Sri Lanka Travel Tips: Plan Your Individual Sri Lanka Round Trip in No Time

Are you currently planning your trip to Sri Lanka? You're in the right place. In this article, we provide you with many helpful tips and information for your trip around Sri Lanka. This way, you'll quickly learn what you need to know before your journey to Sri Lanka.

I recommend staying in Sri Lanka for at least three weeks. This way, you will have time to explore a fraction of its highlights.

Direct flights from Germany are only available from Frankfurt with SriLankan Airlines to Colombo. However, not at all times of year and not daily.

For entry, you just need a passport that is valid for at least six months and an eVisa. The 30-day tourist visa costs 60 USD upon arrival and 40 USD if applied online in advance. Only German nationals can obtain an eVisa on-site.

The highlights are

You can get around best by bus, tuk-tuks, or a private driver. Some routes can also be covered by train.

Sri Lanka is overall a budget-friendly travel destination. The currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee. 1 Euro is approximately 350 LKR.

These were our most important travel tips for Sri Lanka. Many more tips that you need for preparing your vacation will follow.

Ayubowan - the traditional greeting means not just "Hello," but translates literally in Sinhala: I wish you a long and happy life. During my backpacking trip in Sri Lanka, I was always greeted with a friendly smile and this very greeting.

Since the end of the civil war and the devastating tsunami that severely affected Sri Lanka, the country has developed rapidly in recent years. Tourism is growing. One might think it is almost too fast.

Here you will find important questions and answers about a trip to Sri Lanka. Topics like entry requirements, money, safety, or transportation are all listed here.

Although the island seems quite small, it is very diverse and has something for every type of traveler: great beaches for a beach holiday, temples and history in the Cultural Triangle, tea plantations and mountains for hiking in the fascinating highlands, Ayurveda trips along the coasts, diverse wildlife in the numerous national parks, or great surf and dive spots for the active vacationer.

The travel times are not long, as the roads are being improved continuously. Therefore, Sri Lanka is ideal for a round trip. Whether individually with a backpack and tuk-tuk, by train, or with a private driver. No wonder Sri Lanka is also called the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean."

Moreover, the country has finally come to a standstill after the end of the civil war. Tourism is returning. Unfortunately, in some places, too quickly. Infrastructures are improving, and new accommodations are sprouting up like mushrooms.

During my trip to Sri Lanka as a woman, I did not have any bad experiences. Be prepared to be stared at primarily by men. One man stood in front of us at the train station for minutes, piercing us with his gaze. As soon as I took off my sunglasses, my blue eyes were literally stared at. As a woman, you are also often asked if you have a boyfriend or husband.

It is generally advised to wear long pants and not to wear tops. I did not have similar experiences, especially in the south. I felt that everyone here was very open and friendly. In the highlands and Cultural Triangle, I always wore T-shirts with sleeves and, occasionally, long pants, as visiting temples without covered shoulders or knees is not tolerated.

If you make it clear to the men from the start that you have no intention of engaging with anyone and that you have a boyfriend in Germany, they will normally leave you alone.

For entering Sri Lanka, you need:

1. A passport that is valid for at least another 6 months

2. A visa

3. A completed entry card (you will receive this on the plane or upon arrival)

4. A valid return ticket (which no one has ever asked to see)

You need a passport that is still valid for at least 6 months upon entry. You can find up-to-date information on entry requirements and travel warnings at the Foreign Office. I always check travel warnings on the British Government's page (Foreign Travel Advice).

For a trip to Sri Lanka, you need to apply for something called ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). You should only do this online at www.srilankaevisa.lk by filling out the online form.

As a tourist, you must apply for this visa in advance for stays of up to 30 days. The fee for a regular tourist visa (30 days, single entry) is 40 USD for German citizens. The free visa is no longer available. Also, you should have your return ticket ready at the time of entry. It is not always required, but sometimes it is.

Make sure to use the official website www.eta.gov.lk for the application. Other visa providers may charge excessive fees!

Immediately after filling out the form, you need to pay the visa fee by credit card. Only then is the application complete. You will receive a response by email within 24 hours as to whether your application has been approved.

In my case, this only took five minutes. I printed out the form and took it with me. Upon entry, I did not have to show it (better safe than sorry). When scanning the passport, the details are usually in the system.

