Travel Tips

What you should expect on arrival?
Sri Lanka has only one International Airport, the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake (30km north of Colombo). If you are lucky enough to land while the sun is still out, you will notice Sri Lanka's rich green foliage the moment you begin descent. Remember to fill out your disembarkation form before you proceed to the sparkling new wing of the Island's Airport. Most often, many flights arrive at the same time, but as long as you have your documents ready and don't allow any over-eager travellers to cut in line, the smiling immigration officers will send you sailing through towards your adventures in Sri Lanka.

Heat and humidity on arrival
The moment you step out of the well-air conditioned airport, prepare for Sri Lanka's warm and humid climate with an average temperature of 24oC. Put your jacket away and drink lots of water. The average temperature is 24oC.

Airport clearance process
Being a small Airport, the clearance process is not too complicated. You will be able to get your disembarkation form from a flight attendant before you land, or from the desks in the immigration area. Make sure you have them filled out before you get in line at immigration.

When you have your bags, if you have any goods to declare, make sure you fill out a customs form before you get into the exit line. These forms can be found at the desks near the luggage carousels.

The porters will be more than happy to assist you with your bags, and are usually paid Rs. 100 ($1) per bag to help you move your bags and push your trolley.

Transport on arrival
If Airport Transfer arrangements have been made through attractionslanka.com  we will have one of our friendly chauffeurs waiting with a name card in the arrivals lobby, ready to escort you to your first destination in Sri Lanka.

If no prior transfer arrangements have been made, arrangements for an Airport taxi can be made at the service desk in the lobby. If you don't already have Sri Lankan Rupees, there are authorized moneychangers within the lobby area of the airport.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones have been made so affordable in Sri Lanka that almost everybody has one, and coverage has extended beyond the major cities. There are four main network operators on the island; Dialog GSM , Mobitel , Tigo and Hutchison Telecom . If you'd rather not use your own mobile phone on roaming but still want to be contactable, the cheapest alternative is to get a mobile phone connection with one of these major companies. All these phone companies have a pay-as-you-go plan where you can buy a local SIM card for around Rs. 1,000 (that will work in GSM phones from Europe, the Middle East and Australasia) and keep adding money to the connection as you require it. You will find recharge cards at any corner store throughout the island.

Internet

You shouldn't have much trouble finding Internet facilities in most towns. If your hotel does not have Internet or email facilities available, ask anybody where you can find a " Tele communication". The locals will be happy to point you towards the closest store where you will be able to use the internet. In the city of Colombo, there are a few places that have free wireless internet like the Coffee shop, Barista's. Internet access in Colombo is cheap (Rs. 4 per minute), but more often than not you'll have to fork out Rs. 7 to 12.

International Calls, IDD phones & Calling Cards.

Most Hotel phones have the IDD facility (International Direct Dialling) for which you will be charged depending on which country and what time you call. For most countries, it costs about Rs. 20 to call from Sri Lanka. If your hotel does not have IDD, International calls can also be made from the thousands of communication bureaus and booths. The cheapest option, however, is the card-operated IDD telephones, of which there are many in Colombo. These cards are sold at small roadside shops, usually displaying signs indicating which cards they sell. Each card is specific to that company phone booth.

Cable TV

Most Hotels in Sri Lanka have Cable TV with a minimum of 16 channels. Although the channels vary depending on the Cable company that the Hotel subscribes to, most companies provide HBO, Cinemax, ESPN, Hallmark, Ten Sports, Cartoon Network, Channel V, MTV, National Geographic, AXN, Discovery Channel, BBC World, Star Word, Star Plus and Star Movies.

SLT IPTV

Now even you can subscribe for SLT IPTV through www.peotv.com  or you can contact the the SLT Vision Com to set you up a PEO TV account with a Mobitel 3G wireless internet connection.

Transportation

Roads & Road rules
Sri Lanka still follows the British system when it comes to Road rules and Traffic Laws. However, traffic in Sri Lanka has a culture all its own. Within just a few minutes on Sri Lank's roads, you will notice that traffic laws seem to be more suggestions and the more you weave aggressively through traffic, the faster you will reach your destination.

Roads are narrow, and in poor condition. However, many "A" Class roads are being upgraded to a smoother bitumen surface, as well as being widened with road markings.

