15 things to consider for your Sri Lanka trip

What should you consider for your Sri Lanka trip? Sri Lanka is a fantastic and varied country that offers wonderful travel experiences, and even better with good planning. We did some reading beforehand, and some things we learnt "the hard way". Here are all the tips we wish we had received before travelling to Sri Lanka.

Enjoy a wonderful Sri Lanka holiday

Sri Lanka is truly an amazing destination in many ways! Nature is green and lush and exotic fruit grows everywhere. There is something for everyone, whether you are interested in Asian culture, animals and nature or perhaps swimming and surfing. But what should you consider when travelling to Sri Lanka?

1. Travelling at the right time

This first point is not so difficult, because you can actually travel to Sri Lanka at any time of the year. The best time to travel in the country is during the dry season: the south and west coasts are dry from December to March, and the east coast is dry from May to September. Also bear in mind that all prices rise during Christmas and New Year.

2. Choose the 'right' national park

Sri Lanka offers stunning scenery and abundant wildlife. An absolute "must" on the trip is to go on safari in one of the island's national parks. Yala National Park is the most famous and offers the chance to see leopard, but it is also the most crowded with safari cars. If you choose a national park further north, such as Minneriya, it will probably be quieter. Check in advance which animals are likely to be seen in the national park you are considering!

3. Choose the 'best' sights

If you want to see Buddhist temples and learn about Buddhist traditions, you've come to the right place. Around 70 per cent of the population is Buddhist and there are several beautiful and special temples, such as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy and the Cave Temple in Dambulla.

If you are not interested in temples, you may prefer to climb Mount Sigiriya, take the famous train journey through the tea plantations or visit the colonial town of Galle. Choose what suits you best!

5. book the train in advance

If you want to travel the famously beautiful railway between Kandy and Ella, you should book the tickets in advance. You can choose between first class, second class or third class. The important thing is that you book a ticket with numbered seatingotherwise it can be a very uncomfortable journey.

4. Enjoy the sun and swimming - but beware of the currents

During your trip to Sri Lanka, you will see many long beautiful sandy beaches with soft fine-grained sand and shallow waters. The island is really perfect for sunbathing and swimming, and even surfing for those who like it. Keep in mind that on the eastern side of the island there can be very strong currents in the water, and this is not always suitable for swimming. If you are unsure - check with the locals or the hotel staff!

6. pack smoothly

The best way to pack depends, of course, on how you're travelling. If, like us, you're travelling by car and driver and moving frequently between hotels, it's good to have a small and flexible pack. We travelled with one cabin bag and one smaller backpack each. The cabin bags we threw into the car's boot and the backpacks went everywhere - as hand luggage on the plane, on hikes up high mountains, to the beach, to temple areas and on safari.

I (Helena) have tested an Osprey backpack, Hikelite 26which has been perfect for travelling. The best thing about the rucksack is that it is very comfortable to carry on your back and when it gets heavy, like when we went up Mount Sigiriya, there is a strap that you can tighten around your hip to make it easier to carry. It was also easy to have a water bottle attached to the outside, which I had throughout the trip.

7. Pack clothes for the weather

Sri Lanka is mostly warm, and you'll be fine in your coolest summer clothes. In the high mountains of the Hill Country around Nuwara Eliya, it can get much colder and you may need a jumper or a summer jacket. Keep in mind that it can also suddenly start raining. extremely intense. Please bring an umbrella or a thin rain poncho.

8. Pack "temple clothes"

If you want to visit Buddhist temples, you need to dress respectfully, which means covering your shoulders and knees. By the way, covering your knees is not enough. just, but the skirt or trousers should be at least three-quarter length. Also keep in mind that you should be able to easily take off your bare feet.

9. Do not photograph yourself in front of the Buddha

We learnt this "the hard way". You can take pictures of Buddha, but the thing is that you shouldn't turn your back on a Buddha statue. We apologised and you can't see the photo. But here's the tip: don't take a photo with your back to a Buddha statue!

10. Stay healthy

There is no great risk of getting seriously ill while travelling in Sri Lanka, but as in all Asian countries, you can get a stomach bug. To avoid gastric illness, avoid tap water and eat properly cooked food as much as possible. There is also some risk of dengue fever, which is spread by mosquitoes. It is therefore advisable to use mosquito repellent in the evening, when the mosquitoes come out.

11. Make sure you can charge your electronics

There are primarily two different types of electrical outlets in Sri Lanka. One we managed to buy the right adapter for (picture) and the other consists of three round holes. We couldn't find an adapter for the second one in Sweden, but if you put a pen in the third top hole (which is a barrier and doesn't contain electricity) you can use it for Swedish plugs.

Sometimes an adapter is available in hotel rooms, but you can't be sure. If you want to make charging your electrical gadgets easier, you can buy an adapter like the one shown in the picture. We bought this at Clas Ohlson.

12. Have access to the internet

WiFi often works well in both high-end and low-end hotels, so if using the internet occasionally is enough for you, you can make do. If you want to make sure you always have access to the internet, you can buy a local sim card on site and insert it into your phone - but this requires you to have an unlocked phone. We used "Dialog" which had very good coverage throughout our trip, and paid about 65-75 SEK for 9-12 GIG (slightly different prices in different places).

13. Booking a driver - or getting the right paperwork

One of the most common ways to get around during a trip to Sri Lanka is to hire a car with a driver. Renting a car with a driver is not much more expensive than renting a car without a driver, and this of course makes things easier in many ways. At the same time, you have to be aware that the drivers have agreements with various hotels and activities/sights, and receive a commission when they take you to them. Their suggestions can of course be excellent, but it is good to be aware that they are partly driven by commission.

If you want to rent your own car (or other vehicle), you must have an international driving licence and you must also obtain a stamp on the spot, which can only be done on weekdays. We thought the roads looked perfectly fine to drive on, but you should be aware that it is left-hand traffic. We've also heard (but don't really know) that it's easy to be blamed if there is an accident.

14. Keep track of your money and drink in moderation

Prices in Sri Lanka are generally very low, but activities and excursions sometimes have 'tourist prices' that can be ten (or 30!) times the price of what the locals themselves pay. It is therefore not always cheap, and in some cases a service charge is added on top of the price. A good way to keep track of how much the Sri Lankan rupee is worth is to remove a zero and divide by half (2019).

When travelling in Sri Lanka, you will meet many people who help you in different ways, such as drivers, guides, people who carry your bags, and so on. Many of these people have low salaries and if you are satisfied with the service, tipping is of course appropriate and welcome. However, it can be good to be careful not to be "tricked" into providing services you don't want. Then it is better to say no quickly! An example of when we felt we made the wrong decision was when we visited one of the many spice gardens in Sri Lanka.

15. Don't worry - but still check the security situation

While security in Sri Lanka has been good since the end of the civil war in 2009, it is always good to be aware of the current situation. For example, last autumn there was a controversial appointment of a new prime minister, which led to political tensions. You can always check the latest political and natural conditions on Sweden Abroad.

Last but not least: Enjoy your wonderful Sri Lanka trip!