A short, practical list built from the questions our guests actually ask in the week before they fly.
Before you go
Apply for your ETA online at least a week ahead — it is usually approved within a day, but leave room. Check that your passport has six months of validity. No vaccinations are required for most travellers, but bring a good insect repellent with DEET.
Money and tipping
The Sri Lankan rupee is the only currency you will need. ATMs are everywhere in towns and cards are widely accepted in hotels, less so in small restaurants. Tipping is customary but modest: a few hundred rupees for a porter, ten per cent in restaurants where service is not already added.
Temples and dress
Shoulders and knees must be covered at every Buddhist and Hindu site, and shoes and hats come off before you enter. Carry socks — stone terraces get extremely hot. Never pose with your back to a Buddha statue for a photograph; it causes genuine offence and has landed visitors in trouble.
Getting around
Underestimating driving times is the classic first-timer error. Average speed on non-expressway roads is around 40 km/h. Tuk-tuks in towns should use the meter or agree a price first; the PickMe app works well in Colombo and Kandy. Train tickets for the hill country sell out weeks ahead in high season.
Connectivity, water and food
Buy a tourist SIM at the airport — data is fast and inexpensive, and coverage is good outside the deep interior. Drink bottled or filtered water only. Sri Lankan curries are hotter than most visitors expect, so ask for "less spicy" the first time and adjust upwards; and try a genuine rice and curry with eight or nine side dishes at least once.
A few small courtesies
Learn "ayubowan" (hello) and "istuti" (thank you) — they are received warmly. Ask before photographing people. And on Poya, the monthly full-moon holiday, alcohol is not sold and many businesses close, so plan around it.
Plan it with us
Habib Tours arranges private, tailor-made Sri Lanka tour packages for travellers worldwide. Tell us your dates and we will turn the advice above into a day-by-day itinerary with an itemised quote — free and with no obligation.
