From Safety To Affordablity, 6 Things About Sri Lanka That Took Us By Surprise

When it comes to travel destinations in the Asia Pacific region, Sri Lanka is arguably one of the most underrated ones. Dubbed the ‘Teardrop of the Indian Ocean’, this tropical island country is replete with ancient UNESCO World Heritage fortresses, misty tea estates, palm-fringed coastlines, and rich culinary traditions. unstumbled recently had the absolute privilege of visiting this rich country, and while we thought we had done sufficient research, nothing could have prepared us for the reality that met us there. So, if you, too, are planning on visiting the country soon, here are six things that shocked us about Sri Lanka that we think you should know as well.

6 Things That Shocked Us About Sri Lanka

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1. How Clean Sri Lanka Is

No matter where in Sri Lanka you are, big cities like Colombo, smaller beach towns, crowded public places, or empty streets, every corner of this country is clean! Coming from India, we were surprised to see that littering isn’t really a thing here. No matter the person’s age or background, they seem to intuitively understand that littering is horrendous and should be avoided at all costs. They also seem to have sufficient infrastructure that supports these hygienic practices.

2. How Affordable Sri Lanka Is

Another thing that we weren’t prepared for was how cheap this country actually is. First, for all Indian passport holders, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is absolutely free. So you’re already saving money on this international destination. We booked a sprawling property for two people for three nights in Sri Lanka, and that cost us only INR 5,000! We had a delicious little meal which cost us around INR 200, and then we went on a fun beach swing that cost only INR 400 per person.

3. No Honking Anywhere

Wherever we went, there were crowds. That we were anyway used to, coming from India. However, we noticed an inconspicuous silence in these crowds, and that was owing to the lack of honking. Sri Lankans seem leaps and bounds ahead of Indians when it comes to civic sense. They seem extremely patient and seem to intuitively understand that honking is not really necessary in crowded situations. This is one thing we wish more Indians would have understood.

Also Read: Which Indian City Has The Cheapest Flights To Sri Lanka? 7 Cities Compared

4. The Flavors Of Sri Lankan Food

The food of Sri Lanka is a total game-changer. Owing to its similarities with South Indian food, we mistakenly assumed that the flavors would also be reminiscent of this cuisine. The way we were wrong about this! Sri Lankan food may look Indian, but its flavors are completely different! They have their own vibrancy and range that our palates were not at all prepared for! We highly recommend all foodies to visit Sri Lanka at least once, if only to try their traditional food.

5. How Safe Sri Lanka Is

We were two women out on Sri Lankan streets way past midnight and at no point did we feel threatened or unsafe. This totally blew our minds! This is arguably the best part about visiting Sri Lanka. A destination is only as good as the safety it provides, especially to women and children. Sri Lanka, we must say, made us feel very comfortable and secure. There was no catcalling, no weird stares from uncles, and no creeps leering at our bare skin.

6. How Kind Sri Lankans Are

Sri Lanka is known the world over for its hospitality, and as such, we were expecting to meet kind people. However, the extent of their kindness still took us by surprise! Right from our Airbnb host to the restaurants we visited, the kindness of the staff is what we still look back on and cherish deeply.

Also Read: Is Sri Lanka A Good October Holiday From India? Beaches, Routes, and Entry Rules

Summing Up

That Sri Lanka is a rich and diverse country in its own right was something that we were very well aware of. However, the things listed here genuinely took us by surprise. The food was something that especially took us by surprise. We thought, owing to its superficial similarity to South Indian food, we thought it would taste like it too. Boy, were we wrong! Owing to such ostensible similarities between Indian and Sri Lankan cultures, we committed the faux pas of thinking that the two countries would be more similar than we thought. However, that was very much not the case.