Tip: Always have a print-out or the email ready for security.

Apply for the Tourist eVisa only on the official Sri Lanka site

The maximum stay as a tourist is 30 days from the date of entry and allows for single entry for a stay of a maximum of 30 days. For stays of 60 days (visa fee for double entry: 75 USD). For a 90-day stay within one year, with multiple entries and exits, the visa costs 200 USD. Always check the official site here to see if the prices are still correct.

If you are arriving from Europe, no vaccinations are required for Sri Lanka. However, you should generally check and refresh the vaccinations that are customary in Germany: tetanus, diphtheria, polio, hepatitis A and B, before each trip.

Since there are many stray dogs in Sri Lanka, it is advisable to get vaccinated against rabies. Before my trip, the vaccine was out of stock, as was the typhoid vaccine. You should consider both vaccinations even if they are not mandatory.

Doctors also recommend vaccination against Japanese encephalitis for longer stays.

Proof of yellow fever vaccination is only required if you are arriving from a yellow fever area. Despite my travels to Uganda and Rwanda, where yellow fever vaccinations are mandatory, no one checked upon my entry to Sri Lanka. However, I did scan my vaccination book and kept it on my smartphone and in Dropbox.

There is also discussion about malaria prophylaxis for trips to Sri Lanka. The German Society for Tropical Medicine has assessed the risk for many parts of the country as low. Only in the northwest is there an increased risk. I advise you to consult your doctor for vaccination advice if you are unsure.

I did not bring any malaria prophylaxis and just sprayed myself occasionally with Autan Tropical.

Due to the unfamiliar food, especially because of the spicy curries and sometimes insufficient hygiene, some travelers may experience stomach problems in Sri Lanka. It also hit me on this trip, even though I usually never have problems with food while traveling. Therefore, I advise you to have the most important medications in your travel pharmacy.

Standard medications in my travel pharmacy include:

Hand sanitizer for cleaning hands without water

Pain relievers, such as paracetamol

Medications for diarrhea, e.g., Imodium or Lopedium

Electrolytes to replace fluid loss from diarrhea

Travel tablets for nausea in the highland serpentine roads, e.g., Vomex

Checklist for the travel pharmacy as a PDF to print

As tourism in Sri Lanka is developing rapidly, I recommend traveling with a current travel guide. Accommodations are popping up, and departure times for tours, trains, and buses are constantly changing. I prepared for the trip with three different guides. During the trip, I only brought along the Stefan Loose travel guide to Sri Lanka (view here).

Direct flights from Germany with SriLankan Airlines from Frankfurt to Colombo at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) are currently not available daily. The flight time is almost 10 hours. The airport in Colombo is about 35 km north of the city center. This means that you can avoid the traffic jams if you first travel north towards Cultural Triangle or Kandy.

I traveled with Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi to Colombo. There are also flights with Emirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha, Oman Air via Muscat, and Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.

I always check Skyscanner first to see which flights and flight times are available. Since I booked only two weeks before departure (and during peak travel season), I was lucky that the flight "only" cost 681 Euros. In January, direct flights cost around 800 Euros. Typically, tickets are cheaper (Tips for booking flights).

I usually book the flight with the best price-performance ratio. If the cheapest flight has a 10-hour layover, I skip that and choose the flight with the shortest flight duration if the price is still reasonable.

More tips on how to book the best flights

If you, like us, fly home in the middle of the night (4:35 AM), you need to somehow get to the airport. At that time, neither trains nor buses are running. I advise against tuk-tuks. Our last stop was Tangalle, which meant a travel time of about 3 hours in the evening. Therefore, we decided to book a private transfer through Get Your Guide.

The driver was slightly more expensive than if our accommodation had organized the transfer. However, with Get Your Guide, I can be sure that the driver has all the necessary licenses, the car is in good condition, and everything is legitimate without additional costs.

You can check and book the costs for the transfer (anywhere) here: Book Colombo Airport Transfer.

It depends on how much time you have for your trip. For the Cultural Triangle to Kandy, I definitely recommend hiring a private driver. From Kandy onward (or as we did, from Nuno Oya, where you can visit tea fields and factories), I advise taking a train ride through the highlands. This is not only beautiful but also allows you to avoid the serpentine roads and reckless overtaking maneuvers of the drivers, including possible nausea.

