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Trip to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka packing checklist: ETA in advance, the right coast for your dates, scenic trains, temple etiquette and safe ocean swimming. The list adapts to your answers.

Items inside: 24
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  1. Check your passport validity

    Sri Lanka requires at least 6 months of validity from the date of entry.

  2. Get the ETA online in advance

    The electronic travel authorization takes minutes at eta.gov.lk, but do it ahead, not at the departure gate. Terms change periodically (free-ETA windows have happened) — check the current rules.

  3. Check your coast is in season for your dates

    Two monsoons split the island: the southwest coast (Hikkaduwa, Mirissa, Unawatuna) works December–March, the east (Trincomalee, Arugam Bay) May–September. Off-season means waves, rain and murky water.

  4. Buy travel insurance

    Tourist healthcare is paid. If you plan to surf or rent a tuk-tuk, make sure the policy covers it.

  5. Bring cash to exchange

    Cards work in cities and hotels, but guesthouses, trains and rural cafés run on rupee cash. Exchange at banks or licensed changers.

  6. Make copies of your documents

    Passport and ETA photos to cloud storage, paper copies separate from originals.

  7. Pack a first aid kit

    Sorbent, rehydration salts, anti-diarrheal, fever reducer, antiseptic, plasters — the spicy unfamiliar food makes itself known. Add motion sickness pills: mountain switchbacks and local bus driving are a trial.

  8. Mosquito repellent

    Dengue is present, worst after rains. 30%+ DEET at dusk and dawn, a plug-in repellent at night.

  9. Sunscreen SPF 50

    Equatorial sun plus ocean reflection. Aloe or panthenol for after-sun.

  10. Drink bottled water only

    Skip tap water. Check the bottle seal is intact — refilled bottles happen in tourist spots.

  11. Swim at guarded beaches only

    Sri Lanka's ocean is famous for rip currents, and most beaches have no lifeguards. Ask locals where it's safe and stay close in — currents are stronger than they look from shore.

  12. Temple clothes: covered, white preferred

    Shoulders and knees covered; shoes AND hats come off at the entrance (midday tiles scorch — socks help). Never pose with your back to a Buddha statue — people genuinely get fined and turned away for it.

  13. Book the Kandy–Ella train ahead

    Asia's most scenic rail ride: tea plantations, bridges, mist. Reserved 1st–2nd class seats sell out weeks ahead — book online or via an agent; 3rd class needs no booking but means standing.

  14. Install PickMe

    The local ride app: tuk-tuks and cars at honest prices, no haggling. Works in Colombo and tourist towns.

  15. Pack a plug adapter

    Sri Lanka runs type D and G sockets (a British legacy). A universal adapter solves it; hotels sometimes lend them at reception.

  16. Light clothes + a warm layer for the hills

    The coast is hot year-round, but Nuwara Eliya and Ella (1,800 m+) drop to 10–15°C at night — you'll want a fleece and windbreaker.

  17. Set up an eSIM or buy a Dialog SIM

    Dialog has the island's best coverage; tourist packs sell right at Colombo airport. An eSIM works from touchdown.

  18. Download offline maps

    Signal vanishes in the highlands and tea country. Offline maps are a must if you hire a tuk-tuk or driver for a few days.

  19. Check in online for your flight

    Opens 24–36 hours out. Free seats together go right at opening.

  20. Kids' documents Yes

    Their own passport (6-month rule) and their own ETA. Birth certificate if surnames differ.

  21. Kids' first aid kit Yes

    Child-dose fever reducer, kids' tummy remedies, thermometer, child-safe repellent, motion sickness remedy for the switchbacks.

  22. Kids' sun protection Yes

    Kids' SPF 50+, UPF swim shirt, sun hat. Ocean and pool reflection burns kids twice as fast.

  23. Familiar food for the kid Yes

    Sri Lankan food is spicy nearly across the board — «not spicy» often still is. A stash of familiar snacks and porridge saves the first days.

  24. Entertainment for the road Yes

    The flight is long and island transfers run 4–6 hours. Offline cartoons, new toys, water and snacks.

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