TAILOR MADE ITINERARY- MEL-CMB-MLE RETURN OPTION 02 (Jetwing)

Sri Lanka has a recorded history that spans back 3000 years. Like its massive neighbor India, Sri Lanka is a diverse country, home to many religions, ethnicity and languages. It is also still blessed with a variety of wildlife that has survived alongside this human civilization, on this small island for centuries. Today it offers tourists a diverse experience - from the modern city of Colombo with its skyscrapers to national parks teeming with elephants and religious and cultural buildings of multiple origins.

Arriving in Sri Lanka

If you arrive via CIP fast track service, as soon as you exit from the plane, there will be an airport representative with your name in a sign board. You will be escorted to the Silk Route lounge where you will meet your chauffeur guide. You can relax here until the luggage will be brought to you on your behalf. Refreshments, tea and coffee will be provided while you wait. Also wash rooms and WiFi facilities are available. If you want to change foreign currency, please inform the guide or the airport representative who will assist you with this. The airport staff will borrow your passports to clear your luggage through customs on your behalf. You will exit the airport via a separate exit and your vehicle will be waiting for you at a designated car park for an easy exit.

*Note: If you are taking a domestic scheduled flight upon your arrival at BIA, then you will be met by a representative and transferred to the relevant terminal.

If you arrive in Sri Lanka without the CIP fast track service, then you will have to collect your luggage and then proceed through customs and come to the public arrival lounge where you will see all the chauffeur guides with various name sign boards. Look out for the relevant tour operator branded sign board with your name on it. If you can’t locate your chauffeur guide please call the emergency hotline on (+94 71 699 2211) and the local ground handling agent will assist you.

*Note: If you are taking a domestic scheduled flight upon your arrival at BIA, then you will need to proceed to the relevant domestic flight counter located at the general arrivals hall where you will be then escorted to by a representative to the relevant terminal.

Departing Sri Lanka

If you depart via CIP fast track service, then you will be dropped off by your chauffeur guide as a VIP entrance to the departure lounge and a dedicated porter (tips all taken cared) will be assigned to you to help with your luggage. You can wait in the lounge until you are checked in and then you will go with your porter who will be with you while you check in the luggage. Afterwards proceed directly towards the Executive Lounge (additional charges apply) where you can wait until the Gates open for your flight. You will have wash room and WiFi facilities available at the lounge.

*Note: Airport & Aviation Services of Sri Lanka advises all travelers to be at the airport at least (3) three hours prior to your departure flight time to comply with check-in deadlines as well as to avoid any unpredictable traffic on the roads & crowds at the airport. We also recommend you to check-in online at an appropriate time.

If you depart without the CIP fast track service, then you can hire the services of a porter (tips to be paid by you) from the public entrance of the departure lounge gate. Please keep your passport and ticket ready since you need to show this to get in. Once you get in, your luggage will be scanned and then you will be checked as well. Then proceed into the departure lounge and then if your flight is open for check in, you can enter. Once again your luggage and you will be checked. Then based on your airline, you can proceed to the counter and check your luggage in. Afterwards you can wait close to the gate in the public seating area until the gate opens up. 

*Note: Airport & Aviation Services of Sri Lanka advises all travelers to be at the airport at least (3) three hours prior to your departure flight time to comply with check-in deadlines as well as to avoid any unpredictable traffic on the roads & crowds at the airport. We also recommend you to check-in online at an appropriate time.

There had been some guest comments that the CIP arrival is much better than the CIP departure in terms of the service provided and the CIP arrival is much better value for money.

Hotels In Sri Lanka

• Most of the hotels in Sri Lanka has a standard check in time at 1400 Hrs and a check out time at 1200 Hrs. However, a handful of the hotels will have a different policy for this.
• Early check in or late check out can be requested at hotels on complimentary subject to availability on the required day. To secure a guaranteed early check in or late out you must book it in advance and pay for it.
• Most of the hotels in Sri Lanka has compulsory supplements for X'mas (24th December), NYE (31st December) & Perahera (Between July & August in Kandy).
• Some hotels may require an advance or full payment to guarantee reservations at the time of the confirmation.
• Confirmations from service providers including hotels may take between 24 - 48 hours.

Cinnamon Air Domestic Flights

Cinnamon Air schedule flight routes changes yearly, there are instances where new destinations are added to the daily schedule or sometimes discontinued on existing flight routes. However we will keep you updated well in advance of any changes. Also Cinnamon air makes time changes to their flights at the last minute which we will inform the guests accordingly. Each person is allowed 23KG of main luggage and 5KG of hand luggage.

