News Travel Tips
Be respectful of the political past.
The war may be over, but it only ended a few years ago. While things are safe, you should definitely be aware of the past and thus respectful of the situation. While it's totally cool to ask locals generic questions about their lives, families, et cetera, we'd advise against bringing up or getting involved in any type of political conversation. It's still a delicate subject and, unless you're a scholar on Sri Lankan politics and policy, it's best to stick to the simple stuff.
Tourism is still developing.
Sri Lanka's biggest tourist boom is happening right now,which means that outside of the bustling capital city of Colombo, some areas may not seem exactly tourist-ready. The roads are narrow and often unpaved save the main road in town, there's not much English spoken outside of the tourism realm (e.g., it may be difficult to communicate with back street vendors or even some tuk tuk drivers), there's not too much to do outside of the hotels in these areas, and it's not as convenient to just pick up something if you've forgotten it -- like water, shampoo, or a quick snack. However, for some true explorers and adventurers, this is part of the draw -- there's always something rewarding about experiencing a place before it blows up and globalizes.
