🛂 Do I Need a Visa to Travel to Sri Lanka?

Yes, all travelers to Sri Lanka require a visa, valid for a minimum of 30 days.

You can obtain your Sri Lanka Tourist Visa in one of two ways:

✅ Option 1: Apply ONLINE VISA (Recommended)

Visit the official Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) website.

Pay the visa fee ($50 USD) using a credit card.

After submitting your application, you will typically receive an email confirmation within 24 hours—often with the approved visa attached.

This is the most convenient and efficient option.

✈️ Option 2: Visa on Arrival

Available at the airport in Sri Lanka.

However, we recommend applying online in advance to save time and avoid queues after a long flight.

Tip: Double-check that your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates.

🚐 How Do I Get to Kalpitiya from the Airport?

Kalpitiya is located 144 km north of Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) and is well worth the journey for those seeking a more authentic, off-the-beaten-path Sri Lanka experience.

🕒 Travel Time

By taxi: Travel time ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 hours, depending on traffic.

Expect slightly longer travel times during the day compared to early mornings or evenings.

🚖 Recommended Option: Pre-Arranged Taxi Pickup

We strongly recommend arranging your airport transfer with your accommodation (such as Ruuk Village).

This saves you time, avoids confusion, and ensures your driver knows the exact route to Kalpitiya—which many standard airport taxi drivers may not.

Tip: If you're traveling with kite gear and a backpack, booking a taxi in advance will save you time, energy, and stress.

🚆 Train or Bus Options

You can reach Kalpitiya by train or public bus, but this route requires a minimum of 5 to 6 hours from the time you leave the airport and is better suited for budget travelers or those with flexible schedules.

📍 For step-by-step guidance, check out our Google Map - How to get to Kalpitiya

Extra Links:
Airport Taxi | Flughafen Sri Lanka info

Airport | Flughafen Taxi nach kalpitiya

🌤️ When Is the Best Time to Travel to Sri Lanka?

The most popular time for Sri Lanka travel is from December to March. During these months, the weather is generally milder and more pleasant across much of the country making it ideal for beach holidays, cultural tours, and outdoor adventures.

However, it’s also the busiest travel season, with higher visitor numbers, especially in December and January.

Tip: If you prefer a quieter, more spacious holiday experience, consider visiting outside the peak months. February, March, and even early November or late April often offer great weather with fewer crowds.

Let us know your travel style, and we’ll help you choose the best time to visit!

✈️ How Do I Fly to Sri Lanka?

Most major international airlines operate flights to Bandaranaike International Airport (Colombo Airport), which is the main international gateway to Sri Lanka.

The total travel time from Central Europe is approximately 12 hours, depending on the length of your layover. Most flights include one stopover, and we recommend checking your transit times carefully before booking.

Popular airlines and typical transit hubs:

Emirates with transit in Dubai, usually around 2 hours

Etihad Airways with transit in Abu Dhabi, often about 2 hours

Qatar Airways with transit in Doha, typically around 2 hours

Oman Air with transit in Muscat, minimum 3 hours required

Transit times can vary depending on the season and route, so double-check with your airline before confirming your ticket.

Direct flights to Colombo:

Edelweiss Air offers seasonal direct flights from Zurich (mostly in December and January)

KLM offers direct flights from Amsterdam

Sri Lankan Airlines provides direct connections from Frankfurt and London

Let us know your arrival time if you would like help arranging your transfer to Kalpitiya. We are happy to assist.

💳 What About Money and Payments in Sri Lanka?

The official currency of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). As of now, the exchange rate is approximately 340 rupees to 1 Euro and 370 rupees to 1 Swiss Franc. Rates may fluctuate slightly, so it’s always good to check just before you travel.

You can withdraw Sri Lankan rupees directly from ATMs in Kalpitiya, using most European and Swiss bank cards. There are four ATMs in Kalpitiya, each operated by a different local bank.

Many places in Sri Lanka also accept international credit cards, but it is wise to double-check in advance, especially when visiting smaller businesses or remote areas.

Important tip: Some credit cards need to be activated for use in Sri Lanka. Make sure to confirm this with your bank before departure.

We do not recommend exchanging money into Sri Lankan rupees in your home country, as the rates are usually less favorable than local withdrawals.