For shorter distances, a tuk-tuk or, in the cheapest case, a bus is recommended. The bus is certainly the cheapest way to travel in Sri Lanka. Buses run regularly but can be quite crowded depending on the time of day.

In Sri Lanka, you will find accommodations for every budget: hostels for budget travelers and luxury resorts. In my experience, true low-budget backpackers were rare. However, I didn't stay in hostels but in guesthouses or hotels. I prefer having my own bathroom and room.

An alternative to hotels and guesthouses are apartments or rooms that you can book on AirBnB or on booking.com. Especially in Galle or Colombo, this is an alternative to hotels. There are also many offers in Tangalle or Mirissa.

I booked all my accommodations for Sri Lanka through booking.com. As I only started looking for accommodations a week before departure, most were no longer available during peak travel time (New Year's).

Additionally, the hotels and guesthouses in comparison to other trips and standards were fairly expensive or overpriced. In Galle Fort, you pay for the location in the old town (Accommodation: Mango House; perfect location, great accommodation, except the room smelled musty and was very small), in Yala National Park, you pay for the location directly at the park entrance (Accommodation: Tent, "Glamping"). The accommodations themselves were okay.

Many of the attractions in Sri Lanka allow you to enter barefoot, without head covering, and with covered knees and shoulders. If you go out on a hot day, you should carry a pair of socks with you, as the stones can get very hot. Also, pack a sarong (to wrap) or long pants.

For visiting the Cultural Triangle and the highlands, I definitely recommend bringing a rain jacket. Generally, I believe that you do not need a rain jacket when traveling in a warm country, but in Sri Lanka, I was glad to have had one. The rain showers were not always brief and were quite heavy. Alternatively, I recommend packing an umbrella. You can also buy umbrellas locally (at inflated prices) if needed.

Additionally, I recommend packing a dry bag. I always kept my camera safely packed in it. Also, a backpack with rain protection is advisable.

If you plan to hike, you can pack hiking or trekking shoes. Before the trip, I decided only to take sneakers next to flip-flops. Hiking, for example, up Ella Rock, was not a problem at all. Here, even tourists hiked up in flip-flops, which I would not recommend.

My complete travel checklist as a PDF to print

The official currency in Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). 1 Euro is approximately 329 LKR. Since the rate fluctuates, you can find the current exchange rate here.

In Sri Lanka, you can find an ATM in every larger town where you can withdraw cash in the local currency.

Currently, the best free credit cards for travel include the DKB Bank debit card, GenialCard (Hanseatic Bank), and the Mastercard Gold from TF Bank. With a set-up of at least 2 of these cards, you can almost always withdraw cash from ATMs abroad for free and pay on-site without foreign transaction fees for foreign currencies! -> Here you can find all the tips along with my experiences for the best travel credit cards in comparison.

Cash? US dollars, credit card, or should I exchange money before my trip to Sri Lanka?

I didn't exchange any Rupees before my trip. At the airport, right after leaving the building, there are three ATMs where you can withdraw cash with my recommended travel credit cards without having to pay fees.

Caution: Since locals often do not have a passport, they cannot exchange foreign currencies like Euros or US dollars for Sri Lankan Rupees. Prices are often quoted in US dollars, but the local currency in Rupees is always accepted. Therefore, I advise against exchanging or carrying any dollars.

Tip: Always give people tips in local currency and not in Euros or dollars!

I withdrew cash right upon arrival at Colombo International Airport and never exchange money in Germany before my travels (unless I need US dollars in addition to local currency).

So, my tip:

Currently, the best free credit cards for travel include the DKB Bank debit card, GenialCard (Hanseatic Bank), and the Mastercard Gold from TF Bank. With a configuration of at least 2 of these cards, you can often withdraw cash abroad for free and pay on-site without foreign exchange fees! -> Here you can find all tips along with my experiences for the best travel credit cards in comparison.

Sri Lanka is booming and is becoming increasingly popular among German independent tourists. Compared to Thailand, Sri Lanka is not a cheap travel destination. Taxes, fees, high fuel costs, and ridiculously overpriced entry fees combined with outrageously inflated accommodation prices during peak season are driving prices up.

