Electricity
Sri Lanka’s Electricity runs at 230–240v, 50 cycles A/C. Cycle, square three-pin sockets are the standard, adaptors are cheap and generally available everywhere. Power cuts might occur sometimes but rare, especially during periods of low rainfall . Most top-end places have their own generators unless you’re staying in budget or mid-range place.A torch could come in handy sometimes.
Emergencies
For police assistance in an emergency, call 119 anywhere in the island. Police Emergency Service, 119. Emergency Information Service, 118
Getting married in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s driving honeymoon destinations, and numerous couples go above and beyond and really get married on the island .Beach weddings are especially famous. Arranging the ceremony freely and managing the specialist paperwork and bureaucracy can be troublesome, in any case, and its much easier to leave them to an expert operator. Most large hotels and various tour operators can arrange the entire wedding for you, including additional items like Kandyan drummers and dance experts, in addition ,elephants and a chorus of local girls.
Internet
Internet facilities are available across Sri Lanka. In the smallest of towns, look around the bus stand.Access in Colombo and provincial towns and cities is cheap .However Costs vary widely, Wi-fi in guesthouses and hotels is becoming common in Colombo and touristed areas of the coasts and inland areas. It’s often free, except at some top-end places which can charge excessive rates. In the North and more remote areas elsewhere, guesthouses may only have a 3G dongle for your internet connection. This requires that your device has a USB port.
Laundry
Most guesthouses and hotels offer a laundry service. Washing usually takes 24 hours and usually costs around Rs.50–75 for a shirt or blouse and around Rs.100 for a pair of trousers or a light dress. There are no public coin-operated launderettes anywhere in the island.
Opening hours
Most organizations, including banks and government offices, work a standard five-day working week from Monday to Friday 9/9.30am to 5/5.30pm. Major post offices normally operates long work longer hours (ordinarily 7am–9pm), and stay open on Saturdays also. Hindu temples stay close until around 4pm to 5pm, when they open for the night puja. Buddhist temples by contrast, generally stay open at all times.
Phones
Calling home from Sri Lanka is moderately cheap, in spite of the fact that in case you’re arranging a long trip and are likely to be making a great deal of call.Using your own mobile with a local SIM card is the most cost effective alternative . some foreign mobile providers have equal arrangements with local operators Dialog and etisalat and offer suprisingly cheap rates utilizing your current SIM card – you may like to check tariffs before you travel
If you want to use your mobile phone in Sri Lanka, ask your service provider whether your handset will work abroad and what the call costs are; obviously, charges are generally steep. Most UK, Australian and New Zealand mobiles use GSM, which works well in Sri Lanka.
US mobiles (apart from tri-band phones) won’t work in Sri Lanka. If you’re likely to be using your phone much, however, it’s generally cheaper to replace the SIM card in your phone with a new SIM from a Sri Lankan company.
Calls to and from Sri Lanka
To call home from Sri Lanka, First dial the international access code (00),
then the country code (UK 44; US & Canada 1; Ireland 353; Australia 61; New Zealand 64; South Africa 27),then the area code and subscriber number.
Note that the initial zero is omitted from the area code when dialling the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand from abroad.
To call Sri Lanka from abroad, dial your international access code then the country code for Sri Lanka (94), then the area code, minus the initial zero, then the subscriber number.
Photography
Sri Lankans love having their photograph taken.though its clearly polite to ask and, in case you’re using an digital cam, to show them the results afterwards. A couple of the island’s more photogenic occupants may hope to be paid to be photographed, especially stilt fishermen, when you can discover them, and tea pickers in the Hill country. You’re not permitted to pose for photos with Buddha statues/Images (i.e. to stand with your back to the image), and photography is also generally not permitted inside Hindu temples. Likewise, note that flash photography can possibly harm old paintings; in case you’re asked not to take flash photographs, don’t.
Money
The Sri Lankan currency is the rupee (abbreviated variously as R., R/ or R/- ). Coins come in denominations of 25 and 50 cents, and Rs.1, 2, 5 and 10 . Notes come in denominations of Rs.10, 20, 50, 100, 200,500, 1000 ,2000 and 5000. Break big notes and stock up on change whenever you can – don’t expect to be able to pay for a Rs.10 cup of tea with a Rs.1000 note. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was around Rs.131 to the US dollar, Rs.151 to the euro, and Rs.202 to the pound sterling; you can check current exchange rates at www.xe.com.
Disclaimer: The fares mentioned in this article are subject to change at any time without prior notice. Please verify current prices with the respective service providers before making any bookings.