However due to weather reasons & weight control, the airline might reduce or deny luggage to be carried on board. To avoid any last minute complaints from the travelers, most of the time, we advise our guides to transfer the luggage by road on the day before so that the luggage will wait for the guests at the next hotel at the time of check in. Guests are advised to carry a small hand luggage with a change of clothes. If you are reducing the weight of your luggage based on the Cinnamon air flight weight restrictions, please talk to us before the start of the tour since we can easily transfer the bags by road.

Train Journeys

• Your chauffeur will wait with you until the train arrives, escort you to your seats and then leave to pick you up from your destination. If the chauffeur can’t make it on time, we will arrange a separate vehicle to pick you up and transfer you to the hotel.
• The train at times can be late departing or even while En route (in rare cases they can get cancelled as well on short notice).  Also note that the train tickets can only be confirmed on availability 01 – 07 days prior to the train travel date as the tickets issued from the Railway Authority is being compromised by black marketers and we are only able to purchase tickets through them and confirm. If tickets are unavailable the clients will take a scenic road transfer.
• Only applicable for the train ride starting/ ending in Ella : If you wish to go over the famous Nine Arch bridge by train please let us know since if you start or end your train journey in Ella, you will not get to experience this. The Nine Arch bridge is located between Ella and Demodara stations
• 1st class train carriage is air conditioned & 2nd or 3rd class carriages are non air conditioned. 

Safari Game Drives At National Parks In Sri Lanka

• Yala National Park is another place which had become very popular and therefore you will find lots of jeeps inside the park in one place trying to get a look at one leopard. If you wish to have a relaxing safari we have alternatives to Yala such as Wilpattu and Lunugamvehera where leopard and bear sightings are really good as well.
• Yala National Park closes for a period between the months of September and October. The exact dates are announced nearer to time of the closure. This is mainly because of the well-being of the wildlife in the reserve due to the dry weather climate that will exist prior to the said months.
• Due to "The Gathering" at Minneriya National Park (during June, July & August) being very famous among tourists and locals, there’s a possibility that there will be many jeeps in the park during your safari.
• The elephants migrate time to time from Minneriya National Park to nearby parks and therefore depending on where the elephants are at, at the time of your arrival, the trackers will take you to either Minneriya, Kaudulla or Eco Park.

Cultural Sites in Sri Lanka

• Sigiriya Rock Fortress: During the weekends lots of locals and schools visit cultural sites and it could be busy. Therefore we do recommend that you visit these places early in the morning (Sigiriya around 7am with packed breakfast) so that you can avoid the many tourists and visitors.
• Polonnaruwa: During the weekends there will be many locals and school groups who come to visit the cultural sites and Polonnaruwa could be crowded. However since the ruins are spread around a large area, you will not be stuck in long queues anywhere.

White Water Rafting - Kitulgala

• Rapids are generally graded for white water rafting, and the waters at Kitulgala are not considered dangerous for those above the age of 11 years old, especially when accompanied by a guide. However, it is not recommended for the pregnant ladies, Little kids & people with heart conditions. If you have a health condition that you think might affect your experience, you should let your guide know so that they can make any necessary arrangements for you.
• Rafting will depend on the water level of the river & weather condition.

Tipping

We encourage you to offer tips to the chauffeur / national guides based on their services as a means of thank you for their time and energy. It’s an accepted practice and as a guideline, we would advise USD 15 – 20 per day. However this is at your discretion and you can decide any amount that you feel is the best.

Shopping

This is something that we do not promote during tours as an organizational policy. Therefore we refrain from including shopping destinations in the itineraries (unless requested for) since we understand that just like anywhere else in the world, commissions are involved and as a company we would like to stay away from them. If you wish to purchase any items, you can talk to your chauffer and he will take you to suggested shops. Also since we have not inspected nor purchased, we do not recommend and guarantee these products. Following are some shops that we think are better based on public opinion, but like mentioned above we do not have any stakes / benefits out of promoting these locations;

• Gems – Premadasa Gems in Colombo, Kandy & Galle
• Spice – Luckgrove in Matale
• Tea – Tea Tang, Dilmah in Colombo
• Other Colombo shopping destinations – Paradise Road, Barefoot, ODEL
• Other Galle shopping destinations – Three by TPV, ODEL, Barefoot

Changes to Itinerary

While on the ground if you wish to make any changes to your itinerary, we recommend you to call our emergency hotline so that we can provide you with the necessary information and amend the program as well. This way we can keep your Tour Operator (with whom you have booked the tour) informed of the same as well. 

*Note: Additional charges for changes made are subject to cancellation policies for services already booked , whereas refunds cannot be guaranteed unless otherwise it is negotiated and confirmed by the relevant managements of the service providers. 

What to Expect when travelling in Sri Lanka

·        When entering temples and kovils, you must wear clothes which cover your elbows and knees (we provide you with a wrap-around cloth to help you with this) Always remove foot-ware & caps when entering.