I wasn't stingy, I had a driver for the Cultural Triangle and Kandy to Nuno Oya and did not stay in the cheapest accommodations. Since I was in Sri Lanka during peak travel time (late December - mid-January), the accommodations were not always cheap and some were really overpriced for the standard. Entry fees to the most famous attractions (e.g., Sigiriya) and transfers by car were sometimes completely overpriced in my opinion.

If you eat street food, which was really delicious, you often won't pay more than 1-2 Euros for rotis and will be really full afterward.

On average, I spent about 70 Euros per day for accommodation, food, transport, and other expenses.

In Sri Lanka, tips, as in many other countries, are an essential source of additional income but are always voluntary.

Restaurants: 10% for service is already included and listed on the bill. Nevertheless, the money often does not reach the service staff. Therefore, an additional tip of 10% is common.

Porters: About 50 LKR per piece of luggage

Housekeeping: Around 100 LKR per day.

Tuk-tuk or taxi drivers: Depending on the distance, 100 LKR.

Private drivers: If you have booked a private driver for a few days, you should budget around 300 LKR per day depending on satisfaction.

For guides at temples and attractions, you should definitely set a fixed amount.

Caution: Always make sure to have Rupees in small bills. This is not always easy, as change is generally "tight" and we were often asked to pay with a credit card when we wanted to pay with a 5,000 Rupee bill to get the coveted change.

Please remember that people in Sri Lanka rely on tips to make a living.

The many national parks with their wildlife and biodiversity resemble East Africa and remind me of my trip to Uganda more than Asia. Expansive grassy savannas, herds of elephants, leopards, buffalo, crocodiles, bears, and birds can be found in the protected areas that make up about 10% of the country's area.

However, the once abundant population of wildlife is now greatly threatened. Especially the elephant population has shrunk to less than 3000 animals.

The most important and well-known national parks in Sri Lanka are:

Minneriya National Park

Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve

Yala National Park

Uda Walawe National Park

Wilpattu National Park

Bundala National Park

Gal Oya National Park

Horton Plains National Park

Kaudulla National Park

All of these national parks are managed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The smallest of the three national parks in the Cultural Triangle is the Hurulu Eco Park near Habarana. Since both the Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks were flooded due to heavy rains, we had to make do here. Despite adverse conditions, we did encounter a few elephants:

In both Yala National Park and during whale watching or visiting the sea turtles, I had the impression that people are trying to respect and protect nature and animals, however, tourism in this area is growing far too quickly and uncoordinated.

Too many safari jeeps congest when a leopard or bear is sighted. I stopped counting at 50 cars (!!).

Also, during whale watching near Mirissa, I learned that there are 15 (!!) providers for tours. When we spotted two blue whales, I counted exactly those 15 boats, which were lined up in a distance from the animals but likely caused a lot of stress for them. The breaks between surfacing became longer and longer.

At the Turtle Conservation Project, I felt that the locals genuinely want to protect the animals. The section of the beach at Rekawa is monitored 24 hours by volunteers to keep away thieves of the eggs (mainly dogs and fishermen). Unfortunately, during our visit, over 50 people (!!) were gathered at the meeting point.

After having participated in the sea turtle tour in South Africa near St. Lucia where only 2 groups of 10 people are allowed per night, I was also shocked by the mass here. We did not wait anymore and left.

I hope that the officials in Sri Lanka quickly realize the damage they are causing by not regulating their wildlife and its preservation. Otherwise, the habitat of animals and their preservation is likely to be severely threatened in the coming years.

Especially during visits to turtles and whale watching, much can be achieved by increasing prices and limiting the number of people per day.

Pro Wildlife fundamentally advises against visiting the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala (Read the article here). As an alternative, Pro Wildlife recommends the Elephant Transit Home. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit it.

The possibility of riding elephants is offered in many places in Sri Lanka. Right at Sigiriya Rock, I have repeatedly encountered elephants with tourists. Do you believe that elephants enjoy having people riding on them? Elephants suffer when they are trained. Read more at PETA.

When I read reports about the "oh how cute" turtles, along with a photo featuring a baby turtle in someone's hand, I feel sick. Naive tourists are told here that the newly hatched turtles are kept in holding tanks to be released into the sea at night.

