Polheena Estate
January 19th, 2012
The Beach Hut
August 1st, 2011
Kadju House
June 2nd, 2011
Lansiya
June 2nd, 2011
Information and travel tips to Sri Lanka
Fast Facts
- Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
- Government type: Republic
- Latitude: 5° 55 to 9° 50 North, Longitude: 79° 42 to 81° 52 650 km north of the equator
- Coastline: 1,340km
- Area: 65,525km
- Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
- Administrative capital: Sri Jayewardenepura
- Commercial capital: Colombo
- Administrative divisions: 9 provinces ─ Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western and Eastern Province
- Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%. English is used in government and spoken competently by about 10% of the population
- Religion: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10%
- Time zone: UTC + 6
- International dialing: +94
- Electricity: 230, 240 volts, 50 cycles AC.
Greeting
Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting.
Dress
Informal, Western dress is suitable. Cotton garments are the ideal as Sri Lanka is a tropical country. Light clothing is recommended in the lowland areas while light woolen clothing is suitable in the hill country. A sun hat and sun glasses may help to escape the heat during day time.
Entering places of worship
Visitors to Buddhist temples are advised to be properly dressed covering the body in full. Briefs, shorts, bear backs and bare shoulders are against accepted norms. When entering Buddhist and Hindu shrines, footwear and headgear should be removed.
When to visit
The high season is from December to March. If you travel in April and May, you can avoid most of the crowds, get better rates for airfare and also enjoy good weather, which remains fairly consistent regardless of which part of the country you travel to.
Local cuisine
Curry is an integral part of Sri Lankan cooking. Add rice, vegetables and meat or fish to make the meal complete. Other dishes include thali, a vegetarian Indian curry, and hoppers, a pancake-like snack served with toppings like honey or yogurt. You can wrap up your meal with tea and tropical fruits.
Tipping
Follow standard tipping rules for a 10% gratuity for restaurant and hotel bills and taxi fares when a service charge hasn't already been included.
Local customs: Visitors are not permitted to photograph government or military buildings. Homosexuality is illegal. Topless sunbathing on the beaches is not allowed. It is also considered offensive to pose for photographs in front of a Buddha statue. Smoking and drinking in public are forbidden.
Travel health
Make sure that you drink bottled water, avoid ice in drinks, and take care to eat well-cooked food. Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all travellers to Sri Lanka. Malaria, Chikungunya fever, Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever are a risk and protection against mosquito bites is essential. Prophylactics for malaria are also strongly recommended.