🇮🇳 India vs 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

Use Ola or Uber in cities for safe, metered rides, and book train tickets well in advance via IRCTC — Tatkal quota helps for last-minute travel.

⛔Unofficial taxis at airports and stations frequently overcharge tourists. Use only prepaid taxi booths inside the terminal or app-based rides.

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PickMe and Uber work in Colombo; tuk-tuks are everywhere; trains are iconic and scenic; buses are cheap but very crowded.

⛔Tuk-tuk drivers who don't use an app will almost always quote inflated fares to tourists. Always agree on the price before boarding and consider using PickMe whenever possible.

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Travel insurance is critical — use Apollo, Fortis, or Medanta private hospitals for reliable care, and take malaria and dengue precautions before and during your trip.

⛔Rabies is present in India. Any animal bite — dog, monkey, or bat — requires immediate medical attention and a full post-exposure prophylaxis course.

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Good private hospitals exist in Colombo (Nawaloka, Lanka, Asiri); healthcare outside the capital is limited, making travel insurance essential.

⛔Dengue fever is a real risk throughout Sri Lanka. It is spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes and there is no vaccine — prevention through repellent and covered clothing is the only protection.

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Drug laws are extremely strict with mandatory prison sentences even for small quantities — never carry any narcotics, and note that beef is restricted or banned in several states.

⛔Drug possession in India can result in a minimum 10-year prison sentence with no possibility of bail for the first year. This applies equally to tourists.

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LGBTQ relationships are criminalized, posing disrespectfully with Buddha statues can get you arrested, and drugs carry severe penalties.

⛔LGBTQ relationships are illegal under Section 365 of the Penal Code. Same-sex couples should be discreet in public to avoid legal risk.

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Dress conservatively — cover shoulders, knees, and midriff, especially women, and always remove shoes before entering any religious site.

⛔Women wearing revealing clothing in non-beach public areas may attract unwanted attention, harassment, or difficulty accessing religious sites. Dressing modestly significantly reduces these incidents.

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Cover shoulders and knees at all Buddhist temples, remove shoes and hats at every religious site, and dress modestly in cultural areas.

⛔Some sites near temples have vendors who will offer sarong rentals as part of a scam — carry your own and ignore unsolicited 'dress code reminders' from strangers outside the official entrance.

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Alcohol rules vary sharply by state — Gujarat, Bihar, and Nagaland are completely dry, and many states enforce dry days on elections and national holidays.

⛔Never consume locally brewed illicit alcohol. Hooch tragedies involving dozens of deaths occur regularly in India due to methanol contamination in unlicensed spirits.

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Alcohol is widely available at licensed venues but is completely banned island-wide on poya (full moon) days each month.

⛔Poya day alcohol bans are strictly enforced — even hotel minibars are supposed to be locked. Plan ahead on these days as it affects the entire island, not just specific areas.

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Bargaining is expected with tuk-tuks and at markets; use PickMe or Uber for fair app-based prices; fixed prices apply at supermarkets and formal shops.

⛔The 'gem scam' is common in Colombo and tourist areas — a friendly stranger leads you to a gem shop claiming the items are duty-free exports with huge resale value. This is always a scam; do not buy gems from anyone introduced by a stranger.

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Photography at ASI-protected monuments often requires a paid camera ticket, is prohibited near military or government buildings, and is restricted inside most temple inner sanctums.

⛔Photographing military installations, checkpoints, or defense facilities — even accidentally — can result in detention and confiscation of equipment. When in doubt, do not shoot.

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Photography is generally free, but posing disrespectfully with Buddha statues is illegal and tourists have been arrested and deported for it.

⛔Tourists have been arrested, held by police, and deported for taking photos deemed disrespectful to the Buddha. This law is enforced. When in doubt, skip the photo.

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Use Ola or Uber for safe, app-metered rides in all major cities, and always use prepaid taxi booths inside airports rather than touts outside.

⛔Unofficial taxis and 'tourist cabs' at railway stations are common scams. Always book through apps or official counters, and never accept unsolicited ride offers.

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PickMe is the dominant local app; Uber also works in Colombo; tuk-tuks are everywhere but always negotiate the price before boarding.

⛔Street-hailed tuk-tuk drivers routinely charge tourists two to three times the fair fare. Use PickMe whenever possible, and always settle the price before starting any unmetered journey.

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Never drink tap water in India — always use sealed bottled water, and be cautious of ice and raw foods washed in local water.

⛔Drinking unfiltered tap water or consuming ice from unknown sources is the single most common cause of illness for tourists in India — do not take the risk.

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Never drink tap water anywhere in Sri Lanka — drink sealed bottled water only and always check the seal before consuming.

⛔Counterfeit bottled water (tap water in resealed bottles) has been reported at some tourist sites. Always check that the tamper seal is intact and unbroken before drinking.

