Country Info
- Colombo
- Capital
- Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR)
- Currency
- 19,408,635
- Population
- LK
- Country Code
Sri Lanka Slideshow
Travel Blogs from Sri Lanka
Is it Christmas already?
This is a top pick! It's been a busy and tiring few days. Wednesday was Poya, which is a Buddhist festival. It happens every month when there's a full moon so everywhere, including the school, are closed for the day. On Tuesday after school we traveled up to Colombo as we ...
The Cultural Triangle--More than Three Sides
This is a top pick! ... Sinhalese fought back. The Tamils were not the first invaders, however. Prior to the Tamils, the Sinhalese themselves colonized Sri Lanka, displacing or mixing with the native Sri Lankan people. Legends also depict invasions from India. Rama, ...
Lots and Lots of aliya
This is a top pick! Today we went to an elephant park where 500 wild elephants roam free over 73000acres, or maybe it was 7300acres! This meant another jeep ride, although I have to say it was the tamest so far. The elephants came right up to the jeep. The tour guide seemed ...
It's been a month
This is a top pick! How independent the preschoolers have come - today they didn't want the teachers to do the Hokey Pokey with them, so we had to stand back and watch from afar. Well they needed some prompts now and then! Today didn't do too badly with the lack of ...
Randy Kandy
This is a top pick! ... his day off, so we decided to put him to the sword once again with a nice two hour drive north. The destination being Sri Lanka's very own Ayers Rock, Sigiriya. An oblong, 600 foot lump of rock with a very shaky looking staircase precariously attached to ...
Weekend round up
This is a top pick! Yesterday afternoon while sitting outside listening to music, a lovely snake crawled out in front of me. It's been a few weeks now since the last sighting. Maybe it was the mysterious one that was never found in the school or perhaps ones of its friends. ...
Toilet anyone?!
This is a top pick! ... ! The journey from Colombo to Hambantota should usually take between 5-6hours, but today it took 8-9 hours. This is because we had Sri Lanka's slowest driver who also seemed to get a bit lost and would only take directions from his wife who did not know ...
Indescribable
This is a top pick! After 5 weeks, we are well into our Sunday routine! It has also become the day that makes up for our lack of exercise throughout the week! We make the 1.5 km stroll to church and back again. In the heat of the morning, it seems like quite a distance! ...
Saturday minus electricity
This is a top pick! Have just put dinner in the oven - am very hungry so looking forward to our chicken, potatoes and carrots! the electric has been off from 9am and came on again around 5pm so it's been a very laxy day. The height of our expeditions was a walk down to ...
Moths, baby food and plane tickets
This is a top pick! ... in Hong Kong has been on a spending spree with my card, totaling 3000! This is the second time it has happened to me while in Sri Lanka - it happened in August with someone in Oz living a fine life on my money! If you are by chance the person who is ...
Still raining!!
This is a top pick! Another Friday and another afternoon of rain and power cuts. As I keep saying, I can't believe the weekend has come around again! The afterschool class on Friday is the one that has the most knowledge so they are actually the most challenging ...
Sri Lanka's got Talent
This is a top pick! ... at their standard yet…apparently it’s all in the way you move your hips! Britians not quite got talent yet, but Sri Lanka certainly has! We are pleased to announce that Smile Lanka has finally heard Caroline’s pleas and got a fish ...
Cultural Triangle
This is a top pick! ... covering an area of over sixteen square miles. During the late Anuradhapura period, the royal family and nobility of Sri Lanka strongly supported Buddhism. As such, they frequently commissioned works of art and donated these items to Buddhist temples. In ...
Psychology at work
This is a top pick! Today we had a teacher's meeting with Naomi. She is an American lady who we met at the pot luck dinner. She's has trained as a child psychologist and came along today to find out the problems and issues the teachers had with the children and then advise ...
Ham, Ban and Tota
This is a top pick! ... climbing through the windows-no fish deserve to die in such a way! I think we'll just have to come to the conclusion that Smile Lanka won't have any fish as mascots! Sadly we already had the names picked as well- Ham, Ban and Tota the ...
