Except selected nationalities most tourists are allowed to have ON ARRIVAL VISA or ONLINE VISA via government website.   http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/

It is always advised to double check the web address when you are applying online as it is reported there are number of bogus websites are appearing when you are applying from out of Sri Lanka.

Online VISA application process is simple but can be little complicate as some of the information are not straight forward. If you are unable to apply online, please get the assistance of you trusted travel agent. 

Sri Lankan Rupee is the accepted currency in Sri Lanka. However, most of the hotels accept main currencies such as USD, GBP, EUR etc. All these places have card machines where you could use VISA & Master Cards. But when making payments to outside restaurants and excursion’s entrance fees, it is advised to keep Sri Lankan Rupees in hand as card machines may not available in most places.

Sri Lankan Rupee is the accepted currency in Sri Lanka. You won’t be able to find them outside Sri Lanka. You can exchange them at the airport for a relatively lower rate. If you are travelling around the country, there are number of places to exchange them especially in COLOMBO, NEGOMBO and main cities. For the safe side you can keep some amount exchange from the Airport.

Detailed article on Sri Lankan Currencies & Payment Methods are available HERE

If you are travelling around the country, there are some areas where you will have restaurants available closer to the hotel. Ex – Colombo, Galle Fort, Ella. But if the hotel is located in an remote area or not closer to the city, outside restaurants may not available. Therefore it is better to have your dinner from the hotel. Ex – There are number of hotels in Kandy which are not located closer to the hotel, therefore it is recommended to have your dinner from the hotels in such scenarios.

PRICES OF THE MEALS

A decent meal from a hotels are available from USD 10-20 per person in a 4*-5* hotel. But there are expensive options also available if you want to choose your meals from the menu. When you are eating outside, the local food items are always cheaper than the European food options. Indian food options are also average priced.

TYPE OF THE MEALS AVAILABLE IN SRI LANKA

Local dishes & Indian food are commonly available in most of the cities in Sri Lanka. Most of the star class hotels offer European food options. There are Chinese restaurants also available most of cities popular among tourists such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Bentota etc.

As a tropical country which has an average temperate of 20 – 32 degrees most of the areas you travel, feel free to wear summer suitable clothes to match the temperature. However, if you are visiting hill country of Sri Lanka (places like NUWARELIYA, HATTON, HORTAIN PLAINS etc.) temperature can be 10-20 degrees during the day time and lower as 5 degrees during the late night.

VISITING TEMPLES

You might visit historically and culturally important religious places during the your tour in Sri Lanka. We really appreciate if you could cover your legs to the ankle point and cover the upper body with a suitable cloth as a respect to the local religions and their sacred places. This notice is just for preparation and the driver will let you know whenever if you need to use these types of cloths. If you do not have specific cloth like this, you can buy a wraparound cloth for a lower price in Sri Lanka which can be used whenever you need.

Since the scenic excursion train used to run in hill country was terminated recently, only the government owned public transport trains are available to travel from Kandy to Nanuoya / Kandy to Ella / Nanuoya to Ella scenic train journey. There are limited 1st class and 2nd class seats are available in these trains. However, due to the high demand during the peak season pre-reservable tickets could be finished within few minutes after window open. Therefore we cannot guarantee the availability of the tickets but we try our best to find tickets for our clients. Sometime, we may find tickets from the re-sellers at a higher price than the normal rate.

However, so far we have a very good record on reserving the tickets for our clients. Since the tickets need to be reserved in advance, I would like you to leave that task for us. Only thing 1st class tickets cannot be guaranteed but we will try to reserve at least a 2nd class ticket. Since the journey is running in hill country, the temperature is around 15-20 degrees and not having air-conditioned compartment will not be an issue.

Tips are not compulsory at all. However if you are happy with the services you receive, it is your discretion to offer a tip for the driver you are travelling with. I cannot really suggest you an amount but just for a guidance you could tip them USD 5 – 20 per day. Again please note that this is not compulsory but an appreciation to the person who will be with you throughout the tour.

There is a special police unit is allocated by the Sri Lanka Police with the collaboration with Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority to guarantee the tourists security while they are travelling around Sri Lanka. If any emergency situation, please contact hotline 1912 (using local telephone line) or direct line Tel 009411-2421451