Nishok & Dharisha

Airport Transportation - You can book a hotel car to pick you up (easiest option), however this will be 2-3 times the cost of a local taxi. Taxis are available on arrival but you have to speak to an agent at a booth once you pass customs. Instead of going back to 1975, one of the local taxi companies now has an app named "Kangaoo Cabs" which allows you to supposedly book a car in advance although we are yet to use it.

SIM Card - Get yourself a local SIM card to use in Sri Lanka. DIALOG is the local mobile company that most people use and they have a counter at the airport where you can get a SIM for free and then top it up. www.dialog.lk/tourist-plans

Cash - Make sure to convert some of your foreign currency in to LKR when you land (you maybe able to convert it at your hotel as well). You will end up needing cash for smaller transactions at shops, tips, tuk-tuks, etc.

Mosquitoes - These pests are everywhere in Sri Lanka. If you don't mind something strong we suggest buying a spray with DEET and bringing it with you as they are very difficult to come by locally. If you prefer something natural like citronella you can buy many different varieties in Sri Lanka.

Dress Code - Sri Lanka is humid, always. We live in cotton tees and shorts, linen shirts, dresses, flip flops and loafers. Some high end restaurants require that men wear trousers for dinner. Society is unfortunately still slightly conservative so please keep that in mind when out in public.

Tipping - Service charge is typically included but we always tip a small amount in cash as we never know whether the staff actually receive anything. For tuk tuks we just round up, restaurants we tip ~5%, and for hotels we tip good staff members  5-10 USD equivalent.

Road Travel - Do NOT believe Google maps for journey times when travelling in Sri Lanka, especially during peak traffic times in Colombo (7-9am, 1-2pm, 5-6.30pm) and/or in the hill country due to the winding roads.

COVID - Please wear masks in public and bring your own hand sanitiser. People tend to follow guidelines but public spaces do get crowded.

Uber works in Colombo, as does our home grown equivalent PickMe. You can book tuk-tuks as well as normal vehicles. However, you may have to put up with drivers who:

- call you before arriving to ask where you are going and cancel if they don’t want to go in that direction

- cancel your journey if you want to pay by card because they prefer cash

- ask for directions to pick you up as they can’t read a map even though it is part of their job description

In the evenings it may be difficult to find one especially in Negombo if it starts raining. Be warned and book with time to spare!

In Sri Lanka you still cannot hail a taxi on the street, you have to call and book one. There are many different services people use, but the one we recommend in Colombo is Kangaroo Cabs, phone number 0112 588 588. All the hotels will have their own transport service but it is typically 2-3 times the cost of an outside taxi.

Tuk tuks are all over Colombo and Sri Lanka in general. Most of the ones in Colombo now have meters so make sure the tuk tuk you are going to get into has one and it is working! They may "accidentally" forget to turn it on so make sure they do when you start your journey. Cash only and feel free to tip!

Here are a few of our favourites in no particular order, we suggest you make a booking before heading to any of them except the last one:

Lagoon - housed in the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, high end seafood restaurant where you go and select your fish from a display and choose how it should be cooked. Our favourite seafood restaurant in Sri Lanka - try the chill garlic prawns, red curry modha and tamarind cuttlefish.

Gallery Cafe - based in the old offices of Sri Lanka's best known architect Bawa, this is a fusion al fresco restaurant suitable for lunch, dinner or a cocktail. Try the grilled prawns and the chocolate nemesis!

Table by Taru - Taru is a chain of boutique hotels around Sri Lanka; this is their Colombo restaurant. Fusion food with good service, we like sitting on the terrace upstairs.

Nuga Gama / Curry Leaf -  local fare housed in 5 star hotels, if you prefer better service and ambience.

Palmyrah/Upali's - good Sri Lankan food in a relaxed and hygenic environment, if you fancy trying some local fare without having to worry too much about a belly ache!

Yarl Eat House / Pillawoos - eat local food amongst the locals, but don't expect white napkins or good service! For more local eateries check out theculturetrip.com/asia/sri-lanka/articles/a-guide-to-street-food-in-colombo/

Park Street Mews - cobblestone side street with a few restaurants and bars that gets lively on weekends, good for a relaxed drink and a few nibbles.

Fire Beach - In the Galle Face Hotel by the central business district, a new comer that backs onto the sea with a Bali-esque vibe. Good for sundowners.

Capital Bar & Grill - In the Shangri-La Hotel, typically has a jazz band playing on weekends and has a small terrace if you want to sit outside although it does not face the ocean unfortunately.

There are two main safari parks in Sri Lanka - Yala and Wilpattu. Both are roughly 4 hours drive from Colombo in opposite directions. Having never been to Wilpattu we can't compare the two for you, but Yala is definitely the more visited one and hence has more human traffic. 

For Yala accommodation, Jetwing (the hotel chain we are using for the wedding) has a property nearby, and if you want to spoilt yourself check out Uga Chena Huts and Wildcoast Tented Lodge.

Jetwing Yala: https://www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala/#gref 

Uga Chena Huts: https://www.ugaescapes.com/chenahuts/ 

Wild Coast Tented Lodge: https://www.resplendentceylon.com/wildcoastlodge-yala/ 

In Wilpattu, as far as we know the accommodation close by is predominantly bungalows other than one luxury tented safari camp named Leopard Trails (there have a property near Yala as well).

Leopard Trails: www.leopardtrails.com/ 

Sri Lanka's cultural triangle consists of 3 ancient cities - Dambulla, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa, the latter two being ancient capitals from over 2500 years ago. If you are interested in ancient history, we would suggest driving up through Dambulla where you can visit the famous rock temple and basing yourself nearby. A visit to one of the two ancient capitals should do unless you are a real history buff (Anuradhapura is significantly older but has less to see as a result). If you don't mind an early morning wake up definitely climb Sigiriya, an ancient palace built on top of a rock over 1500 years ago by the king ruling at the time.

In terms of hotels, we historically have stayed at Kandalama, which is an older hotel designed by renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. We have been told it is now looking slightly tired, and a better option maybe Ulagalla, part of the Uga group of hotels (we have not had the chance to stay there as of yet).

This site has a good map and more info about the region (we have no affiliation with them): https://www.kuoni.co.uk/sri-lanka/a-guide-to-sri-lankas-cultural-triangle

Kandalama: https://www.heritancehotels.com/kandalama/ 

Ulagalla: https://www.ugaescapes.com/ulagalla/ 

Jaffna

Mannar