Indian Subcontinent

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Sri Lanka

Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries - History - Hotels

Visa Requirements - Holders of UK passports do not require a visa for entry into Sri Lanka for stays of up to 30 days. Non-British passport holders should check their visa requirements with their nearest Embassy or High Commission. 

It is important that you have a full passport with at least six months validity from the date of your return to the UK. Please also be aware that you should have at least two blank pages in your passport for the immigration stamps. 

Health Requirements - A Yellow Fever Certificate is required to enter Sri Lanka if you arrive from or via an infected country. There are no other mandatory vaccinations required although Tetanus, Typhoid, Polio, Meningitis and Hepatitis A are recommended. Malaria does exist in various parts of Sri Lanka and it is therefore essential that you seek qualified medical advice on its prevention. 

We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor or the MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) Travellers Health Line on 0870 606 2782 for all professional medical advice.

Time - GMT + 5 1/2 hours (+ 4 1/2 hours during British Summer Time) 

Money - The currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee. Travellers’ cheques and foreign currency can be exchanged at most commercial banks and hotels. The use and acceptance of credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard is widespread in the major hotels and cities, although an alternative payment source is sensible, especially when in more remote areas.

 Flights

Climate - a rough guide

Sri Lanka is a fairly typical tropical country with quite distinct wet and dry seasons, but it is slightly unusual in that there are two separate monsoons that affect different sides of the country. 

APRIL - JUNE & OCTOBER - NOVEMBER The Yala (south westerly) monsoon brings rain to the central hill country as well as the south and west coastal belts of the country from around April to June and then again during October and November. This same area then enjoys a warm, dry season from December until March. 

OCTOBER - JANUARY The Maha (north easterly) monsoon brings rain to the north and east of the country from October to January with the rest of the year (March to September) being dry and warm. This north eastern side of the country is generally much drier than the south. Although there are times when the rain can be heavy for days at a time, this is relatively unusual and tropical showers are generally over fairly quickly and soon replaced by hot sunshine. 

With regard to temperatures the low lying coastal belts generally enjoy consistently warm temperatures of around 26C and these can be moderated by cooling sea breezes. The highlands have a very pleasant climate with temperatures around 16C, although these can drop particularly from November to January. 

When to go - The period from November until March is the driest season on the south west coast and up in the central highland district and it is in these areas that most of the interesting sightseeing and best beaches are located.

This is generally considered to be the best time to visit, but the weather patterns in Sri Lanka are unusual with the north eastern part of the country hot and dry from February to September. This therefore means that it is always a good time to visit at least some part of the country. 

Temp (Fahrenheit) = Average Maximum Temperatures (day/night)
Rain (inches) = Average Monthly