Guides
Practical help for a long trip home, with the sources behind every rule and figure.
Driving in Sri Lanka: what to know before you get behind the wheel
Back home after a few years away and thinking of driving yourself? Here is what the roads are like, the rules that matter, the expressways and what to do if something goes wrong, with the source for everything.
Driving in Sri Lanka · 6 min read
Driving in Sri Lanka
Hiring a car
Hiring a car · 7 min read
Renting a car in Sri Lanka: what to know before you sign
What you are signing, what the insurance words really mean, what to check when you collect the car and who pays for fines, tolls and damage, using Sri Lanka's insurance regulator and the rental companies' own terms.
Hiring a car · 3 min read
Car with a driver or self-drive in Sri Lanka?
Should you drive yourself, hire a driver, or mix the two? What the Canadian and UK governments say, how to check a driver is registered, and what to ask before you agree.
Hiring a car · 6 min read
Landing at Colombo airport and picking up your car: what happens, in order
Just off a long flight, maybe with amma and the kids? Here is what happens from landing to the first drive: the licence counter, the arrival lobby, meeting your car, the expressway and how far everything is.
Hiring a car · 2 min read
Booking a self-drive car in Sri Lanka from the UK
Flying home from the UK and want your own car waiting? Here is how it works step by step: asking for a price, the deposit, your licence and what happens when you land.
Planning your trip
Planning your trip · 2 min read
How long does it take to drive around Sri Lanka?
Going right round the island is about 1,340 km and 25 hours at the wheel on a good day. Here are the legs, why real days run longer, and how many days to give it.
Planning your trip · 3 min read
Money on a trip home: cash, cards, ATMs and the limits
Where to change money at the airport, why to avoid street changers, the rupee limit, when to declare cash, and what the UK and Canadian governments say about cards.
Planning your trip · 3 min read
Poya days and public holidays: plan your trip around them
Poya days, Christmas and Deepavali change what is open and whether you can buy a drink. The poya dates to the end of 2026, what the governments say, and what to check.
Planning your trip · 3 min read
SIM card, eSIM and data for a trip home
Four operators have 24-hour counters at the airport. What Dialog and SLT Mobitel say about tourist plans and eSIMs, what you need to show, and what we could not confirm for returning Sri Lankans.
Planning your trip · 2 min read
A 14 day road trip in Sri Lanka by car
A two-week route for a family back home: airport, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, the south coast and Colombo. About 790 km, with the length of every leg.
Planning your trip · 3 min read
Getting in: the ETA, 30 days, and staying longer
UK, Canadian, Australian and Italian passport holders can get a free tourist ETA for 30 days. A trip of 2 to 6 weeks may need an extension. What the official sites say, and what they do not.
Planning your trip · 3 min read
Vaccinations and health before a trip home
Visiting family counts as higher risk for hepatitis A and typhoid. What UK, US and Canadian health sites recommend, when to see a clinic, and the day-to-day risks: dengue, water, sun.
Planning your trip · 3 min read
Travelling with children in a hire car in Sri Lanka
Child seats, back seats, heat and long hill roads. What the WHO and the UK, Canadian and Italian authorities say about children in cars, and what we could not find for Sri Lanka.
