'''Provinces:'''
<!--This section should only include places one could visit and spend the night. Sights and attractions should be incorporated into the articles for the destination where they are located.-->
See also: Sacred sites of the Indian sub-continent
Tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March) only affects east coast; southwest monsoon (June to October) affects mostly the west coast and mountains.
Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior.
Highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-3rd century B.C. and a great civilization developed at such cities as Anuradhapura (kingdom from c. 200 B.C. to c. 1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 to 1200).
Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796 and became a crown colony in 1802. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; the name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.
Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s, killing over 70,000. After a shaky ceasefire between 2001 and 2008, open warfare erupted again, with the Tamil Tigers finally surrendering in 2009. It remains to be seen whether winning the war can be parlayed into lasting peace as well.
Sri Lankan also code shares with '''Emirates Airlines''' of the United Arab Emirates. This allows for connections from places SL doesn't fly to itself such as North America.
'''Qatar Airways''' had become a popular choice from Europe to Sri Lanka by 2008, and the Indian carrier '''Kingfisher Airlines''' further improved choice in early 2009 when it opened a Bangalore route to Colombo that enabled easy links to Sri Lanka from the Uk via India.
'''Mihin Lanka''' [http://www.mihinlanka.com/], Sri Lanka's first (and only) low-cost airline started operating in 2007. They fly to Dubai in United Arab Emirates and Tiruchirapalli and Buddhagaya in India.
'''Other airlines''' include Singapore, Malaysia, Thai, Cathay Pacific, Saudi Arabian, LTU (Germany), and Edelweiss Air (Switzerland).
Rented cars often come with their own drivers. Often the automobile itself is free, whereas the driver will charge a fee for his services. Some drivers/guides are government-licensed; some are extremely knowledgeable and multi-lingual, specializing in historical and cultural knowledge, and environment/natural history for your visits to the ancient sites and the natural reserves.
They will also take you outstation for around USD 0.30-0.35 per km with no waiting charges. You can also set up your own itenary and travel around that way as opposed to whatever the tour operator tells you.
(see '''warning''' at top of page) For those on a budget buses are everywhere. They're ridiculously crowded and massively uncomfortable, but they get you around for almost nothing; it costs about a dollar to get half-way across the island. If you're planning on splashing out, '''AC buses''' run most routes for twice the price, which offer air-conditioning and a guaranteed seat. However, they're still uncomfortable. Bus stations are confusing places, especially the big ones, but almost everyone will be delighted to practice their English and help you.
Sri Lanka has an extensive railway system serving all major towns and cities in the island except for the North and the East. There are special Observation cars for tourists that like to take in the scenery.
The Railway system in Sri Lanka is very picturesque when entering the hill country because of the winding tracks along the mountains especially on the Badullu-Nanu Oya line. Make sure, if you can, to sit on the right side of the train, as it offers the better view.
Certain trains like the intercity to Kandy have to be booked in advance as they do get sold out. See [http://www.railway.gov.lk/] and [http://www.seat61.com/SriLanka.htm] for more details.
'''Aero Lanka''' operates domestic flights between Colombo-Ratmalana, Jaffna and Trincomalee
The majority of Sri Lankans speak '''Sinhala''', with '''Tamil''' as the second language. English is commonly used by government and tourism officials. Don't expect everyone, everywhere to be able to speak it fluently. It's much more common in the beach and tourist areas. Most people in rural villages cannot speak any English, beyond a few simple words.
Sinhala writing is much more curved than Tamil. After a while, you'll learn how to distinguish between the two.
The currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee. The exchange rates are approximately 117Rs/ USD, or 160Rs/ EUR. There are coins for 25 and 50 cents (bronze), 1 rupee (old version is big and silver, new version is small and gold,) 2 rupees (silver,) and 5 rupees (gold,) as well as banknotes ranging from 10- 2000 rupees. Coins that are more than a few years old are typically in quite bad condition.
Handicrafts Of Sri Lanka. For reed, cane, cotton, paper, leather, wood, clay, metal, and gemstones have been transformed and re-expressed in a array of batiks, toys, curios and jewelery, all exquisite hand made treasures.
You can withdraw from debit cards too (Cirrus, Maestro, Visa Electron etc) where the logos are displayed - so no need to carry wads of US dollars when entering the country.
Sri Lanka and South Indian food share a lot in common, and many local restaurants will describe their menus as ''Sri Lankan & South Indian''. There are a number of regional variations thought, the different types of hopper, devilled prawns/cuttlefish/chicken/etc. and the common fiery addition to any curry, ''pol sambol'' made of grated coconut, red chilli powder and lime juice.
