Why go au Sri Lanka?
The good reasons to go au Sri Lanka
The land of tea
The tea plantations in the central hills of the country offer sumptuous scenery.
Heavenly beaches
The coastline of the island is lined with beautiful sandy beaches hemmed with coconut trees.
A thousand-year-old culture
Exceptional historic Buddhist sites classified as UNESCO heritage sites.
A luxuriant and preserved nature
Many national parks are home to wild animals in their natural habitat.
A wide range of sporting activities
Diving, surfing, kitesurfing, canyoning, hiking, golf... You'll never be bored!
A colorful gastronomy
Sri Lankan cuisine is renowned for its excellent curries.
Fort Galle
This city bewitches visitors with its beautiful Dutch colonial architecture.
The Lion Rock of Sigiriya
This fascinating fortress in the heart of the island is a must-see.
Friendly locals
Whatever their origins, Sri Lankans cultivate a sense of hospitality.
An ethnic mosaic
The country offers a kaleidoscope of different cultures and religions.
Good to know when visiting le Sri Lanka
Timetable
Temples are generally open from dawn to dusk. Museums are mostly open between 9am and 4pm, with one or sometimes two closing days a week. Some places have extended opening hours at weekends and during school vacations. Full moon days (poya) are public holidays dedicated to respecting the teachings of Buddha, so temples will be much busier.
To be booked
It is not necessary to book your tickets in advance for visits to sites, museums...
Budget & Tips
Entrance fees to important sites are high, so you'll probably have to choose which ones you want to visit most.
Entry to Sigiriya's Lion Rock costs US$30 per person, while the sacred cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura and Horton Plains National Park each cost US$25... Quite a budget if you're traveling with the family! Some Buddhist temples also charge an entrance fee to help with upkeep, but prices remain very reasonable.
Discounts for children. For many sites, including national museums, admission is half-price for children under 13. Admission is often free for children under 6.
Guided tours
Guided tours are compulsory in National Parks, where the presence of a guide is essential. Some museums and historic parks offer guided tours, usually in English. For the rest of the time, you can visit towns and sites as you please, but the explanations of a qualified guide will often help you to grasp the culture and subtleties of a particular place (temple, town, museum or monument).
Smokers
Smoking is strictly prohibited in religious buildings, museums and national parks.
Tourist traps
Many temples will ask you to pay an additional entrance fee to the main entrance, but these are actually "donations", so it's up to you to decide whether you want to make a contribution.
What's very local
Sri Lankans often visit Buddhist temples dressed entirely or partly in white. Although you don't have to follow this tradition, it's a good idea to avoid wearing dark colors when visiting Buddhist sites.
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Discover le Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a highly sought-after tourist destination, renowned not only for the diversity of its landscapes, but also for its rich culture, its many traditions and its multi-ethnic population. A land of beaches and mountains, rice paddies and tea plantations, it is also rich in history, where colonizers from India, Portugal, the Netherlands and Great Britain have left an important legacy in successive kingdoms. The island also boasts a wealth of flora and fauna, including superb national parks where visitors from all over the world flock to admire wild animals. This chapter presents the various facets of the "Emerald Tear", its eventful history, its ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, its gastronomy, but also its excellent tea, the quality of which is internationally recognized.
