Sri Lanka Tourist Traps

  Smokers Room at the Ariport
by Maxus
 
  • Smokers Room at the Ariport
      Smokers Room at the Ariport
    by Maxus
  • That's far enough
      That's far enough
    by Maxus
  •   Tourist Traps
    by WStat
  • Galle Road, Aluthgama
      Galle Road, Aluthgama
    by WStat
  • Galle-Road, Aluthgama
      Galle-Road, Aluthgama
    by WStat
 
Great Prices, Great Rooms
hotels.com We Know Hotels Inside And Out. Click or call now: 1-800-914-6835
Save on Air + Hotel ? Book a Getaway Today!
hotels.com Vacations The One Stop Shop for Your Next Trip. Click or call now: 1-800-764-6835

Sponsored Links

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya Forest Complex

by nishantha076

The KDN complex is situated in the southern part of Sri Lanka which is about 147 kilometers away from Colombo. The total forest spread over 10139.3 hectares. The forest complex occupies the interfluves between two rivers the GinGanga and the Nilwala Ganga consists of series of ridges and valleys and the elevation ranges from 60-425M above mean sea level. The mean monthly temperature is around 27C with a diurnal range of 4-5C, Maximum temperature has been recoded from mid May while the annual rainfall in Kanneliya is around 3750 mm.The Kanneliya forest as a whole are among the most important natural forests in the southern province for protection of the head waters of the Gin and Nilwala which are critically important for socio-economic development in the Galle and Matara districts. This region has identified as floristically one of the richest areas in South Asia. There is a high...

Tip Photo
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage – Sri Lanka

by nishantha076

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is situated in the Sabaragamuwa province of Sri Lanka which is about 87 Kilometers away from Colombo. To reach Pinnawala you have to turn from the 82nd kilometer post of the Colombo – Kandy main road and come through Rambukkana road. If you travel by train the nearest railway station to reach Pinnawala is Rambukkana (2 Kilometers from this railway station). The orphanage has a bunch of 84 elephants at the moment which is also considered as the biggest bunch of elephants in the world that are living under the human supervision. The age groups of these elephants are from One week to 50 years of old.The orphanage starts at 8.30 am daily for the visitors. At about 10.00 am this bunch of elephants starts walking towards Ma-Oya where they refresh with their daily bathing. Ma-Oya provides the water for drinking bathing for these elephants. The Elephant bathing at...

Tip Photo
Warana Historical Temple

by nishantha076

Warana is an ancient temple situated in a village called "Warana" in the province of western sri lanka.This has a history which runs over of few decades. It is a fine display of ancient architecture of temples in the era of king Walagamba.This place is rich of beautuful paintings inside the cave temple,Statues of lord buddha etc. To reach the temple you have to come through the Colmbo-Kandy main road & then there is a turning at Thihariya junction. That road is called warana road. you have to travel few kilometers through that raod & then you reach the beautiful temple which is sorrounded by a paddy field. This is a place for worship. So only if you are interested in ancient architecture,heritage sites , religious places you can visit this temple.

Tip Photo
Beach Seating Charges

by Vaughany

You will see tables and chairs with parasols set out on most tourist beaches, maybe close to a bar. Be aware that if you sit down there is a charge for doing so. Even if you do not order anything from the bar, and even if there is no bar there, someone will pop-up before you move on and charge you a seating price. This is especially common on all of Colombo’s beaches and nearby Negombo beach.

Local Price And Tourist Price

by Vaughany

At most of Sri Lanka's attractions there will be a local price and a tourist price - a scheme that seems to be official and possibly a government initiative (?). Both rates should be advertised before you go in, but in some cases they advertise the local price and you don't see the tourist price. Check these out before you go in anywhere - it is common practice but can feel like you're being cheated sometimes if the tourist price has not been adequately advertised. The tourist price is not over-expensive in my experience and if you think about the difference in earnings between you and a Sri Lankan worker you can see why there are two different prices.

Don't Visit Turtle Hatcheries!

by jungles

There are several sea turtle hatcheries along Sri Lanka's coast from Induruwa to Yala, all of which claim to be aiding in turtle conservation by buying eggs from poachers and releasing the hatchlings into the sea two or three days after they hatch. All of these places are illegal and are either ignorant of turtle biology or are deliberately misleading tourists in order to make money. When a baby turtle hatches in the wild, he immediately heads out to sea, swimming for two straight days until he reaches the deep sea, and only then does he begin to feed. When the baby turtles are kept in the hatcheries so that tourists can view them, they use up all their energy swimming around in a tank, and by the time they are released they are unable to make it out to their feeding grounds, so they have no chance of survival. These hatcheries prey on tourists who believe they are supporting turtle...

Tip Photo
Rawana Ella Cave

by jungles

For those considering a visit to this cave near Ella, be warned that the 1km climb up from the rock temple is difficult and in my opinion is most definitely NOT worth it. The steep path is extremely overgrown with sharp, tall grass (often taller than me), and once you reach the top covered in scratches there is really not much to see. Prehistoric remains of skeletons and tools are said to have been found here, and we heard about a rope ladder leading down into the cave, but when we got there the entrance seemed to be blocked by a large boulder, so we did not see inside the cave at all. Someone from the monastery down below will probably offer to guide you to the top (and ask for a Rs 200 tip at the end), but you'd be wise to give it a miss. The small painted rock temple near the monastery is not that impressive either (especially if you've seen the Dambulla caves), so I wouldn't bother...

