Compare Sri Lanka Holidays

Overview

The island of Sri Lanka lies off the southern tip of India inthe Indian Ocean, a verdant paradise that is the cradle of theBuddhist faith. Apart from hundreds of miles of the world's mostbeautiful palm-fringed beaches, Sri Lanka boasts no fewer thanseven World Heritage Sites listed by Unesco, ranging from sacredcities, palaces and cliff-top citadels to colonial strongholds,spanning close to 3,000 years of history. To complete the pictureof perfection, Sri Lanka is situated just three degrees north ofthe Equator, meaning the weather is constantly hot, humid andtropical. Sunny skies are the order of the day; even in the briefmonsoon season there is always a daily spell of sunshine.There has, however, been trouble in paradise. Modern Sri Lankahas experienced indigenous terrorism, particularly in the north ofthe island and the metropolis of Colombo city, but the beautifulbeaches and towns of the south and southeast coast have beenlargely unaffected. Anyone travelling to Sri Lanka is advised toacquaint themselves with the current political and securitysituation before embarking on their visit. To compound matters, theisland's tourism infrastructure is still recovering from theeffects of the catastrophic tsunami, which devastated coastal areasin December 2004.Adventurous visitors who enjoy some mystery and wonderment will,however, marvel at the ancient sites of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa,Sigiriya, Dambulla and Panduwasnuwara, where the remains of a greatcivilisation are to be seen. The cities of Colombo and Kandy showthe influence of the foreign colonial powers that fought forcontrol over the strategic, lush island in the 16th, 17th and 18thcenturies. Dutch-inspired buildings stand cheek to jowl withVictorian British mansions and Portuguese fortifications.Sri Lanka offers leisure and pleasure opportunities at a gentlepace; this is no package holiday destination but rather one to besavoured by discerning travellers who enjoy discovering their owndiversions.

Money

The unit of currency is the Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR), which isdivided into 100 cents. Major credit cards are widely accepted, andtravellers cheques in US Dollars are recommended. ATMs are becomingmore common, but outside the main cities they are unlikely toaccept international cards. Credit cards should be used withcaution due to the potential for fraud. Foreign currency can beexchanged at bureaux de change, banks and hotels, but exchangingcash is more expensive than exchanging travellers cheques. Banksare closed on Sundays.

Time

Local time is GMT +5.30.

Language

Most people speak Sinhala, which is the national and official language. Tamil is also spoken, and English is spoken at most tourist establishments.

Climate

Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with high humidity, tempered bysea breezes on the coast. The average temperature is about81ºF (27ºC). January is the coolest month, becomingespecially cold in the highlands, and May is the hottest time ofyear. Monsoon season is between May and July, and December andJanuary.

Compare Holidays in Sri Lanka

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