Traveling during Sinhala and Tamil New Year (Avurudu)?
We will be in Sri Lanka in mid-April. Will restaurants and transport be completely shut down during the Avurudu festival?
5 Answers from travellers
Yes, expect massive disruptions. April 13th and 14th are the core holidays. Almost all local shops, restaurants, and markets will close. Public buses and trains will be insanely crowded the days before as everyone goes to their home villages, and then completely dead on the holidays.
Good to know. We will plan to hunker down in a nice resort for those two days and just relax.
It is a wonderful cultural experience though! If you are staying at a homestay, they will likely invite you to partake in the traditional milk-boiling ceremonies and sweet meats (Kavum, Kokis).
Do NOT try to travel on the 13th. Just stay put in whatever town you are in. I was stranded at a bus station for 6 hours once.
If you are staying in a tourist-focused hotel or a big beach resort in the South, they will remain open and serve food. But local street food stalls and bakeries will be shut tight.
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