Getting There & Away
Sri Lanka is basically an island in the Indian Ocean, which is located 50 kilometers or 31 miles off the Southern tip of India, and is parted from India by the Palk Strait. The official name of Sri Lanka is the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka. It is basically referred to as the gem of the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka is the most beautiful country in the world with stunning mountain scenery, amazing waterfalls and tropical rainforests. It is one of the most holiday destinations with many tourists preferring to stay in self catering holiday apartments and holiday villas.
The only means by which you can enter into Sri Lanka is by flying. Colombo is basically the international gateway for direct flights from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. There are economical flights available between Madras, Trivandrum, Trichy, Bombay and Colombo.
There are no domestic passenger flights in Sri Lanka, which leaves trains and buses as the dominant means of transport. Buses, ranging from modern private coaches to smoke-spewing nightmares, are economical, plentiful and for all times overcrowded. Train travel, though slower, is much more comfortable, and the southern lines to Matara passes are some of the best beaches.
Self-drive car and motorbike hire are turning out to be more popular, even though motorists often run an obstacle race around dogs and cows - many of the latter are significantly three-legged. It is very common to hire a car with a driver for a multi-day tour or a day trip of the island; prices are affordable. Local transport includes buses, auto rickshaws and taxis. Ask round and agree a fare in advance.
When you are travelling around the islands of Sri Lanka, always keep some identity proof papers with you. It is a good idea to keep photo copies of your passport and other papers away from the originals in case of theft or loss. Relevant and correct documentation can your enough time and trouble for a comfortable tour.
While travelling in a non-metered transport such as trishaws agree the price in advance and on buses and trains, keep your packages and bags close by.
Trains provide a slower way of getting around in Sri Lanka. You can also get service of a metered taxi from suburbs and Colombo which you have to call the taxi service and arrange it. The service is reliable and good and the price depends on the type of the vehicle you want.
Thus, there are many ways by means of which you can get there and away from Sri Lanka and take pleasure of the scenic beauty of Sri Lanka.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 at 8:25 am and is filed under Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.