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There are some taxis that have a fare meter, but most cabs and tuktuks (rickshaws) haggle with you. Agree on a price before you get going, otherwise you won't have as much leverage when you get there. The trap is that they will know you are a tourist and try and charge you far more than they would the locals who know the areas and the language.
This country is the gem that it is because as yet, some areas haven't been too badly affected by tourism. However, it is becoming more of a travel hot spot. My plea to those of you who visit is to repsect the environment and the wildlife that you can still see there. Rubbish dropped by tourists in nature reserves is slowly reducing the numbers of species, and by giving food to the monkeys you are only letting them become more and more dependent on humans for survival. It is their home, so please respect it.Also, you may see many beautiful items at markets. Mostly, buying them can only help the local people, however,please be aware that they may try to sell you trinkets made from ebony or ivory. By buying these you are contibuting to the decline of endangered species in the country.
Elephant Orphanage at Pinnewala near Kegalle.Absolutely Fantastic! Sri Lankans have an on-going love of elephants. As a tourist you are almost never to have any contact with the bloody civil war, which has been raging in the far north east, The elephants have been less fortunate. Many have lost limbs by stepping on landmines and others have fallen foul of hunters and farmers who shoot them when they stray on to their fields.The goverment-run orphanage was set up to save the abandoned or orphaned wild elephants. If you arrive just after it opens at 8.30am you can see the calves fed from giant milk bottles and watch as they are taken doun to a nearby river to play and cool off. Watching the elephants pelt at top speed from the field in which they spend their days down a dirt track to the river to frolic in the water together make it all worthwhile.They're controlled by their keepers to...
There is no real tourist traps. just take care of your bag, because I heard ( never saw them ) about pick pockets on market places, and ask for the price to the taxi driver before going into the car. in fact just use your common sens and everything should be ok.
Be carefull when you want to visit a national park, in villages near by the park you can rent a jeep and a guide, but negotiate about the price, most of the time they ask very mutch money. Also check if there is a national park around, sometimes they say that they bring you to the national park but then its a 2 hour drive to the park (and all the time you are paying).
If you want to play golf in Nuwara Eliya, be aware that the caddies will try to swindle you. When you hit a ball in the bushes, they will say that they cant find it any more and after 3 ball you have to pay for it. But thats not the truth, they have found all the balls but they try to urn some extra money that way. It isnt happened not me, but to some good friends of me
Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage is more for tourists than for elephants any more. Even so I am glad I went there. I was able to take some good close up photos of the elephants. The road out side the entrance is lined up with all manner of shops for tourists like me. Like many places I went to they had an admission price for locals and an admission price for tourists. The tourist price is about ten times what the locals pay but with the exchange rate of 80 rupees to a dollar I did not feel like I was being over charged.
REKAWA-BEACh near TANGALLE: some fishermen want you to believe they are working for a 'turtle-watch-programm' to protect the nests of marine turtles. this is ***. the only ones who try tp protect anything are the people from the governments TCU = TURTLE CONSERVATION UNIT. you find them on the right side of the beach. they will not pluck you out of your 3-wheeler and ask for 300,- LkRs. SEE MY 2nd 'OF THE BEATEN PATH' - TIP for the hole story and what to do about it.
the whole town of TISSAMAHARANA - the gate-away to Yale West National Park - is a trap. I could hardly walk out of my hotel room without beeing harrassed for taking part in a 'safari'. most of the jeep-drivers are scammers, don't know any english and the words 'value for money' never crossed their braincells. try to arrange a trust-worthy guide / driver. I still enjoiyed the ride in the park. but because it was off-season, that means only 20 jeeps chasing the elephants around or circling the leopard rock. if you have seen elephants in the wild before, avoid goig to Yale West. and stay away from Tissa.
Just know that there are 2 prices - tourist & local. You will always be charged more. Bargain whenever you can when purchasing any products. However, tickets to tourist sites will definitely costs more and cannot be bargained down.
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