SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka is located south-east of India and is one of the biggest islands in the Indian Ocean.

The island is longer than 400 kilometers and its width, in the largest point, reaches almost 230 kilometers; the country covers about 70 thousand square kilometers, nearly 1,600 out of which are covered by the coast.

About 19 million inhabitants.

Sri Jayawardanapura. The commercial capital is Colombo.

Kandy, Jaffna and Moratuwa.

"Bandarainake" International Airport, located 34 kilometers north of Colombo.

During more than twenty centuries about two hundred kings - more precisely 180 - reigned over Sri Lanka and many of them were real art lovers. They ordered in fact the construction of such impressive and perfect monuments that appear astonishing even nowadays. The country's modern history is on the contrary very controversial and marked by disorders leading to following political instability. In mid 1950s of the last century, more precisely in 1956, the conservative party, in power till that very day, lost the elections and Solomon West Ridgeway Bandaranaike, i.e. the founder of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, started ruling over the country. His government lasted only three years as in 1959 Solomon West Ridgeway Bandaranaike was assassinated by a member of the opposition party. He was then succeeded by his wife, the first-ever female Prime Minister in the world. In 1971 students started rioting, thus giving rise to an insurrection which ended in a real bloodshed resulting in over 5,000 deaths. The following year Ceylon became a republic within the Commonwealth and the name was changed to Republic of Sri Lanka. In 1977 the conservative United National Party (UNP) won the elections and J.R. Jayawardene became the first President of the Republic. In 1978 the new Constitution was promulgated and the country adopted a presidential political system, similarly to France. After several years of conflicts between the Sinhalese community and the Tamils, fighting for the independence of a part of the territory and for the creation of an autonomous Tamil country, in 2002 the two sides signed a ceasefire agreement in Oslo thanks to the Norwegian peace initiative and freedom of movement was then permitted in the eastern and northern provinces.

The 4th of February, the Independence Day.

Democratic Socialist Republic.

Over 75 per cent of the population speaks Sinhala while 9 per cent speaks Tamil. In all hotel facilities, but not only there, English is the language mostly used in order to communicate with tourists.

Buddhism constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the population, thus representing the most professed religion in Sri Lanka. The other religions of the territory are Hinduism (15%)- mainly professed by the Tamil people -, Sunni Islamism and Catholicism.

The time zone is five hours ahead Italy.
When in Italy the Daylight Saving Time is in use, the difference is four hours.

Italian citizens traveling for tourism purposes are required to hold a valid passport. The 30-day entry visa is issued directly at the airport on disembarkation. For a longer stay travelers are required to apply to the Department of Emigration and Immigration located in Colombo (Phone No. +94 12 597 513-503 629/503 638 - Fax +94 12 503 331).

The country's monetary unit is the Sri Lankan rupeen (LKR) divided into cents. Banknotes are printed in Sinhala, Tamil and English. Considering the present exchange rate a holiday in Sri Lanka is currently very economical for Italian tourists.

CHECK THE CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE

The main international credit cards are more and more accepted in hotels and shops. They also allow cash withdrawals at the automated teller machines - some of which are open 24/24 - located in the most important cities and tourist destinations.

Even though Sri Lanka is a malarial region, no vaccination is required to enter the country unless you arrive from places where the yellow fever is endemic. The risk for malaria on the island varies according to the region and the travel season. It increases during the monsoon season, above all in the marshy areas and in the woods. In case the journey foresees a stop in the risky areas, it is advisable, before leaving, to ask your doctor about a prevention treatment. All main hotels organize for their customers a 24-hour medical assistance service. Before departure it is nevertheless advisable to underwrite an Accident and Health Insurance policy.

Sri Lanka enjoys a typical tropical climate featured by the monsoons blowing alternatively on the Eastern and Western side of the island thus influencing the seasons. From May to September the monsoon blows on the South-Western area, while from November to January the "winter" monsoon blows on the North-Eastern region of the country. The average temperature on the coast is about 27 degrees, while in the mountain region the minimum temperature can even reach 10 degrees.

CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST IN REAL TIME

To call Italy from Sri Lanka dial 0039 followed by the city code, including zero for the fixed net telephones, and the number you wish to call (Ex. 0039 02 396 ... to call a fixed net telephone in Milan from the Republic of Sri Lanka, 0039 329 50 ... to call mobile phones). To call Sri Lanka from Italy dial the international code 0094 followed by the region code and by the number you wish to call. The GSM network is active but before departure it is advisable to get information about coverage and costs. As for Internet there are coffee houses in the main cities and in the tourist areas where it is possible to check and send e-mails.

