Safety in Sri Lanka

Health: Mosquitoes here carry dengue, so use strong repellent during the day as well as at night. No specific vaccinations are demanded, but carry a basic medical kit. Healthcare in the big cities is decent, though you'll need insurance to use it.

The ocean: Vicious rip currents occur even at the popular southern beaches. Never ignore a red flag; the waves can look harmless and drag you out in seconds. Swim in known bays without heavy surf or submerged rocks.

Wildlife: Monitor lizards and monkeys live alongside people, but feeding or touching them is a bad idea. Wild elephants on roads in the centre of the island can be aggressive towards vehicles, so stay inside. Keep your distance and remember these are wild animals.

Scams: Tuk-tuk drivers often offer to take you to "the best spice garden" or a free mask factory. It generally ends with high-pressure selling at five times the real price. Decline politely and use a map app so you know the route.

Drinking water: Never drink from the tap, and don't use it to brush your teeth in cheap guesthouses. Buy bottled water and check the seal on the cap. That one habit prevents most stomach trouble in the tropics.

Personal safety: The island is broadly safe for independent travel, but basic care is still needed. Don't leave valuables unattended on the beach or carry large amounts of cash after dark. Use hotel safes and keep copies of your documents in the cloud.

Sri Lanka is a friendly country, and most schemes here run on insistent hospitality rather than fear.

Tuk-tuks without meters. The classic. Meters are officially compulsory but switched on reluctantly. The benchmark is around 100 rupees per kilometre; ordering through an app removes the question entirely.

"There's a special festival today." At the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy you will be told the site is closed to tourists, or that a unique ceremony is under way, and led "the short way" — into a spice shop or a jeweller's. Check the schedule at the entrance.

Gemstones. Ratnapura genuinely produces sapphires, which is exactly why the scheme survives: you are offered a stone "at the miner's price" with a promise of doubling your money at home. Buy nothing without a gemmological assessment.

Baby formula. Outside shops in tourist areas, a woman with a child asks not for money but for a tin of infant formula. The tin is wildly overpriced and returns to the shelf once you leave, with the money split with the shopkeeper.

Yala safaris. Jeeps sell a "private tour" that turns out to be shared, or guarantee a leopard sighting. No such guarantee exists; book through your hotel.

The Buddha is the single most common cause of trouble for tourists. A visible Buddha tattoo has led to refused entry and deportation — a British visitor was turned back at the airport in 2014. Taking a selfie with your back to a Buddha statue is an offence people have been detained for. Buddha images on T-shirts, bags and souvenirs are also received badly.

Full moon days (poya). Once a month, alcohol shops close nationwide, bars serve nothing, and butchers do not open. Hotels sometimes serve guests in their rooms, but do not count on it.

E-cigarettes are banned — importing and selling vapes is illegal, and devices are confiscated at the border.

Drugs. The law is severe, possession brings long sentences, and the death penalty formally exists for hard drugs, though sentences are not carried out.

Dress. Temples require covered shoulders and knees, with shoes and hats removed. Socks are permitted and are a genuine relief on the scorching stone of Anuradhapura.

Beaches. Topless sunbathing is prohibited along the entire coast, tourist areas included.

Vaccinations. None mandatory; a yellow fever certificate is required only from arrivals out of Africa and South America. Hepatitis A, typhoid and rabies are the usual recommendations.

Dengue. The island's main infectious threat, with epidemics every year including in Colombo and along the coast. The mosquito bites by day, so repellent is a morning necessity. A fever above 38°C on day two or three means a blood test immediately — self-medicating dengue is dangerous.

The sea. Drowning is the leading cause of tourist deaths in Sri Lanka. Currents on the south and west coasts shift with the season: the west is dangerous from May to September, the east from October to April. Most beaches have no lifeguards at all.

Water. Not from the tap. Bottled water is cheap and everywhere.

Sun. This is the equator, and the UV is harsher than it feels: people burn on overcast days and in the water.

Healthcare. Private hospitals in Colombo — Nawaloka, Asiri, Lanka Hospitals — are decent and inexpensive by European standards. Provincial healthcare is weaker, and anything serious means a trip to the capital.

Sri Lanka sits mid-table on corruption. Petty extortion rarely touches tourists, but it does appear on the roads.

Traffic stops. Foreigners on rented scooters and tuk-tuks are stopped often. What is checked is your Sri Lankan driving permit: an International Driving Permit alone is not enough, and you need a local recognition permit issued by the Automobile Association Ceylon or online. Without one the fine is lawful and there is nothing to contest.

Tourist police. Present in Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Negombo and other main destinations. They speak English and take complaints from foreigners seriously.

Reporting theft. A certificate for your insurer is issued, but the process is slow. Bringing a hotel staff member to translate and apply pressure often helps.

For women. Harassment on public transport is a known problem, particularly on crowded buses and trains. Trains have calmer carriages, and window seats near families are worth choosing.

Emergency numbers: 119 for police and 1990 for the Suwa Seriya ambulance service, which is free and operates nationwide.