Costs for a trip to Sri Lanka are not always final, since travelers often spend a lot of money directly on the island. No one can tell you exactly how much money to take to Sri Lanka, because for a more or less specific answer you need to know the following things: how many people are going on vacation in your group, what food is included in the trip, what excursions you plan to visit, how many souvenirs you plan to buy. These are just some of the factors that influence costs in Sri Lanka.
You must find the answer to the question of how much money to take to Sri Lanka on your own, and we can only help you find this answer.
How to calculate your estimated costs in Sri Lanka? You just need to decide in advance what you will spend money on during your vacation, and after that calculate how much money you will need. In this article we will only give examples of how much money you can spend for two during a 10-day holiday in Sri Lanka. According to statistics, Russian tourists spend on average just 10 days on this island, so we took a tour with an average duration as a basis.

How much money do you need for food?

Food costs in Sri Lanka for 10 days can range from $0 to $2,000 for two people, although you can spend more. What do these costs depend on? Mainly on the type of food on the trip and on the desires and capabilities of the tourist. If you purchase a ticket to a hotel with all-inclusive meals, then theoretically you can avoid the cost of food altogether, but if your package includes only breakfast or does not include meals at all, then you will not be able to avoid the cost of food. You are not going to Sri Lanka to starve...
There are different ways to eat in Sri Lanka. For example, someone buys a sandwich for lunch at a store for $1, while someone goes to a restaurant and leaves at least $30 per person there. For dinner, you can either go to a local cafe and order one dish with a drink for $5, or you can go to your hotel restaurant and have dinner for $50 or more per person.
It is difficult to guess your desires and capabilities, so we will simply present the prices of dishes in one of the cafes in the popular resort of Hikkaduwa, and you can already draw certain conclusions about how much lunch or dinner in this cafe would cost you.
Below are the food prices at Cool Spot Cafe in Hikkaduwa. This is not the most expensive, but not the cheapest cafe, so its prices give an idea of ​​the average prices throughout Hikkaduwa and Sri Lanka. Prices are given in rupees, but you can quickly convert them to dollars using the current exchange rates.

Menu at Cool Spot Cafe:
Toasts - 50-100
Sandwiches with cheese or chicken - 400
Two egg omelette - 200
Omelette with shrimp or bacon - 350
Set breakfast - 600 rupees
Tomato or chicken soup - 400 rupees
Soups Tom Yum and Tom Ka Gai - 750 rupees
Salads - 400-650 rupees
Spaghetti with shrimp or bolognese - 900-950 rupees
Rice with egg - 400 rupees
Rice with chicken, shrimp, squid - 600-650 rupees
Noodles with meat or seafood - 600-750 rupees
Fruit juices - 250-300 rupees
Shakes - 300-350 rupees
Soft drinks - 100-150 rupees

A cheap breakfast in Sri Lanka will cost about $8 for two, a cheap lunch/dinner of salad or soup and one dish and drink is $15-20 for two. So for three meals a day it will cost you around $40-50 for two, but some tourists dilute their meals with food from the store or snacks from street stalls, and spend noticeably less money. But in most cases, tourists book a hotel with at least breakfast, so you can spend even less on food.
To summarize, we can say that usually for a 10-day holiday in Sri Lanka, tourists spend on food from $200 to $1000 for two, depending on the food included in the price and preferences.

How much money do you need for excursions?

To more or less accurately calculate your costs in Sri Lanka, you also need to decide in advance what excursions you want to go on. After this, you can find out the cost of these excursions and understand how much money you will need for them. Often excursions in Sri Lanka are conducted individually, although there are also group excursions. Generally, one-day excursions cost between $30 and $110 per person, while two-day excursions can cost between $100 and $300 per person. There are also excursions with longer durations.
Below you will see approximate prices for some excursions per person:
Sightseeing tour of Bentota - $35
Sightseeing tour of Kalutara - $30
"Rice and curry" - $40
Colombo - $80
Kandy and Pinnawela - $110
Whale watching - $100
Udawalawa National Park - $110
Sinharaya Forest - $80
Sigiriya - $150
Climbing Adam's Peak - $80
Galle - $60
Kandy (2 days) - $200

The costs of excursions in Sri Lanka are easy to calculate in advance, so simply select the places you want to visit and find out the prices for excursions to these places.

