Do not hesitate to ask your driver to stop if you see anything of interest such as wildlife or perhaps to sample the local fruits such as King Coconut.
Never miss an opportunity to take a village walk in Sri Lanka. You will be amazed at the warm hospitality of the locals.
As with most foreign countries, it just isn’t safe to drink the water (we just aren’t acclimatised to their bugs!). Bottled mineral water is readily available. If you are on tour, you can always ask your driver to stop at local shops to buy this, as this is a cheaper option than buying it at the hotels. We would strongly recommend you even your brush your teeth with bottled water.If you are eating at anywhere other than your hotel, we would recommend you remove the ice from your drinks and do not eat salad or fruit that hasn’t been peeled (they may well have been washed in local tap water).
Ask permission before taking photographs of people and respect their wishes if they refuse. Be sensitive to the fact that a tip may sometimes be expected. You are not allowed to have your picture taken with your back to a statue of Lord Buddha– it is ok to stand sideways on. It is an offence to disrespect Lord Buddha in any way and there can be large penalties for doing so.
If you want to use a tuk-tuk –a 3 wheeled rickshaw (an experience not to be missed), it is better to check at the hotel first for an indication of what you should pay and then negotiate a price before you begin your journey. Local buses offer a very cheap form of transport but can be very crowded. Local trains offer a different experience still. The route from Nuwara Eliya to Ella offers amazing views and is one of the best train journeys in the country.
The food in Sri Lanka is totally delicious. If you order “rice and curry” here, there will usually be a big pile of rice (their staple food) but also up to 10 varying curries of mainly vegetables and fish/seafood so it is a very healthy diet. Whilst you will recognise some of the vegetables – potato, aubergine, and dhal, there will be some that you do not recognise such as pineapple, green banana and jackfruit but will be as delicious. The seafood, particularly, the prawns, crabs and lobster are exquisite. Having had them here, you will never want them back at home. Coconut milk, dried fish, lemon grass and cashew nuts predominate with lots of spice.
All visitors to Buddhist and Hindu temples are expected to be have their heads uncovered.
Hoppers; a bowl shaped pancake often eaten with curry at breakfast or as an evening snack String Hoppers; little balls of steamed noodles often eaten with curry at breakfast or lunch in place of rice Pittu ; steamed rice and coconut often in a cylindrical shape Lamprais; rice and accompaniments served in plantain leaves (derived from the Dutch) Rotty; a fine doughy pancake Kotthu Rotty; rotty chopped up and stir-fried with vegetables and meat- a very delicious dish. The noise of the chopping on the hot-plate is very distinctive! Kiribath; rice cooked in coconut milk (often served at weddings or for breakfast)
