312
GETTING THERE
& AWAY
Air service to Sri Lanka is
increasing right along with
tourism numbers.
Flights, tours and rail tick-
ets can be booked online at
lonelyplanet.com/bookings.Entering the
Country
Immigration at Bandaranai-
ke International Airport is
straightforward.Passport
You must have your passport
with you at all times in Sri
Lanka. Before leaving home,
check that it will be valid for
at least six months after you
plan to return home.Air
Airports & Airlines
Sri Lanka’s primary interna-
tional airport is Bandaranai-
ke International Airport
(CMB; http://www.airport.lk) atKatunayake, 30km north of
Colombo. There are 24-hour
moneychanging facilities in
the arrivals and departures
halls as well as ATMs, mobile
phone dealers and more.
Arriving is fairly hassle-
free as touts are mostly
kept away. Transit passen-
gers and those checking in
early should note, however,
that the terminals remain
quite spartan in terms of
amenities.
Major airlines serving Sri
Lanka include the following:
Air Asia (www.airasia.com)
British Airways (www.
britishairways.com)
Cathay Pacific (www.
cathaypacific.com)
Emirates (www.emirates.com)
Etihad (www.etihadairways.
com)
Indian Airlines (www.
indian-airlines.nic.in)
Malaysia Airlines (www.
malaysia-airlines.com)
Qatar Airways (www.
qatarairways.com)
Singapore Airlines (www.
singaporeair.com)SriLankan Airlines (www.
srilankan.aero)
Thai Airways (www.thaiair
ways.com)
Turkish Airlines (www.
turkishairlines.com)Tickets
ASIA
Sri Lanka is well served by
major Asian carriers, includ-
ing Malaysian budget favour-
ite Air Asia. Service from
India is competitive between
several carriers. Many visitors
combine a visit to Sri Lanka
with the Maldives. SriLankan
Airlines and Emirates fly be-
tween Colombo and Malé.AUSTRALIA & NEW
ZEALAND
Connections are on Asian
carriers such as Singapore
Airlines and Thai Airways.
Using Emirates requires
major backtracking.EUROPE
SriLankan Airlines links
Colombo nonstop with
major European airports.
Connecting through on
a carrier such as British
Airways, Emirates, Etihad
Airways, Qatar Airways and
Turkish Airlines is common.NORTH AMERICA
You’re literally going halfway
around the world from Can-
ada and the USA; from the
west coast connect through
Asia, from the east coast
connect through the Middle
East or India.©Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdTransport
MATTALA RAJAPAKSA INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
Opened in 2013, Mattala Rajapaksa International
Airport is 15km north of Hambantota near the south
coast. Although it can handle the largest jets, it has yet to
attract many flights – but it has attracted criticism.