Visit Sri Lanka for your next Holidays as this is a great destination that offers many peaceful scenic places to enjoy your Holidays. There are many gold and Silver sand beaches too are available in this tropical nation. To make you happy, the Sri Lanka Government had opened its doors for the vaccinated Tourists to make their Holidays here. The visit can be with your family or yourself alone. Here in Srilanka local people are very friendly and helpful to the visiting foreigners. They used to go any extent to help them. In the meantime recently passed emergency declaration won’t affect the Tourists who are coming for their holidays here. In the meantime all the tourist spots are having ideal safety and peaceful atmosphere that can attract the visiting guests.
Sri Lanka is breathing with relief as the new President has been elected by the parliament. On the other hand cooking gas too had been delivered in large numbers and the fuel supply is too coming to normal with limited quantity of rationed supply island wide.
Additionally in January alone more than 82,000 tourists had visited Sri Lanka for Holidays. It will be a local Holiday week in the month of April where all of Sri Lanka used to celebrate Sinhalese and Tamil New Year. There used to be fun filled events all over the Island during this week. Rent a bicycle and tour around the island in style.
Sri Lanka now is providing one year visa for visiting Tourists. It can be obtained for the fee of US$ 200 per year with multiple entries and can stay up to 90 days. There is a special visa facility too is available for those who deposit large amount of US$ in Sri Lanka Banks. Paradise visa is offered to people who deposit US$ 100,000 in a BOC recommended Sri Lanka Bank. This is good for business and studying in Sri Lanka.
Special Notice For Sri Lanka Visitors.
Those who want to visit Sri Lanka must have taken their Two Doses of vaccinations against the COVID-19 and should have passed 14 days after getting the second jab. After passing 14 days, they can take their PCR test, Sri Lanka Visas and can travel to Colombo Airport. If they have every thing in order, they will be allowed to leave the airport and can move freely on their own. In addition Tourists need to have Travel Insurance to cover them while they are visiting here. Also the traveler Insurance coverage should be more than US$ 7,500 to cover any unexpected events while they are in Sri Lanka. As of today fuel supply shortage, power cuts high food price and some places street protest are going on due to Sri Lanka’s Economical problems. So take care about these if you are visiting here.
May 2022, minimum Tuk Tuk rental price. First Km Rs 100 followed Rs 80 for each Km
Government Bus service first leg ticket price: Rs 32/-
Economic Problems.
In the recent times Sri Lanka is experiencing Dollar shortage. Due to this dollar shortage Petrol, Diesel, Rice, vegetables and other essential products prices had gone up in Sri Lanka. So while visiting here in this year 2022, your expenses may be little higher than the previous years. Also when you need only change minimum amount foreign currencies in to Sri Lanka Rupees. Make sure the fuel is enough to go on the round trip as some places are out of fuel supply.
Current Sri Lanka Situation.
Currently most of the Tourists staying in Sri Lanka are using bicycles to travel in the places where they are staying. There used to be peaceful protests going every day in Colombo around the Galle Face beach front. Nearly all the beach areas are peaceful and tourists are going on their daily holiday activities in these areas. Food are little expensive but when you change US Dollar to Sri Lanka rupees it won’t affect you as Sri lanka Rupees is too weak.
You can find lot of Apps related to Sri Lanka travel and tourism industry for Android and iOS devices. Some of these Apps are available for to download for a small fee or for free. These Apps provides nearly 200 Sri Lanka destinations along with things to see and to do. They provide more interesting information for the visitor on beaches, Dining and shopping. Information about locations, where to stay, where to dine and where to do shopping also provided through them. There are Apps for Sri Lanka train service schedule and ticket reservation.
These Mobile phone Apps provide lot of information on local water falls, reserved wildlife parks, beaches, and Historical locations, Wildlife watching, Whale watching, Dolphin watching, white water rafting, hot air ballooning and many more activities.
Nearly all the Train Ticket Prices has been increased from 01st of June 2022.
For example Colombo to Jaffna Intercity Express First Class Train ticket Price Rs 2,800/-
Check your Train ticket and Reserve it here.
Sri Lanka Train Service.
Sri Lanka train service provides long and short distance traveling in this country. Long distance trains can accommodate limited number of passengers with reserved seats. Meanwhile the short distance train service to Colombo Fort station is packed with people on it carriages. To reserve seats online for Sri Lanka Trains visit this website (https://seatreservation.railway.gov.lk)
Ella Odyssey Tourist Train Service.
