Top 15 tips when traveling to Sri Lanka for the first time

Sri Lanka came with a rather strong culture shock, which didn't bother us, on the contrary: it showed us how little we knew about this country and showed us perhaps 1% of what it would be like India. The two have the same religion and traditions. But automatically, there are things you need to keep in mind in order to have a good holiday.

To read more about our itinerary, how we got to Sri Lanka, the accommodation we booked and a list of recommended restaurants, please click here.. In this article, I want to leave you with a list of 15 tips/ideas that are good to know when traveling to Sri Lanka. Save the list well and don't forget to apply it when you get there!

1. Common expressions

A very interesting thing is that people greet with a gesture called „Ayubowan”, similar cu „Namastein India, accompanied by a slight bow of the head. In Buddhist temples, you should enter barefoot and avoid turning your back to statues of Buddha's birthday. when you leave. Other expressions that would be nice to know are: Thank you! – Bohoma istuti, Yes – Owau, No – Naa, Sorry – Samawenna

2. Favourable time to go

It's harder to pin down a specific month as the best, as it depends very much on which part of the island you want to visit. The country has two monsoon seasons that affect different parts of the island at different times of the year. In a nutshell:

Dry season in the south and west (most popular) → December - April
Dry season in the north and east → May - September

March is considered the best month to visit the island, as it's in the middle of the dry season, but take into account the surprise rains that can occur.

3. 3. The entry process

You need a visa valid for 30 days, travel insurance and a passport valid for at least 6 months. For the visa, you can apply here on site a few days in advance. Afterwards, you receive an email with a link in which you have to fill in your contact and passport details, and at least the address of an accommodation in order to be registered in their database. At the airport we spent exactly 3 minutes just long enough for them to look us up in the system and stamp our passport, it's that simple! Of course, always check the latest news on local website.

4. Medicine kit

As for vaccines, we didn't have any, but that was our choice and we took it! What is advisable is to consult a doctor and then make an informed decision. Some of the recommended vaccines for Sri Lanka are:

Hepatitis A - recommended for safety, as the virus can be transmitted through contaminated food or water.
Hepatitis B - recommended if you are at risk of exposure through medical contact or tattoos/ piercings.
Typhoid fever - especially recommended if you'll be eating street food or traveling in rural areas.

Also, being an exotic island, there is a very high risk of Dengue Fever, so buy lots of mosquito sprays. Especially if it's raining, there are extremely many mosquitoes and the risk is much higher. I noticed that they have a much more effective herbal and essential oil spray, so you can buy from there too.

Ce medicamente What meds we had that are good to have in your luggage: Smecta, Enterol, Metoclopramide, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Aerius, Betadine, medicated rubbing alcohol, antibacterial wipes, Omeprazole, Gaviscon, moisturizing salts, Coldrex, Fervex, and an antibiotic just in case.

5. Head Wobble – what does it mean?

The specific head movement in Sri Lanka is similar to that in India and can be confusing to foreigners. It's called „head wobble” or „head bobble”, which is a rocking of the head from side to side. What does it mean?

- "Yes, I understood / I agree" - If a local makes this motion when you speak to them, it usually means they understand and agree.
– "Ok, just ok" - It's used a lot in informal conversation to confirm something, but without undue enthusiasm.
– "Maybe/ I am not sure" - Sometimes the move is ambiguous and can be a form of politeness or an avoidance of a direct 'no'.

6. Show respect to the culture

Show respect to the temples and their religious customs - Dress decently at the temples (shoulders and knees covered), and when you enter the temple premises, you must take your shoes off. Do not turn ever your back to Buddha's birthday. statues for pictures. You can take pictures of statues where allowed, but pictures of you and the statue behind you are not recommended.

7. Show respect to their traditions

To give or receive objects and money, use the right hand, as the left hand is considered impure. You can bow slightly when thanking. And smile to locals who smile back and are friendly.

8. Avoid tap water

Drink only bottled or filtered water. On juices and smoothies, ask if they were made with filtered water. We usually had a few bottles of plain water left by the hosts in the room at accommodations. There were places where locals refilled their bottles with water, but we didn't have the courage to try them. Instead, we used the tap water to brush our teeth or wash our hair and we were fine.

9. Top apps to use

We used the PickMe app for taxi, especially for tuktukbut we also asked for cars. It is very good and has very good prices. Of course, in very touristy places, drivers will not respond on the app, but will yell at you from the street and charge double-triple. We got away with this most of the time by showing them exactly how much the price would be on the app, and they would either give up and let us down, or they would drop the original price too.

10. Use the train

Seriously, train travel is a true cultural experience in itself! Plus, the Kandy-Ella route is considered to be among the most beautiful and scenic routes in the world. Just keep in mind that it's always going to be delayed, by at least an hour, so don't plan anything important according to the train that you won't make it on time.

To book train tickets in advance, especially on the Kandy-Ella route, go to the official website. There are 3 classes in the train: class 1 is more for tourists, with air conditioning and no possibility to open the windows; class 2 is with fan, you can open the windows, with seats you can book and with locals; class 3 is mainly used by locals, without cooling source and you can open the windows. I recommend you also try class 1 and class 2 for both experiences. But keep in mind that the trains are always full of people.

11. Locals and expectations

They are very friendly - The locals are friendly and curious, but can sometimes seem pushy, especially the shopkeepers and tuk-tuk drivers. But they'll leave you alone pretty quickly if you're firm. Here, everyone has something for sale or a tour or a ride to offer, so they'll come up with a very well thought-out story, but they're not malicious.

Don't be scared if everyone asks you where you are from, how long you are staying in Sri Lanka, what route you are taking or things about your country. They are just curious and want to talk to you as much as possible. They are an extremely sociable people.

12. Give them a little piece of your culture

Look, this is a personal tip, which I tried: I brought a little piece of Romania to each host with a little story. Maybe I was lucky with the time of year, being the beginning of March, but I took a few trinkets from the country with the Romanian flag and the word Good Luck I gave it to the host ladies and explained to them what it means and that it is part of our culture. The gesture was greatly appreciated and we felt them much warmer and closer. I'm sure you will find something, and the locals, especially the children and the homestay guests will be happy with your gesture.

13. Money and paying

Local money is Sri Lanka rupiah (LKR). You can exchange money at the airport, but you can also find exchange houses with better rates in cities. Do a good GoogleMaps search for reviews. ATM withdrawals have higher feesbut BOC, Sampath and Commercial Bank ATMs are the most reliable. Use with confidence Revolut for withdrawals, we had the best exchange with it.

14. Go in safari!

I had no idea how rich Sri Lanka is in wildlife and how many animal species there are. There are plenty of national parks to choose from, so don't cram yourself into Yala National Park. Also, there are elephant sanctuaries, but look carefully to be on good sanctuaries that help injured elephants, and not a place that doesn't do them any good for the money. Here's a full list of national parks and what they are recognized for:

15. Explore the island as much as you can

Sri Lanka is not the island to stay in one place. Worth exploring as much as you can, it's extraordinarily rich in diverse landscapes, from exotic jungle to the most impressive tea plantations to the paradisiacal beaches that surround it. Try taking a tour of several areas to discover just a little bit of it. I'm telling you, you'll love it.

And if you need help to organize such a tour, feel free to leave me a message. I will be happy to help you!

I hope these tips will make your dream vacation in Sri Lanka and feel free to leave me a comment if you want more details. If you want to read about our itinerary, please click here..