The reality is different: Often, the turtles are held in the holding tank for up to three days so that enough tourists can admire them and hold them beforehand. If the cute babies survive those days at all, they are often too weak to escape from natural enemies in the ocean later. Or they are so hungry that they start searching for food directly on the beach, falling victim to predatory birds.

Some stations go so far as to allow tourists to release the baby turtles into the open sea, believing that they are actively contributing to animal protection and even paying money for it.

Especially in Galle Fort, I have seen street performers with trained monkeys at several corners. Please do not support this kind of treatment of animals and ignore the people with their monkeys.

Exploring the country is relatively easy. You have several options. For the Cultural Triangle, I recommend hiring a driver. Traveling by bus is super cheap, but it is quite tough on-site.

The cheapest way to travel in Sri Lanka is by bus. A ticket from Ella to Wellawaya only cost me 35 cents (on the state's red bus). You can get from Colombo to Kandy for around 90 cents. In comparison, for a taxi, you pay at least 50 Euros. For about 1.80 Euros, you can cover the same distance with an air-conditioned intercity bus.

The disadvantage of the cheap buses is that they are incredibly overcrowded. It can be quite uncomfortable to travel with a backpack and a small piece of hand luggage.

In the highlands, I would not recommend taking the bus. You need a good stomach. The drivers tend to drive very fast on the narrow curves. Even I experienced slight nausea in our driver's car. For some reason, I felt that they do not drive well.

You should at least take the train once during your trip. It's an authentic experience where you feel transported back in time while comfortably riding through the beautiful landscapes with open doors.

Especially the route between Kandy and Ella is praised everywhere. Ticket prices are low (you always pay from the start to the end station), and there are panoramic coaches and air-conditioned compartments in first class. Note that in first class, you cannot open the windows.

Caution: Do not dispose of your train ticket; you have to hand it in when getting off at the platform.

Another tip: When booking, be sure to get a 2-seat row and not a 4-seat group. We had seats in a 4-seat group where you sit opposite each other. My counterpart and I did not know where to put our legs. This can be very uncomfortable as strangers. I circumvented it by sitting most of the time in the open door of the train, letting my legs dangle outside.

I also felt that in second class without air-conditioning, the rows were a bit further apart. And to be honest: It became quite cool in the highlands; we would not have needed air conditioning most of the time.

Except in Colombo, tuk-tuks do not have a meter. You need to be very good at bargaining. Here you will get ruthlessly cheated. Always ask locals you trust for a fair price. Then you tell this to the driver and turn away if he refuses to take you.

The prices often frustrated me. Even though it's not expensive when converted for us and I can afford it, it's annoying that the price increases by several times just because of the skin color.

Once our tuk-tuk driver simply raised the price by 500 Rupees because he took longer. He knew exactly where he was supposed to bring us. There was no traffic; he just miscalculated. He still earned very well from us for that. I was angry, and he did not receive a tip for that.

Renting cars in Sri Lanka is more expensive than hiring a car with a driver. Especially for the travels in the Cultural Triangle to Kandy (for us Colombo - Cultural Triangle - Kandy), it was definitely worth hiring a private driver. Although we were glad to part ways with him afterward.

Drivers start at 50 USD per day. Accommodations usually provide the driver with accommodations. We never had to worry about the accommodation and food for the driver. However, we often had to discuss why we wanted to see something and not the other. He constantly wanted to attract us to attractions, restaurants, and street food vendors where he could earn a commission. I have nothing against that when it's worth it. Unfortunately, it never was.

A good driver who speaks good English is priceless; a bad one can ruin your trip. Ask in your circle of friends if anyone can recommend a driver.

Another tip: Shop alone, and if you're with a driver, only in supermarkets. There, fixed prices apply. At street stalls, the driver often takes a 30% commission, which you have to pay extra.

While traveling, I always buy a local SIM card. In Sri Lanka, I bought one because we often needed to communicate with our driver at the beginning. You can purchase a SIM card upon arrival at Colombo International Airport. Several providers are available: Dialog, Etisalat, airtel.

I chose Dialog as this provider, according to local tips, offers the fastest mobile internet. The SIM card with 5 GB and credit for calls cost me 8 Euros. According to friends, you can get SIM cards cheaper in local Dialog shops. I didn't want to wait as I had a lot to plan immediately after arriving (we went straight to Sigiriya, which took about 4-5 hours).

