A list of essential items to pack for your next Sri Lanka trip

We understand that you are super thrilled about your next Trip to Sri Lanka. It’s important to know what to pack for Sri Lanka so that you have an enjoyable and relaxing experience.
We are experts in tour planning, but we know that the planning stage is not exciting to everybody, yet there’s a lot to be planned like getting visas, vaccination cards, and packing most essential stuff. It can be stressful and time-consuming to get these sorted.  
To relieve your stress, we have listed below essentials to bring when you visit Sri Lanka.
Entry Documents 
Before you hop on the plane, please make sure you have all the important documents you need to enter Sri Lanka. 
Passport (Obvious right?)
Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) – If you applied online, please keep your electronic visa application printed which will be handy when needed. 
Your flight tickets and the booking confirmations of the particular hotels you chose to stay at. 
Your travel cards – Bring your travel cards and travel insurance.  
Medical reports – These will be helpful if you get sick and happen to consult a doctor while on vacation.  
Other relevant documents 

It’s important you have sufficient money with you to fund your entire trip. You can ask help from your tour agent for currency exchange needs or you can exchange from the airport itself too. Make sure you have your ATM/Credit cards with you for extra money needs. 

Sri Lanka is a tropical country located close to the equator. It’s always sunny here, so pack comfy clothing.  If you plan to visit Nuwara Eliya which has a colder climate, warm clothing is needed. 
Smart casual will come in handy for dining at luxury hotels and partying or clubbing. 
One or two pieces of modest clothing that cover the entire body as you will be asked to cover up when visiting religious places. (Yes, for men too) 

Sri Lanka boasts about its beautiful beaches. If you wish to take a dip, sunbathe, or snorkel and dive, bring your swimming suits, a quick-dry towel, and snorkelling and swimming gear. Alternatively, gear can be hired along the coast. Almost all the hotels provide complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, yet you can bring your regular toiletries. 

Hiking shoes & Flip Flops 
Flip Flops are ideal to walk in Sri Lanka. You can bring a pair of nice shoes for dining or partying and clubbing.  However, if you wish to hike, don’t forget to bring your hiking shoes.  

Due to Sri Lanka’s equatorial position, the temperatures don’t fluctuate too much year around. October and November are the wettest months in Sri Lanka when you surely need umbrellas or raincoats, perhaps both. We suggest that you bring an umbrella, a cap or a hat anyway as it’s too sunny most of the time.

You know you are going to visit a warm and sunny country. So, sunscreen is a must even if you are dreaming about getting a nice suntan.  Don’t forget your sunglasses. 
Camera equipment & other tech gadgets 
On your Sri Lanka Trips, there will be countless moments to capture and document. Make sure you are fully equipped with your camera gear.  Your laptop or iPad, DSLR and lenses, drone, action/underwater camera, memory cards, external hard drive, power bank, tripod, and all the chargers are some items you probably shouldn’t miss. 

If you suffer from a pre-diagnosed illness, please remember to bring all the medication. It could be difficult to find the same medicine in Sri Lanka and you don’t want to take that kind of a risk with your life. 

It is useful to carry a small first aid kit all the time wherever you travel. Most of the time you won’t even need it, but you never know when the need will arise and at that time it will come in handy.  Travel sickness pills, paracetamol, plasters, bandages, tape, mosquito, and bug repellents, are some of the essentials you should keep in your first aid kit.

Sri Lanka is a small country, but you will have to spend quite a lot of time in your hired vehicle, on a train or bus when you are moving from one location to another. To avoid being bored while commuting, bring along your books, kindle, iPod, headphones, gaming gear, and other entertainment items. 
When deciding what to pack for Sri Lanka, your ultimate picks will rely on a lot of things. 
It will be easier if you consider the religious customs of Sri Lanka, geography as well as the climate in Sri Lanka when picking what to pack. 
It’s always a great idea to ask your Sri Lanka Tour Operator about what to pack based on the nature of your Sri Lanka trip. Your travel agent will provide you with the necessary details and they should be able to suggest the best getaway after considering your travel requirements and interests. We at Olanka Travels offer versatile Sri Lanka Tour Packages for you to select, including Sri Lanka leisure travel and Sri Lanka adventure travel.  
Welcome to Sri Lanka.