Thinking about visiting Sri Lanka? Here’s everything you need to know before visiting for the first time.
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1. Climate
Sri Lanka’s climate can be confusing for first time travellers as the country has two monsoon seasons. The south-west (Yala) monsoon season is from May – July whilst the north-east (Maha) monsoon season is from October – January. We visited Sri Lanka in June and therefore travelled the north-east and central regions. You can generally expect warm weather (25-30°C) year-round unless you are in the mountains (Ella or Nuwara Eliya) where it can be cooler.
2. Religion
Sri Lanka is predominantly a Buddhist country. In order to be respectful, when entering a Buddhist temple ensure you cover your knees and shoulders and remove shoes and hats. As temple grounds can be hot in the sun it is advised to bring socks to prevent your feet from burning. It is prohibited to pose for photos standing in front of Buddha with your back to Buddha (ie a selfie). From my experience, whilst dressing modestly at all times is not essential in Sri Lanka you may feel more comfortable, particularly if in less-touristy areas, to opt for more modest outfit choices.
3. Accommodation
We found accommodation for tourists to still be developing in the regions we visited (June 2024). We were travelling on a budget of approximately £20/night and found that this would get us very basic private accommodation compared to what the same budget could get us in South East Asia. It is possible on a backpacker budget but manage your expectations. More luxurious accommodation is available but this does come with the expected price tag. We found there to be limited accommodation between very basic and luxury but as we did not travel the heavily trodden path this may be different in the south-west. We found the best value accomodation in Sri Lanka to be listed on Agoda and Booking.com.
4. Modes of transport
You will find yourself using a variety of modes of transport in Sri Lanka. Be flexible with your plans, prepare to think outside the box and expect to use trains, buses, tuktuks and ride-hailing apps (Uber, PickMe, Kangaroo Cabs). In the regions we visited a number of hotel owners were happy to give us a lift or collect us from the station for an additional fee if ride-hailing apps were not available in the area. Do not book connecting transport unless you have a number of hours wiggle room as transport rarely runs to its expected schedule. Be aware of tuktuk scams and consider walking a little down the road from main transport hubs before ordering your ride through Uber or PickMe. You can purchase train tickets in advance with 12Go or the Sri Lankan National Railway website.
5. Currency
The currency used in Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). Cash is king in Sri Lanka but LKR can be hard to come by before you travel as it was previously a closed currency. Some UK based currency exchanges now offer LKR but alternatively you can get cash from a local ATM. We use the app ATM fee saver when we travel to work out which cashpoint will have the lowest or zero fees for withdrawing with a foreign card. Bank of Ceylon (BOC) and People’s Bank had no fees during our trip. Ensure when taking money from a cashpoint to select being charged in local currency rather than your home currency. This means that your bank will set the exchange rate charged rather than the bank whose ATM you are withdrawing from who often a less favourable rate. Providing you have a fee-free international card such as Monzo or Chase, this will save you money every time you withdraw cash.
6. Language
There are two official languages in Sri Lanka, Sinhala and Tamil. Sinhala is most widely spoken and many people also speak English as a second language. We always recommend learning the very basics of the local language such as hello (ayubovan, pronounced ay-you-bo-van), goodbye (ayubowan, pronounced ay-you-bo-van) and thank you (stutiyi, pronounced stu-ti).
7. History
Sri Lanka experienced civil war from 1983 – 2009. This arose from a group fighting for an independent Tamil state in the north-east of the island. Consequentially, the island is still recovering and whilst tourism is starting to boom the industry is not yet as developed as other countries.
8. SIM cards
In order to navigate yourself around Sri Lanka you will need a data package for your phone. You can do this by either purchasing a physical tourist SIM from a local carrier or an eSIM. This decision will be influenced by your length of trip and how much data you are likely to use. We have used both options during our travels, always picking the best value choice for the length of time we are in the country. We opted for physical SIMs in Sri Lanka which we purchased from the Dialog counter in Colombo airport arrivals. The staff were very helpful and set up the SIMs for us. Our tourist plan cost 2450LKR (approximately £6) for 50GB and unlimited WhatsApp over 30 days.
Alternatively, eSIMs are easy to set up and activate the moment you land in the country if you have set them up prior to departure. Our favourite eSIM provider is Airalo who we used frequently during our travels. Airalo’s Sri Lankan eSIMs range from £3.50 – £14 depending on the duration and amount of data. App users can get discounts with our codes NEWTOAIRALO15 (15% for new users) or AIRALOESIM10 (10% for exisiting users).
9. Wildlife
Sri Lanka is ubundant with vibrant wildlife that many of us have only seen in zoos. Whilst walking through temple grounds, parks or green spaces you may find you cross paths with monkeys. Maintain a safe distance, avoid feeding, touching and making eye contact with monkeys and they will leave you alone. When visiting areas known to be home to elephants, such as the town of Sigiriya, do not walk around in the dark and observe any elephants from afar to ensure your safety.
10. Vaccinations
The UK government provides information on which vaccinations should be received prior to travelling to Sri Lanka. It is advised to make an appointment with your healthcare provider or travel clinic at least 8 weeks before your trip. The vaccines recommended will depend on individual risk factors and the trip planned but may include Tetanus boosters, Hepatitis A and or B, Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies. For up to date information check the gov.uk foreign travel advice and speak to a healthcare professional. Mosquito bite avoidance is recommended but no malaria prevention is necessary.
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