Sri LankaTIPS BEFORE DEPARTURE22 May 20266 min read
Sri Lanka tips before you go
No exhaustive list of things you'd figure out yourself anyway. Just the stuff you'll be glad you thought about before boarding the plane.
Paperwork
You need an ETA for Sri Lanka. Just apply on the official ETA website, pay a few dollars, done. Do this in time, not in the taxi to the airport.
For vaccinations the advice is fairly consistent: DTP and Hepatitis A are standard. Eating adventurously or staying longer than a few weeks? Add Typhoid to the list. And rabies: sounds excessive, but the dogs in Sri Lanka can be a bit unpredictable. Getting a booster before you go is not a strange choice. Check what's recommended for your specific trip at fitfortravel.nhs.uk, they keep it up to date.
Mosquito repellent is not optional, it's mandatory. Dengue exists there and you don't want to bring it home as a souvenir.
On sunscreen: buy it at home. Sri Lanka is known for counterfeit products that look exactly like the real thing but do absolutely nothing. Just bring a tube of your own brand.
Money
The local currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). You can withdraw cash at larger banks like BOC and Commercial Bank, but ATMs are regularly empty or out of order. Always make sure you have cash on you.
Set your bank card to international use before you leave, because if you forget you'll have a problem that only a credit card can solve. Keep that card with you as a backup, since not every hotel and rental accepts it.
Change large notes as quickly as possible. A 5000 LKR note is theoretically great, but tuk-tuk drivers and market stalls structurally have "no change". Change at a supermarket or your hotel as soon as you get the chance.
Budget around €20 per day on top of accommodation and transport for food, drinking water, small trips and everything in between. Guides and drivers also expect a tip, so keep something separate for that.
Transport
In larger cities like Colombo, Kandy and Galle the apps PickMe and Uber work well. Download them before you arrive. No negotiating, just get in and go. Outside the cities the other rule applies: always agree on a price before getting in a tuk-tuk.
Longer taxi rides can often be split with other travellers. Check the Hostelworld app or Nomadtable to find people heading the same way. Saves a good chunk of money and you instantly meet someone new.
The train from Kandy to Ella is the most talked-about stretch of any Sri Lanka trip. Whether that route is still running as expected in 2026 and what the best way to board is: read all about it in this article. The bus is always an alternative: incredibly cheap, chaotic, loud local music. You either love it or you don't, but some people find it the best part of the trip.
Temples
Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off at the entrance. You probably already knew that. What fewer people think about: the stones at temples get scorching hot in the midday sun. Bring a pair of thick socks in your daypack, otherwise you'll be doing a ridiculous little dance on your bare feet while everyone stares at you.
For photos near a Buddha statue: never turn your back to it, side-on or next to it is fine. And if you have a Buddha tattoo, keep it fully covered. Not because you'll be arrested the moment you walk into a temple, but because it's simply disrespectful and they rightly take offence.
Food and drink
Rice and curry is the standard meal and it's good. It's also standard-spicy in a way that doesn't compare to what we call spicy back home. Not a fan? Ask for "no spice" or "very mild". Whether you actually get that varies.
Don't drink tap water, not even for brushing your teeth. Buy bottled water and check the seal is still intact. And bring ORS sachets. I personally had a pretty rough bout of the runs, which isn't exactly a great advertisement for Sri Lanka but happens to enough people that it's worth taking seriously. A few sachets weigh nothing and are worth their weight in gold in that situation.
Gear
Buying a local SIM card at the airport on arrival is the cheapest option. Dialog and Mobitel have the best coverage. Want it sorted before you land? Buy an eSIM through Airalo or Saily. The wifi in hostels is slow enough to test your patience.
Sri Lanka uses Type G sockets, the British variant with three rectangular pins. Bring a universal travel adapter. If you end up without one: the top hole of a Type G socket has a safety block you can push in with a pen, after which a European plug fits right in. Technically not how it's intended, but it works.
On the coast it's warm and tropical. If you're also heading inland to Ella or Nuwara Eliya, it can get noticeably cold in the evening. A jumper in your backpack costs nothing and saves you buying one at a tourist shop for three times the normal price.