India and the Sub Continent - Sri Lanka - Country Information

The beautiful Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, has a wealth of attractions for the visitor - fabulous ancient cities, extravagant tropical vegetation, delightful hill stations, glorious white-sand beaches and a charming friendly people steeped in the Buddhist faith. Marco Polo considered Ceylon "the finest island of its size in all the world".

Key Facts
Full Country Name	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Area	65,610 Sq Km
Population	19,281,300
Capital	Colombo
Time Difference	GMT+5½
Visa	Visa not required
Currency	Rupee (SLRs)
People	The principal ethnic majority are the Sinhalese who account for 74% of the population. Other ethnic minorities include the Tamils, who are of Indian origin and account for 18% of the population while the Moors account for 7% and the Burghers, Malays, Euro-Asians as well as others account for the remainder.
Language	Sinhala and Tamil
Dialling Code	+94
Electricity	230-240V

Visas:

At the time of writing, no visas are required for British passport holders. A full 10 year passport is required and it must be valid for at least six months after your arrival back into the UK. If your passport is not valid for six months it will be necessary to obtain a new one. Holders of non-British passports should take particular care, as visa requirements may differ and it is most important that your passport contains the correct visa for your journey.

Health risks:

Hepatitis A & B, Japanese encephalitis, Malaria, Typhoid

When to Go:

The island of Sri Lanka consists of a mountainous interior with extensive lowland coastal areas with a typical tropical climate, only modified by the monsoon.  This great wind system is completely unlike the prevailing wind system that operates in many countries (that is, a wind that prevails from the same direction throughout the year) as the monsoon reverses direction at certain times of the year.  In the highlands, temperatures are moderated by altitude and both days and nights are pleasant.  In the lowlands, there are high temperatures and humidity year round with warm nights.  Coastal breezes reduce the temperatures somewhat on the coast.  Most of the country has at least moderate rainfall throughout the year; in the southwest, rainfall is greatest during the two periods April to June and October and November while the main rainy season in the northeast is between October and January.  In many parts of the country, rainfall occurs in short but heavy showers in the afternoon. It can be cold at night in Nuwara Eliya in December and January.