SRI LANKA TRAVEL GUIDE

ESSENTIALS | WHEN TO GO | WEATHER | COSTS | ACTIVITIES | SIGHTS

INTRODUCTION

Sri Lanka has more than 2,550 years of continuous written history by means of the Mahawansha and was also mentioned in several ancient Indian texts. One of the most famous is the Ramayana, in which the island, which was referred to as Lanka, was the island fortress of the king Ravana. And over many centuries Sri Lanka has had many names.

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal and southeast of the Arabian Sea. It is geographically separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.

Sri Lanka has always epitomised the exotic – a place where the earth opens up to yield a precious bounty of 'pigeon blood' rubies and bright green emeralds, of yellow and blue sapphires as big as rocks and sloping tiers of rubber, tea, coffee and spice plantations on hillsides. Although tiny, Sri Lanka is one of the world’s major tourist destinations, with enough spice gardens, temples, elephants and tea plantations to hold its own against the rest of the Far East.

COVID-19 TRAVEL STATUS

Updated:

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Entry to Sri Lanka is currently prohibited for all foreign nationals including residents, and Sri Lanka is not currently issuing visas.Non-national residents wishing to return to Sri Lanka should contact their nearest Sri Lankan High Commission for advice.Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is only accepting certain special categories of flights including repatriation flights, emergency diversion flights, humanitarian aid flights, freighter operations, and technical landings.All arriving travelers must submit completed Health Declaration Forms to public health inspectors or other authorized officials. The maximum allowed transit time at CMB is 10 hours. Passengers must have a confirmed onward connection.Airline crew must self-quarantine at the location mentioned in the Health Declaration Form and have meals only through in-room dining until they operate their next flight.Visas and ETAs issued by Sri Lanka have been invalidated.14-day quarantine is mandatory for all those traveling into Sri Lanka, usually followed by 14 days self-isolation at home. Those entering must undergo temperature checks at the airport. All entrants must now take a PCR test.

TRAVEL ADVISORY

LOCATION MAP

COUNTRY MAP

Do You Need a VISA to Visit

SRI LANKA?

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QUICK FACTS

• Capital: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, but Colombo is the commercial capital
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
• Area: 65,610 km²
• Population: 21,67 million (2018)
• Language: Sinhala , Tamil , English (Official)
• Religion: Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
• Electricity: 230V, 50Hz British G type plug most common + fewer (older) installations of D (round pin plug used in India).

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

• 4 February, Independence Day (banks also)
• 13–14 April, Tamil and Sinhala New Year
• 1 May, May Day (banks also)
• 22 May, Proclamation of the Republic Day (1972)

Any of the above public holidays that falls on a Saturday is observed on the preceding work day; any that falls on a Sunday is observed on the following work day. The full moon day (Poya Day) of each month is a holiday in Sri Lanka.

FESTIVALS

WEATHER SYNOPSIS

Sri Lanka is hot and humid with significant variation in climate over time and space. This variation is reinforced by the country’s topography, which creates its unique rainfall pattern. The average annual rainfall in Sri Lanka varies from less than 1000 mm in the semi-arid area of the northwest and southeast of the island to above 5000 mm on the southwestern slopes of the central hills. The country has four major rainfall seasons. The southwest monsoon period (May to September) accounts for up to 55% of the annual precipitation and often exceeds 3000 mm of rain. The inter-monsoon period (October to November) follows the southwest monsoon and contributes over 500 mm of rain in many places. The northeast monsoon period (December to February) contributes about 200 mm to 1200 mm of rain. The inter-monsoon period (March to April) follows the northeast monsoon. Based on precipitation patterns, Sri Lanka is divided into three zones: the wet zone, intermediate zone, and dry zone. The wet zone receives a mean annual rainfall of over 2500 mm, the dry zone receives less than 1750 mm, and the intermediate zone receives between 1750 mm and 2500 mm. Little or no seasonal annual variation of temperature is experienced in Sri Lanka, with mean annual temperature in coastal areas ranging from 26ºC to 28ºC. At higher altitudes, above 1500 m, temperature ranges between 15ºC and 19ºC.

TOURIST SEASONS

HOT MONTHS:

MODERATE MONTHS:

COLD MONTHS:

WET MONTHS:

DRY MONTHS:

SPORT & ACTIVITIES

HEALTH

Be aware of possible health risks in 

Sri Lanka

Yellow fever - The yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America. The virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. There is no medicine to treat or cure an infection. To prevent getting sick from yellow fever, use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and get vaccinated.

Zika Virus - Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These mosquitoes bite during the day and night. Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika.

Malaria - Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death from malaria can usually be prevented.

Dengue - Dengue is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These mosquitoes bite during the day and night. About one in four people infected with dengue will get sick. For people who get sick with dengue, symptoms can be mild or severe.

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