sri-lanka-13-full-pdf-ebook.pdf

Websites

Lonely Planet (www.lonely
planet.com/sri-lanka) Destina-
tion information, hotel bookings,
traveller forum and more.

Ceylon Today (www.ceylon
today.lk) News, sports, enter-
tainment and a handy ticker
with exchange rates.

Gossip Lanka (www.english.
gossiplankanews.com) Gossip
and entertainment news.

Yamu (www.yamu.lk) Excellent
restaurant reviews, sights list-
ings and more.

Government Information
Centre (www.gic.gov.lk) A huge
amount of info, from transport
to visas to health matters and
more.

Meteo (www.meteo.gov.lk)
Weather forecasts nationwide.

Important

Numbers

All regions have a three-digit
area code followed by a six- or
seven-digit number. Mobile
numbers usually begin with 07
or 08 and have up to 12 digits.

Country code % 94

International

access code

% 00

Emergencies %118/119

Exchange Rates

Australia A$1 Rs 121

Canada C$1 Rs 119

Europe €1 Rs 174

Japan ¥100 Rs 127

New Zealand NZ$1 Rs 110

UK UK£1 Rs 217

US US$1 Rs 130

For current exchange rates see
http://www.xe.com.

Daily Costs

Budget:

Less than Rs 5500

̈ Simple guesthouse: Rs

1500–4000

̈ Local rice and curry: Rs

150–400

̈ Bus fares: under Rs 300

per day

Midrange:

Rs 5500–20,000

̈ Double room in a nice place:

Rs 4500–12,000

̈ Meals at hotel/restaurant:

Rs 1500–2500

̈ Hire bikes, ride trains and

use a car and driver some days:

average per day Rs 2500

Top End:

More than Rs 20,000

̈ Top-end hotel: Rs 12,000

and up

̈ Meals at top-end places:

from Rs 3000

̈ Daily use of car and driver:

from Rs 5500

Opening Hours

Outside of tourist areas much is

closed on Sunday.

Bars Usually close by midnight,

last call is often a sobering

11pm.

Restaurants and cafes 7am to

9pm daily, later in areas popular

with travellers.

Shops 10am to 7pm Monday to

Friday, 10am to 3pm Saturday

Shops and services catering

to visitors 9am to 8pm

Arriving in Sri

Lanka

Bandaranaike International

Airport (CMB; http://www.airport.lk)

Sri Lanka’s one main airport is

30km north of Colombo.

Taxis to Colombo Prepaid

about Rs 2600 depending on

destination; one hour to Fort via

expressway.

Hotel car & driver to Colombo

Rs 3000 to Rs 4000.

Bus to Colombo Air-con bus via

expressway to Central Bus Sta-

tion Rs 130, under one hour.

Getting Around

Bus Sri Lanka’s buses are the

country’s main mode of trans-

port. They cover most towns, are

cheap and are often crowded.

Only a few routes have air-con

buses. Private buses can offer a

bit more comfort than govern-

ment buses.

Car Many travellers use a hired

car with a driver for all or part of

their trip. This allows maximum

flexibility and is the most ef-

ficient way to get around. Many

drivers are delightful characters

and founts of local knowledge.

Train The improving railway

network serves major towns and

can be more comfortable than

buses (excepting third-class

carriages). Some routes, such

as Haputale to Ella and Colombo

to Galle, are renowned for their

scenery.

For much more on

getting around,

see p313.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

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