Travel Information From Solomon Islands to Sri Lanka

119

Routine Vaccines

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (Influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Polio
• Shingles

COVID-19

All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

Hepatitis A

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to Sri Lanka. Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series. Travelers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given. Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.

Hepatitis B

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers of all ages to Sri Lanka.

Japanese Encephalitis

Recommended for travelers who
• Are moving to an area with Japanese encephalitis to live
• Spend long periods of time, such as a month or more, in areas with Japanese encephalitis
• Frequently travel to areas with Japanese encephalitis
Consider vaccination for travelers
• Spending less than a month in areas with Japanese encephalitis but will be doing activities that increase risk of infection, such as visiting rural areas, hiking or camping, or staying in places without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets
• Going to areas with Japanese encephalitis who are uncertain of their activities or how long they will be there
Not recommended for travelers planning short-term travel to urban areas or travel to areas with no clear Japanese encephalitis season.

Measles

Infants 6 to 11 months old traveling internationally should get 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine before travel. This dose does not count as part of the routine childhood vaccination series.

Rabid dogs are commonly found in Sri Lanka. If you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other mammal while in Sri Lanka, there may be limited or no rabies treatment available.
Consider rabies vaccination before your trip if your activities mean you will be around dogs or wildlife.
Travelers more likely to encounter rabid animals include
• Campers, adventure travelers, or cave explorers (spelunkers)
• Veterinarians, animal handlers, field biologists, or laboratory workers handling animal specimens
• Visitors to rural areas
Since children are more likely to be bitten or scratched by a dog or other animals, consider rabies vaccination for children traveling to Sri Lanka.

Typhoid

Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

Yellow Fever

Required if traveling from a country with risk of YF virus transmission and ≥9 months of age, including transit >12 hours in an airport located in a country with risk of YF virus transmission.

You will need 6 months validity remaining on your passport from the date you intend to entry.

Local Phrases Language : Sinhala and Tamil

Local Phrases :

Greetings

Hello = āyubōvan
Good morning = subə udhĀsənak.
Good evening = subə sAndhĀvak.
Goodbye = gihin ennam
Nice to meet you = hamuvīmə gAnə santhōsayi

Conversational

How are you? = kohomədə?
I am good thank you = hoNDHin innəva, sthūthiyi
What’s your name? = oyāge namə mokakdə?
My name is … = mage namə…
Do you speak English? = oyā iNGgrīsi kathā kərənəvadhə
I don’t speak Sinhala = matə [hoNDHətə] sinhələ kathā kərannə bĀ.
I don’t understand = matə thērenne nĀ.

Basics

Yes = ovu.
No = nĀ
Please = kalunākərəla
Thank you = sthūthiyi
You’re welcome = sulu deyak.
Excuse me = samāvennə.

Shopping & Eating Out

Restaurant = avanhala
Not too spicy = itā kuḷubaḍu novē
It was delicious = kĀmə rasətə thibuna
The bill, please = bilə gēnəvadhə
Very expensive = ganaNG vAdiyi
Please can I have a beer? = biyər ekak denəvadhə?

Transportation & Directions

Taxi = ṭæksi
Car = mōṭar ratha
Bus = bas
Right = dhakunu pAththe
Left = vam pAththe
Straight = kelinmə
Stop here = metana navatinna

Places

Downtown = kadə sāppu thiyənə hariyə
Street = pārə
Hotel = hōṭal
Museum = kautukāgāraya
Market = velan̆dapola
Hospital = rōhala
Police = polis
Bank = bæṁkuva

Time & Dates

Today = adhə
Tomorrow = anidhdha
Yesterday = īye
When? = kavadā da?

Emergencies

Where is the toilet? = vAsikiliyə kohedhə?
Help me, please = matə oyāge udhavu ōnA
Call an ambulance = gilan rathayak amatanna
I need a doctor = matə dhosthərə kenek hambə vennə ōnA

Not Available

Type G View Plug-Type

21,803,000

Colombo

Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the Municipality. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, commonly known as Kotte, is the official administrative capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a satellite city and located within the urban area of Sri Lanka's de facto economic, executive, and judicial capital, Colombo.

Customs Allowances : Click Here

Visa scams

Visas for Sri Lanka are electronic so you can apply for one before you travel saving you the drama when you arrive so you can breeze through immigration. Tourist visas are still available on arrival though if you have been unable to obtain one online beforehand.

Be aware when you arrive at Colombo International Airport of being overcharged for the Sri Lankan visa. Do your research before leaving home.