Transport and entertainment costs

These costs, of course, are not obligatory, especially for those tourists who have chosen a good all-inclusive hotel for their holiday. However, if you want to go somewhere by bus, train, tuk-tuk or taxi, then you will have to shell out some money. Trains and buses in Sri Lanka are quite cheap, so travel costs are generally only a few dollars. Travel by tuk-tuk will cost more, and the most expensive transport is a taxi. On average, the cost of a taxi ride is approximately $0.7-1 per kilometer. The cost of travel by tuk-tuk will be approximately 2 times lower.
You can also rent a car (from $30 per day) or a scooter (from $6 per day) and get around on it.
As for entertainment, costs may vary. Of course, Sri Lanka is not the UAE with a lot of very expensive entertainment, so it is difficult to spend a lot of money on entertainment on this island. The most expensive activities are: hot air ballooning, fishing, diving and surfing. In general, you just need to think carefully about what kind of entertainment you are interested in, and then find out the prices for these entertainments.

Costs for souvenirs and gifts

Even those tourists who go to Sri Lanka for the third or fourth time often buy a lot of souvenirs and gifts. What then can we say about people who are planning to go to this island for the first time? You need to allocate at least $100 for various small items such as magnets, bracelets and other trinkets to give something to your friends and family and keep something for yourself as a souvenir. But it seems to me that tourists in Sri Lanka rarely spend less than $200 on souvenirs and gifts. In general, local souvenirs are inexpensive in Sri Lanka, since tea, spices, ceramics, coconut oil and various trinkets, by definition, cannot be expensive. However, often during a holiday in Sri Lanka there is a desire to buy some jewelry made from precious or semi-precious stones, which, although they are relatively cheap on this island, can seriously lighten your wallet.
In general, I advise you to budget $200-300 for souvenirs and small items if you do not plan to buy jewelry, fashionable clothes and other expensive goods.

Don't forget about your visa

When planning the cost of a holiday in Sri Lanka, tourists often forget that they will have to pay the first money at the airport upon arrival on the island. At the same time, the cost of obtaining a visa on arrival is not so low - it is $35 per person.
You can also apply for this visa online. In this case, firstly, you will spend a little less money, and, secondly, you will know the decision about whether you are allowed to enter Sri Lanka or not in advance.

So how much money do you need for everything?

If you have read this article to the end, then you probably already have a rough idea of ​​how much money to take to Sri Lanka. It is clear that in some cases you can do without spending at all, but still most tourists spend a decent amount of money in Sri Lanka.
Instead of the total, we will present to you the approximate costs in Sri Lanka of a poor couple who went to a hotel with breakfast for 10 days, who wants to go on 3 excursions (a sightseeing tour of Bentota, an excursion to Colombo and an excursion to Kandy) and buy some souvenirs.

The costs of such a pair will be as follows:
Visas - 70$
Meals - 400$
Excursions - $530
Shopping - $200
Total - 1200$

Theoretically, of course, you can spend less money, but it is unlikely that you will be able to save much, since you definitely need to go on excursions, and it is also advisable to buy at least some souvenirs. If you want to eat well, go on frequent excursions, and plan to buy a lot of souvenirs, including gemstones, then your costs will be significantly higher than this $1,200.

If you are going on holiday to Sri Lanka, you will be wondering how much money to take to Sri Lanka. Let's look at this issue in more detail, and also learn about the Long Beach 4 Sri Lanka Koggala and Centara Ceysands Sri Lanka hotels. Tourists also find Sri Lanka tips for holidaymakers. But first things first.

In September we visited the beautiful and mysterious island of Ceylon. Holidays in Sri Lanka, in my opinion, are a little different from holidays in other countries in Southeast Asia. Perhaps this is due to the fact that this amazing region is not yet as oversaturated with tourists as neighboring Thailand and Vietnam. One way or another, this trip was full of exoticism, and it was in Sri Lanka that we saw the real Asia, full of mystery and enigma.