To call Italy from Tunisia is very easy: dial 0039, then the Italian area code - including zero for fixed net numbers - and the number you wish to call (for example: to call a fixed net telephone number in Milan just dial 0039 02 63... ; to call a mobile phone number dial 0039 329 41...). To call Tunisia from Italy, dial the international code 00216, followed by the area code - without zero - and the number you wish to call. The GSM network works perfectly; therefore our mobile phones may be used here. As phone tariffs vary according to the service provider, it is advisable to get informed about costs before the departure, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises at home.
The internet is widespread in the big cities and in the holiday resorts; checking or sending e-mails will not be a problem.

There are no particular restrictions to take pictures or make amateur videos, with the exception of the archeological sites and some religious places where the authorization is required. As in any other country, it is advisable to politely ask local people for their permission before taking pictures of them.

In Sri Lanka shopping lovers can really have fun. Buying a souvenir to take home is very easy. It is possible to find handicraft items made of wood, bronze, silver, gold, vegetal ivory, rush and porcelain and also Moroccan products, batiks etc. But the real pride of the country are its precious stones. It is advisable to buy them in the state shops or in the airports, even because their exportation is subject to the possibility to demonstrate that they have been bought on the island. It is important to know that it is strictly forbidden the exportation of leather, ivory, antiques, plants, reptiles and wild animals.

The gastronomy is not only based on fish but also on the results of the long country history. The cuisine of Sri Lanka is simple and tasty and could be defined as "oriental-Western-Chinese". Thanks to the several dominations that followed one another in the different years (English, Portuguese, Dutch, etc.), people learnt very soon how to cook following the Western traditions. For example they have breakfast with toasts, scrambled or fried eggs, tea or coffee. The cuisine is obviously also influenced by the typical Oriental tastes: meat dishes, spicy sauces and vegetarian dishes cooked according to the tradition of the Indian cuisine.

In July and August the International Festival in Carthage is an annual event which explores the world of music, dance and theatre. Do not miss this event hosted in the ancient and charming Roman theatre of Carthage. It is the most important laic event scheduled in Tunis. The International Festival of symphonic music of El-Jem is held in July while the Dougga Festival for classical theatre is held in July and August.

The nightlife in Sri Lanka can be enjoyed in a very simple way. In the cities and in the tourist areas there are pubs and discos where to spend the night, above all in the week-ends.

As to events and attractions Sri Lanka is second to none. There are several religious events: the Muslim and Buddhist pilgrimages, the celebrations of Saint Anne and of the Virgin Mary or the processions in honor of the Hindu God Kataragama. The most important events expressing at best the variety of the country religions and characterizing the lunar calendar are:
- "Bak" - In this period (March-April) the Buddhist Sinhalese community and the Hindu Tamils celebrate together the coming of the new year foreseen on the 14th of April;
- "Vesak" - The full moon of Vesak is celebrated between April and May; this is the most important Buddhist feast which celebrates the Birth, the Enlightenment and the Passing Away of the Buddha;
- "Poson" - The full moon of Poson, between May and June, celebrates the coming of Mahinda and the introduction of Buddhism on the island;
- "Esala" - The story runs that during the Esala full moon (in the period between June and July) the Buddha made his first sermon. This anniversary is celebrated by several festivals, among which the most important is the "Esala perahera" in Kandy; this is one of the most beautiful and popular festivals held in Sri Lanka, consisting in spectacular traditional dances;
- "Nikini" - In the period between July and August the full moon of Nikini starts the Buddhist Lent; during this period the monastic community is devoted to meditation;
- "Binara" - Between August and September people feast the full moon of Binara, that is the moon referred to the sermon made by the Buddha to the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods;
- "Vap" - The full moon of Vap (September-October) signs the end of the Buddhist Lent;
- "Unduvap" - The full moon of Unduvap (November-December) recalls the arrival of Sangamitta with the cutting of the Enlightenment tree.

Sri Lanka is the teapot of the world ? The story of the Ceylon tea began thanks to a Scotsman named James Taylor, who was a real pioneer as to tea plantations. As a matter of fact in 1867 he started to conduct a series of experiments on several plants coming from Assam and from China. By the end of the 19th century tea cultivation in Sri Lanka started to expand to such an extent as to become one of the most widespread drink in the world. The uncontaminated mountainous areas were soon carpeted by huge tea cultivations. Some of the residences of the old land-owners have been transformed into museums or romantic hotels. The most unusual residence is the Tea Factory, which was awarded the Asia Pacific Heritage Merit 2001 prize by Unesco.

