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Blogs from Tikalanka are designed to enhance your knowledge of Sri Lanka and Maldives and keep you up to date with recent developments. We intend to post regular features on travel, news, lifestyle and accommodation as well as guest articles from current and past customers, which will give you first-hand experience of Tikalanka, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Posted by John on 28th April 2020
The Sri Lankan government announced the phased reduction in curfews from 20 April 2020, although overnight curfew measures and social distancing instructions remain in force. There remain commercial flight options to return to the UK from Sri Lanka with Qatar Airways, which is operating flights from Colombo to Doha three times a week with onward connections to the UK.
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Posted by John on 22nd April 2020
Happy Earth Day! Yesterday, on the first anniversary of the terrorist atrocities in Sri Lanka, I sent a message to our guides about the coronavirus pandemic, finishing with a favourite quote of mine from ‘Lord of the Rings’, which is particularly prophetic today: (Frodo) “I wish none of this had happened." (Gandalf) "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
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Posted by John on 20th April 2020
As of today (20 April 2020), Tikalanka is no longer able to accept credit card payments since our ‘generous’ merchant services provider has varied the T&Cs to such an extent that it is not viable for us to continue to take credit cards. However, payment by bank transfer or personal cheque remain valid options.
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Posted by John on 15th April 2020
Sri Lanka’s New Year celebrations on 13 April 2020 were a subdued affair unsurprisingly with the prime minister promoting national unity and cultural coexistence to mark the occasion. SriLankan Airlines has extended the suspension of regular flights until at least 30 April 2020.
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Posted by John on 11th April 2020
EXCEPTIONAL TRAVEL ADVISORY NOTICE – The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advised British citizens against all non-essential travel worldwide on 17 March 2020 for an initial period of 30 days. This was changed to “an indefinite period” on 04 April 2020. This leaves Tikalanka and our customers in a quandary since no definitive end to the travel advisory implies that it may be lifted at any time, which means holiday bookings are in limbo right up until the departure date.
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Posted by John on 6th April 2020
If you live in the UK and are currently visiting Sri Lanka, you are strongly advised to return immediately by commercial means since special charter flights will only operate for priority countries where commercial flights are not possible – there remain commercial options to return to the UK from Sri Lanka. You should not assume that these flights will become available in countries where there are commercial alternatives.
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Posted by John on 2nd April 2020
Curfews in Sri Lanka are subject to last-minute changes and checkpoints have been introduced. If you are already in Sri Lanka, the government has announced that visit visas will be extended to 12 May 2020. There are currently no commercial flights available to return to the UK from Maldives. If you cannot leave Maldives at this time, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has posted a 5-point plan of ‘What to do’.
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Posted by John on 1st April 2020
The WHO has commended Sri Lanka in the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as the president appealed to world aid organisations to grant concessions to developing countries at risk from the global effects of COVID-19. It is likely that flight options will become more restricted in the coming days. The Government of Maldives has declared a Public Health Emergency and imposed a daily curfew from 02 April 2020 until further notice. New travel restrictions are severely limiting commercial flight schedules.
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Posted by John on 31st March 2020
In Sri Lanka, the curfew imposed in Colombo, Gampaha, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy and Puttalam Districts is extended until further notice; in all other districts, the curfew will be lifted daily from 06.00 to 14.00. Colombo airport is closed to arrivals until 08 April 2020, although Emirates is resuming flights to Colombo (and Malé) from 01 June 2020. In Maldives, Malé airport is closed daily from 21.00 to 06.00, and all resorts are banned from accepting bookings and will close after the last guests depart.
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Posted by John on 28th March 2020
A nationwide curfew is in place in Sri Lanka, which is strictly enforced. This will continue until further notice in Colombo, Gampaha, Jaffna and Kalutara Districts. In Puttalam District and the Northern Province (other than Jaffna District) the curfew will be in place from 14.00 on 27 March 2020 until 06.00 on 30 March 2020 then re-imposed at 14.00 the same day. The curfew currently in force in other districts will be lifted from 06.00 to 12 noon daily.
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