Time Difference
Sri Lanka is five and a half hours ahead of GMT time.
Money
The national currency is the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR). Notes (10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees) are printed in Sinhala, Tamil and English. You can exchange cash in banks and in most hotels, the rates are very similar at both. Many areas accept bankcards including Colombo, Habarana, Dambulla, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Bentota. Banks are open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00.
Electricity and Plugs
The mains voltage in Sri Lanka are 220 volts. Some hotels are equipped with standard European plugs (2 cylindrical plugs), however we advise that you carry an adapter. Please note that Sri Lanka experiences frequent power cuts.
Local Amenities
General opening hours in Sri Lanka are 08:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday. The shops are closed on Saturday afternoon and all-day Sunday. It is common that some shops close on Friday between 12:00 and 14:30.
Media
The main public radio station is SLBC, which broadcasts in Sinhala, Tamil and English. LNP stations, Sun Gold FM also broadcast news bulletins in English. There are ten channels including Rupavahini and ITN that broadcast in English. Daily Mirror, The Island and the Daily News are daily newspapers printed in English.
Post
On average, it takes one week for deliveries to arrive from Sri Lanka to Europe. You can buy stamps and post mail from majority of the hotels.
Phone
To call Sri Lanka from the UK, dial 00 + 94 (Colombo, 11; Kandy, 81; Galle, 91) + the number of the caller. To call UK from Sri Lanka, dial 00 + 44 + the 9-digit number of your correspondent (without the first 0).
Internet and Mobile Coverage
In general, the internet and mobile coverage is good. However, we recommend that you check with your operator for specific information about access before travelling.
Currency
LKR