1) Polonnaruwa had been the capital city of the island for ten centuries and was built on the shores of the Parakrama Samudra lake. Its ancient remains have always represented one of the main attractions in the country and have been declared World Heritage site by Unesco in 1982.

2) Anuradhapura, a sacred city for Buddhism, had been capital city of the country for 1,400 years and still reflects the grandeur of the past. Not to be missed are the semi-circular doorstep adorned with carvings of the Mahasena's Palace, the "Big Stupa", the Brazen Palace, the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, the sacred Bo-Tree, underneath which Buddha attained the Enlightenment, and the Isurumuniya temple.

3) Kataragama is the holiest place among all the sacred places in Sri Lanka. Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and even Christians come here to worship the God Skanda.

4) The Golden Temple of DAMBULLA, which has been declared World Heritage site by Unesco, is a rocky monastery, the major attractions of which is spread over five caves completely covered with murals dedicated to Buddhism and containing 150 statues portraying Buddha. Such ochre and vermilion paintings of incomparable beauty date back to the 18th century and cover a surface of 2,100 square meters.

5) Mihintale is a famous holy mountain peak and is also the seat of one of the oldest monasteries on the island. Protected by a luxuriant vegetation, the place is featured by a series of long steps that link all the terraces. Not to be missed are the caves, where travelers may admire several laying Buddhas.

6) Kandy, also known as the capital of the mountains, is famous for having become home to the relic of the tooth of the Buddha, in the Dalada Maligawa Temple, where it is still preserved. Nearby it is possible to visit a series of very interesting religious centers.

7) Colombo is a really astonishing city thanks to the number of attractions that it offers to its visitors, such as the Fort area, characterized by some of the most lively streets in the city - Chatham Street and York Street, for example. Not to be missed are the area immediately out of the Fort, known as Pettah -famous for the extremely colored decorations on houses and Hindu temples -, the Asokaramaya Temple, the Gangaramaya Temple, and the Dehiwala zoological garden.

8) The reserves and the beauties of the natural parks of Horton Plains, Bundala, Uda Walawe, Wilpattu and Yala.

9) Galle, the old natural harbor located in the Southern tip of Sri Lanka, maintained almost untouched the bastions and the houses built by the Dutch in the 17th century. Other attractions are represented by the Oriental Hotel, the Groote Kerk Church and the headquarters of the Dutch garrison's officers, then transformed into colonial building.

10) Yapahuwa served as the capital city of the island for a short period, i.e. from 1271 to 1283. Its main attraction is the massive and amazing granite stairway leading to the Tooth Temple.

1) The wonderful beaches on the South-Western coast in the area of Tangalla where it is possible to dive or snorkel
2) The paths on the plains of Horton and in the forest of Sinharaja are ideal for trekking
3) The waves of Arugam Bay, on the Eastern coast, are ideal for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing
4) The Kelani river and the rapids of Kalu Ganga river are ideal for canoeing and kayaking
5) The Bentota river with its wonderful landscapes is ideal for pleasure boating.

- Food and water - It is advisable to eat only recently cooked food, to drink only sealed bottle water or canned beverages and to avoid ice;

- Not to forget - A sweater may be useful especially during windy evenings, while a k-way could be of help in case of sudden rainfalls. Do not forget a cap, your sunglasses and high-protection solar creams;

- Tips - Tips are not compulsory but beyond being highly appreciated, tipping a waiter is quite a widespread habit

- Safety - In February 2002 a ceasefire agreement was signed by facilitation of Norway, thus ending the conflict that had been characterizing the country for years. At present there are no particular problems and it is possible to visit the whole island without risks. As in the rest of the world, it is anyway advisable to take some simple precautions in order to avoid any unpleasant experience.

c/o Corat Sas
Via R. Morandi, 3/E
20090 Buccinasco (Milan) - Italy
Phone: (+39) 02 4570 5045
Fax: (+39) 02 4570 9493
E-mail:info@srilankatourism.it
www.srilankatourism.it

Via Adige, 2
00198 Rome - Italy
Phone: (+39) 06 8554 560
Fax: (+39) 06 8424 1670
E-mail: slembasssy@tiscali.it 
www.slembassy.org

55, Jawatta Road
500500 Colombo - Sri Lanka
Phone: (+94) 11 2588 388
Fax: (+94) 11 2596 344
E-mail ambasciata.colombo@esteri.it 
www.ambcolombo.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Colombo