subject: Cheap Sri Lanka Vacations [print this page] Cheap Sri Lanka Vacations Cheap Sri Lanka Vacations
Ayubowan Sri Lanka! (May you have long life Sri Lanka!)
Stunning scenery, culture and history.. Golden sand beaches, waterfalls and verdant tea plantations.. Sri Lanka is making a comeback after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and more importantly 30 years of separatist war that ended in May 2009.
So the tourist arrivals to beautiful Sri Lanka have increased significantly, make your reservations early to be on the safe side! Everyone is trying to have a taste of this cheap paradise.
Sri Lanka Facts:
Formerly known as Ceylon, name changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.
Located south of India, in the Indian Ocean in Southern Asia.
Language: Tamil English is commonly spoken in Sri Lanka and Sinhala is the main and official language.
Tropical climate with rain anytime of the year but significant changes from one part of the island to another: Central hills with 15-20 degrees, dry zone with 30-35 degrees year round.
Mountains inland and mostly low and flat along the coast.
India and Sri Lanka are connected by a thin bridge.
Cricket is probably the most important sport in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans are proud of their cricket team.
2500+ years of history found in ancient Indian texts:
Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC and a great civilization was developed.
Ceylon was occupied by the Portuguese- 16th century, by the Dutch- 17th century, became a British colony in 1802, then became independent in 1948.
Suffered from a separatist war for 30 years until May 2009.
Here are some tips for Cheap Sri Lanka Vacations:
Ceylon is a low cost country but still is more expensive than other countries in South Asia including India.
Lack of sufficient hotel and tourism infrastructure and lack of competition due to long years of civil war, room rates are not particularly cheap. Expect to pay more than 10,000 rupees for an international hotel room. If you travel off-peak, you will find much cheaper hotel deals in Sri Lanka.
Eating out is also very good value, you can usually eat for $1 at local restaurants, while it is a few times more than this at hotels and up to 10- 15 times more at the best restaurants. Sri Lankan food is similar to South Indian and is quite delicious, rice and curry being the most common type of meal.
Drivers, waiters, hotel porters and people that guide you through historical sites expect to be tipped. Anything between 10 - 20 rupees or 10% of a restaurant bill at a restaurant is fine.
You will find ATMs in all major cities and bigger towns, accepting international debit and credit cards but don't rely on ATMs to give you cash every time you need.
Do not forget to change the Sri Lankan rupees to one of the major currencies before you leave the country, or you will lose money on exchange rates back home.
Most essentials are available and cheap in the cities and resort towns.
Dress modestly and decently- no shorts or swimwear in temples, no need to draw unwanted attention by wearing revealing bikinis, toplessness is a no no in Sri Lanka and please respect the more conservative and traditional local culture.
Transport:
Budget airline Air Asia flies from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Colombo and you can connect to other Asian destinations via Kuala Lumpur.
Mihin Lanka is the low cost airline and started operating in 2007. They fly to Dubai, Kuwait, Jakarta, Dhaka, and Tiruchirapalli and Buddhagaya in India.
Public transport is very cheap and you can even hire a car and your own driver to $ 30 - 40 per day.
Tuk tuk- three wheeler drivers tend to overcharge foreigners and taxis usually charge the same price and they are safer. Rented cars are even safer and they turn out cheaper than tuk tuks and taxis in most cases- you only pay for the driver for his services and not for the car.
Buses are extremely cheap but uncomfortable. It won't cost you more than $2 to go from one side of the island to the other and perhaps $4 in an air-conditioned bus that offers a guaranteed seat.
Trains are slower than buses but are more comfortable and offer much nicer sceneries than buses.
