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Sri-LankaBuses
in Sri Lanka there is a developed system of intercity and city buses. Intercity buses are generally the main form of intercity transport in the country. Most intercity buses are both urban or suburban, i.e. they can travel part of the route around the city. You can get by bus to almost any place in the country, albeit not always quickly and not without transfers. The main bus hub of the country is Colombo. Therefore, if you do not know how to get somewhere directly, you can always go to Colombo, and there change the bus to the place you need.
Learn more about buses in Sri Lanka and how to use them, read here…
Tuk-tuks
The most important urban transport throughout the country are tuk-tuks. It seems that local residents are much more willing and more often use tuk-tuks than buses, since prices for them are very low. For tourists, tuk-tuks are also the best way to move over short distances, only the prices for tourists are several times higher than for locals.
Tuk-tuks come with or without counters. Using a tuk-tuk with a meter is much more profitable, but it is not so easy to find a Tooker who is ready to give a tourist a ride on the meter. They go to all sorts of tricks, convincing that the meter does not work, and offer a trip at a negotiated price. It is better in this case to look for another tuk-tuk.
However, tuk-tuks with counters are not found everywhere, but only in large cities. When traveling at a contractual price, Tookers initially always call prices at least twice as expensive as for local ones, and you need to bargain very hard. If you do not know the prices, then you can immediately offer a price two times less than the declared one and bargain up. If you know the distance to the desired place, you can calculate the approximate cost of the trip for bargaining at the rate of a maximum of 50 rupees (see currency of Sri Lankaand exchange rate) per kilometer. True, for very short trips, this calculation is not suitable, since usually for less than 150 rupees a tuk-tuker will not even move with a tourist. Be sure to negotiate the price in advance, and pay only at the end of the trip.
It should be borne in mind that tuk-tuks – transport is not the safest and not always convenient. Obviously, they are not air-conditioned and dusty. The tuk-tuk comfortably fits two people, but you can squeeze in four.
It is common to rent Tuk-Tuks at a contract price for the whole day for a trip to the sights. In this case, the price is negotiated either depending on the route or over time. Many tuk-tukers even offer interesting places and routes to visit. However, among the Tookers there is also a huge number of crooks who, under the pretext of an inexpensive trip instead of attractions, begin to carry tourists to baited places (restaurants, jewelry factories and exhibitions, etc.), where they receive a commission for tourists. So don't rely too much on their route suggestions.
Taxi
Car taxi in Sri Lanka is not particularly common. You can find cars only in major tourist cities and airports. Just to see a taxi car on the street is not easy, most often it should be ordered in advance by phone (it is easier to use the help of the hotel staff, i.e. ask at the reception to order). The cost of travel is quite reasonable and roughly corresponds to the cost of travel in Russian provincial cities.
There are taxis on the meter, and trips at fixed prices. It is better for short trips to use a taxi with a meter, but for long trips, such as a trip to a holiday destination from the airport or back, it is better to use a fixed cost.
Relatively recently, a new budget taxi Budget Taxi appeared in Sri Lanka. The small Indian-made cars seat up to three passengers and have no trunk, costing about 30 percent less than a conventional taxi. There is only one thing when using them: if you have huge suitcases, you can simply not get into such a car with them.
Air transport in Sri Lanka
Air transport in Sri Lanka is very poorly developed, and there is no great need for this, because the country is very small. There are only a few domestic airlines in the country, but most of them offer charter flights on small planes or helicopters. There are very few regular flights.
Here are Sri Lanka Airlines and their websites:
- HeliTours - regular flights three times a week, charter booking
- FirstAir - charters only
- SimplyFly (Millenium Airlines) - charters only
- Cinnamon Air - Charters
- SimplyFly (Millenium Airlines) - Charters
Trains
Sri Lanka has a network of Railways with well-developed routes. The cost of moving is not high. But in terms of "convenience" of movement, trains are still inferior to buses. Firstly, you can not get to any place, and secondly, trains often go very crowded, so you just have to hang on the handrail. But to use trains as a tourist attraction in Sri Lanka is very much worth it. We are talking about the trains of the central highlands of Sri Lanka (Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Badulla), during a trip along which travelers see stunning landscapes. If, nevertheless, you cannot refuse to use the train on your route in Sri Lanka, we highly recommend booking high-class tickets, or tickets for special tourist trains or wagons. Such tickets are inexpensive in any case, but they provide much more comfort.
The timetable of all Sri Lanka trains can be found on the official Railways website http://www.gic.gov.lk/
It is not possible to purchase tickets in advance via the Internet for suburban or low-cost local trains. But there are special tourist trains and carriages that can be booked on sites https://12go.asia or www.rajadhani.lk
Read more about trains in Sri Lanka and how to use them here...
Rent a car
The cost of renting a car in Sri Lanka starts from $ 30 per day (for a longer period of discount). If you do not have certain experience and acquaintances on the island, then it is best to rent a car from international rental offices, which can be done via the Internet. Unlimited mileage is not always included in the price (an average of 100 kilometers per day), and you will have to pay extra for additional kilometers. Insurance is included in the price. It is possible to rent a car in one place, and rent in another.
To rent a car in Sri Lanka on a completely legal basis, you need an international driving permit( International Driving Permit), the usual Russian or any other rights are not valid here. In addition, some rental offices also require mandatory registration of a local driving permit, for which they request additional money. If you do not want to pay extra, look for another rental office, or you can arrange it yourself in Colombo. Read more about driving licenses in Sri Lanka and what rights you need here...
Given these difficulties, as well as the unusual manner of driving on the roads, many tourists instead of self-driving a car rent a car with a driver. This service costs a little more, but eliminates many problems. In addition, drivers act as guides and even conduct excursions to attractions. True, it is worth looking for rental with a guide not in rental offices, but in travel agencies or through familiar people.
And yet, you can only drive a car in Sri Lanka if you are 21 years old.
Rent a motorcycle (scooter)
Renting motorcycles (scooters) in Sri Lanka is quite common, but you can find such a service only in the most popular tourist places on the coast. In the center of the country, renting a motorcycle is very difficult.
The rental price starts from 6 dollars (700 rupees) and goes up to 10 per day. When the price is high, you should bargain. Also be sure to ask for a discount if you take a motorcycle for a few days: the longer the term, the greater the discount. The rent includes unlimited mileage and helmets.
As for the driver's license, you need a full-fledged IDP with an open category "A" even for the most low-power scooters, otherwise you will be a violator. In addition to the vehicle with a motorcycle, there must be insurance and a document on payment of taxes provided by the owner of the motorcycle. If these documents do not turn out, problems will be not only with the owner of the equipment, but also with you.
Learn more about renting a motorcycle in Sri Lanka read here…