What you need to purchase a SIM card in Sri Lanka:

A smartphone without SIM lock

Your passport (the employee copies your passport for verification)

The employee will insert the SIM card for you and activate it right away.

When your credit runs out, you can buy new credit at any kiosk. Each additional 1 GB costs about 1 Euro.

Caution: Tourists are "gifted" SIM cards at the airport. They need to be activated first, and no credit is included. The provider is also not the cheapest, and the card often only works for phone calls and not for mobile internet usage.

Sri Lanka is known as the spice island! Not only is the curry fantastic, but Sri Lankan cinnamon is also known as the best in the world. By the way, Sri Lankan cuisine is considered the spiciest in the world. Always ask how spicy the dish is when ordering.

For breakfast, Sri Lankans eat Hopper. These are thin rice flour pancakes in the shape of a bowl. They are served with sambol and coconut or chili chutneys. You fill everything into the hopper and eat it all together.

If there is an egg on the hopper, it's called an Egg Hopper. If the dough is pressed into thin threads, it's called a String Hopper. You often get a coconut roti on the side with dhal curry, like here:

Of course, you also get "Western Breakfast" everywhere, with omelet, scrambled eggs, or sausages. Sometimes there is jam and very light toast. Freshly baked dark bread is rarely available even in better accommodations.

During lunch, Sri Lankans eat rice with curry. The great thing is that in Sri Lanka, you get a large plate of rice with many small bowls of curries and delicious papadam ("crackers" made from lentil and chickpea flour).

Definitely try the food sold at small stalls by the road. It's not only incredibly cheap (for a bag with rotis, samosas, and Ulundhu Vadai we paid under 1 Euro), but also very, very tasty.

Rotis filled with vegetables:

Ulundhu Vadai (Sri Lanka Omelette), sometimes very spicy:

Samosas and Ulundhu Vadai: The best filled roti was in Sigiriya "to go":

Roti is also rolled and packaged in funny newspaper.

In Sri Lanka, you can find fresh fruits everywhere. Bananas, pineapples, guavas, mangoes, papayas, melons, jackfruits, and avocados. Whether as freshly squeezed fruit juices, fruit plates for breakfast, or like guava with chili and coconut oil as street food. I love it!

Here, too, the rule applies: with white skin, you unfortunately pay double the price. Always negotiate hard.

You must try ginger cookies and Hawaian cookies (coconut):

Traditionally, in Sri Lanka, people eat with their right hand. The left one is considered unclean, as it is used for washing unclean body parts. If you wonder why there are washbasins in all restaurants: Here, people wash their hands before eating. Nowadays, locals are generally more open towards tourists. I am left-handed and often forgot that you eat with your right hand. No one has looked at me oddly because of that.

Due to the heat, cool refreshing drinks are essential! Thambili juice (juice from a fresh king coconut) can be found on every corner.

Freshly squeezed fruit juices and lassies are also present on every menu. Especially lime juice with mint tastes delicious (and helps with stomach issues).

Sri Lanka is primarily known for its Ceylon tea. Locals drink it with a lot of sugar and milk. I also drank a lot of tea (without sugar and milk), visited a tea factory, and, of course, brought tea back to Germany.

Apart from the delicious tea, there's a drink that I enjoyed very much and especially liked ice-cold while at the beach: ginger beer!

Among alcoholic drinks, Lion Beer is popular. Unusually for us, the large 0.65-litre bottles are served. Locals also quite enjoy Arrack, a high-proof drink derived from palm sap or sugar cane, which tastes similar to rum. On the first evening, we had to test this with our sociable host.

In Sri Lanka, Sinhala, Tamil, and English are spoken. Basic knowledge of English is therefore of great benefit. However, although English is officially recognized as an official language, I felt that having a conversation was often challenging.

Very few speak passable English. Thus, deep conversations with locals rarely happened or stumbled over talking about everyday life in Sri Lanka or their families.

Ayubowan - Good morning! Good day

Isthuti (es-thu-thee) - Thank you

Samawenna - Excuse me / Please forgive me!

Ou - Yes

Na - No

(Bihama) Hondai - (Very) good!

Mage nameh - My name is...

Obeh nahem monawada - What is your name?

Kohmade - How are you?

