Millions of tourists visit Sri Lanka annually to enjoy the beautiful nature, rich history, and great culture of the island. Moreover, Sri Lanka is world-renowned for the warmth of the welcome to visitors. Same time, Sri Lanka takes pride in protecting the old traditions, similar to many other Asian countries. There is a much more conservative side in Sri Lankan culture, which most visitors don’t aware of. We have seen some tourists getting into serious trouble, simply because they aren’t aware of these rules in Sri Lanka.
In this post, we are going to show you the most important things you need to know before visiting Sri Lanka. Make sure you follow these important rules and regulations while traveling on this beautiful island. We hope our guide will help you to avoid potential pitfalls while enjoying the major tourist attractions. Definitely, these are the most important things that you must ‘avoid’ doing when you are in Sri Lanka. These guidelines are mentioned here for your safety and protection.
1. Getting snaps in the moving train
The Kandy to Ella train journey considers one of the most beautiful scenic train rides in the world. Winding through the lush green mountains and endless tea plantations, this epic train ride gives a wonderful experience to travelers. Thus, Kandy – Ella train ride is one of the top things on the Sri Lankan travelers’ bucket list. Recently, a new trend of getting snaps from the moving train has become quite popular among travelers.
Portuguese influencers Raquel and Miguel (left) started the trend with a risky shot they posted from a trip to Ella. This Instagram shot went viral and spread through social media channels rapidly. After that, many other couples started to imitate it. This dangerous trend of couples hanging out the doors to take photographs has led to several accidents. A number of cases of falling from trains have been reported due to this Insta-fever. Definitely, risking your life for an Insta-worthy picture doesn’t worth the effort.
Therefore, travelers should avoid this behavior. You’ll understand that camera is a bad idea on this scenic train ride. Simply, you are going to miss the natural beauty of the surroundings more than what you capture. The train ascent through the forest, ravines, and tunnels passing the distant misty mountains. It’s an unbelievably serene experience and you should forget the shooting to get the best out of your train journey. Actually, you don’t need to hang out of the train to enjoy this amazing ride.
2. Drone photography without permission
Drone photography is one of the most important things for travelers and bloggers. It helps to capture the beauty of the island with a bird’s eye view. But you need to be careful when flying drones in Sri Lanka. You need to get permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) and there are several drone regulation rules you need to follow. All the rules and regulations are available on this website.
If you fly your drone inside a High-Security Zones, you’ll get into serious trouble. These include military sites, some government buildings, and official residences. HSZs aren’t always marked and be careful when taking photos. Many people don’t aware that Hydropower plants and reservoirs belong to high-security zones. Recently, some people who operated a drone near the high-security area of the Victoria Reservoir in Theldeniya were arrested by the Police. Thus, abide by the law and kindly avoid operating drones in these areas.
Another important thing to consider is flying drones over archeologically important places is strictly prohibited. These include most of the top cultural landmarks in Sri Lanka including the Sacred Temple of Tooth Relic, Anuradhapura sacred area, Polonnaruwa, and other important historical places.
Moreover, drone photography is prohibited in areas where hornet nests are abundant. Two examples are Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Nine Arch Bridge in Ella. There are many cases that tourist police have confiscated expensive drones from tourists because they fly them in no-fly zones.
3. Flying drones in Protected Wildlife Areas
There are over 500 protected areas (PA) in Sri Lanka. Most of these protected areas are dedicated to Sri Lankan wildlife. These sanctuaries ensure the protection of wildlife by limiting human activities in these areas. For example, Vankalai Lagoon in Mannar is a RAMSAR wetland and a bird sanctuary for migratory greater flamingos. The annual migration of thousands of flamingos to Mannar Wetland draws crowds of photographers. However, the recent invasion of birdwatchers armed with drones has caused great harm to these birds.
The use of drones inside these protected areas is extremely distressing to them. The presence of drones disturbs the birds and could drive them away from Mannar altogether. When drones fly just a few meters above the flamingos with the whirring sound of rotors, the birds often treat the noise as an aerial predator. They panic and would take off in great anxiety. Currently, this area has been declared as a no-fly zone to protect this amazing wildlife spectacle. Hence, remember to avoid flying drones in Protected Wildlife Areas.
4. Showing Buddha tattoos
Lord Buddha is greatly revered in Sri Lanka and people respect the Lord with all their soul and body. Thus, Sri Lankans consider having a Buddha tattoo as a disrespect for Lord Buddha. If you have these kinds of tattoos, they need to be covered by your clothes. Otherwise, you’ll get unappreciative looks and may be in much more trouble. Moreover, avoid wearing clothes having Buddha prints or images. Chances are high that you might get into trouble due to this unwelcoming attire.
We have seen several cases of foreigners getting into serious trouble due to Buddha tattoos. A British tourist was deported from Sri Lanka because of a Buddha tattoo on her arm. Actually, showing a Buddha tattoo is considered as hurting the religious feelings of Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Hence, you can avoid all these troubles by covering up the Buddha tattoos while traveling inside the country.
5. Taking Selfies with Lord Buddha
This is something you’ll always have to keep in mind when in Sri Lanka. You should never turn your back on a Buddha statue as it is considered disrespectful. You can take a picture, but make sure that you are facing toward the Buddha and not otherwise. That means you cannot get selfies with statues of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka.