Public Transport

There are buses and trains available in all around the country for you to travel, but always it's recommended to book the train prior to your visit, since they are generally very crowded. Buses of course you can find all over the country, where as the the rail road transportation is restricted to certain areas.

Self-Driven Car
If you like blazing your own trail in new places, or have visited the island before and have a good idea of where you're going, a self-driven car is a great option.

attractionslanka.com partners with a few rental car companies that have a great selection of cars for you to choose from, at reasonable prices. We would be glad to arrange a suitable car for your travel plans around Sri Lanka. However, you will have to have an internationally valid license to legally drive in Sri Lanka.

What you should bring?

Clothes
Cotton garments are ideal as Sri Lanka is a tropical island. However, viscose/cotton mixed garments are commonly worn. Light clothing is recommended in the lowland areas and light woolen clothing is suitable in the hill country. A sun hat and sunglasses may help you to escape the heat during daytime. A good thing to keep in mind is, despite the tropical weather, some hotels have a 'no shorts' policy at dinnertime. So bring comfortable alternatives.

Footwear
If you plan to spend most of your time on the beach, bring comfortable sandals. If you intend to hike or do most of your sightseeing on foot, then bring comfortable walking shoes that are easy to pack and clean. Also, if you plan to visit some of the nicer restaurants or nightspots in the city of Colombo, you will need to bring shoes with you as most of these places have "no sandals" policies.

Temple Etiquette
When visiting a Buddhist or Hindu temple you should remove your footwear and headgear. Your legs and shoulders should be covered as a sign of respect. Some Hindu temples even ask men to go shirtless in order to enter the inner sanctum. In most temples, you will be asked for a donation. However, the traditional practice is that you make a donation only if you wish to. Any money you decide to donate should be placed in the donation box.

Public Nudity
Public Nudity, including females being topless, is not only unacceptable but also illegal in Sri Lanka, although a few German-owned hotels may make an exception in designated areas. Ask your hotel on their policy about this.

Customs Regulations

Customs Regulation - Entering the Country
Declare all your valuable equipment, valuable jewellery and gems. Baggage should not contain goods for others, goods in commercial quantities, and prohibited or restricted goods. You are allowed to bring in 1.5 liters of alcohol, 2 bottles of wine, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, and a small quantity of perfume.

Customs Regulations - Leaving the Country
PERMITTED: You are allowed to take out what you have declared and brought into the country, and whatever you have purchased in Sri Lanka like gems, jewellery and Sri Lankan products. Make sure you keep the receipts of all your purchases in Sri Lanka, in case you are asked.

NOT PERMITTED: You are not allowed to take out goods for commercial purposes, gold (crude, bullion or coins) firearms, explosives and dangerous weapons, Antique, statues, treasures, animals, birds or reptiles (dead or alive) and their parts, tea, rubber and coconut plants or any dangerous drugs.

Help to Protect the Natural Beauty

You can minimize your impact on the environment by following a few pointers:

Plastic bags are a real curse in Sri Lanka, so it helps a little if you decline plastic bags while shopping. You'll go through many plastic bottles of drinking water - try to dispose of them responsibly

If you're by the beach, refrain from disposing of your trash in the sea

When you're diving or snorkelling, don't break coral or brush against it. Coral consists of a colony of living organisms and contact can kill them. All of Sri Lanka's five species of turtle are endangered. So boycott the purchase of turtle eggs or any craft made of turtle shell

Visa Requirements

For citizens of most countries, visas are issued on arrival, for 30 days. If you plan to stay for more than 30 days in Sri Lanka, please extend your visa. Extension of tourist visas is handled by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, for further details call Tel: 94 11 2597511 or visit this link - http://www.immigration.gov.lk/html/visa/visit.html

Countries Exempt from Visas
(All the countries in the SAARC region are exempt from visa)

Latest Information can be found here:  (http://www.immigration.gov.lk/).

Anuradhapura: Anuradhapura,is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization.  The city now a UNESCO heritage site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka.

Polonnaruwa: The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country once more under a local leader.

Kandy: Kandy is the English name for the city of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura) in the centre of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Central Province and Mahanuvara District. It lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy Valley which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea.

Nuwara Eliya: The town was founded by Samuel Baker as a hill retreat for the British during the colonial era, where typical English pastimes including fox hunting, polo and cricket were played. Many of the buildings retain features from the colonial period, and even new hotels are often built and furnished in the colonial style.

Galle: Galle is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island.