Sri Lanka overview

Welcome to Sri Lanka!
A teardrop shaped island cast adrift in the Indian Ocean, Sri lanka is filled with cultural and natural treasures. Indians, Portuguese, Dutch and British have all left their marks here, making for a delightful mix of ancient cities, monuments and atmospheric colonial architecture.

At the same time, palm-fringed beaches are never far away and lush mountainous greenery beckons inland. It's clear to see why Marco Polo proclaimed Sri Lanka to be one of the best islands in the world.

However, its teardrop shape is not inappropriate and Sri Lanka has known its fair share of political turmoil and natural disasters in recent decades. Once the country became a Republic in 1972, serious conflict arose from the Tamil minority (occupying the north and east), who demanded a separate state. Terrorist activity by the Tamil Tigers has been prevalent ever since - apart from a shaky ceasefire in 2002, which sadly did not last much more than two years.

The country was also devastated by the 2004 tsunami, which killed more than 30,000 Sri Lankans and wiped out many coastal communities. While many tourists have been discouraged by the troubles, tourism is a healing force in this hard-hit country, and visitors will be guaranteed a warm welcome.

Weather in Sri Lanka
Tropical climate. Upland areas are cooler and more temperate, and coastal areas are cooled by sea breezes. There are two monsoons, which occur May to July and December to January.

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Official Name – Republic of Sri Lanka
Capital City - Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Language – Sinhala, Tamil and English
Religion – Buddhist majority (70%), with Hindu, Christian and Muslim minorities.
Currency – Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR; symbol Rp) = 100 cents
Time difference from GMT + 5.5
Electricity & Voltage - 230 volts AC, 50Hz
Weights & Measures - metric
Country Dialling Code - +94
Population - 20.9 million

Sri Lanka Passport & Visa Information

Passport valid for at least six months from date of entry required by all nationals.

All nationals will be issued with landing endorsements free of charge valid for a period of 30 days on arrival at port of entry (for touristic visits only), providing tourist holds a return or onward ticket or sufficient funds for air ticket and sufficient funds equivalent to minimum US$30 per day for board and lodging for the duration of stay.