Moreover, one of the important things to avoid in Sri Lanka is entering religious places with skimpy dresses. If you are visiting a temple wearing short skirts, frocks, or shorts, you need to buy a sarong to cover your knees. As well, if you are wearing a sleeveless top, you need to buy a shawl to cover the shoulders. Thus, remember to pack these essential items in your backpack for visiting religious places in Sri Lanka.
6. Feeding wild elephants
Wild Elephants are common along the Buttala -Kataragama Road, specifically the section that cuts across Yala National Park. Wild elephants standing on the roadside or crossing the road is a normal sight for travelers. There is a recent trend of feeding these elephants to have fun and take a once-in-a-lifetime photograph.
Actually, this trend was started by tour guides as a way of giving a wonderful experience to tourists. Later, elephants got used to wait by the side of the road for food. Although feeding or directly interacting with wild elephants is a completely illegal activity in Sri Lanka, this practice was continued for a few years.
Unfortunately, elephants become habituated to traffic and started to demand food from vehicles. The consequences of this practice are quite dangerous because elephants become violent when they don’t get enough food. If people continue to feed elephants, they will expect food from all vehicles and won’t make an effort to find their food in the wild.
Hence now there are strict laws and regulations to control this. Anyone found feeding wild elephants will be arrested and fined by the court. Thus, Next time when you are passing this road, please kindly avoid feeding wild elephants. This will ensure the safety of both humans and elephants. In case you like to feed the elephants, you can do so at Pinnawala Elephant Sanctuary and take a memorable photograph.
7. Elephant Riding
Elephant rides have become one of the most popular tourist activities in the country. But we cannot recommend riding elephants as a fun activity because many visitors aren’t aware of the consequences of this practice. Elephants are often forced to work long hours in extreme heat to meet tourist demand. They get very few breaks as tourists often line up and wait for their turn to ride the animals.
Behind what tourists see as an amusing, wonderful experience hides extreme cruelty and exploitation of animals. Tourists sit on them in metal chairs attached to the elephant’s back. During the rides, the seats rub elephants’ skin and cause blisters that can lead to serious infections. Once you understand this reality, you’ll look into elephant tourism very differently. As a responsible tourist, elephant riding is one of the top things you should avoid in Sri Lanka.
8. Touching street dogs
You’ll see there are a large number of stray dogs in the streets of Sri Lanka. You can see plenty of them on the beaches, in the towns and even up in the mountains. Among them, some are really cute. Sometimes, the puppies are so adorable that people tend to touch or pet them. But this is quite dangerous. Although they look really healthy, they can carry the rabies virus which causes rabies infection in humans.
The rabies virus spreads through the saliva of infected animals. They can spread the virus by biting or by licking a person. Hence, it is important to avoid touching street dogs or puppies in Sri Lanka. Remember to seek medical attention as soon as possible, if you’re ever scratched or bitten by a stray dog. Although these street dogs are loyal to humans, it is important to avoid touching them in Sri Lanka.
9. Waterfall hunting without a local guide
Being home to over 400 gorgeous waterfalls, Sri Lanka is a perfect place for waterfall hunting. Some waterfalls are easy to reach and quite famous among visitors. But some are hidden deep inside the jungles. In order to see the beauty of these hidden waterfalls, you may need some extra effort and guidance. But there are many risks involved in trekking through the jungle. As well, bathing and playing around waterfalls in the rainy season have resulted in many accidents. Therefore, make sure to visit these off-the-beaten-path waterfalls with a local guide.
For example, Duwili Ella in the Knuckles Mountain Range is one of the best dream hikes in Sri Lanka. But this is a really challenging extreme hike with a distance of 16 km. There aren’t well-defined pathways, thus you need a local guide for trekking through the jungle. In many waterfalls, the base pool is very deep, and dangerous to go for a dip. However, tourists have no proper idea about the depth of the base pool or the slippery rocks around the falls. Locals have a good knowledge of the area and you should get guidance from them to avoid such disasters.
10. Swimming on unprotected beaches
Although Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, it isn’t possible to enjoy a sea bath on every beach. You need to enjoy only the areas of the beach that are advised locally as safe for swimming. For example, the beaches with protective reefs, most notably around Hikkaduwa, Mirissa, and Unawatuna areas are quite popular as family-friendly beaches. But these beaches also become rough during the low season. Thus, swimming on these beaches is recommended only in the main season.
Most of the west coast beaches including the famous Galle Face Green in Colombo are indeed no swim zones. As well as the southern beach paradise Tangalle has rough waves. Only the sheltered beaches at Tangalle are popular for bathing. You’ll see there are red flags on some beaches that show there are strong undercurrents and these places aren’t safe for swimming. If you accompany kids, extreme caution is required when swimming on unprotected Sri Lankan beaches.
To sum up, these are 10 major things you should avoid in Sri Lanka. Other than them, you can avoid many other problems by refraining from going out alone at night. Also, remember to avoid scammers who are trying to sell gems or spices to you. We hope these Sri Lanka travel tips will be quite helpful for your journey. Welcome guys, avoid these mistakes and enjoy your trip to Sri Lanka!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Pixabay, Dreamstime, Facebook & Twitter. All the copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
