SRI LANKA
A benefit of living in Singapore is that you can hop on a plane at the last minute for a $150 round-trip flight to Sri Lanka. It's a small country there's short distances to get around, which is good, because it's a bit tricky to get around. But that makes the trip enjoyable.
COLOMBO
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GALLE
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SIGIRIYA
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TRINCOMALEE
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COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Population: 20.3 million - Buddhist: 70%; Hindu: 13%; Muslim: 10%; Christian: 7%
Area: 25,332 sq. miles ~ West Virginia (41st Largest State)
HISTORY
Over 2,300 years of royal dynasties starting in 543 BC to 1815, when treaties weren't good enough for the pesky British.
380BC: Kingdom of Sri Lanka established in Anuradhapura. Capital for next 1,400 years.
477 - 495: Reign of Kashyapa I, builder of Sigiriya
1505: rrival of the Portuguese, Lourenco de Almeida
1638: King signs treaty with the Dutch East India Company giving the Dutch the authority to kick out the Portuguese
1790s: Napoleon takes control of the Netherlands. The UK sneaks in and eventually gains control of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1815.
February 4, 1948: Sri Lanka Independence
1980-2009: Civil War - up to 100,000 killed
Civil War involved the government (majority Sinhalese) putting down rebellion lead by The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a.k.a. the Tamil Tigers (terrorist organization per the US, Canada, etc.). 2007 Sri Lanka ramps up fighting and fully occupies Tamil areas in the North. Pushes Tamil Tigers into surrender. Issues date back to British rule and independence when law passed making it difficult for Tamils to have citizenship in their own country. Sinhalese replaced English as official language.
2004: Asian Tsunami - 35,000 die
GOVERNMENT
Democratic republic, unitary state (central government controls everything)
Executive - Head of State, Head of Government, popularly elected every six years - Current: Maithripala Sirisena
Legislative: 225 unicameral,
Supreme Court
Two major political parties - New Democratic Front and United People's Freedom Alliance - and about 15 smaller parties
ECONOMY
Per capita income has doubled since 2005.
Area: 25,332 sq. miles ~ West Virginia (41st Largest State)
HISTORY
Over 2,300 years of royal dynasties starting in 543 BC to 1815, when treaties weren't good enough for the pesky British.
380BC: Kingdom of Sri Lanka established in Anuradhapura. Capital for next 1,400 years.
477 - 495: Reign of Kashyapa I, builder of Sigiriya
1505: rrival of the Portuguese, Lourenco de Almeida
1638: King signs treaty with the Dutch East India Company giving the Dutch the authority to kick out the Portuguese
1790s: Napoleon takes control of the Netherlands. The UK sneaks in and eventually gains control of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1815.
February 4, 1948: Sri Lanka Independence
1980-2009: Civil War - up to 100,000 killed
Civil War involved the government (majority Sinhalese) putting down rebellion lead by The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a.k.a. the Tamil Tigers (terrorist organization per the US, Canada, etc.). 2007 Sri Lanka ramps up fighting and fully occupies Tamil areas in the North. Pushes Tamil Tigers into surrender. Issues date back to British rule and independence when law passed making it difficult for Tamils to have citizenship in their own country. Sinhalese replaced English as official language.
2004: Asian Tsunami - 35,000 die
GOVERNMENT
Democratic republic, unitary state (central government controls everything)
Executive - Head of State, Head of Government, popularly elected every six years - Current: Maithripala Sirisena
Legislative: 225 unicameral,
Supreme Court
Two major political parties - New Democratic Front and United People's Freedom Alliance - and about 15 smaller parties
ECONOMY
Per capita income has doubled since 2005.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
VISA AND ARRIVAL
HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
FOOD
- A visa is required - it may be processed online and takes about 24 hours to receive confirmation
- Arrival is a breeze. There's an ATM after you pass through customs. To reach Colombo the cheapest option is to take one of the buses parked just outside the arrivals area but still in the airport complex. If you are heading to central destinations like Candy, Sigiriya, etc. you can either walk or take a tuk tuk to Katunayake Bus Station. It's a fifteen minute walk away (turn right out of the airport, turn left at the first intersection, turn left at the next intersection - bus station on the left) or a one-minute, 100 LKR tuk tuk ride. The tuk tuk's will try to take you to Negombo (for 800 LKR), however, all buses from Negombo pass through Katunayake so you'll just be retracing the route.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
- I did not book any hotels in advance - first I did not know where I wanted to go and second the prices online are typical 25% - 50% higher than if you show up in person. Sri Lanka is going through a tourist boom in the past five years, since the civil war ended, and new hotels appear every day. I took iPhone screen shots of places in the vicinity of where I wanted to stay. This helped the tuk tuk drivers find the location. When I arrived the rates were reasonable - ~ $15 for a one bedroom at Lion's Lodge in Sigiriya and $20 at Shiva's Resort at Uppuveli Beach in Trincomalee. I stayed at an amazing hostel - Drift BnB - in Colombo although it cost $15 for a six bed dorm. It was a bit pricey but it was within walking distance of most sites and convenient to bus and railway.
FOOD
- There hasn't been the same influx of restaurants as there are hotels. Sigiriya has at least 50 hotels, maybe five restaurants. Similar situation in Trincomalee where I was limited to dining at the hotel.