As Sri Lanka specialists, many customers and journalists have been asking us whether it is safe to travel to Sri Lanka right now.
Without hesitation, we respond… “absolutely, yes it is.”
There is really no doubt in our minds that Sri Lanka is generally one of the safest places to visit in Asia, if not the world. While the economic and political issues are by no means solved, they no longer impinge in any way on travellers.
Travel to Sri Lanka has returned in a major way and we believe that this year will be an incredible opportunity for anyone keen to visit.
Is it safe to travel to Sri Lanka right now?
Back in the summer of 2022, there were big political protests in the capital Colombo and quite disruptive upheavals.
The situation was brought under control – the protests dispersed, people went back to their normal lives and the situation returned to normal.
There have been no major protests since then and absolutely no reason to be concerned on this score.
The BBC reported that on the 20th of March the Government of Sri Lanka secured a $2.9bn (£2.3bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Our In-country manager, Thushni de Silva says categorically:
In terms of safety in country, there is nothing going on for anyone to worry about”. As a company our absolute priority is traveller safety and we would never compromise on that.
Sri Lanka has all the essentials it needs now and there are no critical concerns in this respect.
During the summer of 2022, there were reports of medical supplies running short, but the private hospitals were able to maintain a normal service throughout and that is no longer an issue.
Is Sri Lanka good value right now?
In short, yes it is.
The depreciation of the rupee has meant that your pounds, dollars or euros go a long way whether you are buying food in a restaurant, travelling around ad hoc, or shopping for gifts and crafts.
As ever, we believe that the real value for Sri Lanka lies in the small, high-quality boutique hotels, lodges and even campsites.
There is so much going on in Sri Lanka right now, it’s genuinely quite exciting to see.
A warm welcome awaits in Sri Lanka
We asked James, a recent visitor to Sri Lanka, to tell you how they felt about their welcome:
In the back of my mind, there was a slight concern around how’d I’d be received. I need not have worried. Everyone I met, walked past and interacted with could not have done more to make me feel welcome. Whether it was walking past tea pluckers in The Knuckles, talking to locals in hotels, walking around Kandy or going on a street food tour in Colombo, it was all so positive.
The country and a lot of its people rely on tourism so really need tourists back. People actually thanked me for coming.
You can travel around freely
Here at ETG we tend to promote a ‘less is more’ approach to a lot of our holidays.
But you can get around the entire island without fuss or bother.
Our brilliant team of chauffeur-guides will make your life very easy in this respect and give you a window into the local culture and customs too.
We’re very proud of them and they are so happy to be busy once more doing what they do best.
The key tourist sites, beaches and national parks are open
All the ‘must see’ sights travellers would usually visit on a trip to Sri Lanka are open – Dambulla Cave Temple, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, the Temple of the tooth and more – as are all the national parks and beautiful beaches.
Beach near Galle
It’s the boutique hotel dream
Hotels have been able to maintain a decent standard, despite the travails of the past few years.
One of the many reasons to travel to Sri Lanka is to stay in some of the fantastic and varied, small boutique hotels.
We believe it is the best destination in Asia for such properties along with maybe Indonesia.
The Ark Villa in Sri Lanka
Why should I book a trip to Sri Lanka now?
• Booking a holiday to Sri Lanka supports the 1 in 8 families dependent on tourism and have been so severely affected by the pandemic.
• Sites such as Sigiriya have a buzz about them but are far from overcrowded, so now’s a great time to see them.
• There is currently decent availability, especially for those families looking for a special holiday during the mini-peak period of July-September. The weather throughout Sri Lanka is great at this time and there are few destinations worldwide offering such a beautiful adventure for the whole family
• As you travel around, prices are low in general, due to the fall in value of the Sri Lankan rupee. Your Pounds, Euros or Dollars will go a long way
• Sri Lankan hotels are offering some brilliant deals and prices, particularly for periods of the year when demand is typically low anyway – such as May-June and September-October.
