Sri Lanka is one of God's own places, matching great natural beauty with beautiful manmade creations. Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s relatively small size belies its enormously varied landscape; from dense jungles - home to shy leopards and wild elephants - to empty golden beaches; from monasteries and temples peopled by saffron-clad monks to cool, misty mountains contoured with tea and dotted with the bright saris of pickers. Choose from colonial history, the legacy of the Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa, Dambulla and Anuradhapura - which form the Cultural Triangle - the old capital of Kandy and the hill station of Nuwara Eliya. Sri Lankans are incredibly warm and friendly, and bright smiles are everywhere - don't be surprised if a stranger invites you home for tea or to a family meal - it's quite normal! One of the best things about holidays to Sri Lanka is that, due to its small size nothing is very far from anything else; it is possible to spend the morning in the hills watching the tea pickers, the afternoon at an ancient Buddhist temple and the evening eating seafood beside a romantic sandy beach.
Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, has direct flights from most major European cities, as well as from Delhi, Cochin, Chennai and many other Indian cities. If you are considering a holiday to Sri Lanka then it works very well as a two-centre holiday with the Maldives or with destinations in India.
The climate in Sri Lanka is generally tropical, but the heat of the lowlands is modified by coastal breezes. The highlands are temperate and humid. The southwest and northeast monsoons bring short, heavy showers to Sri Lanka several times a day between May and July and December and January.
British passport holders are automatically granted a 30-day tourist visa on arrival in Sri Lanka. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after your return from Sri Lanka and have at least 2 blank pages.
For information on vaccinations and health requirements, we suggest you contact your GP or a travel clinic such as Fit For Travel at least 2 months prior to departure for advice and to arrange immunisations. Recommended vaccinations for travel to Sri Lanka are polio, tetanus, typhoid, meningitis and hepatitis A. We would also recommend you take anti-malarial tablets, but please consult your doctor for his/her advice.
Colombo: 10 hours 45 minutes
Sri Lanka is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT