Everything practical,
before you fly.

The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee, roughly 380–400 to the pound in 2026. Do not buy rupees in the UK; draw them from an ATM in the arrivals hall at Colombo, where the rate is the interbank rate less a small fee.

Cards work in hotels, city restaurants and supermarkets. Cash is needed for tuk-tuks, roadside stops, temple donations and tips. Keep 15,000–20,000 rupees on you and top up in towns — rural ATMs run dry at weekends.

Beyond a pre-paid itinerary, £40–£60 per person per day is comfortable. Fixed costs to expect: Sigiriya about £27, Dambulla about £8, a Yala jeep permit about £20 each.

Expected, modest, and best given in rupees. Chauffeur-guide: 500–1,000 rupees a day from the whole party, handed over at the end of the trip. Safari tracker: 200–500 after the drive. Restaurants: 10% where service is not already on the bill. Porters: 200 rupees. Housekeeping: 200–300 a night, left at the end.

Sockets are type G — the British three-pin — at 230V, so most UK visitors need no adaptor. Some older buildings still have round-pin type D; hotels keep adaptors at reception.

Buy a Dialog or Mobitel tourist SIM at the airport: about £6 for 25GB and a month. Coverage is good, including inside Yala and across the tea country. eSIM works if your handset does. WhatsApp is how the whole country communicates, including your chauffeur and our concierge desk.

Linen and cotton for the coast; a jumper and long trousers for the hills, where Nuwara Eliya drops to 10C at night and the bungalows have fires for a reason.

At temples, shoulders and knees covered for everyone, shoes and hats off at the entrance, and never pose with your back to a Buddha image — it causes real offence and has led to arrests. Carry a light scarf and shoes you can slip off. Swimwear stays at the pool.

Do not self-drive. Roads are narrow, overtaking is a matter of faith, and average speeds are far lower than the map suggests — 120km can take four hours. A private chauffeur-guide is the standard here, costs less than car hire in Europe, and doubles as a guide, translator and fixer.

For the long hops, a helicopter turns Colombo–Tangalle from three hours into twenty-five minutes. The Kandy–Ella train is the one journey worth doing for its own sake.

No mandatory vaccinations from the UK; hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly advised. Dengue exists — use repellent at dusk, particularly in Colombo and the wet zone. Tap water is not drinkable; good hotels supply filtered water in glass bottles, and their ice is fine.

Street food is safe when it is cooked hot in front of you. Rice and curry is the national dish and arrives as a dozen small plates — order it once at a home kitchen rather than a hotel buffet and it will be the meal you remember.

Sort the ETA visa, check which coast is dry in your month, and read the current safety picture. Then tell us your dates.