Essential Travel Information

Entry visas are required by all visitors to Sri Lanka, You can obtain visa is an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization), visa online http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa (Singapore Nationalities provide On-arrival Visa) Other Nationalities You will need to keep the ETA with your passport and present to authorities upon entry into Sri Lanka.

We encourage all travellers to take an insurance as per Travel dates & Choice. To keep copy of travel insurance documents (especially relevant international contact numbers) with them while on tour. We advise that you check the inclusions and procedures for lodging claims prior to your departure. These documents should be stored separately from the originals.

Sri Lanka is home to a melting pot of cuisine. Throughout years of colonization and influence from other countries and a history of spice trading, Sri Lankan has adapted its own distinct flavor. So it is important to keep an open mind and be adventurous. Dishes served some will be vegetable-based, vegetable based with meat mixed in, and a few will be solely meat-based. Please be aware that dishes selected for your meals reflect the cooking styles and signature dishes of the local area you are in.

Sri Lankan restaurants are well aware of the western palate – there are plenty of non-spiced options. Some restaurants Dishes will be served in the traditional ‘family style’; meaning that various dishes will be laid out in the center of the table. These dishes are intended to be shared amongst there & always more than enough to feed everybody. We recommend that when it comes to Sri Lankan food, you stay open-minded and try to be adventurous!

If you are travelling within the below Sri Lankan Public Holidays please note that celebrations can last a couple of days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open, but may be crowded. Specially, Vesak Full Moon Poya (Birth of Buddha), Poson Full Moon Poya, Kandy Esala Perahera Festival and the Diwali Festival.

All hotels have private western bathroom facilities, air conditioning, TV and a telephone. Plumbing and electricity supplies can be erratic and quite often the power in hotel rooms is turned off while guests are out of the room. If you experience any difficulty, please speak to your National / Local Guide. Your accommodation has been selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from a business hotel in one city to a family-run guesthouse in a smaller town or a heritage-type hotel. In remote areas, accommodation may be of a lower standard and may not have western amenities. Hotels are generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but do please note that there is no international classification system for hotels and differences in facilities and quality do exist between Your Country and Sri Lanka.

As Standard 02pm to 12 Noon take as one day accommodation, if you wish to add early check-in / late check-out to your booking, please contact our reservations department who can confirm additional pricing and make this arrangement for you, subject to availability at the hotel.

Your Vehicle with air conditioning are used for city sightseeing, short excursions to the countryside and longer transfers where necessary. Main and inner city roads in In Sri Lanka have a reputation for being very congested. For this reason, it may not always be possible to return to your hotel after sightseeing to freshen up before going to the restaurant for dinner. Roads in Sri Lanka have generally been improved over recent years, but traffic and/or weather conditions may extend driving times. Road construction work usually covers an enormous section of road - not just one or two KM as you may be used to. For this reason, the timings listed in the sections above are approximations only.

Trains: Getting on and off the trains in Sri Lanka can be quite disordered and amusing as passengers will start boarding well before people have finished getting off! If you are disembarking at a stop that is not the end of the line, the train will only stop for few minutes as per the Railway station and you must have your luggage ready and by your side a few minutes before the train pulls into the station.

Although Sri Lanka is developing quickly, they still lack the international standards of civil infrastructure and tourist facilities. Concepts of personal responsibility is different when comparing your country. Consequently, tourist and public facilities may not uphold the same safety standards; use your common sense, refer to notices and follow advice from your National / Local Guides.

We want to be able to give you an opportunity to buy souvenirs so we include some stops at museums or exhibitions that demonstrates a craft or product unique to that region with pieces available to buy. We understand that souvenir hunting is not for everyone so we aim to take you to places which hold local interest. We trust you will enjoy these opportunities to learn about local arts and crafts and understand their historical and cultural importance.

Local tipping is customary. However, this can often lead to awkwardness in knowing when it is appropriate to tip and how much, as well as ensuring you have a suitable amount of change available at the time for your convenience, It also ensures that the amounts paid are reasonable for you but still fair for the local people. Our Suggest amount is stated on your final documentation. Any additional tipping on any of our tours is welcomed at your discretion.

