Location

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, situated in the northern Indian Ocean off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. This island paradise has often been considered the pearl of the Indian Ocean. Though the country has no other immediate neighbours except for India & Maldives, Sri Lanka maintains close ties with Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other Asian countries in the region.

Climate

Sri Lanka is tropical, with distinct dry and wet seasons. The seasons are slightly complicated by having two monsoons. The North and East are comparatively dry, with around 1000mm of rain annually. Sri Lanka is an island where once can enjoy the average temperature of 30 degree Celsius throughout the year.

Language & Religion

The Sinhala language is spoken by the Sinhalese people, who constitute approximately 74% of the national population and total about 13 million. The Tamil language is spoken by Sri Lankan Tamils, as well as by Tamil migrants from the neighboring Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tamil speakers number more than 3 million. English is fluently spoken by approximately 25% of the population, and widely used for official and commercial purposes.

The religions in Sri Lanka are diversified. There is Buddhism, Hinduism, Muslims and Christians as well as other smaller religions. As of the 2012 census 70.2% of Sri Lankans are Theravada Buddhists, 12.6 % are Hindus, 9.7 % are Muslims and 7.4% Christians. Sri Lanka was ranked the 3rd most religious country in the world and Sri Lankans saying religion is an important part of their daily life.

Economy & Government

The government controls a country that follows a form of mixed economy, whereby capitalist and socialist vantages have been utilised to benefit the overall affect of the land. Being an agricultural country, Sri Lanka grows numerous crops but rice is considered its key product. Tea, coconut and rubber are the nation’s secondary exports with the tea industry being one of the island’s main export and foreign exchange earners. Other crops include spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper and cloves as well as the likes of cocoa.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a free, independent and sovereign nation. A system of administration through provincial councils was introduced in 1988. Legislative power is exercised by Parliament, elected by universal franchise on a proportional representation basis. Executive power of the people, including defence, is exercised by the President, who is also elected by the people.

Demography

Sri Lanka has a population of 18.5 million of whom the majority are Sinhalese (74%). Other ethnic groups are made up of Sri Lankan Tamils (12.6%), Indian Tamils (5.5%), Moors, Malays, Burghers (of Portuguese & Dutch descent) and others (7.9%).Although Sri Lanka is a multi-religious country, Buddhists constitute the majority with 69.3%. Other religious groups are Hindus 15.5%, Muslims 7.6% and Christians 7.5%. Sri Lanka’s literacy rate of 88.6% is one of the highest in Asia.

Foreign Currency Regulations

Visitors to Sri Lanka bringing in more than US$10,000 should declare the amount to the Customs on arrival. All unspent rupees converted from foreign currencies can be re-converted to the original currency on departure as long as encashment receipts can be produced.

Custom Imports

You are allowed to bring into the country duty free 1.5 liters of spirits, two bottles of wine, a quarter-liter of toilet water, and a small quantity of perfume and souvenirs with a value not exceeding US $250. The import of personal equipment such as cameras and laptop computers is allowed but must be declared on arrival. However, personal equipment must be taken out of the country upon the visitor’s departure. The import of non-prescription drugs and pornography of any form is an offence.

Cultural Festivals & Events

Sri Lanka’s culture is diverse and has been influenced by many factors such as religion and colonialization by the Dutch, the Portuguese and the British. Festivals are a part of Sri Lankan culture and are either religious or national. Most festivals are observed in grand scale. Some of the festivals as named as Perahara, Vel, world spices festival, Deepavali, Sinhala Tamil New Year, Wesak, Poson Full Moon poya day, Independence Day.

Food and Drinks

Foods in Sri Lanka can be hot or very mild or can be combination being very much a question of individual preference. Sri Lankan food is unique for their Culture. They make milk rice and special sweets with coconut milk, floor and Honey at cultural festivals. Most of the Sri Lankans eat vegetables. With a large community of farmers the Rice and curry is the main food in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka curries are known for their fiery hot spicy flavors and coconut milk is very distinct feature of Sri Lankan cuisine that different regions of country specialize in different types of dishes. Sri Lankans also like several juicy sweetmeats like Kavum, kokis, Halape, Thalaguli and Wattalapam etc. Sri Lankans also like to have drinks like tea and coffee.

Visa

With effect from 1st January 2012, all Holiday or Business travelers to Sri Lanka must have Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for entering in to Sri Lanka.