If you need help with currency exchange or finding an ATM during your stay, our team will be happy to assist.

💰 How Does Tipping Work in Sri Lanka?

In most places across Sri Lanka, a service charge is already included in your final bill. This charge is typically distributed among the staff and forms part of their regular income.

If you still wish to leave a personal tip for someone who has offered exceptional service, a guideline of around 10% of the bill is considered normal in restaurants and guest services.

Note:

If the bill is only a few hundred rupees—for example, 450 rupees—it’s generally better not to leave a small percentage tip, as amounts under 100 rupees may be misunderstood. In such cases, it's perfectly acceptable not to tip at all.

As a rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t leave the equivalent of a few cents as a tip at home, it’s best not to do so here either 😊

In local shops or cafés, tipping is not expected, but it is always appreciated when offered with sincerity.

🧳 What Should I Pack for My Stay at Ruuk Village?

To help you make the most of your time in Kalpitiya—whether you're here to relax, kitesurf, or explore—here are a few essentials we recommend bringing:

☀️ Sun Protection

Bring plenty of high-SPF sunscreen (SPF 50 recommended), especially for your first few days.

Note: Quality sunscreen is not easy to find in Kalpitiya, so pack enough from home.

A UV-protective rash guard or long-sleeve shirt is great for kiting, especially if you have sensitive skin.

🧢 Water & Kite Gear

A water-sport hat and waterproof sunglasses are must-haves for long days in the sun and wind.

If you tend to step on sharp things (we’ve all been there!), bring your neoprene shoes—your feet will thank you.

🦟 Insect Protection

While Kalpitiya isn’t heavily infested, a mosquito repellent can be useful.

We recommend trying citronella oil, available locally. Apply daily after your shower, especially on arms and legs.

👙 For Female Guests

Kalpitiya is still a modest fishing village. Out of respect for the local community, we recommend bringing shorts or boat shorts for covering up at public beaches if you're wearing a two-piece swimsuit.

🩹 First Aid Essentials

It’s a good idea to bring a small wound-cleaning solution or antiseptic.

We have a first aid kit at Ruuk Village, but having your own can be helpful for extended travels.

♻️ Sustainability Tip

Please bring a refillable water bottle to help us reduce plastic waste.

Want to make a difference? Leave your bottle behind—we’ll gladly pass it on to local schoolchildren.

🌿 Things to Do In and Around Ruuk Village

Whether you are looking for local culture, nature experiences, or hands-on learning, Ruuk Village offers a variety of unique and memorable activities during your stay.

🐘 Explore Wilpattu National Park

Just about one hour away by boat or jeep, Wilpattu is the largest national park in Sri Lanka. While it may not offer the animal density of an African safari, you can often spot elephants and, with a bit of luck, even a leopard. Wildlife experts say that Sri Lanka has one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity in a small area, with some claiming it is even three times higher than in Brazil.

🛕 Visit the Temple on the Rock in Anamaduwa

This peaceful and lesser-known Buddhist temple sits on a scenic rock and offers a quiet moment of reflection.

🌳 See the Ancient “Elephant Tree”

Believed to be more than 700 years old, this enormous tree is a living piece of local history.

🐚 Collect Mussels for Dinner

Search the shore for mussels and ask our kitchen team to cook them into a delicious local dish.

🦪 Visit the Oyster Farm

Take a walk to the nearby oyster farm and pick up fresh oysters straight from the source.

🥥 Make Virgin Coconut Oil

Learn how to produce fresh coconut oil using coconuts from our own land, just as the locals do.

🍛 Cook a Traditional Sri Lankan Curry

Join our cooking session to learn how we prepare our own curry pastes and make real Sri Lankan curries from scratch.

🍳 Try Making Kottu Roti in the Evening

Get involved in preparing one of Sri Lanka’s most beloved street foods, with the help of our local team.

🌴 Learn to Weave Coconut Leaves

Ask our kitchen ladies to show you how to prepare a coconut leaf used for traditional roofing methods.

🧴 Create Coastal Souvenirs

Collect seashells and driftwood from the beach, paint them, and take home a handmade reminder of your time in Kalpitiya.

🚴 Cycle Around Kalpitiya**

Rent / Borrow a bicycle and explore the peaceful surroundings, local paths, and nearby lagoon views.

