Sri Lanka - Introduction

This blog by no means is the know- it-all guide to Sri Lanka but it sure is a fair account of the experience I’ve had in the beautiful country I visited this month. Like most avid travellers I too tend to find the prettiest in the diverse and different.

Blessed with stunning sites of the mountains and seas alike, Sri Lanka has something for everyone - a sunny beach for the lovers of the sun and sand, the perfect cup of tea for a tea addict like me and plenty of Buddhist temples to calm those overworked nerves down.

Elephants at Pinnawela

Sri Lanka has for years been in the news for its share of problems with the LTTE and only last year was a victim of the most devastating natural disaster known to most of us as the tsunami. It’s back on its feet and how – the sea-side resorts are better than ever and for the locals, its life as normal.

Throughout my travels across Sri Lanka I found cultural similarities with India. The culture of tipping, the hawkers on the streets trying to persuade you and the humility of the people but it’s the differences that stood out more. The country has 98% literacy –almost everyone can either speak or understand English and the cleanliness can put most south Asian countries to shame.

Kandy lake, Kandy

My trip across Sri Lanka lasted 9 days – not near enough time to see a country that has so much to offer. In this blog, through words and pictures, I will share my experiences on places to visit, restaurants, food I enjoyed eating, shopping, culture and general observations and tips.

Getting off at Bandaranaike International Airport was somewhat of a refreshing change after a rather uncomfortable flight delay at Mumbai, from a faulty aircraft to a 30 minute journey to get to the new one, it was all happening. An early flight arrival time of 5:30am meant we were welcomed by the silence at the airport and some tastefully decorated duty-free shops.

Exchanging mullah:

Buddha at Temple of the Tooth

At the airport towards the exit are stalls of various banks and money exchange companies. Since we had to get some changed ourselves, we decided to do so at the airport and what a wise decision it was as we soon discovered that there are no standard exchange rates. They vary at every hotel, shop and store.

The exchange rate at the airport are pretty much standard but vary on commission rates. It is advisable to get your money changed at the airport as the chances are you will get the best rates there.

Getting a local SIM card:

Most people use their roaming network and chances are it will work perfectly but we decided to buy a local SIM as it’s both cheaper and will guarantee you coverage no matter where you are in Sri Lanka.

Dialogue is a local mobile service provider and fairly cheap and easy to get. A SIM card be bought for as little as Rs. 200 and we topped it up with Rs.500 which lasted us until we left. All they need is your passport for personal details.

Drinking water in Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka being a coastal country has hard water but the hardness of water also varies from north to south. It is not advisable to drink tap water atall and hence always carry a huge stock of bottled water for the entire duration of your stay.

Traditional Sri Lankan dancers

Getting around Sri Lanka:

In terms of public transport, there are trains, buses, or three wheeled vehicles called tuk tuks or rickshaws but the frequency is sloppy and might take you longer than normal to get from A to B. You can also hire a car but it’s not recommended as there are no directions and the driving is nothing less than scary.

There are lots of travel companies that provide you with a car and driver/guide for the duration of your stay. You can either hire them daily or like us, for all of your stay. They are fairly reasonable (depending on your itinerary) and provide you with some local insights too.

There are a few companies that provide this service but the reliable ones are Red dot, Malkey, walker tours.