Long stay Sept-Nov 2015

Well Nigele2, a lot of people have said that Sri Lanka was a life-changing experience for them (for the better!).

We hope you too will really enjoy your stay here in this wonderful island.

I would like to try and answer your questions, but first, a humble suggestion, please don't tie yourself up to one particular home and area for your entire (very long) stay, but try and come down here, explore the various very different parts of the island, and then decide where you would like to spend the most time, please!

Because this tiny island really is so very different, even if you travel for an hour or two!  We have beautiful golden beaches, cool mountains with awesome scenery, exciting wildlife safari parks, many areas of cultural interest, ancient cities, and of-course, the cosmopolitan Colombo city with a healthy nightlife and many theatres for interesting plays, etc.

1-  Staying for 90 days is no problem at all, you get a 30 day visa online before arrival, and extend it for another 60 days at the immigration department without any difficulty.

2-  Internet is available in almost every corner of the island.  Similarily, swimming pools are also quite common, if you require one in your own home, please search sites like AirBNB.com where you can rent someone's home, or a part of it, often with a private swimming pool.

Therapy for the mind and soul is also available in many parts of the island, you would only need to research some Ayurveda Treatment Centres or other types of Meditation Centres.

If you would like to teach English or participate in helping the locals in any other way, it will be gratefully accepted, I am sure you can find many ways to help the comparatively poor local people, once you are here.

3-  You really don't need to study any language to communicate, because Sri Lanka has probably the highest literacy rate in South Asia, and many people all over the island speak English, often fluently!  But if you wish to study a local language, it would depend on your location, because Sinhala is spoken mostly in the middle, west, and south of the country, whereas Tamil is primarily spoken in the north and east.

4-  You will find MANY foreigners living in Sri Lanka very happily, a very good place to start your journey would be either at NEGOMBO BEACH, very close to the beach, as close as you can get to the expensive Jetwing Blue and Beach Hotels, because here you can find cheaper hotels with swimming pools for about $30 per night, and meet lots of foreigners living in Sri Lanka to discuss your future plans.

Another good place would be HIKKADUWA BEACH or UNAWATUNA BEACH or GALLE FORT, where you will also find the same.  Of-course, you can find many foreigners living in COLOMBO CITY, but the majority of them are also working here, not just relaxing, like you plan to do!

Let us know if you need further information or clarification, and wishing you a life-changing trip to Sri Lanka at the end of the year!

Sam & Sheena.

Sam and Sheena thank you so much for such a helpful and thoughtful reply.  It is very much appreciated.

Based to some degree on this final input we have this evening abandoned all thoughts of our for sometime distant second choice of Argentina and now Sri Lanka it will be.  Our house in the UK is on the market and we have 4 viewings tomorrow so hopefully the final hurdle relating to our move permanently to Spain will be jumped and we can then start booking travel for our nomadic life up until January 2016.  And after that our new life in Spain begins.  Very exciting times.

.The extension of the visa seems straight-forward but I'm guessing we might need an outward ticket when we arrive  to show we do not intend to overstay (I was in the Philippines last year and there this need was rigoursly adhered to).  But one thought is for us to book a week in India and fly out and then return.  But I expect we can work it out without having to buy two very expensive one way tickets back to London.

I'm sad to say that while I speak Spanish and English languages do not come easily to me so I'll try and get a few words of Sinhala and Tamil in advance.  I just love the way it makes people smile all over the world if you make an effort, even if it comes out as gibberish.

I take your point about travelling around for a bit and then choosing somewhere for a longer stay.  And from all the feedback between September and December we shouldn't find everywhere full especially if we book a couple of days ahead.

My wife is a little concerned about Mosquitos but I have tried to assure here that with sprays, repellants, electric devices and nets it is not a real issue.  I hope I'm right.

Well sorry wittering on.  Thanks again and enjoy your weekend whatever you are going to do.

Nigel and Pilar

Hi Nigel, believe me, Sri Lanka is not that strict about foreigners visiting for 90 days, like other countries are.

In any case, if you are planning on travelling to India as well, and have not bought your ticket, please do look at www.SriLankan.com for an airfare from wherever you are travelling, to your preferred destination in India.

Because, you will not only find the airfare competitively cheap, but, you will also be allowed a stopover in Sri Lanka for as long as you wish, either one way, or both ways!

Booking the actual dates is a little more tricky, you may want to consult a SriLankan Airlines Office in the UK, or if you want to try to do it yourself online, you will need to go to the "Multi-City" section for bookings, and then put in your preferred dates, UK-COLOMBO-INDIA-UK or whatever, and see what price you get, I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

And that ticket will suffice as your proof of outward travel.  Secondly, if you are really worried about that 60 days extension on your 30 days tourist visa, you could change some money officially at any bank in Sri Lanka (only perhaps GBP 500-1000 or so) and keep the receipt, which you could attach to your application for extension, as proof of financial capability to stay on in Sri Lanka, but it really will not be necessary at all!

In fact, I have a very good friend who is very high up in that department, and if you just visit him and mention my name, you will get the needful done very quickly, and without any hassle, and at no extra cost whatsoever!  I will give you his details before you arrive, if you want it.

Hope things go well for you with your home sale, and wishing you a wonderful visit to beautiful Sri Lanka!

Sam and Sheena

That's incredible.  multi hop flights are the cheapest I seen by miles.  Many Tx.

Nigel, you would be surprised at how often people from Europe buy a ticket to Sri Lanka, and then buy another ticket from Sri Lanka to other destinations like Maldives or India, not knowing, that if they had bought a ticket to one of those countries on Sri Lankan, their Sri Lanka visit would have cost nothing extra, and the fare to those countries would have been one of the cheapest anyway, saving them loads of extra money to use on their holiday!

Anyway, wishing you the best, cheers!

Dear Nigel

Sam has given a very lengthy and helpful information, many foreigners do come here for longer stay, and they have no issue with visas, go about daily excitements, groceries, internet facilities or transportation.

Plus so many opportunities to work with locals, schools, churches, temples and orphans.

I have couple of properties available for short term or long team rentals, see below links

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4602258https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/794866https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4504929

If you keen on any of the property do let us know we can discuss the terms.

Cheers

Nishan
[email protected]

Dear Mr.Nigel,

It's great to be here, if you would like I have a property near to the Beach at Hikkaduwa  I can give you
for the best price .

if you are intrest  mail me.

[email protected]

Thushara

Nigel, Why don't you try Aitken Spence Travels.They provide a great service in arranging tours all around the country and providing places for accommodation for your choice.They have a good online site where you can plan your whole tour. I think it will be a better choice for you as you are not familiar with Sri Lanka much.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5365341
Brand new villa with pool.in side the small village of dewagoga.87 km south form Colombo.2 km form ambalangoda city.main income of this village coier product and fishing sea and lake.3 minute walk to beach.face to madampe lake
House maid .security .and maneger avaliable.own buy Scottish

As Sam has suggested you can stay in one place for One month and move to another location for a month. I can offer you an upstair brand new building one a/c room, one non a/c room, kitchen, fridge, washing machine, wifi, about 100 meters to the sea and many leading hotels nearby with many attarctions. at BERUWALA  near the LIGHT HOUSE. for US$ 750 per month.for two non smokers, teetotalers, etc. Family living down stairs-Ground floor.

For further infomation contact [email protected]