Tip Photo
Aluvihare Monastery

by jungles

I'm sorry to say I was not very impressed with the rock temple at this monastery. Perhaps my reaction would have been different had I not been to the outstanding Dambulla caves just the day before. The caves of Aluvihare certainly pale in comparison, and the views from the top were not as good as those at Yapahuwa, Mihintale, or Sigiriya. The only real reason to come is for the shock value of the frescoes and statues depicting torture scenes in hell, but don't expect them to be of great artistic merit. If you have your own transport this place might be worth a quick stop on the way to or from Kandy, but if you're using public transport then I wouldn't bother getting off the bus. Entrance is Rs 100. Don't miss the painted caves at Dambulla; that's a rock temple worth visiting!

Tip Photo
Exchange rates rip off

by ardelean

Some hotels use different exchange rates for working out your bill. I was quoted USD86 for bed and breakfast. This rate was converted at SLR101 = USD1 to make up the bill and then divided by SLR 95 to conver the bill into dollars for entering on my credit card. The difference niggled. Some hotels quote the exchange rate that they will use for calculating the sum to be entered on your credit card. Some hide the fact. Under the credit card rules you have a choice for the sume to be entered in the local currency (and let the card company calculated the rate) or in the card currency. If the hotel refuses you the choice, report them to the card company. Get the rate quoted in rupees and pay with cash taken from the ATM.

Exchange Rates

by ardelean

I have seen many comments about the exchange houses in the airport. I entered Sri Lanka in September 2005. There were many banks after the luggage check. The rates for GBP were the same at each bank, about 181 SLR = 1 GBP. Also the difference between buying and selling was less than 1.5% and no commission, so the rate seemed OK to me. Later, I could not get a better rate in town, so I guess something must have changed at the airport. It seems that the SLR is tied to the USD and that the rate should be about 100 SLR = 1 USD, but check at www.xe.com for the current rate.

Tourist Attractions in Sri Lanka

Top 3 Hotels in Sri Lanka

Mount Lavina Hotel  Colombo

 5 Reviews and 395 Opinions  This is the closest hotel you can experience the Beach as you come to Colombo. Good food, good rooms... 

 Hotels in Colombo

Earl's Regency Hotel Kandy  Kandy

 4 Reviews and 235 Opinions  Kandy Perahara Starts on Esala Full Moon Poya Day in July & finishes on Nikini Full Moon Poya Day on... 

 Hotels in Kandy

Palm Garden Village Hotel  Anuradhapura

 3 Reviews and 111 Opinions  The Palm Garden Village is like a colonial club, but one with a relaxed and freestyle-air. It was... 

 Hotels in Anuradhapura

227 Hotels in Sri Lanka
 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
Travel Highlights

The Place

Reviews and photos of Sri Lanka attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Sri Lanka sightseeing.

Experience Sri Lanka
Tourist Traps: Cities in Sri Lanka
  1. Colombo Tourist Traps
  2. Kandy Tourist Traps
  3. Negombo Tourist Traps
  4. Nuwara Eliya Tourist Traps
  5. Hikkaduwa Tourist Traps
  6. Galle Tourist Traps
  7. Bentota Tourist Traps
  8. Unawatuna Tourist Traps
  9. Anuradhapura Tourist Traps
  10. Sri Lanka Tourist Traps
  11. Sigiriya Tourist Traps
  12. Dambulla Tourist Traps
  13. Beruwala Tourist Traps
  14. Pinnawala Tourist Traps
  15. Aluthgama Tourist Traps
  16. Matara Tourist Traps
  17. Kegalle Tourist Traps

More Cities in Sri Lanka

 

Popular Regions in Sri Lanka

Western Province Tourist Traps  Southern Province Tourist Traps  Central Province Tourist Traps  North Central Province Tourist Traps  North Eastern Province Tourist Traps  Province of Uva Tourist Traps  Province of Sabaragamuwa Tourist Traps  North Western Province Tourist Traps 

More Regions in Sri Lanka

Questions and Answers

MacedonianUK profile photo

Q:  Thinking of traveling to Sri Lanka in the end of March for 3 weeks. I will go with my 6 yr old. Will take Medical precoushns bu... 

HansDK profile photo

A: Any special reasons why you want to stay in Colombo for 3 days. Everywhere in Sri Lanka is child friendly, but as you want to end up in Trinco (and spend part of your... 

Read 5 Replies

postQuestion_button

Click here for best deals for Sri Lanka

Save up to 50% off Hotels Everyday
Expedia.com Photos, Reviews and the Guaranteed Lowest Prices
Plenty of choices
agoda.com Save up to 75%, Don't miss! Live support, Instant confirmation.
Save money, Book now !
Booking.com Excellent choice, Low rates
Great Prices, Great Rooms
hotels.com We Know Hotels Inside And Out. Click or call now: 1-800-914-6835

Sponsored Links