This is a daily train service between Kandy railway station and Demodara railway station. The Train will stop at all the tourist attractions from Kandy up to Demodara including the Ella Railway Station near to the 9 Arch Bridge.
Demodara First Class Ticket Price: Rs 5,000/-
Second Class Ticket Price: Rs 4,000/-
New Train Ticket price from 01 of June 2022.
Colombo Kandy First Class Train Ticket Rs 1,300/-, Nanu oya Rs 1,600/-, Ella Rs 1,600/- Badulla Rs 2,000/-
In addition, Intercity Kandy First Class A/C Rs 1,000/-.
Colombo to Jaffna Intercity Train First Class Ticket price is now Rs 2,200/-
GPS map locations for your easy reference. You can drive safely with the help of the available GPS map guide you to the correct location. There used to be an image gallery related to each and every location.
Some advice for you.
What to do in Sri Lanka? What are the things not to do in Sri Lanka?
Visit Sri Lanka Part 1
Before you visit Sri Lanka (even to fly transit) check whether you have tattooed Buddha images on your body. If have any remove it. Other wise you may be punished here by the Government.for disrespecting the Buddhist religion.
Don’t bring lot of cash when visit Sri Lanka. If so declare it to the customs on your arrival.
If you are making any payment through your plastic cards have a good watch on it, till you get it back.
Try to take money in the ATM on the day time when the banks are open.
Use call taxis recommended by your hotel.
It is prohibited to enter in to the temples with your foot wear and cap.
Never try to take photos with Buddha statues as you may violates the local laws that can send you to prison.
Running water is safe to drink, although you can purchase cold mineral water in plastic disposable bottles.
Don’t walk while talking mobile phone specially on the railway track.
Lot of people had died while trying to take selfie on rail tracks and on running trains for their careless acts.
Smoking is not allowed in public places including trains and buses, violators will be prosecuted.
Use the pedestrian crossing only to cross the road, if it is marked with.
Cricket is also religion here, so don’t go on arguing with the locals about it.
Most of the three wheel (tuk-tuk) drivers are friendly people. Before to board it, check whether it got an operating tariff meter. When you elite from the Tuk-Tuk, check for your belongings as it is difficult to recover them.
Visit Sri Lanka. Interested in buying Gemstones?
Insist to get one verification certificate from a laboratory for the Gem Stone you are buying.
This is to prevent that you are not buying a fake glass stone that looks like a Gem Stone.
Exporting of raw gem stone is not allowed in Sri Lanka.
Government Trains.
Make advance bookings for the train as it is always used to be full in the Kandy sector.
There are special observation Train compartments too are available for the tourists.
If you are visiting Mirissa beach from Kandy then get down from the train at the Ella Station.
Spend at least one or two days in Ella and enjoy the scenic views and cool climate over there.
New luxury train service runs daily from Mount Lavinia to Rambukkana and back in the evening.
Luxury Hitachi train runs up and down every day. Train Seats can be booked at the price of Rs 3,000/-.
This train ticket can be reserved at the Kandy Railway station.
There is another Tourist Train Service is being operated from Kandy to Demodara.
Money Changers in Sri Lanka.
You can exchange foreign currency with the local Authorized money Changers. They usually open at 9:00Am and kept open till 18:00 PM. They will give receipt if required for the amount you changed. Also if you have the receipt you can convert the excess Sri Lanka Rupees back to foreign currency. Popular Money exchanges are available at Galle Road, Wellawatte (Colombo – 6) in front of the Mosque. They normally kept open till 19:30 PM except on Sundays where they used to close at 18:00 pm. In the Colombo Fort area you can find lot of money changers in the Hospital Road and additionally at Mudalige Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka Rupees was devalued recently. It is now valued at Rs 365 against the U.S Dollar. Foreign Tourists can benefit from the increased rate against the US$. On the other hand prices of the products too had gone up in price due to this devaluation.
Good reading.
In addition, UK tourist recounts ‘HELLISH’ time in Sri Lanka over Buddha tattoo.
Why I have little sympathy for the Buddha tattoo tourist.
Moreover, French couple remanded for drawing pictures on train. More.
In addition, Indian girl held in Sri Lanka for Buddha image on dress.
Spanish website.