·        One day of the month is dedicated to Lord Buddha and is called a Poya day, on which all liquor sales are prohibited in the country, including in the hotels. (prior purchases on the day before can be made with the help of your driver or via the hotel)

·        Sri Lankan's love their spices and if you can’t take the extra spicy food, best keep in mind when ordering food, you might want to tell the chef to go easy on the chilies since the standard spicy level of Sri Lankan's could be a bit too much for someone who is not used to it. 

·        Cultural sites such as Sigiriya and Dambulla have become very popular and you will see a lot of people in these places. We have alternatives if you wish not to go to these sites. We recommend Yapahuwa rock fortress instead of Sigiriya and Mulkirigala Cave Temple, instead of Dambulla. If you really want to visit Sigiriya and Dambulla and also want to avoid the crowds, we recommend you be at the gate early morning and be the first to enter so that you will have the entire site to yourself before the crowds come in.

·        We always recommend that we book you in for a private yacht when doing whale watching so that you can have a very relaxing and comfortable experience. Also you can return back anytime you want as well.

·        During your beach holidays when you have not requested for a vehicle to be at your disposal and if you are going to use public transportation – it’s always best to agree on a fare before getting into a tuk tuk or a cab since outside of Colombo, there’re no meter services to calculate the fare. You are welcome to bargain since there’re no fixed prices.

·        Between 6 – 7 PM is generally the time that several mosquitoes come out and its best to be ready with an insect repellent, in case you are still outdoors.

·        Sunscreen is recommended when going out in the morning. Due to different sunscreen and insect repellent products react differently on people, these products are not included in the standard tour packet. However if you want one, please let your driver know and it will be complimentary for you.

·        When crossing the roads on your own, don’t be offended if vehicles don’t stop and give way. It’s an Asian cultural thing, where everyone is in a hurry on the road. Always cross the road on a yellow crossing and if one is not available, best raise your hand (in “STOP” motion) at the vehicles and cross the road.

·        Sri Lankan's will always have a smile on their faces and don’t hesitate to smile back. They are a very hospitable people and will go out of their way to help you out.

·        If you want to start a conversation with the locals, one of the famous topics would be Cricket. Everyone in Sri Lanka knows and love cricket.

·        Once in Sri Lanka you would witness Elephant back rides and bullock cart rides for tourists, but we refrain from promoting such rides since these animals are not cared properly and we try to stay away from anything that promotes animal cruelty.

·        If you’re someone who always enjoys local delicacies, the top 5 authentic food not to be missed would be – Kottu Rotti at Kaema Sutra restaurant – Colombo (comes with meat or vegetarian), Lamprais (a rise and curry with Dutch origins), Buffalo Curd with treacle, Black pork curry and finally, milk rice with lunu miris (the lunu miris is a bit spicy).

·        Famous Sinhalese words to remember would be;

-        Thank you - “Sthu-thi”

-        How Are You – “Ko-ho-ma-da”

-        Greetings – “Ayu-bo-wan” (don’t be surprised once you say this, some people might put their hands together and say the same, since this is the correct way of saying it)

Currency 

Local currency: Sri Lankan Rupee 
Symbol: රු 
ISO code: LKR 
Subunit: Cent 
Banknotes: රු20, රු50, රු100, රු500, රු1000, රු2000, රු5000 
Coins: Cent, රු1, රු2, රු5, රු10 

Banking 

Card Transactions: Yes 
ATMs: Yes 
Mastercard: Yes 
Visa: Yes 
American Express: Yes 
Diner’s club: Yes 

Banking Hours: 
Weekdays: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM 
Weekends: Closed 
Public Holidays: Yes 
Foreign exchange services: Yes 

Air: 

Main airlines: SriLankan Airlines 
International Airports: Bandaranaike International Airport 
Domestic Airports: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, Ratmalana Airport 

Road: 

Driving on the: Left 
Tar roads: Yes 
Gravel roads: Yes 
Valid International Driver's License needed: Yes 
Car hire available: Yes 
Taxis: Yes 
E-hailing services: Yes 

Bus: 

Inter-city bus services: Yes 
Local city bus networks: Yes 

Rail: 

Railway system: Yes 
Subway System: No 

Water: 

Ferries: Yes 
Water taxis: Yes 
Leisure cruises: Yes 

Food and water safety: 

Can you drink the tap water: No 
Fresh fruit and veg: Yes 
Ice: Yes 
Meat: Yes 
Street food: Yes 

Local cuisine: 

Sri Lankan cuisine is known for its aromatic spices, vibrant flavors, and rich variety. Rice and curry are staples, often accompanied by dishes like dhal (lentil curry), sambol (coconut relish), and hoppers (pancakes). Notable local drinks include king coconut water, arrack (coconut spirit), and Ceylon tea. 
Tipping: 10% 

Annual rainfall: 2000 - 3000 mm 
Average temperature: 27°C 

Summer: 

Average highs: 31°C 
Average lows: 25°C 

Winter: 

Average highs: 29°C 
Average lows: 23°C 

Best time to visit: 

The best time to visit Sri Lanka is from December to March, during the dry season, when the weather is generally sunny and pleasant. 

