Detailed Trip Notes
Suitability
Suitability
We've given each of our tours a comfort rating and a tour pace, walking or cycling grade to give you a general idea about the level of activity on each tour and the standard of accommodation you will be staying in at the end of your day's adventure.
Often you'll stay in different styles of accommodation during your tour; so we make an average rating across the entire tour. For more information on where you'll stay each night, please refer to the day by day tour itinerary.
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Tour Itinerary
Budgeting for your Tour
Budgeting for your tour
Please note: Costs in the restaurants and bars at our In-Style hotels may be considerably higher than at local eateries on which the estimated costs that we have provided are based on.
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Other Sightseeing & Activites
The following excursions and/or activities are usually available and may be arranged locally. Estimated costs are provided below for guidance only, are on a per person basis unless shown otherwise, and may depend on the number of participants. Prices quoted are correct as of the date these trip notes were originally issued but may change at any time due to currency fluctuations.
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Excursion Prices
- Kandy - Cultural Show £2.50.
- Whale Watching - US$ 95.00pp (min 4 persons).
- Yala National Park - The game drive consists of two costs - the jeep hire and the entry fee. Entry fee to the park is as follows: Adult - US$18 pp. Child - US$10 pp. Jeep hire is approx US$60 including service charge and vehicle entry fee. A jeep can accommodate up to a maximum of 6 people.
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Tipping
Local Staff: In this area, tipping is a recognised part of life. Although Explore pays most gratuities for the smooth operation of the tour, some local staff will still look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. Accordingly, you should allow £25 for tipping. Your tour leader will account to you for any organised tipping.
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Tour Leader: At your discretion you might also consider tipping your Tour Leader in appreciation of the efficiency and service you receive.
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Local Crew: Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognized part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. In order to make things easier for you, the Tour Leaders may organise a group’s tips kitty and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the tour.
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Foreign Exchange
Local Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee.
Recommended Currency for Exchange: US$ and UK£ are equally good.
Where to Exchange: In most major towns.
ATM Availability: Yes, usually in major towns.
Credit Card Acceptance: Credit cards can usually be used in most large shops and restaurants. Please note that Foreign Office advice warns about the problem of credit card fraud in Sri Lanka so please consider this when deciding if to pay by card while on tour.
Travellers Cheques: Can be exchanged in most major towns.
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Up-to-date information on global exchange rates can be obtained at www.oanda.com
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Local Costs
| |
UK |
Sri Lanka |
| Tea/Coffee |
£1.50 |
£0.40 |
| Soft Drink |
£1.50 |
£0.40 |
| Bottled Water |
£1.50 |
£0.50 |
| Bottle of Beer |
£3.50 |
£2.00 |
| 2 Course Meal* |
£15.00 |
£4.00 |
| 3 Course Meal** |
£20.00 |
£6.00 |
| Bottle of Wine |
£14.50 |
|
| Breakfast |
£5.00 |
|
*Cheap local fare in a small cafe or restaurant.
**Typical food in a simple, reasonably comfortable mid-range restaurant.
Important Information
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of joining any of our tours that you must have valid travel insurance. It must indicate that you have cover for (at least) medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of illness or injury. We also strongly recommend your policy includes cancellation protection as all deposit paid are non-refundable.
If you require travel insurance for your tour, Explore Worldwide is an appointed representative of Campbell Irvine Limited, who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services authority. Our travel insurance policy is specially tailored to the needs of the adventure traveller and will cover you for any included activity on any Explore trip. You can either purchase this at the time of booking or call us 0844 499 0901 after you have booked.
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Visa Requirements
All foreign nationals who intend to visit Sri Lanka for a short stay of up to six months, including transit passengers, must apply for travel authorization online prior to their travel to the country.
To obtain a visa you must visit http://www.eta.gov.lk to apply for the ETA, prior to travel. It is strongly recommended that you print and bring a copy of the ETA approval notice with you.
The Sri Lankan authorities require that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after departure from Sri Lanka.
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All visa information is subject to change. You should confirm all visa related issues with the relevant Embassy prior to departure.
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Vaccinations & Protection
Nothing compulsory, but we recommend protection against malaria, typhoid, tetanus, infectious hepatitis and polio. Good mosquito repellent containing DEET is advisable.
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The above is not an exhaustive list. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found by following the NHS and NaTHNaC links at http://www.explore.co.uk/Travelhealth/ and from your local healthcare provider.
Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.
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Know before you go
We strongly recommend that you check your government’s travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs, including advice re: the legality of and local attitudes towards same-sex relationships. For UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advice follow the link at http://www.explore.co.uk/Traveladvice/
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Preparing for your tour
Climate
Year round high temperatures in coastal regions: Colombo averages 27°C. It is much cooler in the hills with Kandy averaging 20°C and Nuwara Eliya down to 16°C. Spring like temperatures in the hill country, but chilly evenings. Two monsoon periods: Apr-Sep when rain is confined to the southwest; and Oct-Mar when it falls in the northeast.
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Seasonal weather patterns can be unpredictable. For up-to-date information on the weather worldwide please visit www.bbc.co.uk/weather.
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Packing for your tour
To assist with packing for your tour, we have detailed some of the essential items you should take with you.
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Luggage
One main piece of baggage and a daysac. Total allowance: 44lbs/20kgs. Remember, hotel porters are not always available, so don’t overload yourself.
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Clothing
Select your clothes carefully, bearing in mind that the climate is tropical and that upland areas are cooler and more temperate. Lightweight rainwear is also essential, and warmer clothing for the highland walks and chilly night temperatures in the mountains. When visiting religious sites you will need to dress respectfully by covering you knees and shoulders as well as taking off your shoes and hats. You may like to wear socks for temple visits as the ground can get very hot and burn the soles of your feet. You will need to bring long trousers, or buy a sarong locally.
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Footwear
Lightweight shoes and sandals.You may consider taking some walkingshoes/boots for the visit to Hortons Plain.
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Equipment
A water bottle is recommended for walks. There are leeches in the highlands and you may wish to consider bringing leech socks with you.
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Need help on Clothing or Equipment?
Then we suggest you contact Nomad Travel, our equipment partner, who specialise in kitting people out for adventurous travel. You receive a special 10% discount in-store or online. Visit one of their stores, phone 0845 260 0044, or visit their website www.nomadtravel.co.uk/explore for further information.
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General Information
Electric Supply & Plugs
For comprehensive information regarding voltages and plug types in use in the countries visited, follow the relevant link at http://www.explore.co.uk/Traveladvice/
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