Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka - Capital - Colombo, located on western coast of Island. The Island Sri-Lanka is located in the Indian ocean, slightly to the south from India and 800 kilometers from Equator. The general area totals 65 610 sq. kms. The extent from north to the south is 445 kms and from west to east is 225 km. Sri-Lanka has a variety of geoclimatic zones, but three quarters of the island is basically a flat plain, and only at the centre of the island are there towering steep Uplands with abrupt slopes. The highest point of the island is found at the summit of Mount Pidurutalagala - 2524 m. A more picturesque and accessible mountain peak is known as majestic Adam's Peak - 2243 m. In the mountainous portion of the island there are many romantic rivers with falls. Similarly, Sri Lanka is a well kept secret having more than 1600 km of photogenic beaches.

Climate - Damp tropical. It has seasonal weather changes connected with monsoons but they are not sharp. Average temperature of summer 27 - 31 C degrees , average temperature of winter 26 - 29 C degrees. Temperature of water on the average - 26 C degrees. The period of heavy monsoon rains occurs between June and September.

Sanitary norms - For drink it is better to use mineral water and other bottled drinks. Do not drink the "potable" water out of the tap or from wells - it takes several months to adapt to local water without stomach and bowel problems for most tourists. If you can remember - never, never consume ice in your drinks. Also wash your hands with soap frequently. Wash any fresh vegetables in light bleach solution and rinse with boiled water.

It is necessary to observe strict rules of personal hygiene - to wash hands, vegetables, fruit. Never eat in doubtful places. Inoculations are not required. However, if you intend to make a trip into the jungle, mosquitos can be a problem and you should bring and take anti-malarial tablets in advance, particularly if you plan to visit national parks and reserves, and attend events in the open air in the evening. Another good precaution is to take some strong mosquito repellent that has DEET.

Population - Sri Lanka has population about 18 million persons from which more than half million persons live in the capital of Sri Lanka - the City of Colombo. The country is very multinational - the population consists of Singals, Tamils, Burghers (descendants of Portugueses and Dutchs) and Moors (descendants of the Arabian dealers).

Religions - Basic religions of Sri-Lanka - Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

Language - Official languages - English, Singhalese and Tamil.

Tourism - Sri-Lanka has about 0.5 million tourists in a year.

Transport - drive on left-hand side. Many roads are well paved, but narrow. The greatest extent of roads runs in the mountain district. The traffic regulations (both drivers, and pedestrians) are observed poorly. Take nothing for granted in crossing or head-on situations. It is crazy! If you drive autos or motor scooters seek local insurance - this is very important. Frankly, it is recommended for you to rent your automobile transportation with a local licensed driver. The taxi fare in urban areas is approximately - 0,3 $ for 1 km. Rural rates must be negotiated with drivers (in advance).

Customs rules - Arabian, but are widely used English, Farsi and Urdu. The majority of the owners of shops, the employees of hotels and telephone network speak in English.

Tips - Cost of service is usually included on your bill of faire The tip really is at your discretion but 10% is respected.

Clothes - It is recommended you pack or carry the easy fitting cotton clothes, convenient footwear, and a fashionable hat. It is recommended to use UV sun-protection cream, sunglasses and cream from solar burns. If you are going to visit a high-mountainous part of the country, it is necessary to take with itself a sweater with trousers, since in the evening the temperature can fall down to 14-15 C.

Rules of behaviour - In the country you must not hunt for animals and sea inhabitants. You should cover up when you visit temples, no shorts allowed, and do not wear clothes with suggestive open back and shoulders. When entering a temple it is necessary to remove footwear and a headdress. Every month upon the full moon are scheduled religious holidays. The day-sale of alcoholic drinks in shops and hotels is forbidden. Sri-Lanka has suffered from chronic distress of separists (Tamil Tigers and others) and you must keep aware of your surroundings. Be weary of overly friendly strangers with business propositions that are too good to be true. For storage of documents and values it is recommended to use the hotel safe. Never leave your laptop or expensive camera unattended. It is strongly not recommended to make a trip on the north of the country because of political distress associated with seperatists.

Nature and animals - The tropical climate and generous humidifying is the reason of surprising splendour and luxury of nature on the southwest and in the central parts of island. In dense woods hundreds of kinds of trees, with lianes and amazing orchids grow. The wilds teem with communities of monkeys, fine deer, lemurs, leopards, and hundreds brightly painted birds and huge butterflies. It is just like being in a zoo only there are no cages and the animals are not tame. In other words, marvel in the beauty of nature but be very cautious about your own safety and health. Always file a "flight or travel itinerary" and make a habit of checking in with a responsible person on a regular schedule. Sometimes it makes sense to check in with your nation's embassy soon after arrival just to establish a mutually beneficial point of recovery.