Useful information (things like the spiciness of food and human proxemics) There are always some common concerns when considering a visit to a foreign country: When is the best time to go and what will the weather like? November to March inter- monsoonal period is the ideal time to visit Sri Lanka, weather will definitely be hot & humid but December through mid-February it will be chilly in the nights. When travelling to Sri Lanka you must apply for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) mandatory since the 01 st of January 2012, visa which allows entry into the country.  Names on the ETA must exactly match those appearing on your passport.  Therefore when booking a honeymoon in Sri Lanka, brides need to ensure that they book under their maiden name as they will not be able to apply for an ETA under their new married name. How to get around and communicate? It’s advisable to book your tour ahead with a reputed travel facilitator who will organise all you’re travelling and ease your mind, save you time and money of having to negotiate first and agree on rates and place every single time. Erratic driving is common and as a result, road accidents are frequent. Pedestrians and animals often appear in the road without warning, best leave the driving to locals, while you enjoy the tour. English is widely spoken throughout Sri Lanka except in very remote villages, speaking slowly and clearly is better than speaking louder as it has no effect on understanding. What's the local currency and are ATMs widely available? Local currency is Sri Lanka Rupees, the airport counter will be able to exchange it for you on arrival. Some travellers experience problems using their credit / debit cards on arrival in Sri Lanka when their banks’ automated fraud protection system blocks transactions. It may be useful to inform your bank in advance of your intended travel arrangements. VISA/MASTERCARD ATM’s are available throughout except in very remote areas.

Is the water drinkable?

Yes, it is, as long as it’s bottled, however check the seal before purchasing and one can boil tap water and use.

Do disabled travellers have easy access to facilities? Sri Lanka still has some way to go in terms of its facilities for disabled services and have been making gradual changes over the last few years. Most hotels have taken notice of the requirements of the disabled and now have wheelchair access, ramps, lifts, and other amenities suited for the disabled. What kind of attractions are there for kids and families? Sri Lankans are very family-oriented and Sri Lankans welcome children everywhere. Plenty of opportunities in all hotels and resorts to keep kids entertained and upon request you will be able to employ a nanny, to have a peaceful candle lit dinner under a galaxy of stars. You can mingle your activities with theirs at most of the country’s top attractions. Sri Lankan kids’ are exceptionally practical and will keep themselves entertained and out of their parent’s way, boys will mostly play cricket, cycle or site see, so western kids can add these to their normal activities on offer like snorkelling, nature walks and wildlife, cycling and sightseeing, as Sri Lankan kids will happily welcome a new Western friend to their games. How to contact friends and family back home by phone or internet? Sri Lanka is quite well connected to the rest of the world via mobile phones, buy a “simcard” on arrival (you might have to submit a photocopy of your passport) wayside communication shops provide internet facilities excepts in the most remote villages and charge you by blocks of one hour. Last but not least, how are the health facilities in Sri Lanka? Sri Lankan private Hospitals are located in around Colombo while Kandy and Galle also have a few, the rest of the Island is served by government hospitals, however most town will have well stocked pharmacies manned by qualified staff with the exception of the most remote villages. Contact your GP before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures. Festivities Leaving that aside one must be aware that holidays and festivals that take place in Sri Lanka as we stated earlier due to the multicultural background. Significant religious and national festivals are celebrated throughout the year. So with Saturday designated as a half day and Sunday full day off, Sri Lankans starts “TGIF” on Friday evening, and get into to the “islander mood”. Full moon days of each month are referred to as “poya” day and it is prohibited by law to serve or sell alcohol and red meat in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets however fish will be available, so best be prepared. The first cultural pageant or “Perahera” as it’s known in Sinhalese, is “Duruthu” itself meaning January in the Sinhalese calendar which takes place in the commercial capital Colombo, great time to combine shopping and sightseeing of this colonial era seaport and

capital, don’t forget to take a stroll down Galle face green, taking in the gram hawkers, kites dancing in the breeze and the sea spray. April marks the end of paddy harvesting season and the New Year according to the Buddhist calendar, the 13 & 14 of April is the time when all Sinhalese and Hindu’s celebrate “Awurudu”, a unique event where the whole country follows a single time table to cook and eat, and many sweets meats are made along with milk rice to celebrate, great time to be around where anyone will be invited to join in on the festivities, most hotels will organize a festival to celebrate Awurudu. this is the time of “summer blooms” festival in the cooler climates of Nuwara Eliya. The wealthier Sri Lankans spend Awurudua in this “Little England” as the colonials called it, parades and flower shows mark the season opening along with horse and car races. The usually sleepy town becomes crowded during this time. The most extravagant festival is the one held each year in the month of July – August is “Esala perahera” in Kandy, which pays homage to the Sacred tooth relic of lord Buddha, as Robert Knox describes it aptly from 350 years ago, “Forty Elephants all covered with white cloth and decorated in brass upon which the Sacred Relic rides with all the triumphs that the king and Kingdom can afford followed by a great multitude of drummers, pipers, trumpeters, Kandyan dancers, fire walkers through all the street of the city in honour of the Sacred relic” The Perahera goes on for ten days, the last day is the best, expect long queues and huge crowds long before the start of the perahera which takes place in the night, if you are fussy or not the type that likes crowds best you find one of the many spots within the route to comfortably watch this truly magnificent pageant. Although only around 7% of Sri Lankans are Catholic or Christian, Christmas is celebrated in grand manner in Sri Lanka especially in the southern and western coastal cities, urban areas and all hotels will celebrate Christmas in one form or the other. The focus of the local people is to ensure that the tourists have a wonderful time. Almost every major hotel organizes a grand Christmas party and a TV and Radio stations organize parties throughout the month of December. Note that most hotels will charge you a Christmas and New Year supplement, best clarify same if you are planning to travel during this time and book ahead to avoid the rush as this is the height of the tourist season. Exact Dates will alter from year to year. The Tourist Board produces a new comprehensive list each year for many other events on their website. Deepavali – Hindu festival of lights celebrated by Hindu’s in either October or November and Tamil Thai Pongal Day - Tamil New Year in mid-January our two other prominent festivals in Sri Lankan calendar. Kindly note that exact dates for all the above celebrations will change according to the auspicious time calculations done for that particular year, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority official website will carry an updated list for all above mentioned and many other events throughout the year. When travelling around Sri Lanka, you should make arrangements through reputable travel companies and exercise appropriate caution.