This is the round up for the first half of January 2017. I've been enjoying some rest and relaxation with family and friends to kick off the new year. It's been abundantly nourishing for me and I'm energized to get right back into the thick of tropical life again. And as I was strolling around South Bank, I came across ...
This is the round up for December 2016. I'm a little late putting this out there due to the fact I've been visiting and celebrating with family and friends over the festive season. I'm enjoying a spell in colder climates and never-ending puddings and traditions. How was the festive season for you? I hope it was better than you hoped ...
The latest headlines across local media read, "Dengue reaches epidemic level in 10 districts" and "Dengue: Public Health Officers’ leave cancelled". I don't know whether you've noticed the hike in these sorts of headlines over the past year, but there seems to be a lot of fear mongering with regards to the Sri Lankan dengue situation. Undoubtedly, this is an ...
This is the round up for the second part of November 2016. Can you believe we're in December already? One more month in 2016 and in the blink of an eye we'll be kicking off 2017. So what are the things you have to tick off before the year is done? Will you be in Sri Lanka over the festive ...
It feels like it's time for another installment of "An expat in Sri Lanka: the Good, Bad and Ugly". You're probably wondering how life has been treating me over the past few months. It's been busy in all aspects of life, but I've been reaping the rewards of all the good stuff I've been sowing for the past few years. ...
This is the round up for the first part of November 2016. The main event seems to have been the release of the Sri Lankan Government's Budget 2017. I published a blog post about a week ago titled "Sri Lanka Budget 2017 - some highlights for Foreign Investors, Expats and Visitors" to sum up the big-ticket changes and implications. Other ...
Sri Lanka's Budget 2017 was presented in Parliament yesterday with the key theme of accelerating growth and social inclusion. The Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayake made a comment in his Budget speech that, “No Finance Minister wants to impose taxes and burden the people. Every Finance Minister wants to give concessions to the people improving their lives.” Unfortunately, tax hikes have ...
Sri Lanka has long been a favorite destination for all types of spiritual seekers, from those wanting to learn how to be calm and stress-free, avid meditators who enjoy long periods of solitude, seekers of the Truth, those with an aspiration to ordain as a Buddhist monk or nun and the rest that fall somewhere within all of that. Buddhism ...
If you're active on Facebook, then you may have seen regular posts to the Adventure in a Tuk-Tuk Blog's Facebook page of assorted local news items relevant to expats (and travelers) and living in Sri Lanka; general interest articles; and a variety of local events for your diary. Seeing as some readers are adverse or less inclined towards social media, ...
One of the questions I often get asked on this blog and via email is about expat forums and groups in Sri Lanka, most especially in Colombo, Kandy and Galle. It's understandable that this question comes up, as most of us have left our family and friends back in our native countries in order to move to Sri Lanka for ...
There's something wonderful about letting someone else take you on an adventure. I particularly love when my local friends invite me on a day trip or a drive without really telling me what's on the agenda. Naturally, there's trust as well as a sense of excitement at not knowing where or what we're doing. Plus, after keeping to schedules most ...
I had Girihadu Seya on my to-do list for 2016, and I managed to make a visit there. Girihadu Seya is situated in the Thiriyaya region of the Trincomalee District. It is located atop a 212ft rock near the Yan Oya estuary, and you will need to climb at least 300 steps to reach the place. Girihadu Seya was apparently ...
It has been an interesting expat experience having the luxury of employing domestic help around the home. Back in the UK this would have been something I would never have considered for a number of reasons, the most obvious one being the financial outlay. But since living on the island, I've come to realize that Sri Lanka has a long ...
I moved to Sri Lanka in early 2008 and the island was still at war in the north-east with no end in sight. Back in those days in Colombo, I recall always feeling a frisson of awareness and traces of uncertainty around the escalating level of violence and despair. It seemed far away, but at the same time also close. ...
Colombo ranks at #139 on Mercer's 2016 Cost of Living City Index out of 209 countries. As such, Colombo is not considered one of the more expensive city for expats, unlike cities such as Hong Kong which top the list of the most expensive cities for expats. Even Dhaka #45, Mumbai #82, Phnom Penh #118, and New Delhi #130 rank ...
If you recall one of my blog posts from earlier this year, "Travel Monday: What's on Eva's Travel To-Do List 2016", I had Mannar Island listed as one of the things on this travel list. I've heard people say there's not that much for tourists in Mannar, except for dusty trails, some history and small villages, but somehow I knew ...
One of the key questions for expat families moving to Sri Lanka concerns education and schooling. I've had a few questions come my way regarding what to expect over here and how to approach things. This is both an important and often stressful area of consideration as it determines your children's education, development and well-being while growing up in foreign ...
When you depart Sri Lanka for any length of time, and particularly for distant shores, you oftentimes forget the smells and sounds of life back on the island. I’ve returned from a few weeks abroad and I can say I definitely missed being here. No doubt there will be the usual frustrations for this expat after being back home, but, ...
Yesterday was World Environment Day, 5 June 2016. It even has its own website, which states that it "is the United Nations’ most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment."I posted this picture to the Adventures in a Tuk-tuk Facebook pageIt was one of many posts across social media highlighting awareness and action ...
