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Know Your Destinations

Sri Lanka at a Glance
Set in the Indian Ocean in South Asia, the tropical island nation of Sri Lanka has a history dating back 2600 years. Only few places in the world can offer the traveller such a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences within such a compact location-thus among a score of nick names it also added the word serendipity to the English language. This is an island of magical proportions of excitement, tranquility, authenticity and ingenuity. Within a mere area of 65,610 kilometers lie 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometres of coastline suits an year round fun -sun – stand. Much of it pristine beaches – 15 national parks showcasing an abundance of wildlife, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, 25,000 water bodies, and a culture that extends back to over 2,500 years. Of course, the traditional cuisine and the 21 million smiling, hospitable and friendly people will add your indelible memories beyond just one trip.
FAQs
Climatically Sri Lanka has no off-season. Bright sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the wet season. Sea temperatures as a rule remain around 27 C, year-round. In the hill country, the temperature can be as low as 10 C. The island has two wet seasons between May and July in the south- west and December/January in the north-east.

Predominantly Buddhist (70%) but remains a vibrant multicultural society with Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, faiths existing side-by-side in harmony. All main religious days and events are celebrated and declared public holidays.

English is well understood in almost all parts of the Country. Place names and signboards are in the two National languages ( Sinhala and Tamil) and in English as well.
Sri Lanka’s Standard Time is 5 ½ hours ahead of Greenwich
The voltage is Sri Lanka is 220/ 240 volts. Sri Lankan hotels have two types of plug bases; either the UK (Type G) or India (Type D).

Credit Cards are widely used and accepted by local establishments and the most widely used card types are Visa and MasterCard. The local currency is Sri Lankan Rupees. Sri Lanka Customs, Banks,

No. Smoking and consuming liquor in public areas is banned in Sri Lanka. Ask permission before taking photographs of people and respect their wishes if they refuse. When visiting religious places women should cover their shoulders and legs. All visitors to Buddhist temples should remove shoes, hats and umbrellas. Hindu temples also require you to remove shoes and hats. Respect Buddha images and to pose pictures by turning your back. Pay attention when purchasing antiques as export restrictions on antiques exists, including fauna and flora license, pets etc. No vaccines are compulsory unless you are coming from a yellow fever or cholera area.