In the past, I have heard some very scary things about Sri Lanka. It has always fascinated me however. Something about the gritty nature of this place draws me to it. Although I am planning a trip to Delhi, I would like to see other places besides big cities and tourist sites. Would it be a good idea to visit Sri Lanka? Or is it just too dangerous for tourists?
I haven't yet travelled to Sri Lanka, but it is somewhere that I would like to visit at some stage - hopefully in conjunction with a trip to India! I think for the most part, the travel warnings/advice that I have come across online seems pretty standard, that safety really comes down to common sense and exercising some normal precautions. Some sources I have found did actually discourage women from traveling alone but I haven't found that across all sources that I've read.
Yes, absolutely, it is your commonsense and gut feeling that can be at your rescue anywhere in the world. You should be proactive in preventing accidents than dealing with accidents. Even though I had never been to Srilanka, what I heard is that it is a good place for foreigners now. Once the thirty years of civil war came to an end in 2009, this tiny island is at peace now. Almost all tourist restrictions have been removed. But one thing you should keep in mind while visiting the beaches in Srilanka is that you should be extra careful about strong under currents. This has been a dangerous area for many tourists who visited there. Nothing to worry, but you should be a little bit careful.
When it comes to knowing what countries are safe to travel or not, your first stop should be your own countries tourism website as in their they usually give a list of countries and a risk rating. Not all nationalities are safe depending on which country you want to go to and while a country may be considered as low risk for one, it might not be the same for everybody else.
I went to Sri Lanka earlier this summer for a project. I decided to go a few days early to do some sightseeing before I did the actual work. I really enjoyed touring Sri Lanka and I felt it was quite safe if you stayed around the main tourist areas. The only downside was how expensive it was for tourists compared to local visitors but apart from that, I would say 7/10 for Sri Lanka (on being safe and being a good place to visit)
A close friend of mine went to Sri Lanka for vacation with her boyfriend, and she came back safe and sound. It's not a bad country at all, it's actually pretty safe - of course this is as long as you follow the basic vacation rules (i.e: don't go into shady alleys - this is more of a basic life survival rule actually) and stay near the crowds. So as long as you don't start doing weird things you should be fine.
Sri Lanka is a beautifully majestic country that has gotten such a bad rap these past years. I've always wanted to know what it's like to live there - DevilKid, is it safe to travel out into the local economy away from tourists?
I'm sure that no matter what country you go to, you'll always find some people that have had a bad experience, but if you want to travel to a specific region or country, then I think you can't let other peoples opinions put you off. If a country is declared safe to visit, then I think as long as you take the necessary safety precautions and don't put yourself at risk, you'll be perfectly safe and shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Yeah. It is pretty safe. I made sure I asked my hotel owner about the area I was going to, to find out if there was anything I needed to be aware of. But there wasn't any problem with most of the places I went.
I also think that's a good idea to ask the locals when you are there if there's any risks that are in the area that you should avoid. On a lot of travel sites, they want you to go, and while some might point out any dangers there are, a lot won't mention the bad parts and just give a good impression. At least the local people will be more honest with you.
Well it depends, you can't always rely on the locals to give the most accurate information. The area might be safe for them but very unsafe for tourists. Of course, they will have more information about tourists if they run a hotel of some sorts. But I would still compare the bits and pieces of information and then go along on what I feel is right.
I have many friends that have come to the US from sri lanka who tell me that it is best to get to know the locals. At first they might not be very accepting of you, but be honest and try hard and you will gain their trust. From then on you should have a very nice stay with where ever you are, as I am told you are less likely to be hassled for prices and such
I've never been there, but from what I've read, tourists are safe as long as they use their common sense - as with everything else in life. Also, be sure you don't have a Buddha tattoo, you don't take photos with your back to Buddha statues, and you don't smoke. Not that they'll rough you up if you those things, but you'll almost definitely encounter some problems. You might even be tossed out or not allowed to get in the country.
There is danger almost anywhere you look. Very few places are very safe, and even they can be dangerous if you meet the wrong people. I think Srilanka used to be more dangerous than it is now. Things have died down greatly. But it is not the safest place. That said, if you stick with tourist destinations and are in a group, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
