
Sigiriya Rock
- Violent crime is not a serious problem for tourists in Sri Lanka.
- Women should not be alone at night on the beach or streets. There has been a slight increase in violent crimes involving tourists in the past few years, but it is still very rare.
- Although snake bites are extremely rare among tourists (comparable to being struck by lightning), anyone bitten should seek prompt medical care. This is true even if the bite doesn’t result in any pain and swelling.
- The National Emergency number is 119.
- In Colombo, dial either 119 or if you want an emergency ambulance – 110.
First time travelers to Sri Lanka may find themselves the victim of scams, however seasoned travelers to Sri Lanka are very rarely scammed and it is simple to avoid becoming a victim of scammers by taking precautions:
- Do not believe anyone who claims to be a professional (e.g. airline pilot), or in charge of a location (like a bus terminal) without proof.
- Scams involving gemstones are common. Do not buy with the intention of selling them in your home country for a profit.
- Be on guard for anybody trying to help you by giving you unsolicited directions or travel advice. Take any advice from taxi and auto drivers with a grain of salt, especially if they tell you the place you want to go to is closed, dangerous, non-existent etc. If you are unsure, check a map.
- Don’t engage in business with people who have to actively approach you for business.
Click here to see Canadian Government Travel Reports and Warnings on http://www.voyage.gc.ca/. Travel Reports offer information on safety and security, local laws and customs, entry requirements, health conditions and other important travel issues.
Contributions (1)
Nikita says...
Some clients are nervous about taking 2000 and 1000 notes claiming nobody exchanges them. I did have a client who came back a few days ago said she had no problem exchanging the larger notes while they were there. Even cabs and smaller vendors took it. Also they took CAD to exchange for SLR and also had no problem getting SLR. Debit cards worked just fine in the ATM machines as well.
Posted on Saturday, April 7th 2012 at 10:25 am