According to ezinereligion, Sri Lanka (Sinhalese: Shrī Laṁkā, Tamil: Ilaṅkai) is a country and island in the Indian Ocean (Asia). Sri Lanka has been independent from the United Kingdom since 1948. The capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. Some major cities in Sri Lanka are: Anuradhapura, Colombo, Galle, Trincomalee and Kalmunai.
Sri Lanka is known as a tropical island with everything that goes with it. Around the country there is a wide coastline with wide sandy beaches and clear blue water where you can dive and snorkel excellently. More inland you will find tropical forests, tea plantations and a number of mountain areas. The highest mountains are the Pidurutalagala with a height of 2524 meters and the Adam’s Peak with a height of 2243 meters. In these areas, different animal species can be found in the wild. For example, leopards and elephants live there. The Sri Lankan economy mostly runs on tourism and the export of tea, coffee, rubber and coconuts. In 2004, a tsunami hit Sri Lanka that killed at least 35,000 people. See andyeducation for education in Asia.
Where is Sri Lanka located?
Travel information of Sri Lanka
Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Continent: Asia
Area: 65,610 km²
Capital: Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
Country code: LK, LKA
Population: 22,889,201 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 2,524 m (Pidurutalagala)
Distance (Amsterdam – Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte): 8,450 km
Flight time: approximately 10 hours
Travel advice
Current status: Exercising vigilance.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Sri Lanka that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Sri Lanka, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Sri Lanka. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Sri Lanka?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Sri Lanka at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Sri Lanka has a tropical climate. Temperatures are around 25 to 30 degrees all year round. In the mountains the temperatures are around 15 to 20 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Sri Lanka can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Sri Lanka can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March and December are the best months to travel to Western Sri Lanka.
February and March are the best months to travel to Eastern Sri Lanka.
This avoids the prolonged rainy season.
Language
Sinhala and Tamil are both an official language in Sri Lanka. In addition, a lot of English is spoken.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Sri Lanka.
A visa is required. You can apply for this online via the official website eta.gov.lk (credit card). You must use the visa within 90 days of the date of issue. You may stay in Sri Lanka for a maximum of 30 days within this period.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Sri Lanka: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for Sri Lanka if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit Sri Lanka. In addition, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria Malaria
occurs in Sri Lanka (with the exception of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Matara and Nuwara Eliya). Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Sri Lanka people pay with the Sri Lankan rupee (rupee) (LKR).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Sri Lanka can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Sri Lanka are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -55% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (76% cheaper), food (36% cheaper), imported beer in catering (30% cheaper), cigarettes (23% cheaper) and public transport (96% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Sri Lanka it is customary to tip. If no service costs have been calculated yet, a tip of approximately 10% is given.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 3.5 hours later in Sri Lanka.
During our winter time it is 4.5 hours later in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Sri Lanka can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Sri Lanka you must drive on the left.
You must apply for a temporary driver’s license in Sri Lanka in order to drive a motor vehicle. This is possible at the ‘Department of Motor Traffic’ in Colombo on presentation of the Dutch driver’s license.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Sri Lanka.
Electricity
In Sri Lanka you need a travel plug.
More information about common plugs and sockets in Sri Lanka can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 118 or 119
– Fire: 111
– Ambulance: 110
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Sri Lanka can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Sri Lanka can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Sri Lanka end in.lk.
Sri Lanka official websites: gov.lk and srilanka.travel.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Sri Lanka is 0094 or +94.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Sri Lanka? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Sri Lanka Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Sri Lanka.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Sri Lanka.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Sri Lanka.
Public holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Sri Lanka can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Sri Lanka, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Sri Lanka?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Sri Lanka. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Sri Lanka can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Sri Lanka can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Sri Lanka? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported from Sri Lanka.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or do business with Sri Lanka, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Sri Lanka, including: opportunities, Sudan and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Sri Lanka.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 21.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.6.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 21.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Not allowed. Prison sentence up to 10 years.
Did you know that…
…Sri Lanka is known for exporting tea, coffee, rubber and coconuts?
…Dutch channels can be found in Sri Lanka?
…Sri Lanka was hit by the great tsunami of 2004?
…Cricket is the national sport of Sri Lanka?
…People in Sri Lanka eat with their hands?
…nearly 6000 elephants live in Sri Lanka?
