying a cub on their back.