Sri Lanka is voted among the top beach destinations in the world for a memorable holiday. With pristine coasts running along the entire island, it’s easy to see why the Sri Lankan coasts are among the world’s best.
Packing for a Sri Lankan holiday is slightly tricky, considering that it’s a tropical country with a cultural identity of its own. For one thing, the humidity tends to get the better of many tourists and for another, the mosquitoes and the spicy food irritate many of them.
Light Clothes
Light clothes are an obvious necessity if you want to survive the heat of a Sri Lankan summer and the Sri Lankan summer lasts all year long. The temperature in Sri Lanka borders on 26 – 30 Degrees Celsius on average but is known to flare up frequently.
When packing clothes it’s important to go for soft cottons and linen instead of silks and polyester, simply because of the heat factor as well as the perspiration which results from the heat. This also extends to your footwear, don’t be caught off guard with your boots on in Sri Lankan streets, sandals or slippers are the best way to go unless you’re hoping to trek or hike in the forests.
Deodorant
Speaking of perspiration, Sri Lanka is known for making its visitors sweat. The climate although welcoming and warm is also humid at times and unless you spend the better part of your day at the beach negotiating the sea breeze, it’s a good idea to pack deodorant in excess.
The locals may seem at ease and comfortable with the humidity but the tourists, specially the ones arriving from colder parts of the world struggle to keep up with the atmospheric weight.
Mosquito Repellant
Mosquitoes are one disadvantage of Sri Lanka and given the country’s natural bio-diversity and dense population of organisms, mosquitoes are common sight. Once again the locals have gotten accustomed to the pests but many tourists are highly irritated by them.
It’s wise to pack a mosquito repellant or to purchase one from Sri Lanka. A dandy little trick you can use in the place of the foul smelling repellants is a small plastic band filled with camphor oil that is to be worn around the wrist. This little trick has the amazing ability to keep the pests at bay and can be purchased in Sri Lanka.
Water Flasks
By any standard, the tap water of Sri Lanka is quite hygienic. Unless you venture too far out of Colombo and its suburbs the water is drinkable and unlikely to cause any problems, but in case you have ventured far out of the city, it’s wise to have a bottle of water on you at all times.
Not only is the humidity of the country a catalyst for increased perspiration it also causes you to be dehydrated quite quickly. It’s essential to have access to drinking water at all times to avoid nasty surprises like light headedness and heat stroke when braving the outdoors.
Swimming Gear
The Sri Lankan beaches are unlike any other and as such also are home to many aquatic sports. Arugam Bay for example is voted among the top destinations for surfing and it’s quite common to witness a plethora of other water sports taking place throughout the island’s coasts.
Snorkeling, diving, surfing, wake boarding and sail boating are among the most popular but are not the exclusive sports one could engage in while on holiday in Sri Lanka. Aside from the ocean, the country also nestles a range of fresh water lakes and rivers which will grant the opportunity to go rowing or white water rafting. It’s critical to bring your swimming gear if any, or at least your swimming suit on your holiday in the pearl of the Indian Ocean.
Think Small
If you hope to use public transport or travel by foot, make sure you aren’t carrying a massive suitcase. The public transport has limited amounts of space and the best way to travel is light.
Camera
Finally, if you have a love for photography or you just want to boast to friends back at home, make sure you bring your camera. Sri Lanka has so much in the way of scenery and is highly photogenic, making the job easy for even an amateur to snap a few masterpieces.