Sri Lanka's climate is tropical and consists of distinct wet and dry seasons. Generally speaking, the coastal areas of Sri Lanka enjoy temperatures averaging 28°C (82°F) while the upland areas are cooler and more temperate, with a yearly average around 16-20°C (60-68°F). Up to the minute information on worldwide weather can be found on www.weather.com

All travelers are limited to two items of luggage each; a suitcase with a maximum weight of 20kg and one piece of hand luggage with a maximum weight of five kilograms. It is essential that your luggage is lockable. Please note that authorities will only allow bottles onto the aircraft if they have been checked in as main baggage. Bottles in hand luggage may be confiscated

Sri Lanka use RUPEE (RS/LKR) as official currency. Banks are safe for changing money Sri Lanka and give a decent exchange rate. There are few Money Exchanging counters at the airport open 24/7. US Dollars are easily exchanged throughout Sri Lanka however, other currencies such as Australian Dollars, Euro, Japanese Yen, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Singapore dollar, Malaysian Ringgit, Dirham etc can generally be exchanged in hotels and airports provided notes are new and undamaged. We suggest exchanging your money before travelling to remote areas and smaller towns, as exchange facilities can be limited. Your National / Local Guide will remind you to do this before departure.

Personal Expense - You will need to take some extra money to cover drinks, laundry and souvenirs, plus any additional sightseeing that may be offered to you. Based on the advice of previous customers an approximate amount of USD$250 per person, per week should be sufficient; however for those that can’t resist a bargain or may wish to participate in all of the optional excursions, consider allocating a higher amount.

Optional Tours - May be offered in each city you visit during your tour. These are not included in the standard itinerary and will only be available if time permits and if seats are available. In your Final Documentation an Optional Excursion Sheet will be included outlining the activities available in each city and local cost associated. Please ensure you have additional funds available if you feel you may wish to participate in any extra activities. Each option will be arranged locally by your National / Local Guide, participation and tipping for optional excursions is completely at your discretion.

Sightseeing at nearly all of the palaces, fortresses and some temples involves climbing quite a number of steps. These palaces were built to provide defense against potential invaders so nearly all of them stand on top of a hill, while the interiors have layers of narrow hallways and steps to slow down the advance of enemies once they were inside. The steps tend to be quite large, not level and sometimes without handrails. Hindu and Buddhist temples or pagodas also tend to be built at an elevation, as this is the most auspicious position according to ancient beliefs. This means you sometimes need to walk from the bus park to the entrance, and/or need to climb some steps inside.

People with knee or hip injuries, who have poor balance or are otherwise unable to complete these activities independently should consider the suitability of this itinerary carefully.

Sri Lanka has many religions, cultures and histories. Foreign tourists, particularly female travellers, may be stared at as Sri Lankan women in some areas generally do not go out without their father or husband. Please be considerate of this, the local beliefs and customs and dress with consideration and modesty.

When visiting temples or mosques, both men and women should dress in conservative, non-revealing clothing. Full-length trousers with a shirt or t-shirt for men; and pants or skirts well below the knee with a top that covers the shoulders and upper arms for women. Women might also consider carrying a ‘modesty shawl’ in their daypack – this could be a sarong or light scarf – which they can wear over their shoulders and heads to feel more comfortable while sightseeing at mosques. When visiting Jain temples, you must not wear or take in any leather items such as belts, watches, camera straps, purses and shoes.

Religious sites and homes throughout Sri Lanka – for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims or Buddhists to name a few – require all visitors to remove their shoes to enter. Even if you then need to walk outdoors, over hot or rough ground, you will not be allowed to wear shoes. You will often find shoe storage rooms near the entrance of a site where it is customary to leave your shoes near the entrance. Occasionally there are ‘shoe minders’ who will offer to keep your shoes safe for a ‘tip’ – this is not compulsory so each customer can choose to tip for this service or not. If you do not want to remove your shoes, you will have to remain outside.

We recommend shoes that easily slip on and off, and carry a pair of thick socks in your daypack, which you can wear to protect your feet from any rough or hot surfaces. The following itinerary will indicate when you need to consider this.

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Once you have booked, you will receive a confirmation invoice with deposit documentation via email. This includes important information and links to access the visa application form and instructions sheet online (if applicable). Your final documentation pack will be sent to you prior to departure.