Hotels in Sri Lanka

There are many magnificent resorts on the coast of the island: Bentota, Koggala, Jaffna, Batticaloa and others. Since our vacation fell during the “rainy season,” the best vacation spots were the coast of Bentota and Koggala. These two resorts have fairly good weather conditions at this time of year and the ocean is a little calmer than in the north of the island. During our vacation, we visited two hotels - Long Beach 4 Sri Lanka Koggala and Centara Ceysands Sri Lanka.

Long Beach Resort 4 Sri Lanka Koggala

Long Beach 4 Sri Lanka Koggala- a good four-star hotel in the Koggala resort, located on the Indian Ocean coast. The hotel has two outdoor swimming pools and free wireless Internet. The Long Beach Resort 4 Sri Lanka Koggala hotel is located so that all exits from the buildings lead guests to the ocean. The beach is just great! There are always enough sun loungers! The hotel offers excellent food and a local bar to quench your thirst. At this hotel Long Beach 4 Sri Lanka Koggala only breakfast was included. In the restaurant, all dishes are served on two large tables - on the first European cuisine, and on the second - local cuisine (tasty, but very spicy). Near the Long Beach 4 Sri Lanka Koggala hotel you can have a pretty decent lunch for just $8-10 per person. Most dishes in local restaurants consist of seafood and fish, but for gourmets there are always exotic dishes made from shark and snake meat. Once during our vacation, we bought 1 kilogram of boiled shrimp from the locals for 500 rubles. Very tasty! There is a supermarket a ten-minute walk from Long Beach Resort 4 Sri Lanka Koggala. Be careful when buying fruit there. The fact is that the price tags in this store indicate the cost of the product per 100 grams, and not per kilogram. The average price of mango is about 20 rubles, coconut 10-15 rubles, papaya 35-40 rubles.

Centara Ceysands Sri Lanka

Hotel Centara Sri Lanka- a good “four” at the Bentota resort. I was very pleased with the hotel's number of rooms. This time we chose all-inclusive meals. At the Centara Ceysands Sri Lanka, in addition to the main restaurant, you can dine at the seafood restaurant. The beach at the hotel is simply huge! The only people vacationing on it are hotel guests. There is practically no infrastructure near the hotel. The nearest decent cafe takes about 30 minutes to walk. Therefore, in my opinion, it is more profitable to buy full meals at the Centara Sri Lanka hotel.

1) Advice for vacationers in Sri Lanka: in all hotels, when checking in, it is best to choose a room on at least the second floor. We must not forget that Sri Lanka has a tropical climate, and the fauna here is very rich. Therefore, if you do not need “uninvited guests” in the form of all kinds of lizards, frogs and small snakes, then the advice for tourists in Sri Lanka is to settle on the upper floors.

2) Advice for tourists in Sri Lanka. The Indian Ocean is rarely calm. The waves there are really very strong and it is very difficult to swim through them. Therefore, even if you are a good swimmer, I do not recommend swimming very far from the shore.

Prices in Sri Lanka. How much money to take to Sri Lanka

If you are going on vacation, you will probably be wondering how much money you need in Sri Lanka for a comfortable holiday. Let's look at each expense category separately.

How much money do you need for air tickets to Sri Lanka?

How much money to take to Sri Lanka 2017 for food

We, like any tourist setting off to conquer a new and unexplored region, are always interested in the question of how much money you need to take with you to Sri Lanka for a more or less comfortable holiday. As I wrote above, food on the island of Ceylon is quite cheap. Local fruits can always be freely purchased anywhere on the island for an average of 20-40 rubles, and the average bill for lunch or dinner in a restaurant was 1000-1500 rubles for two. Now you can calculate how much money you need for food in Sri Lanka, based on your requests. But, in principle, you can get by with a slightly smaller amount. Very often, locals on the beach offer freshly caught fish and seafood. As a rule, for a small fee they will immediately prepare them for you.