Please visit www.eta.gov.lk for more information. When applying ETA by third parties payments are to be made through the arrangement made in our website www.eta.gov.lk and obtain acknowledgement of ETA application. Any payments made to other websites or agencies are not valid to process a valid ETA. Therefore, always ensure that the payments made by accessing to Sri Lanka ETA website and avoid making repayment at the port of entry to Sri Lanka.

Location & Geography

Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives is situated in the Indian Ocean, consisting of 1,190 coral islands formed around 26 natural ring-like atolls, across 90,000 square kilometers. Each ring like atoll has its own coral reef with several islands taking its place among the atoll, allowing each to have its own unique area of reef. These coral reefs are the perfect home for much underwater marine life.

Out of the Maldives islands, there are about 200 inhabited islands of which 90% is developed for tourism, while others remain as uninhabited or used for other livelihood purposes.

General Guidelines

Local Time
GMT + 5 hours

Business Hours
Bank Hours Sunday to Thursday 7.30am – 2.30pm

Office Hours
Sunday to Thursday 7.30am – 2.30pm (public), 9am – 5pm (private)

Shop Hours As a general guideline
9am – 12 noon; 2pm – 6.30pm; 8pm – 10pm (2pm to 6.30pm on Fridays). Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday.

History

The Maldives, for the majority of its history remained as a free nation, despite the much dominance from the Portuguese, The Dutch and the English. The country finally gained its independence from the British in 1965 and became a republic, ruled by a president and a government in 1968.

While this is the brief history of the country, most locals know also its history by the mythical and legendary stories related from generation to generation on how brave men fought the sea monsters and saved their country.

Culture

Maldivian culture is heavily influenced by the two countries closest to it, the Sri Lanka and southern India. The official language Dhiveli displays the cultural influence, having similarities of Elu and ancient Sinhalese. Today, most Maldivian schools teach English as a second language as it is widely getting used in commerce.

Maldivian history has a long period of Buddhism which later converted to Islam, with the introduction of this by the Muslim traders. Today, one can see the influence of the Arabians with the architecture of the buildings and monuments. Tour the local cemeteries and feast your eyes on profusely carved tombstones that adorn the graves, shop for souvenirs carved and shaped with skill. Buy tortoise shell ornaments, red mats, lacquer ware, pillboxes and flower vases as you tour the bustling local bazaars. Boat building is of course an important part of local culture of Maldives. See craftsmen at work as they create sturdy dhonis or fishing boats on your tours to tropical Maldives with Tourism in Maldives.

Enjoy local music and folk performances as you experience the vibrant culture of glorious Maldives. Tour the local mosques and be charmed at the calligraphy on their walls and be a part of the close-knit community where every family knows each other on the island.

The Environment

The coral reefs surrounding Maldives plays a huge role in the Maldives environment. This was displayed by the President and the Cabinet when they went underwater to sign a declaration for global climate change.

It is these surrounding coral reefs that protect the islands from wind and waves, thus sustaining the livelihoods of the people. Therefore, several measure are taken by the government to ensure protecting of these corals, introducing fishing areas and particular diving areas etc. to ensure that all locals and well as visitors pay careful consideration while they use and enjoy these beautiful surrounds.

Weather & Climate

Maldives weather is generally warm and humid. Sun shines all year through. Average temperature around 25 – 32 degrees Celsius. You will get an excellent amount of sun light throughout the year.

The Maldives have a hot tropical climate. There are two monsoons, the southwest from May to October and the northeast from November to April. Generally the southwest brings more wind and rain in June and July. The temperature rarely falls below 25°C (77°F). The best time to visit is November to April.

Ideal clothing is lightweight cottons and linens throughout the year. Light waterproofs are advised during the rainy season.

Visa & Customs

No prior visas are required, a tourist visa of 30 days will be granted to all visitors with valid travel documents provided the embarkation/disembarkation cards are filled properly.

As Maldives is a Muslim country, dogs, pigs/pork products, and pornography are forbidden. Alcohol cannot be imported without an official license, if imported without a license it should be declared at the customs and will be returned to you on departure. Wide ranges of alcoholic drinks are available in the resorts. Narcotic Drugs are strictly prohibited; the penalty for importing drug for any purpose is life imprisonment.