Sri Lanka Tours

Cash is the best way for any payments in Sri Lanka. Credit cards like Visa or MasterCard and debit cards are widely used and accepted at most midrange and all top-end hotels and restaurants, in the major cities and some towns. Keep in mind that some credit/debit cards add on currency fees for purchases and withdrawals in rupees, so you might want to limit the number of transactions. ATMs accepting Visa and Mastercard are easily found in cities and towns, and often issue Rs 5000 notes. You should break a few as small vendors may not accept large notes.

Tap water is not safe to drink in Sri Lanka. Travellers should only drink bottled mineral water which you can easily find in shops, hotels and restaurants. You should also avoid ice and salads that may have been made with unhygienic water.

The official currency of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) and it is used only for transactions within the country. Notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 rupees. Rupee coins are denominated in one, two, five and 10 rupees. The LKR is not traded internationally so tourists should exchange money at exchange bureaus at the airport or a bank, and also spend all your LKR before you leave. US Dollars or Euro is accepted in large hotels and tourist establishments.

With the best coverage around the island, Dialog and Mobitel are generally the best options for travellers to Sri Lanka. Both providers have large networks and subscriber bases but don’t expect the strong signals when you’re in the jungles or on top of mountains. You can easily get a prepaid SIM card from a row of cell company vendors at the airport or the company service centres widely available across the country. Prices rarely vary and are low by Western standards.

Sri Lanka offers a diverse cuisine with excellent local dishes and popular Dutch-Portuguese gastronomy, which you can safely enjoy in the established eateries or tourist restaurants. But you should only eat fresh and hot prepared dishes, avoid raw food like salads, peeled fruits and ice cream. Eating street food is also not recommended if you do not have any local help for good sites as the food hygiene standards of street vendors in Sri Lanka are not well regulated.

Tipping is generally expected in Sri Lanka as wages are low and it’s an important additional way of increasing income. In large hotels and restaurants, a 10% service charge is usually added in bills, but you can leave a small tip to the waiters, hotel staff or any service worker if the service has been satisfactory. Giving a tip to your private driver or chauffeur guide at the end of the day is also a great way to show your appreciation for their good service.

Nothing short of magnificent, Sri Lanka has something for everyone that makes your escape a once-in-a-lifetime trip. If you’re culture lovers, the famous Cultural Triangle with ancient towns like Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, or Anuradhapura explains culture at its best. For the avid adventurers, the lush greenery of Nuwara Eliya and Ella in the highlands provides perfect hiking tours amidst green tea plantations and stirring mountains. Meanwhile, beautiful seaside towns including Negombo, Galle, Tangalle and Mirissa, are perfect for sun-kissed beach holidays with golden sandy stretches and palm trees. An exotic wildlife safari can be found in some national parks, such as Yala National Park, Udawalawe National Park, or Minneriya National Park.

The weather in Sri Lanka is a little complicated with two separate monsoons affecting the climate of different parts throughout the country - the main southwest monsoon hits the west and southwest coasts from April to September, and the less severe northeast monsoon brings rain to the east coast from November to March. This means that it’s always raining somewhere in Sri Lanka and the best time of year to visit here depends much on where on the island you wish to travel to. If you’re planning to make your way to the west, or south coasts and the hill country, it’s better to go between December and March. Meanwhile, if you’re heading to the east and north coasts, the best time to visit is from May to October.

Sri Lanka is an incredibly captivating destination with tons to explore. If you’re after an authentic experience of the entire country, a holiday of at least 10-14 nights is highly recommended since this provides enough time to experience the lush green landscapes, exotic wildlife, beautiful beaches, and the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. For those seeking a quick understanding of the island and having a short vacation, 6-7 days are sufficient to easily explore the beauty of Sri Lanka.

Though being a small island in the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka has so much variety to offer on a dreaming holiday that perfectly combines adventure, culture and relaxation. From golden beaches to ancient cities, from amazing wildlife to sacred temples, you can easily find a destination that makes you fancy and interested. If you are first-time visitors to Sri Lanka and looking for a wonderful itinerary that allows you to catch a glimpse of this beautiful South Asian country, some of the best destinations should be your picks on the bucket list including the commercial capital Colombo, the UNESCO-protected town Kandy, the Little England of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, the seaside town Galle, Yala National Park and several ancient sites like Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya.