Tika Traveller

Discover Sri Lanka & Maldives From Those Who Know It Best

Blogs from Tikalanka are designed to enhance your knowledge of Sri Lanka and Maldives and keep you up to date with recent developments. We intend to post regular features on travel, news, lifestyle and accommodation as well as guest articles from current and past customers, which will give you first-hand experience of Tikalanka, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Category: Maldives

Sir David Attenborough with gorillas in Rwanda (courtesy of the BBC)

TikaWeeks #42/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 20th October 2023

Nature, carbon and humanity are inextricably entwined with 50% of man-made CO2 sequestered by nature – but the story doesn’t end there: 75% of food crops are dependent on insect pollination, 80% of registered medicines come from plants and 85% of the world's largest companies have a high dependency on nature across direct operations. Nature is at the heart of everything and considering the planet’s lifeblood while travelling is vital.

TikaWeeks #28/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 14th July 2023

Sustainability has rightly taken centre stage as we strive to combat climate change, but what does it really mean? By today’s common definition, to be sustainable we must balance how we meet human needs with our ability to continue to do so for the foreseeable future without degrading the natural environment. This update outlines the core principles of sustainability with regard to travel and Tikalanka.

TikaWeeks #13/2023: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 27th March 2023

BREAKING NEWS. We are now collaborating with Tropic Breeze on our Sri Lanka and Maldives holidays. Tropic Breeze is a UK-based travel specialist to Maldives, the Caribbean, Seychelles and Mauritius, and we have been working with them in Maldives for the last nine years. We believe that this is the best way forward for Tikalanka and our valued customers after a few very difficult years. We are now in a strong position to look to the future with renewed confidence.

Leopard seen in Yala NP by Harriet and Michael on holiday with Tikalanka in February 2023

TikaWeeks #09/2023: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 4th March 2023

We can share with you the good news that tourism is bouncing back in Sri Lanka with over 24% more visitors than last year, which definitely indicates confidence in travelling to the island now. Recent customers totally agree, with glowing reports of the island’s delights as well as our expert guides and quality accommodation on offer. So why not give us a call or email us your wish list to create your ideal holiday to Sri Lanka with Tikalanka. Remember there is always Maldives to add on if you want an extra-special trip of a lifetime!

TikaWeeks #23/2022: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 11th June 2022

Good news. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office no longer advises against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka so we are able to offer holidays to Sri Lanka again for immediate departure. Please get back to us asap if you are still looking for that special holiday or honeymoon to Sri Lanka and/or Maldives this summer.

TikaWeeks #39-1/2021: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 29th September 2021

Great news! As of yesterday, the FCDO no longer advises against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka or Maldives. This comes hot on the heels of the news that fully vaccinated travellers will only have to take a COVID-19 test within 2 days of returning from Sri Lanka or Maldives, and the relaxing of travel restrictions in Sri Lanka for fully vaccinated visitors, which allows them to travel freely around the island. This paves the way for tourism to start in earnest again.

TikaWeeks #38/2021: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 24th September 2021

On 22 September, both Sri Lanka and Maldives were taken off the UK's travel Red list and downgraded to the Amber list, which is a move in the right direction. Better still, from 04 October, fully vaccinated travellers from England will only have to take a Day 2 COVID-19 test and complete a passenger locator form 48 hours prior to arrival in England when travelling from Sri Lanka or Maldives. You must prove that you have been fully vaccinated with a document from a national or state-level public health body.

TikaWeeks #20/2021: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 17th May 2021

From 12 May 2021, Sri Lanka has reverted to a 14-day stay in ‘Safe & Secure’ Certified Level 1 hotels for your initial period in the country as well as enforcing the previous, additional requirements of entry. As of 13 May 2021, on-arrival tourist visas in Maldives for those arriving from South Asian countries will be temporarily halted. This includes transit passengers from all other countries. This is academic since both Sri Lanka (Amber list) and Maldives (Red list) are “should not travel to” countries designated by the UK government.

TikaWeeks #19/2021: Maldives update

Posted by John on 10th May 2021

Last Friday, a bomb attack in Malé, the capital of Maldives, left the former president Mohamed Nasheed in a critical condition following an assassination attempt. Nasheed was the country’s first democratically elected president and is the current parliamentary speaker. We wish him a full and speedy recovery. There is no reason for a foreign tourist to visit Malé since the international airport is located on its own independent island and all transfers to resorts are arranged directly from the airport.

TikaWeeks #18/2021: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 8th May 2021

Yesterday, the UK government confirmed international leisure travel can gradually resume from 17 May 2021 and released the initial ‘traffic light’ travel list, which will be reviewed every three weeks. Both Sri Lanka and Maldives are on the Amber list, which means you should not travel to either country for leisure purposes, with Maldives on the more restrictive Red list from 12 May 2021. We hope that both countries’ COVID-19 situations will improve in the near future to allow leisure travel at the earliest opportunity.

Independent Tailor-made Holidays to Sri Lanka & Maldives