Travelling to Sri Lanka

Discover Sri Lanka

A paradise island sat at the southernmost reaches of India, Sri Lanka is a haven of blissful beaches, ancient sites and no end of elephants. Here’s our guide.

Money

The currency of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan rupee, which is broken down into 100 cents.

One dollar is currently worth Sri Lankan rupees.

Here’s a roundup of what you can expect to spend in Sri Lanka, with prices in Australian dollars:

Travelling around Sri Lanka

By rickshaw

Rickshaws – known as three wheelers, tri-shaws or tuk-tuks – are everywhere in Sri Lanka and you won’t have to try hard to hail one down. They operate like taxis and will take you from A to B, although they’re probably more of a novelty than a comfortable way to get around. You can haggle a driver down to whatever you think is a suitable price, but you should be paying around 50-75Rs per km as a rough guide – and make sure to agree the price beforehand.

By car and driver

A popular way to explore Sri Lanka is by hiring a car and driver to take you around. It’s up to you whether you use the service as a taxi to get you to your destination, or make the most of your driver as more like a chauffeur and personal tour guide. Prices will vary accordingly, starting from around 4000Rs per day, plus tip. Look out for reputable companies that use Sri Lanka Tourist Board accredited chauffeur-guides.

By bus

Buses are cheap and plentiful in Sri Lanka and you can probably get half way across the island for as little as 200Rs, although air conditioned buses will be around twice the price. The red buses are long distance whilst the blue buses are local.

By train

The train network was built by the British back in the 19^th century and hasn’t changed much since. You’ll find plenty of visitors to Sri Lanka who ride the trains just for the beautifully scenic views through the countryside, and with prices so cheap it’s no hardship to do the same. Check out railway.gov.lk for timetables.