Ace Your Sri Lanka Trip: A Self-Guided Guide 🗺️

1. ⚠️ No need to exchange Sri Lankan Rupees in your home country—local ATMs work with bank cards 💳, and the exchange rate is quite favorable. Save the hassle of carrying cash from abroad! 💸 2. ⚠️ Pack some stomach medicine, a small first-aid kit, and cold meds. Medicines here are mostly sold in supermarkets, and hospitals are scarce. Better safe than sorry when traveling! 🧰 3. ⚠️ Arrange for a pickup or private car upon arrival. The airport is far from Colombo, with no subway or convenient public transport—private cars are safer and more hassle-free. 🚗 4. ⚠️ *Do not* bring foreign cigarettes into Sri Lanka. We were checked by police 👮 as soon as we reached the hotel; even though we didn’t smoke, they searched our bags. Those caught with foreign cigarettes were fined 15,000 LKR. A costly lesson—avoid it! 🚭 5. ⚠️ No matter how expensive your hotel is, lock your luggage before leaving. Staff have been known to rummage through bags and take money. Better to be cautious! 🔒 6. ⚠️ Gemstones aren’t cheap here ❌. If you really want to buy, (bargain) down to a third of the asking price—they expect it! 💎 7. ⚠️ Pack snacks, everyone! Sri Lankan food is… an acquired taste. We felt like we ate a lifetime’s worth of curry here. A little taste of home goes a long way. 🍫 8. ⚠️ For those hiring a private car: *Never* trust the driver’s recommendations—*any* of them. They take you to overpriced places for commissions. We only realized this at the end of our trip! 🚫 9. ⚠️ Mirissa whale watching 🐳 is a total scam. We woke up at 4 AM, spent over 5 hours on a boat, and only saw dolphins 🐬 three times. When we asked the crew, they admitted they’d only been instructed to chase dolphins. Whales live in the deep Indian Ocean—don’t waste 70 USD per person! 🚤 10. Day 1️⃣ We spent two days in Colombo, and despite the hurdles, it’s surprisingly beautiful—like a real-life *Spirited Away*, with the coastal train 🚄 feeling straight out of a dream. 11. 🏬 Colombo’s largest, fanciest mall is in the Shangri-La Hotel. The beach outside glows at sunset—stunning for photos. 12. 🏨 We stayed at the Radisson Colombo. The rooftop infinity pool offers panoramic views of the city and Indian Ocean sunsets 🌄—pure magic. It’s across from the coastal train station, around 500 CNY a night—great value! 13. 🌏 Sightseeing-wise, we wandered casually. The Pink Mosque felt like a slice of India, but honestly, Colombo doesn’t have many “must-see” attractions. 14. ☕️ Highly recommend The Gallery Café—a coffee shop (and restaurant) converted from the studio of Sri Lanka’s legendary architect, Geoffrey Bawa. It blends South Asian and Chinese styles—charming and unique. 15. 🍴 For local food, Culture Colombo is a winner. Their curry crab blows others out of the water. *Avoid* Upali's by Nawaloka (see photo 5️⃣)—the crab was dead, and prices were sky-high. #SriLankaTrip #ColomboGuide #TravelTips