Visitor's Guide Book to Sri Lanka
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VISITOR'S GUIDE BOOK TO SRI LANKA CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GURANTEE) LIMITED 01, GOWER STREET, COLOMBO 05, SRI LANKA TEL / FAX : +94 114061461 www.humanitariancentresrilanka.org CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GUARANTEE) LIMITED Colombo, Sri Lanka TABLE OF CONTENT 01. SRI LANKA IN BRIEF 03 - 07 1.1 Location 1..2 Climate 1.3 People 1.4 Religion 1.5 Language 1.6 Time 1.7 Currency 1.8 Health Regulations 1.9 Getting there & away 02. COLOMBO FOR BEGINNERS 08 - 10 2.1 Colombo in brief 2.2 what to wear 2.3 Getting around in Colombo 03. THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN COLOMBO 11 - 15 3.1 Places to visits 3.2 Shopping 3.3 Food & Beverages 04. TRAVEL INFORMATION 16 - 19 4.1 Business Hours 4.2 Electricity 4.3 Emergencies 4.4 Etiquette in Sri Lanka 4.5 Medical Services 4.6 Newspapers & Magazines 4.7 Postal Services 4.8 Radio and Television 4.9 Religious Services 4.10 Telephone Services 05. USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS 20 06. EMBASSY TELEPHONE NUMBERS 21 07. USEFUL WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS IN SINHALA 22 2 CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GUARANTEE) LIMITED Colombo, Sri Lanka 01. SRI LANKA IN BRIEF 1.1 Location Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, island country lying in the Indian Ocean and sep- arated from peninsular India by the Palk Strait. It is located between latitudes 5°55′ and 9°51′ N and longitudes 79°41′ and 81°53′ E and has a maximum length of 268 miles (432 km) and a maximum width of 139 miles (224 km). Sri Lanka is known to many as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. With a location just above the equator the country enjoys a lovely tropical cli- mate that provides relatively constant weather throughout the year. Despite this, it also features two main monsoons season that bring about heavy peri- ods of rain. It is because of this location and the associated climate that the country has beautiful landscapes and a diverse array of wildlife. Sri Lanka is a nation with diverse landscapes and a multi-ethnic population that brings with it a rich culture. The country comprises 9 provinces that are further divided into 25 districts. The capital city is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. Colombo is the commercial city and the largest city in Sri Lanka. Map of Sri Lanka 3 CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GUARANTEE) LIMITED Colombo, Sri Lanka 1.2 Climate Sri Lanka is a tropical country located quite close to the equator thus bringing an overall warm climate throughout the year with the exceptions of a couple of monsoons seasons which lasts for a couple of months. However, the upland countries have a much cooler temperate than other parts of the country. Still the sun tends to shine almost everywhere. The coastal areas are both warm with a bit of humid due to the mixing of the ocean moisture. Sri Lanka doesn't have a clear cut season at all; it’s all warm and humid throughout the year, even during the monsoons you can always see a bit of the sun. Since Sri Lanka doesn't have marked seasons per say monsoon seasons are usually assumed within a range of a months. The monsoon seasons are gener- ally considered to be with May or August and November to February. January is said to be the coldest during the year whereas the hottest would be from May to June. The Average means temperature along the coast is 26.7 degrees. Colombo has a range of 26-27 degrees. Place with high elevations tend to be around 16 de- grees. Relative humidity ranges from 70% daytime to 90% during the night. At the end of the day you can usually describe as being very hot with a very high humidity. But still the Sri Lankan climate won’t hinder your plans on having a great holiday of your life. 1.3 People Sri Lankan ethnically falls into four main categories. They are Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burger. The population of the Sri Lanka was estimated to be 22.235 million in year 2016. The largest ethnic group is Sinhala being 74.9% of the population. 4 CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GUARANTEE) LIMITED Colombo, Sri Lanka 1.4 Religion There is four main religions in Sri Lanka; Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Theravada Buddhism is the majority religion in Sri Lanka, with about 70% of the country's population as followers. Around 200 BC, Bud- dhism became the official religion of Sri Lanka. However, later on, Hindu and European colonial influences contributed to the decline of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. By the mid 19th century, a Buddhist monk started a revival movement in Sri Lanka. This movement eventually helped to return Buddhist dominance in Sri Lanka. 1.5 Language Sri Lanka has two official languages. Sinhala and Tamil - with English as a link language. Visitors may find some problem in communicating with local peo- ple. However, English is widely understood, particularly in Colombo where it is almost the second commercial language. English is spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants, in major tourist destinations and Sinhala/ English road and street signs are found nationwide. 1.6 Time Sri Lanka Standard Time is 5.5 hours (5 hours 30 minutes) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+5.5). 1.7 Currency The local currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee, divided into 100 cents (you rarely come across scents today). Currency notes are Rs.5,000, Rs2,000, Rs1,000, Rs500, Rs100, Rs50, Rs20 and Rs10. Beware of mistaking the Rs500 note for the somewhat similar Rs100 one. To check whether notes are genuine when not given at a bank, look for a lion watermark. Coins, should you have receive them, will be in denominations up to Rs10. Make sure you have plenty of lower denomination notes (Rs50, Rs100, Rs500), especially when travelling and you need to buy small items, fruit, and eat cheap meals, because change is often hard to come by apart from at hotels and big shops. 5 CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GUARANTEE) LIMITED Colombo, Sri Lanka Traveler’s cheques can only be changed at banks. Major currencies can be ex- changed at the airports, commercial banks and small money exchanges in the major cities. (One US dollar = 152 Sri Lankan Rupee as of September 2017) Banks Banks are open from 0900 hrs to 1500 hours Monday to Friday. while some are open on Saturday mornings. It’s easy to withdraw money across the island at ATMs using international credit cards or debit cards. Credit Cards Most hotels, restaurants and shopping centres accept credit cards. Foreign Currency Regulations Visitors to Sri Lanka bringing in more than US$10,000 should declare the amount to the Customs on arrival. All unspent rupees converted from foreign currencies can be re-converted to the original currency on departure as long as encashment receipts can be produced. 10 rupee 5 rupee 2 rupee 1 rupee 6 CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GUARANTEE) LIMITED Colombo, Sri Lanka 1.8 Health Regulations There are certain health risks to be aware of when visiting Sri Lanka, especial- ly if you are from Europe and North America. You need to watch out for bowel diseases such as: Diarrhoea and amoebic dysentery Vector borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever Variety of fungal infections The following vaccinations are recommended, particularly if you plan a long trip or intend visiting remote areas: Typhoid (monovalent) Polio Tetanus Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Rabies Children should be protected against: Diphtheria Whooping Cough Mumps Measles and rubella Upset Stomach; Please remember that food available from street vendors, unwashed vegeta- bles and fruit, under cooked fish and meat, peeled fruit at markets and ice creams and milk products at cheap restaurants can be unhygienic. 1.9 Getting there & away Usually all visitors to Sri Lanka travel by air; flights arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport, 35 km north of Colombo, and 6 km of Negombo. 7 CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (GUARANTEE) LIMITED Colombo, Sri Lanka 02. COLOMBO FOR BEGINNERS 2.1 Colombo in Brief Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka., Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the city proper. It is the financial centre of the island and a popular tourist destina- tion. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capi- tal of Sri Lanka and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is within the urban area of, and a suburb of, Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of Western Province, Sri Lanka and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant place with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins. It was the legislative capital of Sri Lanka until 1982. Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. It was made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation be- came independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the com- mercial capital of Sri Lanka. 2.2 What to wear Cotton clothes are useful at any time of the year but you will need light woolens for the hills and waterproof clothing.