Good to know
Electricity, sockets

Electrical appliances in Sri Lanka operate at 230-240 W, 50 Hz AC. Round three receptacles are standard, although sometimes square receptacles can be found, especially in more prestigious hotels; adapters for European plugs are cheap and widely available. Power outages happen, but not often; and most top places have their own generators.

Manual to use sockets without an adapter

Before connecting to the socket do not forget to turn it off using the switch located nearby, and after connecting the plug do not forget to turn on.

Method №1. A thin solid object, for example, a ballpoint pen to press into the upper hole of the outlet is a blocker of the two lower holes. This unlocks the bottom holes and allows the standard plug to be inserted freely.

Method №2. Requires a little experience and skill. The usual plug is inserted at a slight angle into the two holes of the outlet – in the upper and any lower (to whom, as it is more convenient, to choose), so that first press the lock in the upper hole, which will open the lower holes. After the plug is inserted, it is removed at the opposite angle, so that the lower tooth of the plug remains in the lower hole, and the upper tooth is inserted in a circle in the second lower hole. And you’re done!

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Useful Websites

Given the importance of tourism to the National economy, there are surprisingly few sources of official tourist information in Sri Lanka itself and no overseas tourist offices. For more information on specific attractions, the best sources are independent tour operators, as well as hotel and Guesthouse staff.

In tourist offices and hotels, a free monthly print edition of “Travel Lanka” is available, which contains lists of accommodation, shops, services and transport in the capital and around the island. “Time Out Sri Lanka” (timeout.com/sri-lanka) quite popular in Colombo, and it is also worth seeing the printed version of “Yamu” (yamu.lk).

Website of the tourism Council of Sri Lanka (srilanka.travel) – the only state online source of tourist information. There are also interesting pages “Ari Withanage’s Sri Lanka” (withanage.tripod.com) and “Eclectic Lanka Library” (lankalibrary.com), where you will find a lot of information about the country, culture, history and cuisine.

CeylonToday (www.ceylontoday.lk) – news, sports, entertainment and user-friendly interface with exchange rates. GossipLanka (www.english.gossiplankanews.com) gossip, news and entertainment. Yamu (www.yamu.lk) – attractions, restaurant reviews, Bulletin Board and more. State information center (www.gic.gov.lk) a wealth of information on transport, health, tourism, etc. Meteocenter (www.meteo.gov.lk) forecasts the weather across the country.

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Useful phone numbers
For police assistance in an emergency, call 0118 or 119. The emergency number is 0110.
  • Airport:+94 11 225 24 11 ahhh!
  • Tourist Police Department: +94 11 242 1451, 238 2209.
  • Chief inspector of Police: +94 11 244 4480 / 83.
  • Government Reference: 1919.
  • National Information Office: 118. Emergency Police: 119.
  • Ambulance Service: 118.
  • Sri Lanka Telecom: 1212.
  • Central Bus Station – Pettah: +94 11 232 9606.
  • Colombo Railway: +94 11 243 4215.
  • Department Of Migration: 1962.
  • Fire and Ambulance: +94 11 242 2222 / 3.
  • Colombo International Airport: +94 11 225 2861, 225 5555.
  • Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport: +94 47 203 1000.
  • National Hospital: – Requests: +94 11 269 35 10
– Emergency telephone:+94 11 269 1111 – 24-hour accident service and patient treatment,
  • Ambulance: +94 11 232 2222.
  • Tourist Police, address: 78, Galle road, Colombo 03: +94 11 242 1451.
  • Tourist office of the Railway (address: Fort Colombo railway station, 01): +94 11 243 5838, 244 0048.
  • Central Post office (address: 01, Bristol Street): +94 11 232 6203.
  • Sri Lanka Tourism (Head office: 80, Galle road, Colombo 3): +94 11 242 6900, hotline: 1912.

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Mail services

Postal services from Sri Lanka (slpost.gov.lk) are fairly reliable, at least as far as airmail is concerned, which, for example, takes three to four days to be delivered to the UK, Russia or the USA. The cost of land or sea delivery is from one third to half the cost of airmail, but is terribly slow and involves great risks of loss or damage in transit. A postcard to the UK, Australia or North America costs 25 rupees ($0.16). Sending parcels by air mail to the UK will cost about $17 for 0.5 kg; in North America as well, and in Australia a little cheaper. If you want to send a parcel home from Sri Lanka, do not immediately pack the contents, it must be checked at the post office before packing (all major post offices have scales, glue, wrapping paper and twine).

Another option – “EMS Speed Post”, which is a little faster, but also more expensive than the state airmail – sending 0.5 kg to Europe costs about $20 (a little more in North America and Australia). In addition, in Colombo you can find a number of well-known international delivery services.

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Operating mode

Most businesses, including banks and government agencies, operate during the standard five–day work week from Monday to Friday from 9.00–9.30 am to 5.00-5.30 pm. The main post offices are usually open longer from 7 am to 9 pm and are also open on Saturdays. Many museums are closed on Fridays, while Hindu temples can be closed until 4 / 5pm and afterward open for evening service. Buddhist temples are usually open to the public from dawn until sunset and even later.

Shops are usually open from 9 am to 8 pm from Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, Sunday – day off.

Supermarkets from 8 am to 11 pm daily.

Cafes and restaurants from 7 am to 9 pm daily, in the resort areas and popular tourist destinations can work until midnight.

Outside the tourist areas, many public facilities are closed on Sunday, as well as on the full Moon – an official holiday and a day off in the country.

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Map

In Sri Lanka, Google maps work well (Maps.google.com), but with constant mobile Internet and good traffic consumption. An alternative working option without an Internet connection is Maps.me, on the map of Sri Lanka must be downloaded in advance. For those who like to use the card on paper the best and detailed option is the map of Sri Lanka manufacturer “Reise Know-How” (M 1:500), which is printed on non-destructive waterproof paper, so it will not crumble in the tropics And can even be used as a shelter from the rain, in an emergency.

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Sri Lanka, also known as Ceylon

For centuries, the island of Sri Lanka has attracted travelers from all over the world with its unique natural diversity, concentrated in a relatively small area. Natural resources: rare spices, precious stones, magnificent elephants, as well as a favorable geographical location on the sea trade route, have always been the cause of wars of Indian, Arab and European traders. Looking at the map of Sri Lanka, many compared it to a tear flowing down from India, or a pearl. The island, located just above the equator among the calm waters of the Indian ocean, is rich in unique natural beauty and diversity. Sri Lanka’s irresistible wildlife landscapes include sandy beaches in palm thickets, mountain peaks covered with manicured tea plantations, rivers and lakes, jungle forests inhabited by vast populations of elephants, leopards and rare endemic bird species. Also, the island has no shortage of historical attractions. The preserved achievements of the early Sinhalese civilization, which is more than two thousand years old, can be seen in the remains of destroyed cities, religious monuments and temples, which are characterized by a high level of development of their time and many are included in the list of objects under the protection of UNESCO. Buddhism, as a religion, continues to serve as a benchmark of national identity for the Sinhalese population of the island, while Sri Lanka’s historical role gives it a unique cultural value that permeates the life of the island at all levels.

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