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Sri Lanka has lots of bank holidays, in 2007 there were 25 (comparped to 9 in the UK) the principle Christian and Muslim Holidays are honoured, theres Sinhala & Tamil New Year and Buddhists celebrate each full moon with something called Poya Day. Shops, banks and offices close so towns can appear quiet while hotels and beaches get busy as richer Sri Lankans leave the city for some beachside R&R.
On Poya Day locals put on white clothes and head for temples often miles away from where they live. Roads and trains get busy and public transport generally can be unpredictable so Poya Day might not be the best time to travel. You will have a problem buying alcohol on Poya Day, but it can be done. Your hotel, guest house or a friendly three-wheeler driver will probably find you a drink.
http://www.documents.gov.lk/Calendar/Calendar%202008/English.pdf
Bank Holidays in 2009
January 10 Saturday Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day*
January 14 Wednesday Tamil Thai Pongal Day*
February 04 Wednesday National Day*
February 09 Monday Navam Full Moon Poya Day*
February 23 Monday Maha Sivarathri Day*
March 10 Tuesday Medin Full Moon Poya Day*
March 10 Tuesday Milad-Un-Nabi (Holy Prophets Birthday) *
April 09 Thursday Bak Full Moon Poya Day*
April 10 Friday Good Friday*
April 13 Monday Day prior to Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day*
April 14 Tuesday Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day*
May 01 Friday May Day*
May 08 Friday Wesak Full Moon Poya Day*
May 09 Saturday Day following Wesak Full Moon Poya Day*
June 07 Sunday Poson Full Moon Poya Day*
July 06 Monday Esala Full Moon Poya Day*
August 05 Wednesday Nikini Full Moon Poya Day*
September04 Friday Binara Full Moon Poya Day*
September 21 Monday Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day)*
October 03 Saturday Vap Full Moon Poya Day*
October 17 Saturday Deepavali Festival Day*
November 02 Monday Il Full Moon Poya Day*
November 28 Saturday Id-Ul-Alha (Hadji Festival Day)*
December 01 Tuesday Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day*
December 25 Friday Christmas Day*
December 31 Thursday Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day* Leave a Comment
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I should really say surviving the rains as the 'Monsoon' is the wind, which brings the rain clouds along with it. Sri Lanka is beautiful whatever the weather and the European winter is still the best time to visit the west of the island for sun-worshippers but the weather has been unsettled in recent times and you might get rained on at any time so here are some tips to help you get through it.
On the personal front, get your haircut short, wear open shoes and dark coloured clothes (less likely to become transparent when wet) and do your best to dry yourself off as often as possible, try to keep your nooks and crannies dry at all times.
Even though it is not a dry heat you will still dehydrate and need to go on drinking lots of water. Sanitation is pretty good in Sri Lanka but the ground water you are sloshing around in may be contaminated by something unpleasant, so wash your hands before eating and shower when you get in to wash away anything nasty.
Be particularly careful with electric appliances. Do not drive into flooded washes and remember that the nice stretch of river you were floating about in yesterday might suddenly become a raging muddy torrent.
If you get caught in the rain when out and about local people will often invite you shelter in their homes and workplaces. I took shelter from one particularly heavy downpour in the District Hospital at Pimbura (pictured). I was rewarded with an interesting guided tour and made some new friends from amongst the staff.
Biting insects appear to like the wet and when you're travelling around (staying with friends or using rest houses) sleep under a net. The nets you buy locally are not only cheaper than the ones you buy at home (usually designed just for mozzies) they have a finer mesh which will stop the smaller 'midge' type creatures, which won't give you maleria but can leave you scratching from head to foot.
And finally - if anyone has tips on teaching over the noise in a classroom with a corrugated tin roof during a downpour, let me know. Leave a Comment
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Spice has played an important part in the history of Sri Lanka, it was spice that first attracted the Europeans here and control of the spice trade led to hundreds of years of fighting, chiefly between Portugal and Holland for control of the Island.
The most important of these spices is cinnamon and most of the worlds cinnamon still originates in Sri Lanka, in fact so synonymous is cinnamon with Sri Lanka that the botanical name for cinnamon (cinnamomum zeylanicum) stems from the colonial name for the Island, Ceylon.