Spring and Summer 

Cool, light, breathable and comfortable: Yes 
Lightweight warm clothes: No 

Winter and Autumn 

Jerseys, cardigans, sweaters, jackets: Recommended 
Heavyweight clothing and boots: No 

General 

Umbrella and raincoat: Yes 
Warm gloves, hat and scarf: No 
Swimming costume (bathing suit): Yes 
Hat, sunglasses and sunblock: Yes 
Walking shoes: Yes 
Casual: Yes 
Smart-casual attire: Yes 

Plug Type: Type D, Type G 
Voltage (V): 230V 
Frequency Hertz (Hz): 50Hz 

Travel plug adapter and voltage converter might be necessary depending on your appliances. 

Encompassing over 1000 coral islands that form about 25 natural atolls, the Maldives is separated from the rest of the world by the seemingly endless Indian Ocean, offering visitors a secluded little pocket of paradise. These exquisite tropical islands are best known for their white powder sand beaches, glistening blue lagoons and extensive reefs which are home to a diverse range of colourful marine life. The nation’s bustling capital of Male features an array of charming shops and restaurants as well as a busy fish market and a must-see 17th-century mosque known as Hukuru Miskiy which was constructed out of intricately carved white coral. Visitors will find plenty of activities to keep them entertained including: scuba diving, snorkelling, water skiing, stand up paddleboarding, spa visits, and hopping from one idyllic little island to the next.

Currency 

Local currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa 
Symbol: MVR 
ISO code: MVR 
Subunit: Laari 
Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 Rufiyaa 
Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 Laari, 1, 2 Rufiyaa 

Banking 

Card Transactions: Limited 
ATMs: Yes 
Mastercard: Yes 
Visa: Yes 
American Express: Limited acceptance 
Diner’s club: Limited acceptance 

Banking Hours: 
Weekdays: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM 
Weekends: Closed 
Public Holidays: Yes (limited hours) 
Foreign exchange services: Yes 

Air: 
Main airlines: Maldivian, Trans Maldivian Airways 
International Airports: Velana International Airport (MLE) 
Domestic Airports: Velana International Airport (MLE), Gan International Airport (GAN), Hanimaadhoo International Airport (HAQ) and many more. 

Road: 
Driving on the: Left 
Tar roads: Limited 
Gravel roads: Limited 
Valid International Driver's License needed: Yes 
Car hire available: Limited 
Taxis: Yes 
E-hailing services: No 

Bus: 
Inter-city bus services: Limited 
Local city bus networks: Limited 

Rail: 
Railway system: No 
Subway System: No 

Water: 
Ferries: Yes 
Water taxis: Yes 
Leisure cruises: Yes 

Food and water safety: 
Can you drink the tap water: No 
Fresh fruit and veg: Yes 
Ice: Yes 
Meat: Yes 
Street food: Yes 

Local cuisine: Maldivian cuisine is influenced by Indian, Sri Lankan, and Arabic flavors, focusing on seafood and coconut. A staple dish is Mas Huni, a mixture of tuna, coconut, onion, and chili. 

Drinks: Notable local drinks include Kurumba (coconut milk), Sai (tea), and Raa (toddy tapped from palm trees). 

Tipping: Tipping is not expected but appreciated, usually around 10%. 

Annual rainfall: Varies 
Average temperature: 28°C 

Summer: 
Average highs: 31°C 
Average lows: 26°C 

Winter: 
Average highs: 30°C 
Average lows: 25°C 

Best time to visit: The best time to visit the Maldives is from November to April during the dry season when the weather is sunny with little rainfall. This period is ideal for water activities like diving and snorkeling. 

Spring and Summer 
Cool, light, breathable and comfortable: Yes 
Lightweight warm clothes: No 

Winter and Autumn 
Jerseys, cardigans, sweaters, jackets: Recommended 
Heavyweight clothing and boots: No 

General 
Umbrella and raincoat: Yes 
Warm gloves, hat and scarf: No 
Swimming costume (bathing suit): Yes 
Hat, sunglasses and sunblock: Yes 
Walking shoes: Yes 
Casual: Yes 
Smart-casual attire: Yes 

Internet cafes: Limited 
Accommodation options: Yes 
Restaurants: Yes 
Cafes: Yes 
Shopping malls: Limited 
Public parks: Limited 
Libraries: Limited