🏐 Join a Game of Petanque or Volleyball

Connect with fellow guests and enjoy some lighthearted competition in the afternoon sun.

🎯 Play Darts in the Lounge Area

Unwind in the evening with a relaxed game of darts.

🏄‍♂️ Explore the Lagoon by Stand-Up Paddleboard

Take a paddleboard and glide across the calm waters of the Kalpitiya lagoon at your own pace.

There is always something meaningful or fun to experience at Ruuk Village. Just let us know what interests you, and we will be happy to help you make it happen.

+ Yes you can, right away at the airport, when you come through the customs Or also in Kalpitiya at the jewelry shop

+ Don’t exchange money in your local bank, since the exchange rate is really not good.

+ In case you plan to go traveling after kiting in Kalpitiya, then you can also use

your credit card or your Maestro card to draw money. NOTE: There are certain cards that do not work. You need to cross check with your bank before.

+ Drinking water is available in 20L water spenders

+ We have banned the use of plastic straws and one-way plastic bottles, kindly refrain from purchasing plastic bottles in the town centre

+ To reduce plastic waste, we recommend you bring your sports drinking bottle with you, we also have few bottles what you can borrow

+ We request all guests to help us save water. Kalpitiya is in the dry-zone and Ruuk Village is not connected to the public water system. Ruuk Village pumps the water from a deep-well

+ Most of the known credit cards are accpeted in most of the shops and accomadation

+ Most places apply a 3% transaction cost to your final bill ( Payment gateway cahrges / 3rd party charges)

+ paypal paymanetns are accepted as a prepayment method only ( advnace payment )

+ Any Paypal cahrges which occurs, shall be carried by the payee.

+ We recommend you to talk to your doctor, and get his oppinion on this topic

+ Sri Lank is open to all who have got their Vaccines + Booster

+ All employees at Ruuk Village have got their Vaccines + Booster.

+ To complement the COVID Guidelines of WHO, at Ruuk Village we guarantee a minimum number of guests at any given time.

+ Ruuk Village avoids having large gatehring within the resort.

+ Kalpitiya is on the border to the Dry-Zone of Sri Lanka

+ Which means, in Kalpitiya one doesnt need to have Hot-Water for showers, the Sun heats up the water enough

+ During the months of December / January the evening tempratures are cooler than the rest of the year

+ During December & January, we normally recommend to have a shower before the sunset

+ All wooden Cabans are built to maximize the Wind to ventilate

+ Ruuk Village is an Off-the-GRID project

+ Ruuk VIllage harvests its own Electricity using a Solar Farm of 6KW.

+ Ruuk Village stores the Solar energy in a Battery-Bank.

+ Therefore we are unable to offer Air-Condition in our Wooden Cabanas.

+ On request we provide Ventilators

+ We recommend you to take a hotel/hostel room close to the airport and get yourself picked up next day

+ In case you still wish to travel another 3 hours by taxi ( after a late-night flight) then we can make arrangements to pick you up. Kindly mention this during the booking process.

+ Our check-is between 14:00Hrs till 22:00Hrs. After this, a late-night fee is added to your final bill.

+ In case you are a kiter who goes to places few times a year, we recommednd you to have either the VDWS tool Box or the "Swiss Kitegenossen insurance

+ If you are renting maerial from Ruuk Village, we could also offer you an insurance to cover damge to material with out a "deductible" amount. 10€ per each covered day. Covers ONLY kitematerial which are not purposely damaged.

+ VDWS Tool Box Link

+ Swiss Kitegenossen Insurance

+ Sri Lanka offer one of the best 4G ( Broad band Networks ) in South Asia.

+ Sri lanka was one of the first coutries to offer 3G to its communication networks. + This means in Sri Lanka, irrespective where you are, the Data coverage is pretty good. + Most places offer Free WiFi. In case you wish to be independent, we recommend you to get a Prepaid SIM at the airport.

+ The opertors we recommend are:

Dialog Data

Mobitel Data

NOTE: Make sure your Mobile/smartphone is not SIM-locked, check this with your network operator. Or just take a SIM ( should be a different operator than yours ) of your friend and replace it in your mobile, if your mobile can connect to the particular mobile Network then you are read to go.

Electricity current is 220 – 240 Volt AV, you don’t need to take extra adaptors, you can ask for an adaptor at check-in