You can see spice production just about everywhere in the west of the Island and the workers are generally happy for you to lend a hand.
If you want to know more about cinnamon production check out; http://www.infolanka.com/discover/cinnamon/1.html Leave a Comment
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If you are on the road and your water is running low (or you are simply looking for a safe alternative to sugary soft drinks) the water of the king coconut or thambili is available just about everywhere.
Locals claim all manner of claims about the Thambili from just'cleansing the palate' to settling an upset tummy and that you can survive for months on nothing but Thambili water. It certainly rehydrates this tired traveller like nothing else on earth and I wouldnt tackle a tropical hangover without one.
The thambili costs a few rupees and is usually drunk straight from the shell, they will usually find you a straw. Leave a Comment
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 by bijo69Leave a Comment
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 by Maxus
I have been staying with friends in Sri Lanka for 10 years and I tried to do this once but the police had no idea what I was talking about.
*This does not apply to individuals staying in hotels or guest houses. Leave a Comment
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 New notes due sometime
this year by Maxus
New notes Rs 2000, 1000, 50, 20 and 10 depicting Sri Lankan heritage sites are expected to be in circulation during 2008
For those interested in this sort of thing, Sri Lankan banknotes are printed vertically on the reverse, which is apparently rather unusual.
You will find lots of people in Sri Lanka who are very interested in your money whatever denomination in happens to be. Leave a Comment
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 Tea fields in the mountains
around Nuwaraeliya by Sunchild
Well, I always spend a lot of time b e f o r e we actually book any holiday (from Germany).
Nearly at each trip we meet people in hotels, who book their round-trips at the beach as this seems to be cheaper! Most of the time this means though, they pay their hotel at the same time and the trip on top! Well - I think, this can be arranged better.
A specialist for trips to Sri Lanka is Kumara-Reisen, specialising on Sri Lanka and Maldives,(obviously only appropriate for those travelling from Germany) and is one I can HONESTLY advise. Just ask them for an offer and they will work out one individually for you and your "desires" at all nearly all hotel standards and at reasonable(!) prices (and you can trust me for that - I always compare prices very "up to the point"!
We were really more than impressed by what they (Mr. Kumara is of Singhalese origin) and their partners in Sri Lanka, arranged for us!!! Moreover, as all entrance fees (and they are quite expensive) were included as well as half boardl! And all together made it a real good value and even made us feel like "VIPs" sometimes! (www.kumara-reisen.de)
The driver was more our guide than just the driver and his knowledge of his country was estonishing (and he spoke German a n d, of course, English!) He was a hobby ornitologue and he even got us interested in watching birds!
By the way - after our stay in Sri Lanka we spent another 5 nights on Maldives. Did you know that Maldives Male is only 1 hour away from Colombo and that it costs only 70E on top for the flight? Well, I admit, Maldives hotels are very expensive - but a 3* hotel (like Fihalhohi Island) is affordable and when you wish to see Maldives once anyway, it's the best and cheapest chance to get there! You fly with Emirates? Put Dubai on top!!! That's what we did and - I can honestly tell you - this trip was our most harmonious and perfect one!
This absolute georgeous landscapes, (our expectations were overdone!) the many historical monuments and their culture, their deliscious and spicey food and the very friendly people and, yes, not to forget the nice weather! Leave a Comment
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 Guitar + empty food tin = our
own band by mafi_moya
Now I'm one of the few Westerners who can honestly say they actually like Indian Hindi 'Bollywood' music (which is also very popular in SL), but Sinhalese music has a different rythm and beat and it takes a while to get used to. I can't say I've been entirely converted to it yet.
It's also a genetic fact that all Sri Lankan males think they can sing and dance like gods. They can't. (Neither can I but at least I admit it). But after a few arracks it's all good fun! Leave a Comment
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 by nepalgoods
The first occurred during the residence of Mahinda at Anuradhapura. The sage's father, Emperor Asoka of India, too a cutting of the sacred Bo Tree, under which the Buddha had attained enlightenment, and sent it to Sri Lanka. It was transportet to Sri Lanka in the care of his daughter , the nun Sanghamitta. The tree was planted in Anuradhapura, where it remains today - not the original one but a replanted cutting of it. Leave a Comment
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