How much money to borrow in Sri Lanka for cellular communications

Cellular communications on the island are not expensive. An activated SIM card for a phone costs about 300 rubles, and one minute of conversation on average costs about 4-5 rubles.

How much money do you need for transport to Sri Lanka?

To travel short distances, we always used tuk-tuks. Traveling there costs about 50 rubles. But for long distances, I do not recommend using this type of transport - it is not very maneuverable, and in a tropical climate, with a constant temperature of about 30 degrees, it is very difficult to travel without air conditioning.
We took one long bus trip from Bentota to the capital, Colombo, which cost us only 40 rubles per person. The buses are comfortable and air conditioned.

How much money should you take to Sri Lanka for hotels?

In order to reduce the cost of staying at a hotel, I advise you to book a hotel directly on the spot. How much money does Sri Lanka need for a comfortable hotel stay? The cost of living in an average hotel on the island ranges from 2,500 to 10,000 rubles per day for double occupancy. It is best to come to the reception yourself and arrange check-in. This simple method can reduce the cost of living by 7-15%.

How much money to take to Sri Lanka in 2017 for excursions

We bought all our excursions from local guys on the beach. Nobody deceived us! Be sure to bargain, as their prices are deliberately inflated.
Excursion to Kandy - one day trip. Its cost is 85 dollars. The excursion program included a sightseeing walk around the city of Kandy, visiting temples, an elephant farm and a botanical garden. My favorite was the orchid garden. The excursion is very tiring and long. We left the hotel around five in the morning and returned back only around midnight.
The second excursion was a walk along the Madi River - we saw mangroves, a large number of fancy birds and enjoyed gorgeous local views. The cost of the trip is 300 rubles.
And our third trip was a boat trip on a large ship - we went to watch whales. The cost of excursions is 3500 rubles for two adults. During the last trip we were actually able to see huge whales, as well as curious dolphins and flying fish.

Now you know not only how much money to take for Sri Lanka 2017, but also about the Long Beach 4 Sri Lanka Koggala and Centara Ceysands Sri Lanka hotels. Tourists also find Sri Lanka tips for holidaymakers.

When going to Sri Lanka, my husband and I were very worried. But, having arrived on this fabulous island, all doubts simply disappeared! Huge, almost deserted beaches, the most beautiful ocean, excellent cuisine! I am convinced that two weeks is certainly not enough to completely unravel this mysterious island. So, as a farewell, I whispered: “Goodbye, Sri Lanka! We will definitely see each other again!”

Expenses for the second month of living in Sri Lanka. In the first month, the expenses were higher, since it was necessary to rent for several days, spend money on tuk-tukers in the process, and then, when we had already found ourselves, we had to buy a lot more household items. So the second month can be considered as the average expenses in Sri Lanka for two.

Lankan rupees

How much did you spend in Sri Lanka? Expenses for November

Prices are in Sri Lankan rupees. 1000 LKR = 7$

• Travel: ($6)
• Products: ($178)
• Cafes and restaurants: ($50)
• Alcohol: ($62)
• Housing: ($280)
• Excursions: ($243).
• Mobile: ($1)
• Other expenses: ($20)

Total: 120690 LKR

This is approximately $840 at the average rate. Not counting 2 excursions - 85,690 rupees or $600.

Where can I order a transfer from the airport?

We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article.

More details on each expense item

We cooked it ourselves. We bought food at a supermarket, which we reached by bus. On average, for one trip to the store they left about 4,000 rupees ($27) and left the store with huge bags. .

Eating in cafes in Sri Lanka is not very profitable, since they are intended only for tourists. Accordingly, the prices are inflated. You can have lunch for two from about 1500 rupees (10-12 bucks). The street food and street food that we are used to in Thailand are not available in Sri Lanka. Cafes for locals are rare and look so dirty that we couldn’t eat there after one visit. Dark closets with sticky tables and flies.

