Responsible Travel in Sri Lanka: How to Be a Better Visitor

Tourism is one of Sri Lanka's most important industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of families. Travelling responsibly means making sure that money reaches local people, that wildlife isn't harmed for your entertainment and that you leave places as you found them. None of it is difficult.

Wildlife

Elephants

• Don't ride elephants or visit places where they perform, are chained for photos or bathe on demand for tourists.
• Do see them in the wild — at Udawalawe, Minneriya, Kaudulla and other parks.
• The government-run Elephant Transit Home near Udawalawe rehabilitates orphaned calves for release, and visitors watch feeding from a distance. Our elephant guide explains the options in detail.

Safaris

Jeep crowding is a real problem in popular parks such as Yala. Ask your driver not to chase animals or crowd sightings, never encourage drivers to leave the track and stay quiet. Consider quieter parks such as Wilpattu, Kumana or Gal Oya.

Turtles

Some roadside "turtle hatcheries" keep hatchlings in tanks for tourists to handle, which can reduce their chance of survival. Watching nesting turtles at a community conservation project with trained guides — and no flash photography — is the better option. See our sea turtle guide.

Whales and dolphins

Choose operators that follow official guidelines on distance and speed. Read our whale watching guide.

Culture and religion

• Respect Buddha images. Don't pose with your back to a Buddha statue, touch statues or climb on monuments. Visible Buddha tattoos can cause serious offence and foreigners have been refused entry or deported because of them — cover them up.
• Dress modestly at temples: cover shoulders and knees and remove shoes and hats.
• Ask before photographing people, especially monks, worshippers and tea pluckers. Some tea pluckers and stilt fishermen pose for tips — pay if you take the photo.
• Indigenous communities: visits to the Vedda community at Dambana can feel like a human zoo if badly done. If you go, go with a respectful local guide and buy directly from the community.

Our culture and etiquette guide covers everyday customs.

Plastic and waste

• Carry a refillable bottle with a filter, or use refill stations offered by many hotels.
• Say no to plastic straws and bags.
• Take your rubbish with you from hikes such as Adam's Peak and Horton Plains — Horton Plains bans plastic and bags may be checked at the entrance.
• Don't buy shells or coral, and never stand on reefs when snorkelling.

Support local people

• Stay in family-run guesthouses and homestays.
• Eat at local rice-and-curry places as well as tourist cafés.
• Hire licensed local guides at heritage sites and in national parks.
• Buy crafts directly from makers — masks in Ambalangoda, lacquerware, handloom textiles — and from fair-trade shops. See our shopping guide.
• Tip fairly; wages in tourism are low. Our money guide gives typical amounts.

Travel slower

Spending longer in fewer places means fewer kilometres on the road, more money spent locally and a better trip. Swap one long drive for a train journey — see our best train journeys.