Sri Lanka

[fizzysci]

Would you cancel if you'd booked for August ?

Yes - In fact tonight the official advice is not to travel there. Check news.

Yes without a doubt. Especially as they suspect more attacks and how utterly shite the authorities were at stopping the attacks

I’m not sure. I’d wait before deciding. We stayed at a Cinnamon and went to Mass at St Saviours so feels very real but it’s such a beautiful and gentle nation, I cannot help but think it will settle quickly.
If I was younger and had a young family, I might think differently though.

Yes, Foreign Office have issued "essential travel only" advice tonight.

You might not have a choice, the government have advised against travel so your travel company might cancel.

Yes I would cancel.

There's a good article on the BBC news about what to do if you have a booked holiday there.

We were supposed to be going there in August too. I’ve been desperate to go for years (tried to book for our honeymoon 11 years ago) but everything has conspired against us again as we had a connecting flight which was a 737 max jet.
I feel for all the Sri Lankan people as they’ve just started to get their country back in order.
Maybe another year...

Check the official advice and your travel insurance.

Your travel insurance should pay out for cancellation, especially as they wouldn't cover you if you did go.

An alternative if you booked via a travel agent is that they may transfer your holiday to a different location, for minimal or no cost.

Have you booked through Tui, or the like, or done your own flights and accommodation?
If you're through a big travel company I'm sure they'll sort it for you and offer alternatives. Not sure what the protocol is if you've booked yourself but I'd recommend ringing your insurance company. (Please tell me you were insured 😬)

The BBC article seemed to imply unless I misread it insurers often don't pay out for this but worth checking with insurance. Some hotels are free cancellation though.

A package will certainty provide at least an alternative and get in touch with them.

This thread is people in similar situation - quite a few insurers not paying out and TUI not allowing changes for summer yet.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293961-i8983-k12512449-o10-FCO_changed_Advise_against_all_but_essential_travel-Sri_Lanka.html

I've also booked for August. Any suggestions on alternatives? This was a once in a life time, blow out, 50th birthday celebration for DH.

I'd like to have some destinations in mind before I call the TA - Bali, Thailand? Sri Lanka was just perfect.

@OllyBJolly check out Costa Rica, lots of wildlife, beaches, adventures there too.

What does your husband like / what are you looking for? Adventure? Wildlife? Culture? I would recommend Costa Rica for wildlife, rainforest and things like ziplines but less so if after beaches but obviously not geographically near.

Not too hot - good food, no more than a few beach days, bit of wildlife. Not really into extreme sports (Go Ape is probably our limit!) We'd booked Kuoni so guess we have to stick with their portfolio.

I'll check out Costa Rica. thank you for your suggestions

We went to Costa Rica in August, was about 27Cish so not too hot, it is their rainy season but only rained for us after 4pm each day and rain is great to watch in rainforest. Loads of wildlife we saw sloths, monkeys, raccoon, coati, toucan, gecko, pelican in wild and lots of rainforest. Are beaches, which are OK, but its not a 2 week beach destination, ours had volcanic ash on it but lots of kayaking, SUP, windsurfing and beach volleyball. The ziplines can be very high- my 10 and 11 year old went on 60mph ones several hundred metres in air, whereas I am more like someone who finds GoApe too scary. I did go on one 30 metres high and that was great as monkeys in trees. Food good in hotel but CR food a bit average.

Check with your travel company/airline/insurance. I believe it's only departures in the next month that are being offered free of charge changes at the moment

We did white water rafting in CR too which was ace and not very scary. When they got the fresh pineapples out and chopped them up half way down it was bliss. The beaches are def more wild than developed. And of course you have the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. You can bathe in volcanic waters

We've just cancelled for July. Our travel insurance didn't cover us as it's more than 28 days until we go so we have lost what we have paid. The only way we would get it back is if the Foreign Office still advises against travel when we there is less than 28 days until we travel.
I believe this 28 day window is fairly common so could apply to a lot of others. It's only those who would be flying in less than 28 days who would be covered by our policy.
I hope everyone else gets theirs sorted, and of course that the situation in Sri Lanka stabilises itself

Have been to both Sri Lanka and Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is much safer, Sri Lanka has had a civil war and the way it was put down has led to tensions under the surface ever since (it is much more complicated than that really)
Sri Lanka has much better food than Costa Rica. It is much cheaper. It has much more culture to visit.
We saw more wildlife in Costa Rica.
Both have stunning scenery.
I would sadly pick CR due to the safety issues.