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Use ATMs from major banks like SBI, HDFC, ICICI, or AXIS — they reliably accept foreign cards, and always carry cash as many small vendors and rural areas are cash-only.

⛔Avoid standalone ATMs in isolated locations or those not attached to a bank branch — skimming devices are occasionally found on these machines.

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Commercial Bank, HNB, and Sampath Bank ATMs are most reliable for foreign cards; carry cash in rural areas as card acceptance is limited.

⛔ATM skimming has been reported in Sri Lanka — use ATMs attached to bank branches rather than standalone machines in tourist areas, and cover your PIN.

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India uses Type C, D, and M plugs at 230V/50Hz — carry a Type D adapter (the large 3-pin British-style round pin) as it is the most common standard.

⛔Voltage fluctuations are common in rural India. Plugging expensive electronics directly into wall sockets without a surge protector risks damage.

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India has well-documented tourist scams — the most common are fake ticket offices near monuments, gem investment traps in Jaipur and Agra, and the 'temple is closed today' redirect.

⛔The gem investment scam has cost tourists thousands of dollars. No legitimate business opportunity involves buying gems from a stranger you met today in Jaipur.

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The gem scam and tuk-tuk overcharging are the most common tourist traps — use PickMe and never buy gems from shop introductions by strangers.

⛔The gem scam is sophisticated and long-running in Sri Lanka. Friendly, English-speaking locals who approach you in tourist areas and offer to show you around often receive shop commissions — this does not mean everyone is dishonest, but be alert.

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India is generally safe for tourists at major sites but women should exercise significant caution, especially at night, and petty theft is common in crowded areas.

⛔Women traveling alone at night in India face elevated risks. Avoid unlit streets, isolated areas, and accepting drinks from strangers — incidents of harassment and assault, while not the norm, do occur.

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Sri Lanka is generally safe for tourists; petty theft exists in Colombo and at beaches but violent crime against tourists is rare.

⛔Bag snatching from moving tuk-tuks by motorbike riders does occur in Colombo. Keep bags secured on your body and avoid having phones or cameras visibly accessible while moving through traffic.

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Goa's beaches are world-famous but avoid swimming during monsoon (June–September) when red flags indicate dangerous currents — fatalities occur every year.

⛔Drowning is a serious risk at Indian beaches during and immediately after monsoon season. Red flags are not advisory — they indicate life-threatening water conditions.

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Stunning beaches span three coasts with different best seasons — always swim within flagged areas due to strong rip currents.

⛔Rip currents are a serious hazard at several popular beaches. Drowning incidents involving tourists are reported every year. Never swim at unpatrolled beaches or when red flags are flying.

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India drives on the LEFT, roads are chaotic and conditions vary dramatically — hiring a local driver is strongly recommended over self-driving for most tourists.

⛔India has one of the world's highest road accident death tolls. Night driving on non-highway roads is particularly dangerous due to unlit vehicles, animals, and poor road surfaces.

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Drive on the left; an International Driving Permit is required alongside your home licence; hiring a driver is strongly recommended over self-driving.

⛔Driving standards in Sri Lanka are significantly more chaotic than in Western countries. Overtaking on blind corners, unmarked speed bumps, and unexpected obstructions are common. Self-driving tourists have a higher accident rate than those using local drivers.

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Indian cuisine is extraordinarily diverse and delicious — start with cooked, hot foods at busy restaurants, avoid raw foods initially, and explore thali meals for outstanding value.

⛔Delhi Belly (traveler's diarrhea) affects a large proportion of first-time visitors. Carry oral rehydration salts and an antibiotic prescribed by your doctor before departure.

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Rice and curry is the national dish served daily; hoppers, kottu roti, and fresh seafood are must-tries; food is spicy by default so specify mild if needed.

⛔Sri Lankan curries are significantly hotter than Indian curries in many cases. Ordering 'not spicy' or 'very mild' is necessary if you have a low spice tolerance — 'mild' by local standards can still be quite hot.

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Remove shoes before entering all religious sites, dress modestly with covered limbs, and follow specific rules for each faith — head covering is required in Sikh gurdwaras.

⛔Entry to some Hindu temple inner sanctums is restricted to Hindus only. Attempting to enter restricted areas can cause significant offense and may result in removal by security.

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Remove shoes and hats at all religious sites, cover shoulders and knees, and never disrespect or touch sacred images or monks.

⛔The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy is Sri Lanka's most sacred Buddhist site — behaviour considered disrespectful here can cause serious public offence. Observe strict dress code and photography rules without exception.

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October to March is the best time to visit most of India — cool and dry — while April–May is extremely hot and June–September brings the monsoon.

⛔Heat stroke is a serious risk in April–May across India's plains, where temperatures routinely exceed 42°C. If visiting during summer, plan all outdoor activities before 10am and after 4pm.

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