Typical cafe for locals in Hikkaduwa

Alcoholic drinks. The famous local rum Arak costs an average of 1000 rupees ($7) per bottle 0.7. Lion beer and 3 Coins 150-180 rupees for 0.5 ($1-1.25). By the way, beer bottles can be returned to alcohol shops for 10-20 rupees.

Housing. We rented a room in a guest house in a small town for 40,000 rupees ($280) per month. All bills (water, electricity, internet) are included in the price. However, the owner of the guest house tried in every way to squeeze extra money out of us, demonstrating his Sri Lankan essence. This month he cut off the Internet, demanding that he pay for it himself.

Excursions. We went to and from . Expenses for 3 days in Kandy are 25,000 rupees ($173). This amount includes tickets for, hotel accommodation, meals and excursions. We spent 10,000 rupees ($70) on Yala Park, chipped in with the French and went on an excursion organized by the owner of our guest house.

A mobile phone in SHL is very cheap. It was only needed for a few calls to Russia. To parents and every time.

Other expenses include clothing repairs and household purchases.

Bottom line: how much money do you need in Sri Lanka per month?

How much money do you need to live in Sri Lanka as a couple? On average, $1000 per month. If you don’t go on excursions, don’t drink alcohol and don’t visit cafes, then you can live together on $600 a month in decent conditions. If not, then Sri Lanka would probably be one of the best countries for budget living.

Hi all. According to the already established tradition, I am writing how much we spent during our month of stay in the new country. In this article we will look at prices in Sri Lanka and, using our example, we will calculate with what budget you can plan a vacation in Sri Lanka. Well, let's go...

According to my observations, when compared with tourist countries such as Vietnam or Thailand, Sri Lanka is an expensive country. For example, housing costs are 30-40% lower, and we have never seen such expensive entrance tickets to attractions even in the USA or Singapore. But prices do not stop tourists, because Sri Lanka can surprise even the most experienced traveler. There is entertainment for every taste: diving, surfing, ancient and mysterious cities, pristine nature, unique local flavor and much more.

Flights to Sri Lanka

Flights to Sri Lanka in the following directions: Moscow - Colombo, Kyiv - Colombo, St. Petersburg - Colombo, start from $400 in both directions and can reach several thousand $. The cost is influenced by several factors: point of departure/arrival, seasonality, current airline promotions and sales, direct flight or not, and others. But there are several rules that will help reduce the cost of flying at any time of the year.

• When searching for tickets, do not be tied to a specific date. Look at prices for at least one or two weeks. There are times when you can find tickets to Sri Lanka 20 - 30% cheaper if you check all the numbers;
• Airfares to Colombo Airport are generally the cheapest;
• The closer to the departure date, the more expensive the cost of the flight, so do not delay purchasing air tickets too much;
• Subscribe to the newsletter of airlines that fly to Sri Lanka from your city to stay updated on current promotions and sales, and not miss your ticket at a low price;

Tickets to Sri Lanka from Moscow

Tickets to Sri Lanka from Kyiv

Accommodation in Sri Lanka

Hotels in Sri Lanka seemed expensive to me; I have never seen accommodation typical for Asia for $10-$15 per night. It’s worth immediately emphasizing that those who come for a short vacation will pay more than those who come to Sri Lanka to “winter.” We spent about a month in Ceylon and moved around the island a lot, so we didn’t spend the night in one place for more than 3-5 days. Sri Lankans are not willing to bargain if they rent housing for a short period of time, but they are more accommodating if they negotiate for a long stay.

More or less decent accommodation starts from $20 per night, and a hotel with a good rating and breakfast starts from $30. If you compare the prices for accommodation with Europe, then this is just ridiculous money, but for Asia it is not so little. In total, we spent a little more than $1,000 on hotels.

Transport prices

• The average cost of a trip by tuk-tuk (up to 10 km) is ≈ 1 - 3 $. The price depends on the distance and your bargaining skills. But you will definitely have to bargain, otherwise a holiday in Sri Lanka will cost a pretty penny.
• A bus ride between cities (up to 100 km) ≈ 1 - 2 $.
• The cost of travel on the train depends on the class of carriage. For example, travel on the Colombo train (135 km), in a 2nd class carriage costs $2, and in a 1st class carriage $7.

