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.

TikaWeeks #12-5/2020: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 21st March 2020

There may be problems arranging transport to the airport for your flight home, although a number of taxi and tourism companies continue to operate airport runs, but will require advance booking. For once, I agree with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa that the Sri Lanka government “have taken all possible measures to ensure the safety of our people” facing the threat of coronavirus disease. We will see how the UK government’s actions compare as time goes on…

TikaWeeks #12-4/2020: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 20th March 2020

There is a nationwide curfew in Sri Lanka from 18.00 (local time) today (20 March 2020) until 06.00 (local time) on 23 March 2020, which could be extended further. The government has confirmed that travellers in possession of a valid airline ticket will be allowed to travel to the airport during curfew periods. If possible, you should travel with an extra printed copy of your airline ticket which your taxi driver can use for the return journey from the airport.

TikaWeeks #12-3/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 18th March 2020

The Government of Maldives has announced a ban on entry into Maldives of anyone who has left or transited the UK in the last 14 days, with effect from 23.59 local time (18.59 GMT) tonight (18 March 2020). This does not affect British Nationals already in Maldives who should follow the advice of local authorities. If you are already in Sri Lanka, the government has announced that visit visas will be extended to 12 April 2020, if necessary, although an extension fee will be charged.

TikaWeeks #12-2/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 17th March 2020

EXCEPTIONAL TRAVEL ADVISORY NOTICE – The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises British people against all non-essential travel worldwide for an initial period of 30 days. This advice takes effect immediately and it is the first time ever that the FCO has made such an announcement. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unprecedented international border closures and other restrictions.

TikaWeeks #12-1/2020: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 16th March 2020

Today (16 March 2020) has been declared a special Public, Bank and Mercantile holiday to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sri Lanka. The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka is now 18 (17 active cases). All national parks as well as zoological and botanical gardens run by the Wildlife Department are closed for two weeks with immediate effect.

TikaWeeks #11-6/2020: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 15th March 2020

The Sri Lankan Government has just announced that people arriving from or travelling though the UK, Belgium and Norway will not be allowed to enter Sri Lanka from midnight on 16 March 2020 (Sri Lanka time) to midnight on 30 March 2020 (Sri Lanka time). As a consequence, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, if you are travelling from or via the UK.

TikaWeeks #11-5/2020: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 15th March 2020

For the next two weeks, all national parks are closed, entry visas from countries where flights are already embargoed are suspended, mass gatherings are banned and all foreign visitors arriving in the country sent for a two-week quarantine period in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sri Lanka. There are now nine reported active cases of COVID-19 on the island.

TikaWeeks #11-4/2020: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 13th March 2020

The forthcoming cricket Test series between Sri Lanka and England has been postponed and the England players are to return home due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. In another COVID-19 development today, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka has banned all travel from France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Austria to Sri Lanka from 15 to 29 March 2020. This is on top of the ban already in place for travel from Italy, South Korea and Iran.

Class of 2021: New Johns Hopkins students pose for their class photo (courtesy of Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University)

TikaWeeks #11-3/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 12th March 2020

Johns Hopkins experts in global public health, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness have been at the forefront of the international response to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins has developed an online interactive dashboard to visualise and track reported cases of COVID-19 in real time. This is potentially the most accurate and current resource for keeping up to date with COVID-19 developments.

Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa, South Ari Atoll, Maldives

TikaWeeks #11-2/2020: Maldives update

Posted by John on 11th March 2020

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office updated their official travel advice for Maldives last night and currently advise against all but essential travel to Kuredu, Vilemendhu (Vilamendhoo), Batalaa and Kuramathi Island Resorts, which have all been placed under temporary quarantine following suspected cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, we know from customers who were on ‘lock down’ on Vilamendhoo yesterday that the island has been released from quarantine today.

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