About bank cards
Huaxia Bank Card, which was recommended by everyone before, actually had new policy changes at the beginning of this year. Each card can only be returned once a month, and there is no handling fee. In addition to Huaxia Bank Card, in fact, many local banks also have overseas cash withdrawal free cards. I also have a Hengfeng bank card, which can be withdrawn six times a month for free, basically meeting the needs of a trip. The free handling fee here is only the free handling fee of this card, so the bank to which the ATM belongs is also required to be free of handling fee. A popular commercial bank in Sri Lanka can. When you leave the airport lobby, you can see the blue sign.
About money
The official currency of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan rupee, and the exchange rate with the RMB is a little over 22. Generally, for the convenience of calculation, people directly multiply RMB by 20. Sometimes, staying in a hotel or buying a ticket costs dollars. I have read a lot of raiders before, saying that it is best to bring some US dollars in China and exchange them for RMB there. In fact, it is completely unnecessary and actually loses the exchange rate. The best way is to take the rupee directly from the ATM, directly according to the real-time exchange rate of the day, and automatically size it. Don't worry about the total amount and no change. There is no handling fee, which is very cost-effective. As for some places that need dollars, you can bring them from home or give them to Rupees directly at the exchange rate. Later, when drifting, we spent $35, and we only gave 5,000 rupees, which is $32.5.
About luggage
A. Mosquito repellent
I have long heard that there are many mosquitoes in Sri Lanka, but I have never met them all the way. As a result, I was going to buy some special mosquito repellent in Sri Lanka, but I forgot.
B. Adapter plug
There are two kinds of plugs used in Sri Lanka, one is British standard, and the other is Xiaonan non-standard (it is very convenient to search on a treasure). As a result, I was surprised to find that almost all hotels can directly plug into China. I think it's amazing, too. Finally, Bentotana uses a British standard socket at home and a converter at the front desk, so it's convenient to borrow it directly. But if there are many people and appliances, you can prepare a trailer.
Carbon (short for carbon) sun protection, sun protection, sun protection
Say the important things three times! In summer, Shiseido duty-free shop is out of all kinds of sunscreen, and there are no small gold bottles and silver bottles. If you plan to buy it in the morning, please buy it yourself in advance and take it with you.
D If you go to central Nuara, such as Elias, you should bring a thick coat (I went in June, and the hotel turned on the heating at night). It is said that165438+1October 65438+February will be zero in the coldest time, but it won't snow.
By the way, be sure to prepare some knee-length underwear, because there are many ancestral temples in Sri Lanka, and all of them have dress codes. The top should have at least short sleeves, and the bottom should have at least knee-length underwear. Take off your shoes when you enter the temple. The floor is very hot. You should prepare socks. Sometimes when you wear shorts, you will wrap them in a scarf and wear them as skirts. Not bad, but also sunscreen. I think some boys are like this, hahaha.
About tipping
Sri Lanka has the habit of tipping. You should give a proper tip to those who help you. Generally, 50- 100 rupees is enough for waiters, bellboys and the like. Our chartered driver is 500- 1000 rupees a day. Many good restaurants charge 10% service fee, and some even charge 15% tax.
About shopping
As we all know, the wedding ceremony in Sri Lanka is mainly made of black tea and elephant dung. As one of the four major tea-producing regions in the world, tea is one of the three pillar industries in Sri Lanka. There are several brands recommended.
Dilma is the most popular tea brand in Sri Lanka, with low-end and high-end series. Low-end lines are cheap and cost-effective. Locals generally drink this, and some supermarkets also sell it. The high-end line is beautifully packaged and suitable for gifts to relatives and friends. The price of this brand is printed on the packaging, and it is the same everywhere.
Macks is the top tea brand in Sri Lanka with a history of nearly 200 years. Now it has been acquired and renamed La Blier Li Tea Factory, which is the most convenient.
Mlesna Mansner tea is a royal drink designated by the royal family. When the head of state visited Sri Lanka, he appeared on important occasions such as state banquets. Strawberries, lemons, roses, apples and other fruits are very popular.
Odel, a large shopping mall in Colombo, also has tea shops, but there are no two old tea garden brands, Mackwood and Bluefield. If you pay more attention to the brand, it is recommended to buy it directly when you visit the tea garden. If you don't pay attention to the brand's own drinks, Bentota also has many tea shops. Aruna said that the price would be cheaper under the same quality, so you can try it before buying it.
About the small train
Many online raiders say that taking a small train is better than not taking it, because there are too many people and there is no air conditioning, which is extremely uncomfortable. Just like the Spring Festival travel rush craze in China, there is no chance to sit by the door and do it. The small train on the sea is much more crowded than the small train in the tea garden on the mountain. Seeing these strategies, I'm going to give up the small train at sea. Considering that I have to experience it anyway, I decided to squeeze a small train in the tea garden. After not trying to communicate with the driver, he strongly recommended the small train at sea. After I raised my concerns, he said to take us to make sure I could get what I wanted.
It turns out that he is right. There are not many people at all, and there are many empty seats. Sri Lankan locals are also happy to give up the position of the car door to take pictures of us. Friends who want to take the train bend must take the tea garden minibus and try to go to the back compartment, so that the bend is more curved, and the route of the small train at sea is relatively straight along the coastline.
bear the cost
Because there are credit cards and direct cash withdrawal to pay rupees along the way, it can only be roughly calculated. The one-way ticket from Shanghai to Colombo is about 5000 yuan, and the average hotel price for 7 nights is 1000 yuan per night. Two-person AA system costs 3,500 yuan per person, and chartered car costs 1500 yuan, which is 10000 yuan. Plus scenic spot tickets 1000 yuan. Buy some fruit occasionally, not souvenirs. If you go to Sri Lanka in the off-season, you can actually find a hotel when you arrive, which is generally cheaper than booking. When talking about the price, make it clear, including meals, taxes and service charges.