It's all a little fishy....
This is a top pick! ... ! It is at times like these that I'm sure people are wondering if it was wise allowing me to be let loose on the kids of Sri Lanka! Anyway there was fits of laughter so all enjoyed - as they say back home, it was the best craic! Preschool again ...
The one without a title
This is a top pick! Today Mark and I were tasked with being in charge of the Preschool's entertainment from start to finish. When this has happened before, they usually told me 5mins before the class was due to start but this time we were told yesterday. We did everything ...
Practice makes perfect...or does it?
This is a top pick! Today the Preschoolers spent almost 2hours trying to prefect their band playing for the opening! They all have very good rhythm and can keep the beat, but when it comes to walking and playing, it's disastrous! They are in lines of 3, but they all can't ...
They could nearly be counted on 1 hand
This is a top pick! ... visit us so he said he'd call in tomorrow instead. That means we have a task for tomorrow-to find out how to make a cup of Sri Lankan tea! It's not a case of putting a teabag in a teapot and adding water, they use tea leaves, powdered milk and about half ...
Sri Lanka here we come
This is a top pick! Today we fly to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The flight took 45 minutes with Sri Lankan Airlines and is one of the best flights I've ever had. We landed just after lunch time and airport security was at its maximum. We had no idea where we were headed so we ...
Fruit salad
This is a top pick! ... means the mad afternoon of games, games and more games! Today the games "duck duck goose" and "fruit salad" were introduced to Sri Lanka. They could have played them for hours. When you have 35 kids running about, 15minutes is quite enough per ...
Guns and Water Features…..we must be in Sri
This is a top pick! ... a wonderful 9 hours in Heathrow Airport because BMI decided that flights from Belfast to Heathrow shouldn't be as frequent as someone flying to Sri Lanka would like them to be. Therefore, to make the most of our time, we decided to become experts in the 5 ...
The wheels on the bus
This is a top pick! Today I started to teach the preschoolers "The wheels on the bus". It's amazing how quickly the younger ones pick things up - I've been here 6weeks and can just about count to 5 and say about 10 words which are mostly food! If you compare that with them, ...
A full house
This is a top pick! Yesterday the preschoolers spent most of the morning in the new classroom practicing for the opening. This involved doing the Hokey Pokey at least 5times and practicing their sinhala song. By next week they should be experts! Today they had a short ...
Roadtrip to Kataragama
This is a top pick! Last night we all loaded up a van and headed to a festival in Kataragama (about 40kims outside Hambantota). There aout 9\10 of us altogether with 3 children, what seemed like 50litres of water and enough food to feed the whole of Hambantota ...
Shrek3!!
This is a top pick! Ronalli came down this morning and is staying til tomorow afternoon. it's always good to have another person around. Tomorrow afternoon she is meeting with a lady from USA who is a child pschologist. She is very interested in training the teachers on how ...
Where is Banda?
This is a top pick! ... to tell the story! Half an hour before the Afterschoolers, we were informed that we were teaching 2 45 minute classes. Again, in Sri Lanka preparation is key! So after deliberation we had a brain wave and decided that writing on the wall with chalk would ...
The day the snake came to for breakfast
This is a top pick! ... this will be given the go ahead. renalli had now headed back home to columbo so it's just gordon and i ready to take on sri lanka! it as good having her around. on the plis side she'll be down every frw weeks. tomorrow the school is closed as it's ...
100 days
This is a top pick! ... on the seats and others standing on kitchen chairs with the table nearly collapsing still makes me chuckle! The best thing about Sri Lanka in general is the people. I've yet to meet an unfriendly Sri Lankan or anyone who wouldn't bend over ...
Oh no not again
This is a top pick! We have to spend one more night here in Colombo as close to the airport (i would have been happy to sleep on the run way) as we can get because we dont fly till tomorrow morning. We have just enough rupees to pay for our room, eat very little and buy a ...