A Definitive Guide on Packing Essentials for Your Trip to Sri Lanka this Year (2020)
Imagine!
You strolling through the queues like a freight train in a busy airport.
It's nothing to get laughed at.
But certainly you need to do a little bit of research before preparing for your destination visit.
Before moving on....
It's time to know a little more about Sri Lanka so you know what exactly you need to pack.
In general a packing list may work fine.
But all what you need to do is fine tune your packing essentials so that you don't travel with unnecessary list of non essentials.
This can even eat up your baggage allowance at check-in.
So,
Drop that down jacket. You don't need one for this tropical island. It's worth carrying an umbrella instead.
What should you know before packing for your trip
Sri Lanka is hot and humid all year round. That's fundamentally one reason why its a famous travel destination as well.
The scorching heat of sun shines throughout the entire year at least on one side of the island's coast.
So it pulls more travellers from the northern hemisphere between December to April.
Occasionally there will be mild showers but not up to the extent of the monsoon season.
Here is a bit of details about Sri Lanka:
- Coastal shoreline length of 1,340 km
- Avg day time temperature mid 30s lowlands
- Central highlands day time temperatures mid 20s
- Occasional showers
- Monsoon Thunderstorms during off season
- Higher humidity
- Sunrise 0620
- Sunset 1830
- Day light closer to 12 hours
These details overall is fairly enough for you to determine what items you may need to bring for your trip.
But I'm going down the length to supplement you with a full list of details.
Just so that you have an interesting holiday without any worries.
#1. Clothing
In contrast to travelling to Europe you may need to bring ample change on your trip to Sri Lanka.
It's dusty, hot, arid, humid, sweaty, occasionally cold in the highlands and rainy.
Unlike Europe, showering frequency increases here in Sri Lanka with almost 2 a day which is recommended.
Morning and evening.
Overall Sri Lanka is more accustomed to any type of modest clothing.
Upper body
You don't requires layers of clothing in Sri Lanka. A simple t-shirt or a shirt is sufficient to carry you through the day.
Sometimes you may not even need a t shirt on you. It can just get really hot and sweaty in the lowlands.
Unlike the Arab countries there are no strict restriction for male and female clothing.
Although it's advisable that you wear something that's comfortable.
Lower body
A modest wear is good enough to carry you through the day.
A good short or a jeans would be perfect. However it's recommended that you carry a pair of jeans with you always.
Especially since there are restrictions that you need to adhere to when ever you enter a religious or sacred attraction.
For instance the Dalada Maligawa which is a sacred site that has the tooth relic of the Buddah.
Entry into the premises has special clothing which is requirement to visit the holy shrine.
Packing list of clothing:
- T shirt
- Shirt
- Shorts
- Jeans
- Pants
- Undergarment
- Bras
- Skirt
- Dress
- Swim short
- Swimsuit
- Sleepwear
- Raincoat
- Beanie & Cardigan if you are travelling to the central highlands
- Belt
- Hat
- Cap
TOP TIP - Most pubs do not entertain entry with shorts or without shoes. So look up on their website before you decide on your attire for an evening.
#2. Sun Protection
Plenty of it.......
You are not going to leave home without this.
As I've told you earlier that Sri Lanka is located just north of the equator. It can give you some serious sun burns when failing to take good care of your skin.
Use a lotion of SPF 50 or above.
Consistent exposure can lead to blisters and eventually rupture, when the final layer of your skin is compromised.
Where this may lead to severe cases of infections if left untreated.
Always keep yourself healthy at any cost to enjoy the maximum benefit of the sun. You need to remember to replenish the lost moisture of your skin after exposure as well.
Packing list of sun care exposure:
- Sunscreen lotion KIDS
- Sunscreen lotion or spray
- Aloe lotion for after exposure
- Travel Umbrella
#3. Mosquito Repellent
Annually there are 25,000 deaths related to cases of dengue fever.
Dengue fever is transmitted through a mosquito and is common disease in the tropical and sub tropical climates. Dengue mosquitoes are active during the day time and not during the nights.
The locals apply citronella oil or other lotions to keep mosquitoes away. It can sometimes irritate sensitive skin.
That's one scary fact why you to bring your mosquito repellent lotion when travelling down.
Never travel around without one. In the event that you've left home without one. You can always buy a spray in the local supermarket and grocery stores.
Packing list of bug repellents:
- Bugs repellent wipes
- Lotion
- Citronella oil
#4. Eye Wear
Getting trendy is acceptable.
But then again this becomes and absolute necessity. Specially when travelling around the sunny island.
Doesn't matter if you are travelling inland or going on a beach day. Polarised eye wear can guarantee a lasting benefit on this trip.
Advantages of using a polarised glasses:
- It reduces your eye strain
- Improve visual clarity
- It greatly improves visual comfort
- Blocks glare and only allows vertical light to enter your eyes
Packing list of eye wear:
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Reading glass
- Contact lenses and supplies
- Eye mask
#5 - Footwear
There are 2 most important things that you should always aim to have the best.
A soft pillow for a good night's sleep and the best footwear to walk around.