In general, transport prices are quite low. If you are planning an independent trip to Sri Lanka, then this expense item will not be large. For example, we paid almost $150 for transport for two. But it’s worth noting that we traveled around the island a lot by tuk-tuks, buses and trains.

Entrance fees

Excursions, like accommodation, are unreasonably expensive. Prices are per admission ticket for one person.

• — 30$;
• — 25$;
• Temple of the Tooth Relic. Kandy - $15;
• Golden Temple - $15;
• Royal Botanic Garden - $8;
• Tea plantations. The tour to the tea factory is free, but the tip for the guide was $10 (for two people);
• Elephant riding - $20;

For two adults, sightseeing costs $240 and that's just entrance fees.

Product prices

Prices for products in supermarkets are fixed, which cannot be said about the market. In the market, the price is what you negotiate. For example, a pineapple can be bought for either 100 rupees or 400 rupees. It all depends on the seller’s compliance and your ability to bargain. On average, we spent $100 a week on food, but there was virtually no meat or alcohol in our diet. Almost the entire budget was spent on fruits, vegetables, fish and dairy products, which are quite expensive in Sri Lanka.

In the supermarket

• Chicken fillet ≈ 1000 rupees per kg.
• Cheese ≈ 900 - 1200 rupees per 0.5 kg.
• Coconut oil ≈ 200 - 400 per bottle of about.5 liters.
• Butter ≈ 400-500 rupees per 250 g stick.
• Bread for toast ≈ 50 rupees
• Milk ≈ 200-250 rupees per 1 liter.
• Water 1.5 l. ≈ 40 -70 rupees

On the market (where we bought)

• Pineapple ≈ 150 rupees per piece.
• Apples ≈ 200 rupees per kg.
• Papaya ≈ 300 rupees per kg.
• Coconut ≈ 40 rupees per piece.
• Bananas ≈ 100 rupees per kg.
• Mango ≈ 350 rupees per kg.
• Potatoes ≈ 300 rupees per kg.
• Carrots ≈ 300 rupees per kg.
• Onions ≈ 250 rupees per kg.
• Tomatoes ≈ 400 rupees per kg.
• Avocado ≈ 150 rupees per kg.
• Lettuce leaves ≈ 600 rupees per kg.

Prices in the cafe

• Lunch at a roadside cafe or in an establishment for locals ≈ 4 - 6 $ (570 - 860 rupees);
• The cost of lunch in a mid-level cafe is ≈ 7 - 10 $ (1000 - 1500 rupees);
• Restaurant or cafe in a tourist place ≈ 10 - 15 $ (1500 - 2200 rupees);

For that kind of money you can get one meat dish + drink or two (a) snack/vegetable dishes + drink

• Tuna ≈ 5 - 7 $ (800 - 1100 rupees per serving);
• Shrimp ≈ 4 - 6 $ (650 - 900 rupees per serving);
• Squid ≈ 4 - 6 $ (650 - 900 rupees per serving);
• French fries ≈ 1 - 1.5 $ (150 - 250 rupees);
• Seafood soup ≈ 2 - 4 $ (300-600 rupees);
• Kottu ≈ 1.5 - 1.7 $ (250 -300 rupees);
• Fried rice with vegetables ≈ 1 - 1.5 $ (150 - 250 rupees);
• Fried rice with chicken ≈ 2 - 2.4 $ (300 - 350 rupees);
• Vegetable curry ≈ 1 - 1.5 $ (150 - 250 rupees);
• Fish curry ≈ 1 - 1.5 $ (150 - 250 rupees);
• Rotti ≈ $0.15 (20 rupees);
• Vegetable rotti ≈ $0.30 (40 rupees);
• Omelette ≈ 1.5 - 2 $ (300 - 350 rupees);
• Ground coffee ≈ 0.35 - 0.7 $ (50 -100 rupees);
• Freshly squeezed juice to choose from ≈ 0.7 - 2.7 $ (100 - 400 rupees);
• Cola, Fanta, Sprite ≈ 0.40 - 0.70 $ (60 - 100 rupees);

Over the course of a month, we spent a little over $400 on food for two. We slightly reduced food costs due to the fact that in all the hotels and guesthouses we rented, breakfast was included in the price of our stay.

