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Flights and travel guide to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is in Southern Asia. It is an island country in the Indian Ocean, south of India. Sri Lanka has many cities and towns. Below is a selection of the most important to travelers.

Colombo - the largest city, close to the capital Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.
Galle - a home for a Dutch fort, and a a gathering point for travelers from the nearby beach resort villages
Kandy - the spiritual heart of the country, home to a tooth of the Buddha
Nuwara Elya
Haputale - small place on top of a mountain range.
Trincomalee
Anuradhapura - ruins of ancient capitals (partially restored)
Polannaruwa - ruins of ancient capitals (partially restored)
Kurunegala
Ratnapura
Jaffna - Northern Capital

Climate

Tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March) only affects east coast; southwest monsoon (June to October) affects mostly the west coast and mountains.

Terrain

Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior. Highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

History

The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-3rd century B.C. and a great civilization developed at such cities as Anuradhapura (kingdom from c. 200 B.C. to c. 1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 to 1200). Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796 and became a crown colony in 1802. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; the name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.

Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s, killing over 70,000. After a shaky ceasefire between 2001 and 2008, open warfare erupted again, with the Tamil Tigers finally surrendering in 2009. It remains to be seen whether winning the war can be parlayed into lasting peace as well.

Get in

By plane

There are plenty of airlines offering flights to Sri Lanka from major UK airports including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, New Castle, London Gatwick. Srilankan Airlines is a national flagship carrier operating to and from Colombo-Bandaranayake. Flights are available from origins throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, the Middle East, India, and Pakistan. SL also flies to the nearby resort areas of Goa, India and the Maldives. Sri Lankan also code shares with Emirates Airlines of the United Arab Emirates. This allows for connections from places SL doesn’t fly to itself such as North America. Qatar Airways had become a popular choice from Europe to Sri Lanka by 2008, and the Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines further improved choice in early 2009 when it opened a Bangalore route to Colombo that enabled easy links to Sri Lanka from the Uk via India.

Mihin Lanka, Sri Lanka’s first (and only) low-cost airline started operating in 2007. They fly to Dubai in United Arab Emirates and Tiruchirapalli and Buddhagaya in India. Other airlines include Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Saudi Arabian Airlines, LTU (Germany), and Edelweiss Air (Switzerland).

There are no direct flights outside of Asia (incl. Middle East) and Europe. From the west coast of the USA/Canada, the distance is almost half-way around the world. Depending on your preferences, and how much spare time you have, consider a stopover in Europe or SE Asia. Another option (for both coasts) is the non-stop flights over the north pole to New Delhi or Mumbai, India from Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, New York (city), or San Francisco. In many cases, this may be the fastest route, but check if an Indian transit visa is required.

Languages

The majority of Sri Lankans speak Sinhala, with Tamil as the second language. English is commonly used by government and tourism officials. Don’t expect everyone, everywhere to be able to speak it fluently. It’s much more common in the beach and tourist areas. Most people in rural villages cannot speak any English, beyond a few simple words.

Sinhala Language The greeting in Sinhala is “ayubowan”, pronounced “aybohan” It means “May you live longer”; ‘Thank you’ is “Bohoma istuti, pronounced “bohame stutti” and “how are you” is “kohomada”, pronounced “Ko homede”"
Tamil Language: The greeting in Tamil is “Vanakkam”; ‘Thank you’ is “Nanri”
Sri Lankan Muslim: If you meet a Muslim it is polite to say “Assalamu Aliakum” (Arabic); and Thank You “Jazakallahu Khaira “جزاك الله خيرا”" (arabic)

Sinhala writing is much more curved than Tamil. After a while, you’ll learn how to distinguish between the two.

Buy

The currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee. The exchange rates are approximately 117Rs/ USD, or 160Rs/ EUR. There are coins for 25 and 50 cents (bronze), 1 rupee (old version is big and silver, new version is small and gold,) 2 rupees (silver,) and 5 rupees (gold,) as well as banknotes ranging from 10- 2000 rupees. Coins that are more than a few years old are typically in quite bad condition.

Handicrafts Of Sri Lanka. For reed, cane, cotton, paper, leather, wood, clay, metal, and gemstones have been transformed and re-expressed in a array of batiks, toys, curios and jewelery, all exquisite hand made treasures.

Credit cards and ATMs

ATMs are located in many places (specially at bank branches) in the cities and suburbs, less so in the countryside.

You can withdraw from debit cards too (Cirrus, Maestro, Visa Electron etc) where the logos are displayed - so no need to carry wads of US dollars when entering the country.

Stay safe

Sri Lanka’s lengthy and bloody civil war seems to come to an end in May 2009, when the Sri Lankan army finally defeated the rebel group Tamil Tigers. It is still way to early to assess if the broader conflict between the hinduistic tamil minority and the buddhist sinhalese majority will now be settled in the political arena. The northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka are likely to remain under strict military control for a considerable time. Some areas may contain land mines, and the facilities in cities and towns are war torn.

Bombings and assassinations were a firm part of the Tigers’ repertoire, and there is heavy security in all sensitive locations. While the separatists have never targeted tourists and none have ever been killed, a few have been wounded by terrorist actions. In general, though, traffic accidents should be a greater concern than terrorism.

Violent crime is not a serious problem for tourists in Sri Lanka. As in most tourist locations, beware of pickpockets, and don’t leave valuables unguarded. Women should not be alone at night on the beach or streets. There has been a slight increase in violent crimes involving tourists in the past few years, but it is still rare.

Con artists and touts are a serious problem throughout all tourist areas. Using the services of a tout for accommodation, local travel, etc. will most likely increase the price. Do not believe anyone who claims to be a professional (e.g. airline pilot), or in charge of a location (like a bus terminal) without proof. Scams involving gemstones are common. Do not buy with the intention of selling them in your home country for a profit.

Also, beware of single males who wish you to accompany them after a religious service. First, ask other members if the person is honest and reliable. Dishonest Sri Lankans (mostly male) are very adept at talking tourists out of their money, and generally prefer this method over violence. They frequent the Galle Face Road area surrounding the tourist hotels, Galle Face Hotel and the Holiday Inn. Their “modus operandi” is to tell you upfront that they don’t want anything from you, only to talk. There may be an auspicious day occurring in Sri Lanka and they will use this to coerce you to accompany them to a temple or church. They will wine, dine, and pay for everything, and then, after two days, will begin to extort money from you.

Although snake bites are extremely rare among tourists (comparable to being struck by lightning), anyone bitten should seek prompt medical care. This is true even if the bite doesn’t result in any pain and swelling.

Stay healthy

Vaccination are recommended for Hepatitis A+B, Polio, and Tetanus. Also, the Typhus vaccination outside of tourist areas especially in the wet season.

Dengue fever: During the rainy season use mosquito repellent. When head and joint aches occur get a blood check. There is no vaccination yet.

Malaria : Gampaha (e.g. Negombo), Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, and Nuwara Eliya districts are considered malaria free, as is the city (but not the entire district) of Kandy. Elsewhere, malaria exists and is most likely in Anuradhapura. In the dry season, using DEET repellent for a mid-day road or train trip to Kandy (including visits to the Peradeniya Gardens) or Nuwara Eliya should suffice. Risk increases after sunset. Malaria prophylaxis (anti-malarials) are warranted for trips to the north (especially Anuradhapura), east, and southeast (however some types are not available locally, and it may not be as effective as what you could obtain back home.)