Despite generally being a small country, the weather patterns in Sri Lanka are pretty complex as it always has two monsoons. The low season (May-Aug) is called the Yala monsoon and brings rain to the South and West coast. During this time, places in the North and the East have the best weather but generally speaking, the prices are a lot lower during this period. The shoulder season runs from (April-September) and is generally a good time to visit as the temperatures are not too hot. Peak season runs from (Dec-March) and is when the southern coast is the busiest.

So in a nutshell, the best time to visit the west and south coasts and hill country is from December to March, while the best weather on the east coast is from April/May to September.

The temperature stays consistent throughout the year at 26-30 C (78-86 F), but might go up even higher in the hottest months around April-May. The temperature goes down once you reach the Hill country. In Nuwara Eliya and Ella it can be as low as 10-15 C (50-60 F). Humidity is very high all over the island. The average is 60%, but in the southwest it can go up to 80-90%.

As with most places that you will go to, what to pack will largely depend on what you will be doing in that country. Due to the fact that Sri Lanka is located near the equator, the general climate is warm. However, once you go up to the highlights like Nuwara Eliya Ella or Ella, the climate begins cooling down a bit so taking a light rain jacket with you is definitely advisable. The temperature there goes down 10-15 C (50-60 F). Bring a shawl to cover your shoulders and a long skirt that covers your knees (long shorts for men) if you are planning to visit a temple (most likely you will). You’ll also have to remove your shoes before entering any temple, so think in advance and wear something like sandals, that are easy to slip off and on.

In touristy towns by the beach, in the southwest of the island, you can wear pretty much whatever you like. There are many tourists so short skirts and shorts are fine. But if you are traveling to ancient cities or less touristy areas of Sri Lanka we would recommend for women to cover up a bit more. There are no official laws, but if you don’t want to stick out in the crowd, it’s better to wear a blouse that doesn’t show cleavage and a skirt that’s not too short (just above the knee is fine).

Dress code

Being a tropical country it is very warm and humid and wearing a hat is advised. But, as a rule, you are not allowed to wear hats or shoes while entering a Buddhist temple. Every visitor must remove the shoes and hats before entering the Buddhist religious places. Bring a shawl to cover your shoulders and a long skirt that covers your knees (long shorts for men) if you are planning to visit a temple (most likely you will). Modest clothing is the best dress code.

It might be difficult to walk barefoot in some places of the temple, especially in the Buddhist temples in the cultural triangle due to the heat. In some places, the garden is paved with stone slabs or sand and temperature can be really high during the day. Visiting this temple during the day, barefoot, will be very difficult. One can visit such places early in the morning or evening to avoid the heat. Otherwise, take a pair of socks all the time with you and wear them while visiting temples.

Photos

Visitors are allowed take photos in Buddhist religious places. Photography and videography are free of charge in most Buddhist temples. But, visitors should never make photos while standing back to Buddha statues or posing in front of Buddha. If you like to make a photo of a Buddha statue, stand sideways in front of the statue. In some historical places, the flashlight should be turned off as it can harm the colours of the paintings.

Don’t touch statues and paintings

It is not allowed to touch the statues and painting in the Buddhist temples. The main reason for discouraging people to touch the statues and paintings is to stop the discolouring. Especially in the historical places such as Dambulla golden cave temple (1^st century BC), the paintings are very fragile and crumble with the touch.

Keep the silence

It is essential to maintain the silence in a Buddhist temple. Devotees are engaged in meditation and chanting religious verses, therefore they like to have the peace of mind to continue with their activities. If you happened to go to a Buddhist temple with children try to keep the noise as low as possible. Usually, the rule is applied to all Buddhist temples, whether it is a historical place or modern temple.

Smoking in Buddhist temples

Smoking is not allowed in Buddhist temples. Whether you see a non-smoking sign or not, people are not allowed to smoke in Buddhist temples. Smoking in public places such as Buddhist temples is a severe offense and can lead to an expensive fine and a jail term. Sri Lanka has some strict rules so don’t throw garbage outside the designated areas and refrain from smoking not only in temples but also in all public places.

Don’t shake hands with monks

Devotees pay respect to Buddhist monks and always keep some distance from them. Normally the greeting to Buddhist monks is different than usual methods such as shaking hand. You have to keep the hands together in front of the chest and say “Sadu” while keeping the body on knees.

Don’t smell flowers

The devotees bring flowers when they visit a Buddhist temple. The flowers in the temple are meant for offerings. The devotees bring the fragrant flowers and it may be tempting to smell them. But as a rule, you are not allowed to smell the offerings.

Don’t drink alcohol in Sri Lankan Buddhist temples

You can’t get away with bringing alcohol to a Buddhist temple. Especially in the places such as the temple of the tooth in Kandy. Not only the temple of the tooth dress code but also other Buddhist temple rules are strictly observed here. Moderators at the entrance may check you and if they found that you are drunk, you won’t get access to the temple.

Don’t feed monkeys

Spotting animals in Sri Lankan Buddhist temples is not a surprise. Cats, dogs and monkeys are most common animals in Sri Lankan Buddhist temples. Usually, the dogs and cats are fed by Buddhist monks and visitors but visitors should not feed monkeys because they start to make it a habit to hang around in the temples when they get food from visitors.

The currency in Sri Lanka is Sri Lankan Rupee. You’ll see a sign “Rs” on price tags, which means “rupees”. You can exchange money at the airport. The rates are usually decent and it’s safe and easy. You can also exchange money in the banks in bigger cities where you travel. ATMs are pretty easy to find too.

Have some change on you at all times. Although nowadays you can pay with credit card in hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets, there are still small shops in rural areas where only cash is accepted. Same goes for tuk tuks.

Sri Lankan Public Holidays 2018

Find out when public holidays in Sri Lanka are held so you can better plan your Sri Lankan holiday.

While religious festivals make the majority of the holidays in Sri Lanka, significance is given to Full moon poya days during which the sale of alcoholic beverages, meats and fish is prohibited. Some shops and businesses are also closed on poya days while the New Year festival in mid-April and the two day long holiday for Vesak in May see a general pause in government, mercantile and banking sectors, when the country takes time off to celebrate or to catch a breath.