Editor's Letter: Travelling to Sri Lanka in a Hard Year

This is not an easy issue to introduce. Sri Lanka is one of the most generous and beautiful countries we have ever written about, and in June 2022 it is going through one of the hardest periods in its modern history. Fuel and gas are scarce, power cuts are a daily routine in many areas, prices for food and medicine have risen sharply, and people have been protesting in Colombo and elsewhere for months. Writing a travel issue about Sri Lanka at this moment requires care, and we want to be honest with you about how we approached it.

Why we did not cancel this issue

We debated whether to postpone. In the end we decided that a careful, honest issue was better than silence. Tourism is one of Sri Lanka’s most important sources of foreign currency and income for ordinary families: guest-house owners, drivers, cooks, guides, surfers who rent boards, and the people who sell king coconuts by the road. Many of them have told travellers, in interviews and on social media, that they want visitors to come back when it is responsible to do so.

At the same time, it would be wrong to pretend that a trip right now is like a trip in a normal year. So this issue tries to do two things: celebrate the places that make Sri Lanka special, and give you the information you need to decide whether, when and how to go.

What is in this issue

Our published pieces cover Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Sigiriya, Bentota and Yala, the places most first-time visitors put on their list. To these we have added four new stories for June:

A slow journey on the train from Kandy to Ella, the hill-country ride that so many travellers describe as the highlight of their trip.
A first meal in Jaffna, in the Tamil north, a region many visitors still overlook.
Practical entry and rail notes to check before you fly, written with the current situation in mind.
An evening in Galle Fort after the day-trippers have gone.

Checking before you travel

Conditions in Sri Lanka are changing week to week. Before you book, please read your own government’s travel advice and check the latest news. Ask your accommodation directly how they are managing with fuel and power, whether they can arrange transport, and whether meals will be available. Many hosts are doing heroic work to keep going, and they will usually give you a frank answer.

Travel insurance matters more than usual. Make sure your policy is valid if your government advises against travel, and understand what it covers if plans change suddenly.

Travelling with sensitivity

If you do go, remember that you are a guest in a country under strain. Avoid large gatherings and protest sites, both for your own safety and out of respect. Be patient with delays, and do not take more than your share of scarce resources. If you can, spend your money with small, local businesses, and tip generously where it is customary. Kindness and patience are worth more than ever.

We have not included prices in this issue. Inflation and currency changes have made figures unreliable almost as soon as they are written down.

What travellers are reporting

From the travellers and hosts who have written to us and posted publicly in recent weeks, a few patterns stand out. Long queues at fuel stations are common, and private drivers sometimes have to wait for hours or travel further to refuel. That makes long road transfers less predictable than before, and some visitors are relying more on trains. Power cuts are scheduled in many areas, so hotels with generators or solar systems are better placed to keep fans, lights and refrigeration running. Some imported goods, including certain medicines, can be hard to find, so bring what you need.

At the same time, visitors describe the same warmth they always have. Guest-house owners go out of their way to find fuel for a guest’s onward journey. Cooks adapt menus around what is available. Many travellers say that, despite the difficulties, they felt welcome and safe away from the protest areas. We share these accounts not as a guarantee, but as a picture of what to expect.

If you go: a short checklist

Read your government’s latest travel advice the week you leave, and again before each long journey.
Confirm with each host how they are coping with power and fuel, and whether they can arrange transport.
Carry enough of any prescription medicines for the whole trip, plus a few days extra.
Bring a power bank and a torch, and download offline maps.
Build slack into your itinerary; a day lost to a fuel queue should not ruin the trip.
Keep some cash in a widely accepted foreign currency, and check the current rules on exchange.
Stay away from demonstrations and follow local guidance on curfews if they are announced.

Why the slow route makes sense

One small silver lining is that the current situation rewards slow travel. Fewer long drives, more time in each place, more use of the railway and local buses where practical. Several of the stories in this issue, especially the Kandy to Ella train and the evening in Galle, are about exactly that kind of trip. Choosing fewer bases and staying longer also puts more of your money into fewer local businesses, which helps.

A country worth waiting for

If you decide that now is not the time, that is a perfectly reasonable choice. Sri Lanka will still have its misty tea estates, its ancient cities, its leopards and elephants, its surf breaks and its kind, resilient people when you are ready. Keep this issue for later, and plan the trip with an eye on how things develop.

Next month

In July we stay closer to home with Mumbai in the rain, a city that has its own relationship with difficulty and resilience, and that shows a different face when the monsoon arrives.

Thank you

Thank you for reading, and for the thoughtful messages many of you sent when we told you we were working on this issue. We hope it helps you think clearly about a country we love.

Khushi Anand, Editor