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.

[ ] Check your passport validity
    Sri Lanka requires at least 6 months of validity from the date of entry.
[ ] 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.
[ ] 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.
[ ] Buy travel insurance
    Tourist healthcare is paid. If you plan to surf or rent a tuk-tuk, make sure the policy covers it.
[ ] 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.
[ ] Make copies of your documents
    Passport and ETA photos to cloud storage, paper copies separate from originals.
[ ] 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.
[ ] Mosquito repellent
    Dengue is present, worst after rains. 30%+ DEET at dusk and dawn, a plug-in repellent at night.
[ ] Sunscreen SPF 50
    Equatorial sun plus ocean reflection. Aloe or panthenol for after-sun.
[ ] Drink bottled water only
    Skip tap water. Check the bottle seal is intact — refilled bottles happen in tourist spots.
[ ] 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.
[ ] 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.
[ ] 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.
[ ] Install PickMe
    The local ride app: tuk-tuks and cars at honest prices, no haggling. Works in Colombo and tourist towns.
[ ] 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.
[ ] 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.
[ ] 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.
[ ] 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.
[ ] Check in online for your flight
    Opens 24–36 hours out. Free seats together go right at opening.
[ ] Kids' documents
    Their own passport (6-month rule) and their own ETA. Birth certificate if surnames differ.
[ ] Kids' first aid kit
    Child-dose fever reducer, kids' tummy remedies, thermometer, child-safe repellent, motion sickness remedy for the switchbacks.
[ ] Kids' sun protection
    Kids' SPF 50+, UPF swim shirt, sun hat. Ocean and pool reflection burns kids twice as fast.
[ ] Familiar food for the kid
    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.
[ ] Entertainment for the road
    The flight is long and island transfers run 4–6 hours. Offline cartoons, new toys, water and snacks.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/sri-lanka