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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: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration

TikaWeeks #42/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 14th October 2025

Sri Lanka no longer issues visas on arrival. You now need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) online, which is valid for 30 days, before you fly. The ETA is issued through an online system, and no passport copies, documents or photographs are required, and there is no requirement to endorse the ETA in your passport. Upon arrival, simply produce your passport to the immigration officer at the port of entry along with a copy of your ETA approval notice.

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The Pekoe Trail Organization

TikaWeeks #41/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 12th October 2025

Tikalanka is now an official Pekoe Trail DMC Partner, which means we have been trained and certified by The Pekoe Trail Organization to design itineraries that incorporate the trail responsibly, respectfully, and sustainably. Whether you’re looking for a day hike through the tea country, a weeklong walking journey, or a tailored experience that blends wellness, nature, and culture – we are the professionals who can make it happen and who bring the trail to life for travellers from around the world.

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Responsible Travel, our holidays are more enjoyable because they do good

TikaWeeks #38/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 17th September 2025

Travel not only reduces stress and burn out, but it improves your mood, life satisfaction and sleep as well as increases energy levels and creativity, with this 'boost' typically lasting 2 weeks after your return from holiday. However, travelling responsibly and engaging in meaningful or novel activities increases this boost to up to 6 weeks. Last week's Open House event organised by Responsible Travel in Brighton is an annual get-together of travel companies with responsible and sustainable travel at their heart and Tikalanka was there as usual.

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View from The Pekoe Trail (Stage 1) near Kandy, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #35/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 28th August 2025

The Pekoe Trail is Sri Lanka’s alternative to the Camino de Santiago, and it is becoming evermore popular since it launched in 2023. The Pekoe Trail is a 300-kilometre, 22-stage meticulously curated long-distance walking trail that winds its way through the enchanting Central Highlands of Sri Lanka – often regarded as one of Asia’s best-kept secrets. Along the way, you’ll encounter vibrant local communities, each offering a glimpse into Sri Lanka’s rich traditions, warm hospitality, and unique cultural heritage, making the experience as meaningful as it is adventurous. Here is a local and personal perspective of the first two stages recently hiked by Mahesh, Pathi and Suba’s son.

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Sky at night from Wild Glamping Knuckles, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #34/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 20th August 2025

‘Off grid’ can have many meanings. Being cut off from technology, using power generated from renewables onsite, or disengaging from everyday life are all what people understand by ‘off grid’. We seem to have become addicted to the internet, WhatsApp, Instagram and the rest without ever considering what travelling was like before the World Wide Web and mobile phones, 24-hour electricity, and a slower pace of life more in tune with nature. Well, now you have your chance with various ‘off grid’ experiences in Sri Lanka.

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The best beaches are on Sri Lanka's east coast during the summer

TikaWeeks #32/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 4th August 2025

Sri Lanka has just expanded its visa-fee waiver to 40 countries, including the UK, in a bid to boost tourist arrivals, hoping to top the impressive 145,188 visitors recorded in the first 23 days of July this year. Global travel website Big 7 Travel named Sri Lanka ‘The Most Beautiful Island in the World’ for 2025, an incredible accolade indeed, and the latest booking data of Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, show that Sri Lanka is among the top three summer destinations for travel.

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The Arnolds and Nihal trekking in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #31/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 31st July 2025

If you want to learn about the Herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) of Sri Lanka, then loyal customers Dave and Chris Arnold will guide you through likely sightings from their hands-on experience of two trips with us in the past couple of years. In an engaging and enlightening account of their travels recently published in an international journal, Dave highlights the numerous and varied species to spot on the island, even donning a pair of ‘sexy’ leech socks in order to navigate Sinharaja Forest Reserve with impunity!

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John, Pathi, Tracey and Suba at Seven Sisters, East Sussex, UK

TikaWeeks #29/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 15th July 2025

“We’re 21 today, 21 today, we offer Sri Lanka holidays galore, never been 21 before”! Pathi and I launched Tikalanka on 15 July 2004 and here we are still going strong 21 years later. What a journey we have had, keeping going despite a civil war raging during our first 5 years in business (peace has reigned on the island since the end of 2009), recurrent political and economic crises, past terrorist attacks, and Covid. With this experience, we can handle almost all eventualities and provide a unique perspective of Sri Lanka. So, please come and join the Tikalanka family and book a holiday with the independent travel specialist to Sri Lanka and Maldives.

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Tabula Rasa Resort & Spa, Habaraduwa, Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #28/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 10th July 2025

If you’re still searching for the perfect holiday in the sun this Christmas, then look no further than Sri Lanka. We still have availability and even boutique hotels don’t cost the Earth. For instance, it’s less than £2,500 per person for a 10-night, 3-centre holiday in premium accommodation for a couple, including selected activities, guide and transfers (excluding flights). Things are hotting up on the island so book now to avoid disappointment!

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Elephants in Sri Lanka

TikaWeeks #27/2025: Sri Lanka update

Posted by John on 2nd July 2025

The Galle Literary Festival, in and around Galle from 21 to 25 January 2026, has become one of the most anticipated literary events in south Asia. The latest episode of “Guardians”, a docuseries narrated by Prince William, shines a light on Sri Lankan rangers working to reduce human-elephant conflict. With around half of all visitors going on safari in Sri Lanka, wildlife is central to the island’s attraction, and ‘glamping’ is a great way to experience the call of the wild. In other news, Sigiriya was recently anointed as Sri Lanka’s first sustainable destination, and another upsurge in tourist arrivals last month shows Sri Lanka is still the place to visit!

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