Other costs

We spent $200 on the “Other” expense item. This includes buying tea, spices, souvenirs for family and friends, personal hygiene products and tips for guides. Usually brought from Sri Lanka:

• Ceylon teas. Despite the fact that prices at tea factories are slightly higher than in stores, I still recommend buying tea there. You can also buy tea in stores, but the choice is very limited, mainly Mlesna, Dilmah or Lipton. The factories understand that they are essentially a monopoly, which is why prices are higher, but you can be sure of the quality of the tea.
• Jewelry and stones.
• Spices: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, vanilla, turmeric, chili, anise, curry, pepper, nutmeg and others.
• Cosmetics: creams, oils, Ayurvedic preparations.
• Fruits. At the airport, I witnessed tourists taking home suitcases loaded to the brim with fruit: coconuts, pineapples, mangoes, papaya and others. For me this is a little strange, but still such tourists can be understood. Fruits in Sri Lanka are very tasty, you can’t buy them at home.

In total, for a month of living in Sri Lanka, we spent almost $2,000 (without flights and visas), this is the maximum we achieved during our trip to Asia. For some this is a lot, for others it is not enough, everything is individual and depends on financial capabilities and requirements for comfort.

Tatiana Solomatina

What does a tourist need to know about Sri Lanka?

Good afternoon dear friends!

Every year this island state becomes more and more popular among tourists. Magnificent beaches, the warm Indian Ocean and a rich cultural heritage allow you to have an unforgettable holiday at any time of the year. However, as in every place, there are many subtleties that must be taken into account when going on vacation to this country. This is what we will talk about in this article.

Sri Lanka for tourists: how to get there, when is the season, how much money to take with you, which resort to choose, what to watch out for, what to see, useful phone numbers. As you can see, I have collected the most necessary tourist information that will help you better understand what awaits you there.

There is only one international airport in Sri Lanka, Bandaranaike http://www.airport.lk, located 35 km away. south of Colombo.

Direct flights from Russia are operated by Aeroflot and Sri Lanka Airlines, but they fly only in the high season and such a flight is very expensive.

Sometimes, tourism operators offer direct charter flights, but this is rare and it is very difficult to buy a ticket for such a flight; this is the most profitable and cheapest option.

Many flights with transfers are offered by foreign airlines Qatar, Turkish, Etihad, Emirates, Air Arabia. However, you should prepare for a long flight with a layover in a third country, and possibly many hours of waiting for a connecting flight.

Please note that if you have a long wait for connecting flights, you will not be able to leave the transit area if the connection takes place at an airport in a country where an entry visa is required, unless you obtain one in advance.

When is the season?

Traveling around Sri Lanka is comfortable all year round. Seasonality on the island is a relative thing. The low season is characterized only by short-term heavy rains at night and large waves in the ocean, which prevents a comfortable beach holiday. Therefore, tourists need to carefully choose their route, depending on the time of year.

If you are interested in a beach holiday in the winter months, then it is better to go to the southwest and south coasts. In October, the rainy season ends here, the weather gets better, and the high season begins, favorable for a beach holiday. It will be comfortable in places such as Bentota, Beruwella, Wadduwa, Galle, Kalutara, Mount Lavinia , Negombo, Tangalla, Unawatuna .

From April to October, it is better to relax on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka, where the main resort is Trincomalee. However, they are very promising for a beach holiday — Uppuveli, Nilaveli, Arugam Bay (bay).

Do you need a visa?

To visit this country you need a visa. To obtain it, you do not need to collect a lot of documents and run to the embassy. A visa can be obtained at the airport after arrival. You will be asked to fill out a migration card (in English) and pay a visa fee of $25.

