Tika Traveller

Discover Sri Lanka & Maldives From Those Who Know It Best

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.

Category: Maldives

TikaWeeks #34/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 17th August 2020

Emirates is offering free global COVID-19 cover on your journey. This first-ever initiative assures you of complete support when your travels are affected by COVID-19, including medical expenses and quarantine costs. This cover is valid for 31 days from the start of your journey, so you can travel to any destination with complete peace of mind. Sri Lanka remains closed to foreign visitors, while Maldives is open but the UK requires 14 days’ quarantine on your return.

TikaWeeks #29/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 15th July 2020

Tikalanka is 16 years old today! When we launched in 2004 we could never have envisaged what the future would hold for us… and what a 16 years it has been! We have endured civil war, a tsunami, countless, disrupting local and parliamentary elections, terrorist bomb attacks, a financial recession, and now COVID-19. But we have endured – and remain resolutely positive, whatever the ‘new normal’ may be.

TikaWeeks #27/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 3rd July 2020

Ridiculous as it may seem, the illustrious UK government today decided NOT to include either Sri Lanka or Maldives on its initial travel corridors list, which exempts travellers from self-isolating for 14 days on arrival in England from 10 July 2020. Both island nations have managed to limit the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) effectively and efficiently, contrary to our own government's disastrous and amoral actions, so why penalise them for doing the job properly?

TikaWeeks #21/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

Posted by John on 22nd May 2020

With the British government intimating that you shouldn’t plan any holidays abroad this summer and Qatar Airways already cancelling flights to Sri Lanka up to September 2020, international tourism is in the doldrums and there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the near future. However, at least both the Governments of Sri Lanka and Maldives appear to have contained the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) promptly and effectively in stark contrast to our own.

TikaWeeks #17-1/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

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.

TikaWeeks #15-2/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

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.

TikaWeeks #14-3/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

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’.

TikaWeeks #14-2/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

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.

TikaWeeks #14-1/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

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.

TikaWeeks #13-4/2020: Sri Lanka & Maldives update

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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