"Serendipity" a Sri Lanka Travel Page by Maxus

I have been to lots of places in the world but as I explain on my home page none has left as deep an impression on me than Sri Lanka and for the best part of 10 years I have either just back from a visit or preparing for my next one. I have never fully understood my obsession with the place, it is a beautiful island with its fair share of historical sites but I have always preferred to spend my time ‘village side’ with real people rather than looking at ruins in the Cultural Triangle.

Being an island, Sri Lankan history and culture is a little less blurred around the edges than some, it’s more distinct and somehow more ‘fathomable’' for an outsider who likes to know what makes things tick but if you are interested in finding out more about Sinhalese society and culture you need to get away from the main tourist areas, where you are simply a source of cash.

Sri Lanka has changed a lot in recent years and not all the changes have been positive. When I first came here people who didn’t rely on tourists for a living would politely ignore you, those who did need your money would use their easy charm to separate you from it. Well that’s pretty much as it is now but much of the politeness and charm has gone, there seems to be an attitude that being polite to foreigners is somehow demeaning, tourists are there to be fleeced and if they don’t like it they shouldn’t come.

Increasingly I meet people in VT whose experience of Sri Lanka has been less than magical, the tips below are designed to help you get out and about with a minimum of hassle.

My ramblings on Sri Lankan life and culture are on my home page, below are links to some tips for travellers heading to Sri Lanka, I hope you find at least some of them useful.

If you have any comments or questions please don't hesitate to get in touch.

June 2008: Millions of journeys are made every day by public transport in Sri Lanka and there isn’t any need to panic, but is it safe? The usual answer to this is 'probably'.

I’ve just got back to the UK after spending the best part of a month on the island. I’d still be there if I didn’t need to work for a living but two government ministers were killed during my visit and there were several bus bombs which left hundreds dead or injured so lets stop pretending that it's all sweetness and light.

The ceasefire that never was has ended and the government are going in for the kill. The Ltte, starved of support from overseas and rapidly losing ground at home appear to be fighting for survival and this could possibly lead to a change of strategy. Apart from the famous attack on the airport in July 2001 and one or two minor stabs at it with light aircraft since, the Ltte have generally left the main tourist areas alone and there is no indication that this is about to change but travellers should be aware that the situation is volatile.

Security is particular tight to the north Anuradhapura and just about everywhere in the east, we were stopped at every check-point, the army were usually polite (moral incidentally is as high as I’ve seen it) but the military can be a little jittery at times and it’s probably smart to do what you’re told, if fact it's probably smart to avoid this area altogether. Sinhalese friends who I have been travelling with for years are suddenly more cautious, when a potential target, an army bus stopped alongside us in Puttalam last week they didn’t hang around.

I was in Sri Lanka when the Tsunami hit so I know from experience that when things go wrong here you are pretty much on your own (that’s particularly true for British citizens) so it’s a good idea to have some idea of what to do if things do kick off.

So far this year (In addition to the fighting in the north):
On 6 June 2008, an explosion on a public bus near Katubedda (a suburb of Colombo) killed at least 21 people and injured 50 more.

On 26 May 2008, a bomb exploded on a public train near Dehiwela (a suburb of Colombo) causing fatalities and injuries.

On 16 May 2008, a bomb attack targeting a police bus near the Hilton hotel in the Fort area of Central Colombo resulted in a number of deaths and injured dozens.

On 9 May 2008, an explosion at a café in the town of Ampara, approximately 220 km from Colombo, killed at least 12 people and injured over 20.

On 25 April 2008, a bomb exploded on a public bus about 15 km south east of Colombo. Dozens of people were killed and over 30 people injured.

On 6 April, a bomb in the Gampaha district, approximately 20 km north east of Colombo, killed a Sri Lankan Government minister and 15 others, and injured more than 90 people.

On 3 February 2008, a suicide bombing at the Fort Railway Station in central Colombo killed 13 and injured more than 100, including a number of school children.

On 2 February 2008, an explosion on a public bus at Dambula in the Cultural Triangle killed 18 civilians and injured 70.

On 16 January 2008, a roadside bombing targeting a public bus in Monaragala district in Uva Province in the south-east killed 27 civilians and injured 63.

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/advice/sri_lanka