Why?
It's because you are either be going to be spending time in one or the other.
Sri Lanka has hot weather so it's up to you to decide whether you want to be sharing you time in shoes or a comfortable pair of sandals.
If you are going ahead with a pair of sandals. Make sure you have your toes covered.
The last things you need is a foot injury and you limping around during your holiday.
It easy to remove them at sacred attraction sites and put them back on. Also useful for a beach holiday.
Packing list of footwear:
- Shoes
- Slippers
- Sneakers
- Socks (extras)
TOP TIP - To avoid having build up toe jam. Wash your feet with soap and dry them well. Apply talcum powder on your feet and between your fingers before wearing your socks.
#6 - Toiletries
Today's travellers don't need much to carry when it comes to toiletries.
But if you are more skeptical about your dental kits and hygiene kits then you'd be carrying them along with you.
Just if have read the news about how a luxury hotel crew used the toilet brush to clean cups and basins. Hmmmm... seems like luxury isn't luxury after all.
Anyway!
Then again if you are carrying your toiletry pouch these need to be in travel size.
And not those over-sized containers where you get at bargain deals in the super markets.
Let's say you have sensitive teeth and that means all the good reasons for you to carry your own toothpaste where ever you want to travel.
Packing list of toiletries:
- Dental kit inclusive of tooth brush, tooth paste, floss
- First aid kit travel size
- Soap
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Mouthwash
- Face tissue
- Deodorant
- Feminine-hygiene napkins
- Razor, Shaving foam, after shave gel
- Hair brush, comb
- Hair bands, clips (bring extras)
- Skin lotions
- Nail care (no tweezers in your carry-on luggage)
- Makeup kit and remover
- Sunscreen lotion or spray
- Alcohol based hand sanitizer
#7 - Appliances
You'd never want step outside the house without being accompanied by these.
But there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. The moment you fly out every thing will look different from what you've used to be seeing for the past few days.
First thing is that you need to activate your roaming package with the mobile network service.
Also purchase a universal travel adapter for you to be able recharge your electronic devices.
Packing list of electronics:
- Universal travel adapter
- Mobile
- Tablet
- Laptop
- Camera
- Chargers of all devices
- Headphones
- Memory cards
#8 - Documents
If you are coming down for a longer vacation. It's best you have a valid passport with atleast more than 6 months to spare.
Double check your maps, itinerary, guide books and accommodation reservations.
Personally I prefer booking my hotel accommodation with booking.com just because they have avast portfolio of inventory ranging from homestays to luxury hotels.
Packing list of documents:
- A valid passport with at least 6 months to expiry
- Visa and copies
- Insurance card
- Driving license
- Guidebooks
- Itinerary
- Luggage tags
- Pen and paper
#8 - General Items
These are miscellaneous items that you may need to have in your packing list of items.
Although considered miscellaneous these items can be crucial for your trip.
Get your credit or debit card activated by emailing or calling your bank is a must do. Keep the bank well informed of your travel location (Sri Lanka). So that they can activate it only for transactions done within Sri Lankan territory.
Then you can also use the cash in hand for any purchases done through airport duty free retailers.
Buy your travel insurance before boarding the plane. So that you are covered of any unforseen costs that may arise due to unexpected circumstances.
Bring in sufficient amount of hard currencies that can be easily exchanged at the Colombo International Airport for petty expenses like buying water bottles and tipping.
Packing list of Miscellaneous items:
- Debit/ Credit card activated for overseas transactions
- Travel insurance
- Cash (USD, EUR, GBP)
- Photocopy of your passport
- A list of emergency contacts
- Copies of your itinerary
- Travel locks
- Ear plugs
- Travel Pillow
- Sleep mask
What do I need for a comfortable flight
A stress free travel will first begin with packing your items appropriately to the correct bags.
Try carrying it in the wrong luggage and you've already lost your possession even before you take off.
Unless you are flying out of Changi where you have a special courier facility.
- Keep your hand luggage items to the utmost essentials and valuables. Because your cabin luggage (hand luggage, carry-on) will only allow you to carry an equivalent amount of 100 millilitres or 3.4 liquid ounces.
- Most importantly there are restrictions as what items cannot be carried on the plane in your hand luggage. These may include any metals, sharp objects, liquids and gels of over 100 ml if not purchased at the duty free.
- All these restricted items and over-sized items can go into the hold luggage which will be out of reach for you. Until you land in your final destination.
- One final thing is that you have your travel pillow, eye mask, ear plugs in your hand luggage and take medication for motion sickness before boarding the plane.
- Dress comfortably when boarding the plane. The cabin is pressurized and is extremely cold. You don't need to be shivering all way during your entire flight.
Do I need a PCR test done before landing in Sri Lanka?
Yes, its mandatory that you have a negative PCR test result for Covid19 before getting down in Sri Lanka.
The test needs to be done 72 hours before departure time.
That's the latest of information published by the tourism ministry.
Travellers with Negative test results will have no mandatory quarantine days upon arrival unless they show any symptoms of the corona virus.