Karunakara - Please

Meke gana ki yada? - How much does it cost?

Wesikiliya - Toilet

Dumriyapola koheda? - Where is the train station?

Ellabus eka yanne kiyatada? - When does the bus to Ella leave?

Hotalaya - Hotel

Kamaraya - Bed

Bankuwa - Bank

Koheda? - Where?

Numbers:

Eka - 1

Deka - 2

Thuna - 3

Hathara - 4

Paha - 5

Haya - 6

Hatha - 7

Atha - 8

Namaya - 9

Dahaya - 10

In Sri Lanka, Indian Standard Time (IST) applies. Therefore, Sri Lanka is 4.5 hours ahead of Germany. If it is 10 in the morning for us, it is 2:30 PM in Sri Lanka. There is no daylight saving time in Sri Lanka, which means that in summer the time difference to Sri Lanka is 5.5 hours.

Don't get me wrong, Sri Lanka is beautiful and the people are friendly. However, there are (a few) things that I did not like:

Sri Lanka is getting expensive. Not only is tourism growing rapidly, but entry prices for Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa are incredibly overpriced at 25 USD. Average hotel prices exceed 40 USD per night (and during peak season can go up to 100 USD per person). Thus, Sri Lanka is more expensive than other Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, or Vietnam.

Tourists pay much more than locals. It is acceptable that tourists pay more than locals. However, it is not fair when you pay more than double.

Private drivers cash in. It is well-known that drivers funnel tourists to places to earn commissions. However, the fact that drivers want to earn money on EVERYTHING can be frustrating. For instance, our driver lied to us when booking the train ticket and claimed he had to pay an extra 900 Rupees for the phone booking. The service fee of 300 Rupees was already included in the train ticket. Even when asked, he continued to lie to us (one of many examples).

And as noted above, the treatment of animals and nature. An absolutely dreadful example where everyone just wants to profit without regard for animals or nature.

In Sri Lanka, like in India, if someone shakes their head, it does not mean "no," but "yes" and approval. This often leads to misunderstandings. I often caught myself responding with "no" and a head shake to offers, indicating approval.

If you wish to photograph people, you should always ask for permission. No one likes to be photographed without consent, do they? Often, money is demanded for this, such as with the stilt fishermen in the south who only get on their stilts to fish for tourists.

Many locals (mainly children) are nonetheless happy to be photographed. Just show them the picture you took of them.

Taking selfies with Buddha statues is prohibited. You should never turn your back on a Buddha when posing for a photo. This is seen as disrespecting the religion.

Also, watch for signs at temples, as photographing may sometimes be forbidden.

To ensure you do not forget anything while planning, I have created a checklist:

1. Buy a travel guide and search the internet for experiences with travel to Sri Lanka: - My travel reports on the Sri Lanka trip

2. Consider a rough route and frame your 'must-sees'

3. Check the best travel time - it's the rainy season in the north and east when it's peak season in the south and west!

4. Book inexpensive flights

5. Check and obtain entry documents: - Valid passport (valid for at least another 6 months) - Apply for a visa - Print out your flight booking

6. Book your first accommodation and print out the booking confirmation, save the address

7. Print out and check your packing list

Here you will find detailed tips for travel planning - step by step to the perfect vacation.

Detailed packing list for Sri Lanka to print and check off.

Here is my packing list to print

Sri Lanka has caused mixed feelings in me. I did not like everything here and found some things unsatisfactory. Especially in terms of animal welfare, Sri Lanka truly disgusted me. Do you want to see animals? Then go to Africa (East Africa or South Africa).

Overall, I traveled for 16 days in Sri Lanka with my backpack. Due to the travel time (December - January) and the monsoon in the north and east, I was only able to visit the Cultural Triangle, the highlands, and the southern coast. We had to skip the north and the east coast.

To be honest: even though Sri Lanka is beautiful, it is (during non-COVID times) often overcrowded (south) and the constant bargaining can be tiring. Nonetheless, the country is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and best countries on Earth in terms of landscape and cuisine.

I would like to give the country another chance to win my heart even more. I am curious about which occasion will give me the necessary "push".

I hope you found this article with tips for planning your trip to Sri Lanka helpful in answering your questions. If you have any ideas or questions, we would greatly appreciate your comment here on the travel blog.

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