Credit card scams

Always be careful whenever you use a credit card as there are times when people inflate the prices charged or they may duplicate your card information. Never let the machine or card out of your sight and be diligent about checking your account in case of shonky transactions. It's advisable to use cash wherever possible and if you need to use an ATM, make sure it's attached to a bank or major hotel. Avoid withdrawing money at night. Let your bank know before departure where you are heading so their fraud protection doesn't kick in and block your transactions.

Cigarette scam

I am a ...... (some official - off duty today) but come to my office for tea or something, I will show you what I do for a living / help you understand the life here in Sri Lanka / show you some places that tourists don't normally go

The scammer will take you to an (expensive) hotel or restaurant – as their office is too far away to walk – and order drinks. After some convivial conversation, when you try to pay and move on, you find it's extraordinarily expensive, as the con artist has asked for some cigarettes to be added to the order. You don't want to make a fuss, so you let it ride after all it's only a packet of cigarettes (and they are such nice company!).

Spice garden scam

Lots of freebies are offered then they claim you are suffering from X and Y and need to purchase these medicinal herbs at expensive costs. The free tours are great but do your own research and buy from spice shops in the bigger cities where the quality is likely to be higher.

Safari scam

Book through only via official travel agents, hotel, or online. Don't book through a taxi driver or a tuk-tuk driver as they will take a commission off the top and the quality is likely to be lower.

Transport scams and crime

If an overly friendly stranger on the street tells you there is a festival or a ceremony or a special temple open for one day only and it sounds too good to be true, then it is. They will hail a special tuk-tuk who will say they are an official government tuk-tuk but they will take you somewhere secluded and rob you, or take you to stores where they will get a commission.

International Driving Permit 1949 is required

• The most common religion in Sri Lanka is Buddhism.
• Don't forget shaking hands is common, but greetings depend on the ethnic group. The older generation will use the "namaste" (palms clasped together chin level with a slight nod of the head). The Sinhalese may say "ayubowan." (may you be blessed with a long life), Tamils would say "vanakkam." (may you be blessed with a long life). Many Sri Lankan women will refrain from physical contact with a man outside their family, so always wait to see if a woman extends her hand or not.
• Don't wear short skirts or anything too tight if woman and not looking for extra attention.
• Don't take photos posing near a Buddha - it can be considered offensive.
• Don't disturb the monks or get their attention when meditating, be respectful.
• Don't forget to cover your tattoos, especially in the Kandy region or before entering sacred sites. Tattoos are frowned upon in Sri Lanka, tattoos of the Buddha are highly offensive.
• Don't take photos at shrines without permission from the Bhikkhu.
• Don't ever disrespect Buddha and any objects associated with Buddha or Buddhism
• Don't give flowers (they are used in mourning) and Don't give pig products or alcohol if the recipient is Muslim.
• Don't be surprised purchase of alcohol and fresh meat is banned during full moon Poya Days celebration once a month.
• Don't drink alcohol or smoke in public - it's prohibited in most public places.
• Don't forget the rainy season occurs between December and March in the northeast and from May to October in the southwest.

Do I need travel insurance to travel to Sri Lanka?

Travel insurance is very important when traveling overseas. We strongly recommend that you take out cover to travel to Sri Lanka. You can usually take out single trip or annual multi-trip cover to give you peace of mind should anything happen.

It can be a better and cheaper option to take annual multi-trip cover as it usually covers any number of trips taken in one year with a maximum of up to around 60 days away per trip.

We work with the top names in the industry and have already pre-selected the easiest, cheapest and best quality travel insurance on the market to save you time and money trying to find the best cover.

Travel insurance typically covers the following; however, you can tailor a policy to suit your needs depending on where you are traveling to, your activities and how long you are away.

• Medical Expenses
  Medical treatment can be extremely costly and add up very quickly, and include Overnight stays in hospital, minor or major surgery, accident and emergency treatment, drugs, COVID-19 treatment, journey home if you cannot use the original ticket, dental treatment, and many more unexpected expenses.
• Baggage and personal belongings
  If your baggage is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed it is extremely frustrating. If you must buy new clothes, toiletry products or personal belongings it can be very expensive and time consuming.
• Cancellation
  Sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances you may need to cancel your trip. This could be due to several reasons such as illness, injury, a bereavement or many other scenarios. Usually airlines, tour operators and hotels have large cancellation fees, so buying travel insurance that covers this is recommended.

Health Care

Healthcare of Sri Lanka is ranked 84th in the world. Medical care is readily available in cities, which also have a good number of English-speaking doctors.

Health Risk

Caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.

Occurs from insect bites, including mosquitoes.

Occurs from sand fly bite.

Less commonly, being around someone sick with hantavirus.

Caused from an infected and contagious person coughing, speaking, or singing.