Sri Lanka Travel Tips

Drinking Water

Tourists visiting Sri Lanka may find it hard to be aware of the quality of water they consume. Drinking water directly from the tap is unsafe. At times, filtering and boiling is not adequately done in some restaurants and hotels, so it is best that bottled water is drunk during your stay in Sri Lanka. Bottled spring water from the central hill country is now available in a range of brands. It is strongly recommended to ensure the seal of the bottle is broken in your presence. Make certain any ice has been made of purified water. A bottle of water in your bathroom will come in handy to wash your mouth after brushing your teeth.

There are two ways to obtain purified water if you are camping or hiking, and unable to get bottled water. Suitable equipment to filter and boil the water is required. Any dirt and particles can be removed by straining the water through a filter and then boiling well. To kill any micro-organisms in the water, boil it for two to three minutes in the lowlands and five to ten minutes in the highland areas. Another way to purify water is to sterilise it using iodine or chlorine after filtering it. Iodine is considered more effective than chlorine tablets.

Woman Travellers

Considered one of the safest and easiest locations for lone women travellers, men in Sri Lanka are usually polite to females. The bad vocal behaviour of a handful rarely increases to anything more threatening or physical.

What to Wear

Being a warm, bright and sunny tropical island, cotton clothing is the perfect choice for visitors. Cotton and viscose mixed clothing is also regularly used. Light garments can be worn in the lowlands and light woollen garments are perfect for use when travelling in the central hills. To avoid the heat during the day, sunglasses, sun hat and sunscreen will come in handy.

Currency

A decimal currency system is in operation in Sri Lanka with the use of Rupees (Rs) and cents (Cts). A Rupee is made up of 100 cents. Coins are available in Cents 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 and Rupees 1, 2, 5 and 10. Currency notes are issued in Rupees 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000.

Entering Places of Worship

Headgear and footwear must be removed when entering Buddhist and Hindu shrines. When visiting Buddhist temples visitors must wear clothing to cover the body completely. Shorts, briefs, bare shoulders and bear backs should be avoided.

Snakes

Although Sri Lanka is home to at least 83 species of snakes, only five of these species are venomous enough to be deadly to humans. Out of these, only the Cobra, the Russell's viper and the Krait are likely to be found in tourist areas. It is important to note that although Sri Lanka does have a high rate of snakebite related deaths, there have been no reported tourist deaths due to snakebites for many years.

While snakes are quite common to Sri Lanka's dry zone and the Cultural Triangle areas where tourists frequent, Cobra's and Russell's Vipers are also to be found in the vicinity of Colombo.

Snakes only attack in self-defence. So always be careful when leaving the commonly used pathways, especially when visiting ancient city areas such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Snakes cannot hear but only feel vibrations. So tread with purpose and use a stick to hit the ground at intervals.

It is recommended that travellers always wear shoes or boots and long trousers when trekking through areas which may be infested with snakes. The Russell's viper is usually found under logs so if you're camping out, be extra careful when collecting firewood.

Recommended first-aid if bitten by a snake:

• Immobilize the affected limb and wrap a bandage around it as tightly as possible, releasing it for 90 seconds every 15 minutes
• Keep the victim calm and still. Reassure him / her and proceed to the nearest hospital or doctor (if possible take the head of the snake for identification)

Tourist Information

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