Top Sri Lanka hotels
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There are lots of cute looking animals in Sri Lanka but petting them (or allowing your offspring to pet them) is not such a good idea. Rabies is not uncommon and things have got considerably worse since the Tsunami (when lots of dogs lost their owners and are consequently running wild) so it is probably wise to keep your distance.
You are highly unlikely to get involved in the 'crime' associated with the civil war: the thousands of people who have disappeared and the allegations of Human rights violations made by both sides, organised crime is becoming a problem in Sri Lanka, a police officer friend told me recently that he would be punished for attempting to investigate a complaint against anyone with rank, influence or wealth and that serious crime rarely reaches the courts even when the criminals are known to everyone, all of which can only encourage Sri Lanka’s booming ‘Underworld’. This ability to avoid prosecution also exasperates the arrogance of the rich (and their offspring) who sometimes let their armed bodyguards go to their heads. Drunken son’s of politician’s and senior army officers etc are often reported to have abused, beaten, raped and even murdered someone who wasn’t quick enough to pay them the...
When you buy a bottled soft drink or king coconut off the beaten track have a quick look down your straw before you take a drink, I learned the hard way and ingested a small spider and its numerous offspring.Looking down your straw is not as sad as it sounds (you will often see your Sri Lankan friends do it) so no one will think you are strange and if it stops you swallowing a spider and her family who gives a damn.
Not everywhere in Sri Lanka has malaria, posting a question in the VT Sri Lanka Forum before you go and seeking local advice when you arrive should keep you aware of the problem areas, as of December 2008 most of the west coast south of Colombo and the Hill Country around Nuwara Eliya remains malaria free but taking your malaria pills is recommended just about everywhere else, these are not particularly nice medicines to take (they can have some unpleasant side effects) nor are they 100% effective and there is dengue fever in Western Province for which there is no preventative pills so you need to be careful whether you take them or not. The most effective repellent is probably DEET but it is not advisable to splash too much of this chemical on your skin because it is poisonous (the NHS recommend 50% solution for adults and 20% for kids). Humidity, heavy rain, swimming and if you are a...
Prospective visitors to Sri Lanka often worry more about civil unrest and tropical disease than about being hit by a bus but the fact is that travellers are much more likely to be harmed in a road accident than by any other means.Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are in most danger as the biggest vehicle has the right of way and footpaths are often non-existent. The advice is basic road sense, avoid the roads if at all possible (the train is much more fun) walk facing on-coming traffic and take extra care at night particularly if you have been drinking.Best not even think about driving yourself, it is cheaper and infinately better to hire a car complete with driver. If you must drive remember that flashing headlights mean that the driver is asserting a right of way and if you fail to stop at a checkpoint you risk being shot. In some parts of the north and east you need to be aware...
"Apparently" coconuts kill ten times more people than sharks, its a fact 150 people die each year after being hit on the head by a falling coconut. These days most of us know better than to linger under coconut trees but it is equally important not to hang around under jackfruit trees either. A jackfruit can weigh up to 50 kilos and with a 10 metre drop it will pick up quite a speed so do try not to be not between it and the ground. Off the beaten track you will occasionally hear a crashing of folliage followed by a heavy thud as something large hits the deck, it is probably a jackfruit. Before rice came to Sri Lanka jack fruit formed a large part of the staple diet, they are still eaten by the locals and are perfect for fans of rubbery garlic custard.
Swimming is rarely a problem in a beach resort where you can dip in the hotel pool at your leisure but off the beaten track you may need to take care. Drowning is second only to road traffic accidents in terms of risks to travellers. Crocodile attacks are rare but they do happen and there are also snakes, hidden currents, submerged rocks, sudden waterfalls and even leeches to contend with. Conditions can also change quite quickly, heavy rainfall can turn a gentle stream a muddy torrent full of debris overnight, then there is the occasional human hazard. The most popular swimmimg spots can get busy at weekends and public holidays, sometimes this is an opportunity for young men to leave the city and drink too much arrack, when this happens things can get a little rowdy. However, it is by no means all bad news, finding somewhere suitable is easy, you simply ask the locals. Outside of the...
Not all of Sri Lanka is infested by leeches, you are unlikely to meet one on the beach (although they are arguably related to the beach boy) but in some areas they are a fact of life and when you are off the beaten track it pays to be prepared. The leeches I have met don't live in the rivers, they live by them, in fact anywhere which gets wet, they are particularly active during and after rain. You don't need to be in bare feet to be leeched, with a sucker at each end they can scale their way up your footwear and onto your leg so tuck your trousers into your socks if you are in leech country.If you do get one or two attached (five is my record) don't be temped to swat them with your hand as this could inject the contents of their stomach into your blood stream and that you do not want. You can brush them off from the head downwards but better still give them a quick blast with your...
If you want to use your mobile in Sri Lanka you may have to make prior arrangements with your network and they are more than likely to rip you off when you start to make or even receive calls. It might be worth going to a local phone shop and getting signed up with a Sri Lankan network. The connection and a new chip cost me a little over Rs1000, phone cards cost Rs200 and 400. Calls cost a fraction of what European networks charge, it saved me a fortune.If you don’t want to mess around with your phone buy a cheap one before you go and take it with you. If you have Sri Lankan friends you can leave it behind, they seem to go down well as presents.I don’t know much about phones so if anyone knows a better system please let me know and I will remove or update this tip.
No one deserves special treatment but equality is nice, however there is an increase in racism towards white people from some sections of the population. This is usually nothing serious just general ignorance such as being pushed aside by (and served after) inevitably more affluent locals in hotels and shops etc (even when you were there first and are paying 10 times more) which can be tiresome.In addition to the normal hotel weekend racism, the happened to me at least three times during my most recent visit: in Cargills, in Duty Free at the airport and at the gate.Last year I witnessed a group of bank employees, who were on a weekend drinking session in a major tourist hotel, being so racist towards a bunch of European tourists (for no apparent reason) that had they been in the UK they would have been arrested.I guess you can find this behaviour the world over but if the government...
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...
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...
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...
Reviews and photos of Sri Lanka attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Sri Lanka sightseeing.
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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...
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...
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