Facts
Time Zone GMT + 5:30 year-round since 15 April 2006
Currency 1 Rupee (LKR) = 100 cents | Exchange Rate
About Sri Lanka
General
Sri Lanka offers beaches, ancient
cities, historical colonial buildings, vast tea and rubber
plantations, a historic hill country capital, World's End:
a steep, seemingly endless, drop for the less faint
of heart (just for the view!) and a Little England "Nuwara
Eliya", all within 200km. There are
three 18-hole golf
courses. Jaffna and its surrounding beaches offer more
attractions if you stretch your horizon to 320km from
Colombo. It is rated as one of the most biodiverse islands
on the planet, and boasts
two game parks,
many national parks and one natural
rainforest.
Hotels
Sri Lanka has
a wide range of accommodation from homestays, to
conventional hotels to luxury boutique hotels and spas. yet.
There are backpacker and apartments to let for those on a
budget, which can be rented by the week. In Colombo city, a
minimum rate is applicable by law, for all star-rated
hotels, since 01 October 2023.
Restaurants
Check out our
Restaurant Guide.
Security
Since the end of the
Separatist Terrorist problem on May 19, 2009, the
country has enjoyed peace and an ever growing number of
visitors. The checkpoints and security checkpoints near
sensitive areas are now very few and far between.
Beaches
The beaches on the under-developed East
and well-developed South coasts are at least a match for the finest in
the world. Water-sports, eco and adventure tourism are more
common elsewhere. Arugam Bay has been rated as one of
the finest surfing beaches in the world. The best
beaches include
Rekawa, Waikkal, Negombo, Nilaveli, Unawatuna, Weligama,
Habaraduwa, Induruwa,
Hikkaduwa,
and more.
Shopping
Number one for most tourists in terms of shopping, would
be the clothes complexes that have promulgated throughout
Colombo. House of Fashion, ODEL and Beverly Street continue
to attract busloads of appreciative tourists, raking in the
bargains. Local handicraft, commodity and curiosity shops such as
Barefoot, Lakpahana, the Good Market and Paradise Road are
recommended too. Check with your hotel concierge or host family for the best
places and times
to visit, and shop away.
Airport Transfers
From the airport, the best way to the centre of Colombo is
by Uber or
Official Airport Taxi, or other transport (e.g.
Seat-in-Coach) arranged by your tour operator. If you really
want to rough it out, there is the no. 187 to Colombo Fort
Bus Station, with onward connections to most other places in
Colombo. Any tour that you book offers airport transfers as
well for a fee. The Airport Highway, with a 10 minute drive
to the city centre, opened in mid-September 2013.
History and Culture
Sri Lanka has a
documented history of over 2500 years. The ancient
ruins of Panduwasnuwara (4th century BC) Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are
stark contrasts to the more recent royal treasures of Dambulla and
Kandy. There are
Eight World Heritage Sites to choose from, including
two Natural Heritage Sites, perhaps the most
concentrated number of sites for its small area in Asia.
Colonial History
Sri Lanka was colonised in order, by the
Portuguese, Dutch and the British.
Here is the timeline. The cities are dotted with buildings from
these eras, and the old Dutch Fort at Galle takes pride of place
among these. The temperate climes of Nuwara Eliya, called
"Little England" at 2187m above sea level, also features
gardens, villas and Lake Gregory, which is reminiscent
of the small lochs of Scotland. Tea Plantations which
were owned by adventurous Scots are still to be seen.
Things to watch out for
Tourists are all deemed to be rich, and
able to pay much more than the average Sri Lankan.
Therefore, they are sometimes charged more for
everything, including three-wheelers (tuks tuks) and entry to
historical sites. Get a little advice from your
hotel reception or a trusted Sri Lankan friend.
Travel Advisory
Hygiene
Colombo, though the commercial capital, is
quite small. It been recently tastefully restored (2012-14)
and is one of the cleanest and most organised cities in
South Asia. It is considered less polluted when compared to
other capitals in the Asian region, due to much lower levels
of industrialisation, and population density.