We are going to Sri Lanka for a wedding in a few weeks time. Is it safe to go?

Question

We are staying in a resort in the south of the Islnad for most of it but with a couple of days in Columbu. Should I be worried or just relax?

Good job that I'm not American k.t.400!!!!

Answer 1

lol yes

Answer 2

You can get blown up on the tube in London. South of the Island OK. Colombo is quite well protected, but problems have started again and there's never a guarantee. Wrong place, wrong time. It's the way of the world, unfortunately.

Answer 3

Its no more dangerous than visiting US or India. There are problems everywhere but there hasnt been large attacks in Colombo for several years. No foreigners have ever been killed in Colombo or South due to attacks , so relax and enjoy your holiday

Answer 4

Yeah, calm down there is no warfare going on that far south or that far west.

Answer 5

very quiet over here at the moment you will have a great time

Answer 6

my cousin is working there building houses. i think its fine and you should just relax.

Answer 7

It should be fine. If you are British, check www.fco.gov.uk

Answer 8

just relax and enjoy yourself

Answer 9

ill pop a cap in your *** lol

Answer 10

SAFETY AND SECURITY: Since 1997, the State Department has included the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on its list of foreign terrorist organizations. Terrorist activities in the capital city of Colombo and other areas of the country remain a serious threat. The LTTE and the Sri Lankan government have not engaged in large-scale combat since the signing of the ceasefire; however, smaller-scale violence occurs periodically, and the LTTE have assassinated Sri Lankans that oppose their aims. The most serious cease fire violation since the agreement was signed in 2002 occurred on June 15, 2006, when a claymore mine, likely the work of the LTTE, destroyed a passenger bus in north central Sri Lanka, killing over 60 civilians.

Throughout their history, the LTTE have engaged in numerous terrorist acts, including suicide bombings at political rallies, government buildings, and major economic targets. In 2001, the LTTE attacked the Colombo International Airport and destroyed both commercial and military aircraft. Several military personnel were killed, military and airport employees were injured, and civilians were caught in the crossfire. In 2003, the LTTE attacked several foreign commercial ships in the waters off the north and east coasts of Sri Lanka. On July 7, 2004, a suicide bomber detonated in a police station in Colombo, killing herself, 4 policemen, and critically injuring 11 people. On June 17, 2006, LTTE frogmen were apprehended north of Colombo; they may have been trying to attack ships in the port of Colombo. The LTTE have also engaged in political assassinations, including the August 12, 2005 assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar at his residence in Colombo.

Although U.S. citizens have not been specifically targeted, LTTE operations have been planned and executed with the knowledge that Americans and other foreigners might be killed or injured. American citizens traveling or residing in Sri Lanka may be inadvertently caught up in random acts of violence. Travel in restricted areas is dangerous. In April 2001, grenade fragments seriously injured an American citizen when she was caught in a skirmish between government and insurgent forces in the eastern part of the country. In May 2006, seven people were killed when a jeep carrying Sri Lankan tourists hit a landmine in Wilpattu National Park in the northwest of the country. The park had reopened in 2003, after being closed for 17 years due to the ongoing conflict. While most national parks are quite safe, tourists should be aware that the LTTE has the capability to operate in many national parks located in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Travelers should also be aware that the LTTE have employed vehicle-mounted bombs. In the past they have detonated bombs near major hotels, a tourist site in Kandy, and have targeted buses and trains.

We advise all Americans to stay away from military bases and vehicles in Sri Lanka. On June 6, 2006 a claymore mine exploded 50 meters from the Welisara Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) camp in Ragama, on Colombo-Negombo Road. On April 25, 2006, a female suicide bomber attacked the vehicle of the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army at army headquarters in Colombo, killing several members of his staff and injuring many more bystanders.

American citizens should also be alert to outbreaks of communal violence, such as that which occurred in April 2003 when two hand grenades were detonated in tourist hotels in Arugambay, killing or injuring three tourists. In October 2002, riots between Muslim and Sinhala factions in the Greater Colombo area precipitated short-term curfews. In May 2001 a disturbance between Buddhist and Muslim communities near Kandy reportedly resulted in one death during a police shootout and extensive property damage.

Americans are advised to avoid entirely political rallies and other mass gatherings, public transportation, and to limit their exposure to government buildings if possible. Non-Sri Lankan citizens of Tamil heritage have occasionally been detained during security operations. U.S. citizens of any ethnic heritage are encouraged to keep their passports with them at all times. In the event of a terrorist attack, Americans should monitor local radio and television, seek cover away from windows, and return to their homes or hotels when it is safe to do so. The Government has periodically imposed curfews in Colombo; Americans should strictly observe curfew regulations and monitor local radio and television.

American citizens are advised not to travel north of a line from Puttalam on the west coast through Anuradhapura in the central north and Nilaveli (just north of Trincomalee) in the east. Areas north of this line contain many land mines, making travel off paved roads very dangerous. Americans are also advised against travel to the city of Jaffna in the North. In addition, the Government of Sri Lanka does not exercise effective control of the civil administration in many sections of the north, where the LTTE operate openly. On April 18, 2006, the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka urged all American citizens to avoid travel to any location in the Jaffna Peninsula or the Trincomalee area and urged Americans in these parts to give serious consideration to departing. Furthermore, Americans are advised to consider their personal security foremost before traveling or working in the area of Batticaloa in the East. Official travel by U.S. Government personnel to this area is restricted, and their unofficial travel is prohibited. Travel in the east in the area south of the Anuradhapura-Nilaveli line (including Trincomalee, Batticaloa and points south) poses significant safety risks.

In addition, roads in these areas are often substandard, and police, medical and other emergency help is severely limited or not available. Communications within the eastern areas are also limited, with no cell phone accessibility and very limited landline telephone access. Because of these factors, the U.S. Embassy may not be able to provide consular services in a timely manner to American citizens who travel to the north and east.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at where the current Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, including the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, can be found.

Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State's pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad.