Would you recommend a quick visit to Sri Lanka? I hear the
political climate is pretty heavy at the moment. Do you
know if this is still the case. It looks so beautiful and
peacful!
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There is indeed a war going on in the North and East of Sri
Lanka between Tamils and Sinhalese. Both sides should be
ashamed. But by and large the war is contained in these
areas, and you will be able to delight in the peace and
beauty of the island.
There will be police checkpoints in Colombo and as you head
into the Cultural Triangle or if you head east to
Trincomalee or Arugam Bay. The checks are more and more
severe as you get closer to hot areas, so they can spoil
trips to the eastern shores, but they can also keep you
safe.
Occasionally the LTTE guerrilla forces send suicide bombers
into populated and tourist-frequented areas, so one can't
say it's entirely safe. But then you can't say that about
anyplace (witness recent bombings in London, the Colorado
school slayings, NY cop shootouts, etc.). I go yearly and
love it very much.
Sounds wonderful, but a little bit dangerous. I'll be
travelling solo and i'm a bit wired on the whole idea as it
is. Maybe I'll stick to Rajasthan and Kerala and save Sri
Lanka when I build up some more guts...
Monique, you're very right to pay attention to your gut
feeling. But I really don't think travelling in SL to the
triangle, Kandy, Tea Country, and down the west coast poses
anything like the dangers of a 10 minute walk on the
sidewalk of any American city.
You'd be safer in Jaffna wearing a tee shirt with "Fuck the
Tiger Elam" on the front than you would in some sections of
LA at midnight. My point is, generally speaking, you
can't even reach the dangerous north and eastern areas of
SL; you'll be turned away by police and military road
blocks. The other areas mentioned by the other posters
are well worth the trip. If you're a worrier, you might
consider just staying home locked in your room waiting
for the end. My god, Monique, can't you find a
backbone for rent somewhere!
The political climate in SL has been heavy for decades, no
end in sight. I went there on my own in December/January and
didn't feel unsafe. You see a lot of police and military on
the streets, they search vehicles and control identity
cards, but not from Western tourists. I took buses and
trains, spent some time in Colombo. There is so much to see.
It's more likely to be hit by a bomb in London at the
moment, but I wouldn't hesitate to go there right now.