Health Care & FOOD
Treatment is free at government hospitals and dispensaries; 24-hour treatment is available at Colombo National Hospital. Colombo now boasts a selection of modern, well-equipped private hospitals offering the latest in conventional medical and surgical therapies. A growing number of foreigners are taking advantage of affordable, high quality private healthcare in Sri Lanka, and combining it with the chance to take a holiday.
Minor health problems can always be treated by doctors with practices in the hotels/ resorts and elsewhere in the country. There are modern well quipped private hospitals are available in some of the main cities.
Before you travel
No inoculations are compulsory unless you are coming from a yellow fever or cholera area. (Cholera is very occasionally reported in Sri Lanka, so is not considered a serious risk.) However, the following vaccinations are recommended, particularly if you plan a long trip or intend visiting remote areas:
- * Typhoid (monovalent), Polio, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies
- * Children should, in addition, be protected against: Diphtheria, Whooping cough, Mumps, Measles, Rubella
The risk of Malaria exists throughout the whole country apart from the districts of Colombo, Kalutara and Nuwara Eliya. Medication has to start one week prior to travel, continue during the trip, and finish four weeks after your return. Once again, planning is essential and as well as “the prevention is better than the cure“.
Food and Drink
Food
Sri Lankan food is unique like it's culture. Most of the Sri Lankans eat vegetables and the Rice & spicy Curry is the main food in Sri Lanka, The curries come in many verities of colors and flavors blended with Sri Lankan hot spices. Most of these species has a great ayurvedic value when used in curries.
The specialty of it is that same food is differently made in different regions with coconut milk, sliced onion, green chilli, aromatic spices such as cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron and aromatic leaves.
Sri Lankan Rice & Curry with Vegetables, Seafood, Meat and Exotic Tropical Fruits are available around the country that the visitors could experience in abundance at very reasonable prices. In Colombo, other major cities and all the hotels & resorts, there are many restaurants which serve Seafood, Chinese, Continental, Italian, Indian and Japanese menus for those who do not have the gastronomical preference for spicy curries.
The special sweets with coconut milk, floor and Honey are made at cultural festivals of New Year and other important and special functions of lives too.
Drink
Sri Lankan ‘Ceylon’ tea is prepared as in the West and coffee too. The bottled mineral water is widely available in addition to the huge variety of bottled soft drinks including well-known international brands. Thambili ( king coconut water ) is a safe and refreshing option too. Local & foreign beer and spirits are also widely available.
Water
Tap water which should be regarded as being potentially contaminated, is unsafe to drink or rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth. Boiling and filtering is sometimes done too hastily in some hotels and restaurants hence the best solution is to drink bottled water. The bottled water and a variety of mineral waters are available at shops, restaurants, hotels & resorts around the country.
Tea
As Sri Lanka produces the world's best tea, Tea is very cheap and comes in good presentable packages with many flavours. There are many tea estates in the hill country towards Nuwera-Eliya and their affiliated sales outlets where you could also taste fresh tea of the estates.
Milk
Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised. Unpasteurised milk should be boiled. The pasteurised and sterilised milk is available in some hotels, supermarkets and shops.
Important Note of Food & Drink:
- Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. The vegetables should be cooked and fruits are to be peeled.
- Use only either boiled water or bottled water for drinking, rinsing your mouth or making ice.
- Avoid dairy products made with unboiled milk.
- Alcoholic drinks are not sold on religiously important days such as Poya holidays (which occur each lunar month on the day of the full moon) & etc..