Simply Sri Lanka

• Though its equatorial position means fairly constant year-round temperatures, the summer months in Sri Lanka are very hot with short, sharp monsoons in the south-west of the country. Be sure to use adequate sun protection and drink plenty of water.
• Beaches in Sri Lanka may be unpatrolled, so please seek local advice on where to swim safely.
• Some temples on this trip require your head to be uncovered when visiting. You can opt out of temple visits if this requirement doesn’t suit you.

Visa information is provided by Sherpa, a third-party. The “Add connection” feature shows transit visa requirements only and does not include full entry visa needs. Please note, additional service fees apply if you choose to purchase a visa through Sherpa.

Hotel (7 nights)

OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
The style of accommodation indicated in the Itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.

TWIN SHARE
Accommodation on this trip is on a twin share basis, unless otherwise stated in the Itinerary. There may be times when facilities are shared, rather than ensuite, which will also be mentioned in the Itinerary if applicable.

CHECK-IN TIME
Throughout the trip we request that hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination before checking in.

PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
If you’ve purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.

AIR CONDITIONING
All hotels on this trip have fans, but not all will have air conditioning.

Hotel J Negombo
331/1, Lewis Place Negombo SRI LANKA
Phone: +94 312 232 999

Instructions

Intrepid can assist with pre-booking an arrival transfer from the airport – enquire with your agent. Please advise your flight arrival details at least 14 days prior to your departure.

Bandaranaike International Airport is located in a suburb of Negombo, approx. 35km north of the capital Colombo.

For your confirmed arrival transfer please head towards the travel counters in the arrival hall where you will see your driver with a signboard displaying the Intrepid logo and your name. Please identify yourself to the transfer rep, they will assist you to the vehicle for your onward transfer to your hotel. If you have any trouble locating your transfer representative wait near the Dialog mobile counter at the rear of the arrivals hall.

In case of flight cancellations, changes, if you experience severe delays at immigration, baggage collection or customs, or if you are not able to find the driver, please contact the transfer operator directly:
+94 (0) 76 831 6000

Taxis are easy, safe and cheap.
A taxi from Bandaranaike International Airport takes approx. 15 minutes and costs approx. 5000 LKR (15 USD).
If you are staying in Colombo prior to the tour, it is approximately 30km from Colombo, which will cost about LKR10000 (USD30)

Private vehicle

MOTORCYCLES:
Your travel insurance policy is unlikely to cover you when riding a motorcycle. We do not include or offer motorcycle activities on any of our trips in Sri Lanka.

TAXIS:
Use the taxi services from within the arrivals terminal at the airport or taxi services arranged through your booking agent. If you have a local SIM card, ride-sharing services, such as Uber, are available in major cities.

SPENDING MONEY
When it comes to spending money on the trip, every traveller is a little different. You know your spending habits better than we do, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals, drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry. Make sure you have read the itinerary and inclusions thoroughly so you know what is included in the trip price and what you may need to pay for while travelling.

SRI LANKA MONEY
The official currency of Sri Lanka is the Rupee (LKR). You can use your credit/debit card in ATMs, which are common throughout Sri Lanka. Cash is the most common form of payment. Major credit cards are only accepted in larger shops and restaurants in big cities.

Suggested budget for meals not included approx USD200

TIPPING
Tipping can be an appropriate way to recognise great service when travelling. While it may not be customary in your home country, it is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many of our destinations and is greatly appreciated by the people who take care of you during your travels. It is always best to avoid tipping with coins, very small denomination notes, or dirty and ripped notes, as this can be regarded as an insult rather than the goodwill gesture it is intended to be.

OPTIONAL TIPPING KITTY
On Day 1 of your trip, your group leader or local representative may discuss with you the idea of operating a group tipping kitty, whereby everybody contributes an equal amount and your group leader or local representative distributes tips for drivers, local guides, hotel staff and other services included on your trip. Participation in this kitty is your choice, and you are welcome to manage your own tipping separately if you prefer.

The group leader or local representative will keep a running record of all monies spent, which can be checked at any time. Any funds remaining at the end of the trip will be returned to group members. These tips to suppliers are for great service and are in addition to the regular costs paid for the services supplied.

The tipping kitty excludes tips for your group leader or local representative, and providers of optional activities.

Optional tipping kitty for this trip: LKR 2300 per person.

YOUR GROUP LEADER OR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE
Tipping your group leader or local representative is highly appreciated if you feel they’ve provided outstanding services throughout your trip. The amount is entirely a personal preference; however, as a guideline, the recommended amount is 4-7 USD or EUR per traveller per day (in a currency relevant to your destination). Of course, you are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality and the length and involvement of your group leader or local representative on your trip.

BUS DRIVERS AND BUS ATTENDANTS
You may like to tip your bus driver and bus attendant who take care of you during your trip. We recommend you budget approximately USD 4 – 5 per day, which will be shared among the bus crew.

CONTINGENCY FUNDS
We try to plan for every eventuality, but there are still some things beyond our control. We reserve the right to change an itinerary after departure due to local circumstances or a Force Majeure Event. In such emergency circumstances, the additional cost of any necessary itinerary alterations will be covered by you. We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that may be incurred because of changes to itineraries, including but not limited to visas, vaccinations or non-refundable flights.

Make sure you have access to an extra USD 500 for emergencies (e.g. severe weather, natural disasters, civil unrest) or other events that result in unavoidable changes to the itinerary (e.g. transport strikes or cancellations, airport closures). Sometimes these things necessitate last-minute changes to enable our trips to continue to run, and as a result, there may be some extra costs involved.

The recommended amount is listed in USD for the relatability of all travellers; however, local currency may be needed once in the country to cover these costs. Please confirm with your leader on Day 1 if you need to carry this in cash, or whether access via card or electronically is sufficient.

COMMISSIONS
Intrepid understands that the receipt of commissions in exchange for recommending particular shops or services is ingrained in the culture of the tourism industry. For this reason, we have established a centralised fund for contributions from recommended suppliers so these can be collected and distributed back into the business. Actively managing the receipt of commissions helps us maintain the level of quality you expect on one of our trips. Travel is always an adventure so Intrepid cannot explicitly guarantee the quality of a product but we aim to provide the best value trips in the market. Please let us know via the feedback form completed after your trip if we are successfully meeting – or exceeding – this objective.

Hotels in Sri Lanka generally have excellent WiFi connections. Most hotels offer free WiFi in public areas, with many also offering in room WiFi. Your tour leader will offer you the best advice on communications in remote areas of the country. You can purchase a local SIM card at the airport on arrival. Etisalat and Airtel are two of the bigger operators with the best nationwide coverage.