This is what you need to know before taking a trip to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is a wonderful and accessible country to make a tour. The emerald island in the Indian Ocean is not called the Wonder of Asia for nothing. With these tips you will not be faced with surprises during your trip to Sri Lanka.
1. Hire a driver
It is unwise to drive yourself in Sri Lanka. Traffic is chaotic and therefore dangerous. Rules are continuously broken and dangerous situations regularly arise. So it is smart to hire a driver. That is not expensive. For about 50 euros a day you have a private driver who takes you everywhere and knows everything about the country. You can also travel around Sri Lanka by train. It’s slow, but you see a lot, it’s safe and cheap.
2. Check your vaccinations
In principle, you do not need to get any vaccinations for a trip to Sri Lanka. Unless you’ve been to a yellow fever country recently (seven days before you leave). A number of vaccinations are also recommended: DTF, typhoid fever and hepatitis A. Are you not sure which vaccinations you need? Then call the GGD.
3. Bring covering clothes
Long linen trousers, an airy T-shirt with long sleeves or a scarf. They are indispensable items of clothing when traveling to Sri Lanka. You will undoubtedly visit Buddhist temples and covering clothing is a requirement there. With bare legs and arms you will be refused at the gate.
4. Travel with Corendon
From October 31 it will finally be possible to fly directly to Colombo from Amsterdam. Corendon and KLM have entered into a partnership that makes this possible. So no long transfers to Dubai, but a non-stop flight to Sri Lanka twice a week. Corendon has accommodations throughout the country. From luxury resorts to simple hotels. You can also book beautiful round trips through Corendon.
5. Be mindful of the monsoon period
The monsoon period is a great time to travel to Sri Lanka. It is less warm than in the high season, but it is quickly 30 degrees. In the northeast of the island, the monsoon period is from November to February and in the southwest from May to September. Every now and then there is a heavy shower, but they are as short as they are heavy. So it is useful to take this into account; bring an umbrella or rain gear.
6. Safety
The people in Sri Lanka are very friendly. You can have a chat with everyone, there is hardly any begging and everyone wants to take a picture with you. It is therefore no problem at all to travel around on your own. During my journey through the south I never felt unsafe.
7. Be careful with food and drink
In Sri Lanka you cannot drink from the tap. So always make sure you have enough bottles of water with you. In addition, it is not recommended to eat food and vegetables that have been washed in water. The same goes for raw and unwashed food: leave that alone. And how tasty it is: it is better to order your Coke without ice cubes.
8. Protect yourself from mosquitoes
Unfortunately, they also fly around in Sri Lanka: mosquitoes. Some transmit malaria, so it is important to protect yourself properly. Take DEET with you and apply it well, even during the day. Put on long pants in the evening and sleep with the air conditioning on.