The usual requirements: stay in the country for no more than 30 days, the passport must be valid for another 6 months after leaving the country, a return ticket and hotel reservation, proof of solvency in the form of cash or a card at the rate of $25 per day of stay (rarely asked).

What money should I take?

As in other Asian countries, it is better to take dollars with you to Sri Lanka. You can exchange them at any bank, of which there are many throughout the country. Even in a small locality there is always a bank, and more often than not, more than one. To exchange currencies, you must present your passport or a copy thereof.

In hotels, the exchange rate is always unfavorable, changing on the market or from private individuals is completely unsafe; there are many reviews on the Internet from deceived tourists.

Quite calmly, you can also take a bank card with you, which you can use to pay in many shops and at the hotel. When withdrawing cash, your bank will definitely take a percentage and exchange it at its rate, and the local bank will retain the amount for withdrawing cash. Therefore, it is more profitable to use cards when making a purchase, and it is better to take cash with you. Before leaving, you must notify the bank about your trip to Sri Lanka, otherwise the card may be blocked. I wrote about which cards are more profitable when traveling.

Despite the fact that the official currency is the Sri Lankan rupee, in many small shops, with taxi drivers and for excursions, you can pay in dollars and euros. Local residents will gladly accept foreign currency, however, this method of payment will most often be disadvantageous to you (they will recalculate it at a rate that is favorable to them).

How much money should I take?

Holidays in Sri Lanka are considered relatively inexpensive. However, the cost of staying in the country depends on many things: season, number of days, resort, leisure, excursion program, etc.

If you are traveling on an all-inclusive package tour, your main expenses will be excursions and personal shopping. It’s hard to say based on purchases, but it’s easy to calculate the excursion program. Approximate prices can be found on the website of the local travel company http://besttour-lanka.com/ru/travel-tour-sri-lanka.html. I highly recommend this agency, in addition to the paid services, they helped us in a difficult situation. Curious? Read.

If your tour does not include meals, then the approximate cost of a full lunch in a budget cafe will cost 1000-1500 rupees ($10) for two. Portions are usually very large, so you can safely take one dish for two. For $30 you can eat a full day for two in a tourist place; visiting establishments for locals will be even cheaper.

The price of a standard room in an average 3*-4* hotel is $40-70 per double room per night. A room from a local resident will cost $15-25.

Prices for some products: water 1.5l - 70-90 rupees, bread - 50-100, milk 1l - 130-140, butter 180-200, coconut - 25-30, papaya - 50-60, bananas 1kg - 60- 70.

Car rental is $40, price per day, scooter rental is $6-10, gasoline is 170 rupees/liter.

Tuk-tuk from 100 rupees nearby, to 350 rupees for 10 km.

Which resort should you choose?

The choice of location directly depends on the time of year and the purpose of the trip.

If you are planning an active trip and expect to visit many attractions, then there is no point in staying in one place. The fact is that everything interesting is located quite far from the coast, and it is difficult to regularly go on excursions from one hotel. It is necessary to constantly move, so it is more convenient to book hotels along the entire route.

If you are planning a passive beach holiday, then you can safely choose the southwestern coast in the winter months, and the northeastern coast in the summer months.

You can find a brief overview of beach resorts.

What to see?

What to see? This is the second question that interests tourists after studying prices. The island will be interesting for literally everyone. Fans of historical monuments should definitely visit the ancient ruined cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Many tourists speak enthusiastically about excursions to the rock fortress of Sigiriya and the sacred city of Kandy; the Golden Temple in Dambulla is very interesting. The Galle fortress is worth visiting.

Nature lovers will be enchanted by the National Parks, especially Yala and the Sinharaja Nature Reserve. Kandy has the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens. Nuwara Eliya has huge tea plantations and magnificent mountain scenery.

It’s romantic to watch the sunrise at Adam’s Peak and visit the Horton Plateau.

What to fear?

Many local residents live off the tourism business. Near hotels you can often find people obsessively offering various services, ranging from all kinds of excursions, to rental of any transport and money exchange. These comrades should be treated with caution; there are often scammers who, after taking money from you, will either provide a poor-quality service or disappear completely.