The food is very cheap generally, with a cheap meal costing about a dollar. The most expensive, tourist-orientated places seldom charge more than ten dollars. The staple food of Sri Lankans is '''rice and curry''' - a massive mound of rice surrounded by various curries and delicacies. If you want to eat a cheap lunch you can follow the Sri Lankan crowds and duck into any of a million small cafes, confusingly called 'Hotels'. These normally sell a rice and curry packet, as well as 'short eats', a collection of spicy rolls. This is ideal for backpackers and those who want to get past the touristy hotels selling burnt chicken and chips - you're charged by how much you eat, and unless you're absolutely ravenous it probably won't cost over a dollar.
'''Kottu (Kothu) Roti''' (a medley of chopped roti, vegetables and your choice of meat) is a must-have for anyone - tourist or otherwise - in Sri Lanka. It is uniquely Sri Lankan and tastes best when made fresh by street vendors.
Note that Sri Lankans '''eat with their right hands''' - this isn't a major problem, because everywhere will be able to provide cutlery if you can't eat otherwise. But try the Sri Lankan way (tips of fingers only!), it's harder than it looks but strangely liberating.
There are many upscale restaurants to choose from in the city of Colombo. There are many fine dining restaurants at the 5 star hotels which offer both Local and International cuisine.
Fast-food outlets such as KFC, Pizza Hut etc. can be found in Colombo and Kandy.
'''Water''' is not always healthy for unseasoned travelers, and so it is recommended that either purifying tablets or bottled water be used whenever possible. '''Fresh milk''', due to the climate, spoils easily, and so is often very expensive. Powdered milk, however, is safe and is often substituted.
'''Thambli''' the juice from yellow coconuts, is very refreshing. It's sold at the side of streets throughout the island, you know it's clean as the coconut is cut open in front of you and it's cheaper than bottled drinks at about R20/- each.
'''Soft drinks''' are available almost everywhere, normally in dusty-looking glass bottles. The local producer, Elephant, make a range of interesting drinks - try the ginger beer and cream soda.
"Coca Cola" and "Pepsi" also available in large and small sizes (plastic bottles) including several local soft drink brands - all available at rapidly multiplying supermarkets all across the country and grocery shops.
The most common local beer is '''Lion Lager'''. For something a bit different try '''Lion Stout'''. It is characterized by it's tar-like oiliness of body and chocolate finish. Other brews include '''Three Coins''', which is brewed by the Mt Lavinia hotel chain, allegedly to a Belgian recipe.
The traditional spirit is '''Arrack''', which costs about 4 USD for a bottle, and is often drunk with ginger beer. The quality can vary depending on how much you want to pay. However, widely recommended brand would be "Old Reserve" and worth paying 7.5 USD for it.
Sri Lanka accommodation has been transformed in recent years. What would be recognised as the modern tourist industry began in the 1960s with traditional beach hotels built on the west coast which were aimed primarily at the package holiday crowd and traditional travel operators. But the past decade has brought a major change, with the growth of villas, boutique hotels, and small independent and individualistic properties offering a huge array of choice.
'''Meditation''' You may find monasteries and meditation centers that offer meditation courses (generally free of charge) inBuddhist Publication Society guide: www.bps.lk/other_library/information_sri Lanka_monasteries_2008_jan.pdf
Bombings and assassinations were a firm part of the Tigers' repertoire, and there is heavy security in all sensitive locations. While the separatists have never targeted tourists and none have ever been killed, a few have been wounded by terrorist actions. In general, though, traffic accidents should be a greater concern than terrorism.
Violent crime is not a serious problem for tourists in Sri Lanka. As in most tourist locations, beware of pickpockets, and don't leave valuables unguarded. Women should not be alone at night on the beach or streets. There has been a slight increase in violent crimes involving tourists in the past few years, but it is still rare.
Con artists and touts are a serious problem throughout all tourist areas. Using the services of a tout for accommodation, local travel, etc. will most likely increase the price. Do not believe anyone who claims to be a professional (e.g. airline pilot), or in charge of a location (like a bus terminal) without proof. Scams involving gemstones are common. Do not buy with the intention of selling them in your home country for a profit.
Also, beware of single males who wish you to accompany them after a religious service. First, ask other members if the person is honest and reliable. Dishonest Sri Lankans (mostly male) are very adept at talking tourists out of their money, and generally prefer this method over violence. They frequent the Galle Face Road area surrounding the tourist hotels, Galle Face Hotel and the Holiday Inn. Their "modus operandi" is to tell you upfront that they don't want anything from you, only to talk. There may be an auspicious day occurring in Sri Lanka and they will use this to coerce you to accompany them to a temple or church. They will wine, dine, and pay for everything, and then, after two days, will begin to extort money from you.
Although snake bites are extremely rare among tourists (comparable to being struck by lightning), anyone bitten should seek prompt medical care. This is true even if the bite doesn't result in any pain and swelling.
There are several customs that (for Westerners) take a bit of getting used to.
The country code for Sri Lanka is '''94'''. Remove the '0' from a Sri Lankan number beginning with '0' (ie 0112 688 688 becomes 94 112 688 688) when dialling from abroad.