Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
First Time Sri Lanka
Checklist
Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months past your arrival date
Check on the need for vaccinations
Arrange for appropriate travel insurance (see
Click here
)
Check the airline baggage restrictions
Inform your debit-/credit-card company
What to Pack
A good pair of earplugs
Mosquito repellent - hard to find in Sri Lanka (unlike mosquitoes)
Sunscreen - another surprisingly hard-to-find item
Tampons - impossible to find outside Colombo
Top Tips for Your Trip
Explore the beaches: especially in the south and east there are vast, deserted and beautiful
swaths of sand. If you see a road heading towards the coast, take it and see what you find.
Ride the trains: you'll enjoy the scenery, have comfort greater than buses and travel with
a cross-section of locals.
Hit the markets: even if you don't want 100 green bananas, you'll see the country's
bounty, meet people and get caught up in the bargaining frenzy.
Eat with the locals: a busy cafe in a town centre or near a bus terminal will serve rice and
curry that's properly spicy, something impossible to find at any place catering to tourists.
Watch the calendar:
poya
(full moon) nights are when celebrations take place across the
country.
