Essentials to live in Sri Lanka

Hello everyone,

One of the things that you have to bear in mind when packing is the weather.

First, you probably will never need any winter clothes, but do pack a jacket or two in case you want to visit the city of Nuwara Eliya and its surrounding region.

Second, the business environment is quite relaxed; this combined with the heat means you probably won't need to bring your dozen suits, so pack no more than one or two for emergencies.

Closed shoes was another invention that I had to give up here. The streets will probably damage yours. Apart from that, I wonder if anything can survive the tropical rains. Plus, because of the humidity, closed shoes (and closed anything for that matter) will soon get infested with fungus.

As to the items that can be easily found in SL, I think you can pretty much find anything here. But bear in mind that electronics are relatively expensive (plus I he's rumors that a lot of the stuff in the market are fake Chinese products). So bring along a good cell phone, a durable laptop, even a shaving machine if you're a guy; all these items are better priced elsewhere.

Apart from clothes, shoes, and electronics, household items here are everywhere, and, even though they're different from what you'd find back home, they are quite suitable for your requirements here.

I also heard that medicine here is outdated for European standards. It always worked for me though, but you can pack some in your first aid kit just in case.

Hmmm, what else?

Well most things can be purchased here although the secret is knowing where to find them!     Colombo is the centre for everything including entertainment however there is certainly more going on in Galle theses days. Cheese is available at good supermarkets however it's mainly imported from Australia!  Bacon is available and generally quite good.  Beef unless buying the imported stuff is not so good,  very chewy and pork is also not so good.  Lamb is hardly available and mutton is actually goat. Chicken is fine as is the plentiful supply of fish etc. Most vegetables are available plus local foods which are delish ? Fresh milk is available in the larger supermarkets and locally produced cream Kotmale is one local brand.  Yoghurt is generally flavoured with sugar, curd either from buffalo or cows milk is similar to natural yoghurt.

Avoid Edna chocolate, it's awful stick with Kandos or imported types. The local cakes are OK rather like any mass produced cakes however the bread, usually made twice daily, is generally very nice, the uncut loaves I mean. Self raising flour is not easily come by but wheat flour and baking powder are always available.

The main supermarkets are Arpico Super centres,  Keels and Cargills, however a lot of what they sell, especially the basics can be purchased more cheaply from smaller local shops. Orange oranges and apples are imported whilst the locally grown green ones are good for juicing. Grapes are grown here as are strawberries however raspberries are only available frozen!  All the other local fruits can be bought easily.

Electrical supplies are mainly from China and as such the standard can be suspect. Insulation tape is used a lot here instead of proper connectors; plumbers don't seem to use S bend or U bend joints and they tend not to have damp courses when building or renovating properties. My friends brought two solar powered snake and rodent deterrents from Australia which they found to be very useful in their garden.

Electricity is expensive however whilst the cost of living has gone up it is still cheap compared to lots of countries in the West, it's a quid pro quo type of arrangement. 

For women, tampons are not readily available outside of some supermarkets and large cup bras are difficult to find!  I tend to bring back underwear from UK.

Alcohol is plentiful however it cannot be sold on Poya Days and other times as determined by the Government,  so keep a supply handy if necessary!  The tax on it is continually going up!

Patience in abundance is required as there is global time and then Sri Lankan time! An arrangement to meet someone at 10 in the morning may mean they turn up at 12 or even later! The driving has to be seen to appreciate the unique driving skills required over here - you have been warned.

Depending on personal taste most china,  glassware and furniture is available over here although the styles are a bit ornate for my taste. Most electical  items are available but costly. Unless living in an apartment block gas cookers use gas bottles. Electrical stoppages are frequent outside of Colombo and irritating unless you have a backup generator.  Cutlery I would suggest you bring as I haven't found any decent makes over here. Fabric is plentiful as is hand loom for dressmaking or soft furnishings.

I used to keep bring cheese and bacon with me when I returned from trips to UK however I don't any more I tend to stock up at IKEA!  Corrosion is quite bad here especially within a few miles of the coast so I now purchase non metal fittings etc such as lamps.

Depending on where you will be living will determine what type of storage systems you may heed - I am right on the coast and as such need cupboards to protect books, DVDs etc from the salt slime which occurs!

Despite all this I love living here and enjoy the relaxed way of life - I have someone come in 5 days a week to clean, cook and iron which I would not be able to do in UK well not for for what it costs over here! 

Hope this helps? Heather

A dengue kit. Lots of mosquito repellent. Antiseptic.  All these things can be bought in SL.

In addition to the posts above (which are great) I would add sun cream, especially if you are fair. I found a shop that imported it from Australia and it was 3200 rupees for a 90ml tube.  I have since had family in Australia send us some SPF 30+ and 50+. 

For ladies, or significant others of female friends, even though this was mentioned above, cannot stress enough that you will not find tampons here.  So every time you do a trip to Singapore, UK, Australia, USA, do your female friends a solid and bring back a pack or two or three and just give them to your expat lady friends.  I try to remember to carry them in my purse now for those moments in the supermarket when you see a desperate traveller looking at the shelves in panic in the female hygiene area.

Something that made traversing the supermarket much easier for me was I quickly found someone to teach me how to cook Sri Lankan curries.  This way, I don't need to freak out when I'm trying to find the one item from home that if imported will be two or three times the price. (I've seen plenty of new expats having mini melt downs in the supermarket because they can't find the thing they want/know how to cook). Plus they have some very cool vegetables here; I love learning how to cook and prepare them.  And if you eat local, you know the produce is turning over quickly and it's more economical.  Plus, you can pick up some of the freshest and cheapest vegetables from road side farmers sheds. Always fun when I ask for them in their Sinhala name. Gives them a kick that the pale blonde lady knows what they are called.

When we relocated we had to wait for our shipping container so I had to set up the kitchen from scratch. (Had a few items that I can't live without on the boat, but in the main sold/donated everything and put the good stuff in storage). I was able to set up our kitchen initially here for around AUD$700.  This is all cleaning products, crockery, pots and pans, glassware, tea set, wine glasses, storage containers, etc. I love to cook so have many "must haves" to have a functional kitchen. I have since added to it, but in the main, the kitchen ware here is quite reasonable in price and quality.  Plus I recently went to the Noritake factory near Kandy and picked up a beautiful tea set and serving platter for just over the price of the tea pot on its own in Australia.  So if you love your tea sets, buy them here, leave your Royal Doulton at home in storage.