Any questions regadring Sri Lanka - 2

[Skyline]

Sometimes you may have questions about Sri Lanka or you may like to know about Sri Lankan lifestyle. So Let's talk about Sri Lankan lifestyle & other stuff. Also I hope to post some infomation which I believe useful for travellers. If you have any question feel free to ask.


(This is my last thread on PDF, I'll stay here 3 days more. so I'll do my best to answer most of your questions. XD)

Sri Lanka - is an island nation.

Area - 65,610 km2

Population - 20.2 million

GDP - US$ 67 billion (2013)

GDP per capita - $ 3600 (2014 est.) / $ 3280 (2013)

Poverty rate - 6%

Literacy rate - 98%

HDI - 0.715 (High) [ Only "High-HDI" ranking country in South Asia]

Official Languages - Sinhala / Tamil

 

[Skyline]

Okay guys, First thing you should know what's the format of Sri Lankan telephone numbers.

Our country code is (+94), then you have to dial 2-digit area code or mobile operator's code, then the personal number you want to call.

example: +94 77 7678678

Every local phone number should have 10 digits!
(example 077-7678678)

 

[ephone]

Wow, the literacy rate is really quite high.

Poverty rate is low as well.

Sometimes you may have questions about Sri Lanka or you may like to know about Sri Lankan lifestyle. So Let's talk about Sri Lankan lifestyle & other stuff. Also I hope to post some infomation which I believe useful for travellers. If you have any question feel free to ask.


(This is my last thread on PDF, I'll stay here 3 days more. so I'll do my best to answer most of your questions. XD)

Sri Lanka - is an island nation.

Area - 65,610 km2

Population - 20.2 million

GDP - US$ 67 billion (2013)

GDP per capita - $ 3600 (2014 est.) / $ 3280 (2013)

Poverty rate - 6%

Literacy rate - 98%

HDI - 0.715 (High) [ Only "High-HDI" ranking country in South Asia]

Official Languages - Sinhala / Tamil

 

[Skyline]

Sri Lanka has 5 mobile operators. Dialog, Mobitel & Etisalat are good mobile operators. (Dialog is the best. Dialog.lk)

Dialog (077 & 076)
Mobitel (071)
Etisalat (072)
Airtel (075)
Hutch (078)

Mobitel offers special package for tourists...

 

[Skyline]

In Thailand dual purpose & common vehicle is ......double cab

In Sri Lanka dual purpose & common vehicle is ......Van

how about in your country?

 

[Skyline]

Most common bus models in Sri Lanka are .....Lanka Ashok Leyland - Viking & TATA

TATA 1510

 

[abjktu]

Most common bus models in Sri Lanka are .....Lanka Ashok Leyland - Viking & TATA

TATA 1510

why the buses look too old???
these fashioned buses were common in 1985-1995 ....

 

[Dandpatta]

Could you post some pix of the Southern-most tips of your island nation?

Matara and surrounding regions - how different is the southern SL culture/dialects/languages from that of the North? If any?

Does Gonadeniya Forest Reserve (the name has any significance to the Gondwan name in India? Question asked in relevance to the theory of Australian aborigines in west part of Australia hailed from India, Sri Lanka through Indonesian archipelago. In Australia, Gondwanaland is the common reference by the aborigines.

Can you post some info on existing Burghers of Sri Lanka? Their economic parity with natives, how and why do they perceive themselves (superior) to the other groups in SL?

So you suggest going by hired car from North to the South of Sri Lanka - through the west coast or should one go through west or 'central' connectors?

People to people - what are big NOs in Sri Lanka if a tourist happens to be from India? How are Indians from North, West India or eastern most India perceived - or are we just lumped into one India = Tamil India?

Sri Lankan weddings - please post pictures of the typical cultural aspects of these.

Do post pix of Sri Lankan youth too - candid pix

Thats all for today

For some reason, I like the Tata buses of the 80s era. They had a manly MOUSTACHE in the front that resembled a man with a muchchad smiling at you. HAHA

 

[Skyline]

why the buses look too old???
these fashioned buses were common in 1985-1995 ....

Those are new buses though model looks old. LOL

 

[abjktu]

Those are new buses though model looks old. LOL

those pictures reminds me of kerala...
those red coloured are government owned??;
don't you use volvo buses ???

 

[Skyline]

Could you post some pix of the Southern-most tips of your island nation?

Matara and surrounding regions - how different is the southern SL culture/dialects/languages from that of the North? If any?

Sinhala & Tamil are two different languages. Tamil is a Dravidian language. Sinhala belongs Indo-Aryan language group.
Mainly in the Northern tip you can find Tamil culture, also some part of eastern and the middle of the country. You can find Tamil speakers anywhere in the island.

Does Gonadeniya Forest Reserve (the name has any significance to the Gondwan name in India? Question asked in relevance to the theory of Australian aborigines in west part of Australia hailed from India, Sri Lanka through Indonesian archipelago. In Australia, Gondwanaland is the common reference by the aborigines.

I have no idea about it.

Can you post some info on existing Burghers of Sri Lanka? Their economic parity with natives, how and why do they perceive themselves (superior) to the other groups in SL?

Their number is very small.
Burghers population is 37,061, mainly live in Western province.

lol I haven't heard about this. do they think like that? I don't think so. @Gibbs will answer for this.

 

[Skyline]

So you suggest going by hired car from North to the South of Sri Lanka - through the west coast or should one go through west or 'central' connectors?

Well our main airport is located in Western province, so you have to start from there. o
Using hired car will make travelling more easy than other transport methods. Or use domestic air taxies or helitours. They will take you to any destination in the island.

Red- International airports
Blue- Domestic airports

People to people - what are big NOs in Sri Lanka if a tourist happens to be from India? How are Indians from North, West India or eastern most India perceived - or are we just lumped into one India = Tamil India?

There is no issue. We respect them all as Indians.
North Indians have some advantage, most of Sri Lankans believe they're polite & decent than South Indians. (It does not mean we hate South Indians. okay!)

 

[Skyline]

those pictures reminds me of kerala...
those red coloured are government owned??;
don't you use volvo buses ???

yep, Red buses are government owned buses. (SLTB - Sri Lanka Transport Board)
We called them CTB buses...

why not! Yep, we have have volvo & other modern buses too. These buses run between main cities & expressways.

 

[jandk]

Can Sinhalese people understand any other Indo-Aryan languages?

 

[Skyline]

Can Sinhalese people understand any other Indo-Aryan languages?

Nope. Sometimes we can catch some similar words in hindi etc