Sri Lanka's Currency
The local currency is the Sri Lankan Rupee, divided into 100 cents (you rarely come across cents today). Make sure you have plenty of lower denomination notes (Rs50, Rs100, Rs500), especially when travelling and you need to buy small items like fruits and drinks because change is often hard to come by except for hotels and big shops.
​Time Difference
Sri Lanka Standard Time is five and a half hours ahead of GMT. (Allowance should be made for summer-time changes in Europe.)
Credit Cards
The most hotels, restaurants and shopping centres accept credit cards.
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Banks
Banks are open from 9:00 – 13:00, Monday - Friday. Some city banks close at 15:00, while some are open on Saturday mornings. It's easy to withdraw money across the island at ATMs using international credit or debit cards.
Photography, Restrictions & Permits
Sri Lanka is a tremendously photogenic island, so it.s hardly surprising that most tourists bring a camera of some kind when they visit the country. The stunning landscapes, the captivating fauna and lush flora, and the stupendous archaeological remains provide great opportunities: a bonus is that Sri Lankans love to be captured on film. So it.s easy to capture the traditional rural lifestyle. You.ll find villagers, farmers, fishermen and tea pluckers will readily stand in front of your viewfinder. Your subjects will often ask to have a copy of picture sent to them. This may be laborious, but it is a reasonable courtesy as many may never have seen a picture of themselves. It is also understandable that many will also expect a token recompense for allowing themselves to be photographed.
Language
Sri Lanka has two official languages. Sinhala and Tamil - with English as a link language. Most people have some knowledge of English, and signboards are often in English.
Electricity
230V, 240V volts, 50 cycles AC. If you travel with a laptop computer bring a stabilizer.
Restrictions
There are some important restrictions that apply to photography regarding Buddhist imagery. When you visit a temple or other religious site, remember that photography should not be carried out in a manner causing disrespect. For instance, it is strictly forbidden to be photographed in front of or beside any statues and murals. Note that flash photography can damage old murals.