PROS & CONS OF SRI LANKA 🇱🇰 (2023)

[@tara8387]

We just came back from Sri Lanka and we were so tired of scammers and people trying to make a profit from us. Its so hard to get around the countey without hiring private drivers. We were supposed to stay a month but changed our flight and went to south east asia instead where its more chilled and less pressure. Wouldnt go back again sadly.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Thank you for the honesty. A lot of people paint something very different from this situation

[@triathleteuk]

Omg I was planning a trip.. now 🤔

[@MikeTravels2024]

I was there and I agree, every driver I used ask me for my phone one actually refused to leave me and tried to get a “driver room” at my hotel. Buses were painfully slow and took 6-8 hours to go short distances.

[@robertosborne7542]

Agreed-I was there last year for the 9th time and the change was really marked.I am in my late 60s travelling alone so was offered SLmassages(sex obviously)constantly,had young men offering themselves-followed twice-and drugs too,gave up walking/sitting on the beach because I would always be approached by someone-male of course-offering something. .Its not that I am a moralist,I feel sorry for anyone having to sell themselves for money,its just that I want to walk around unmolested. Tuks are a problem of course plus people offering tours etc-for me there seemed to be a desperation that I hadnt felt before.I understand why having kept myself informed of events in SLbut what can I do about it? Traffic is indeed a nightmare esp.buses,btw local people are very unhappy about the situation too but they say they are powerless as the police do nothing,likely taking bribes. All in all my 3 mnths there-in Hikkaduwa,Berewla and MLaviinia was pretty depressing,of the 3 Beruwela was probably the least in terms of hassle but even there I had problems. Upshot is I wont be back.

[@christopherfernando2764]

. All you need to do is to avoid those Tuktuk guys even the locals distrust them. But you are wrong to say suggest that locals pay the same as you. OK the difference must be reasonable. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE TOURIST BOARD IS SO SCARED to take on the Tuktuk guys. YES traffic is crazy! Sorry!

[@TwoMadExplorers]

We are seeing some very upset, offended and childish comments.. if an honest video about positives and negatives is too hard to see then our channel isn’t for you. We share the highs and lows of this life, not the BS.

[@preethigalgamuwa1224]

just ignore them Luke they are the Bad, Selfish , Narrow minded lot of our country.

[@dhammikahewapathirana5190]

Whilst totally agreeing with most of the negatives, I think the price discrimination between locals and foreigners maybe perhaps bit over exaggerated. The Sri Lankan Rupee has lost its value in a huge proportion during the last one year because of the economic crisis. Therefore, it is not fair to charge the same rate applicable to locals from foreigners who are right now getting much more value to their currency due to the favourable exchange rates . Most of the fees charged from locals are subsidized, therefore surely the foreigners don't need to be offered the same benefit.

[@PernillaO]

@@dhammikahewapathirana5190 👍🏼 If I’ll go to SL now i could live a year for the same money that I need in a month in europe. Totally agree!!

[@TwoMadExplorers]

@@PernillaO if you live like a local yes 👍 true

[@PernillaO]

❤ Many people take it personally when SriLanka is talked about in both GOOD ways and bad ways., including me. I feel so much for this country. They should get as much help there is. Good that you show both sides of course! But many people has a tendency to only absorb negative words. Important to emphasize the good things. And really think about how to present the less good things ❤️

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Let us know your pros & cons below! Also, let us know if you will visit Sri Lanka this year?! 🇱🇰

[@Ameena1980]

Thanks guys, for being brutally honest about the cons of Sri Lanka. I sincerely hope the Board of Tourism Promotion take note of these and address these issues.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

We are in direct contact now with the chief of the tourism board thankfully ❤️

[@jumanji5239]

They will do absolutely nothing unfortunately. It's not like they don't know about these negatives. Combine corruption with incompetence and this is the outcome unfortunately.

[@asankaw1]

@@jumanji5239 100% agree

[@shakya74]

Yeah! Absolutely

[@tharindunishal]

@@TwoMadExplorers Wow that's great. They must appreciate your honest comments.

[@ranilabeyasinghe]

Thanks for being real about Sri Lanka. Most people don't want to talk about the cons, but I respect you guys for covering it.

[@kasuncjayanath]

Thanks for visiting Sri Lanka in this crisis situation, that really means a lot to us. Hopefully, we will try our best to change those cons into pros as soon as possible.❤❤

[@stanlistan5312]

R u sure

[@LabRat6619]

Even your worst Sri Lankan is better than a good English man. 👍

[@sunilmudalige3811]

You are right about all the pros and cons. Only thing regarding the tourist prices, think how much you pay for a pizza. You pay more than 20 dollars for one small pizza. We can not charge that amount from locals especially when it is their right to see and experience their own history.

[@lahiru-madushan]

lmao. change wei pka

[@FeastieBoy]

Never been to Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 😢 but want to go now because of you guys!

[@nandanimadom6757]

Sri Lanka waiting for you for welcome allways

[@dulshanhemasinghe8400]

That is great news

[@deesticco1719]

Just go with open mind ! Do reviews if on budget travel! It all depends how and where you are staying! So many great hotels and places as the Mad explorers mentioned pros are the points to value intellectually while prepping for the cons!

[@Myre787]

I’ve been to Sri Lanka recently, just returned since a couple of days. I agree with most of the things you’ve shared.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Amazing! ❤️ thanks for watching

[@avishkadodangoda9616]

people in the ministry of tourism, are you watching this? Hope that you will take the necesarry actions to make those cons right. ( suggetions; make a law like that it's illegal to confront tourists and force them for rides or buy stuff, ministry of tourism could Implement joint operations with police or even implement a special task force on behalf of tourists and making them their duty to catch scammers, regularly investigate the standards are maintained in tourist hotels and etc, I mean the police could hire a tourist and let him act like bait to catch scammers.Further make a documentary saying that we will be hiring tourists to catch the scammers and upload it in your official websites,so they perish in time. Start a youtube or a website stating different experiences that tourists could experience here. Every guide should be registered in the ministry of tourism and while doing the job they should where a tag with a barcode so the tourists know that he is really a guide. start a points system game like selecting the best tourist of the year, best guide of the year and etc and award them)

[@TwoMadExplorers]

We are in contact with the tourism board now ❤️❤️❤️

[@avishkadodangoda9616]

@@TwoMadExplorers Thank you very much guys❤❤❤

[@swissthamilfox]

Bus drivers, Tuk Tuk drivers, and traders are spoiling this beautiful country of Sri Lanka... Everything you said is true. As a Sri Lankan I feel ashamed. I also apologize. Congratulations to both

[@Beaztzgaming]

agreed

[@LabRat6619]

Bus drivers and taxi drivers worldwide are not best people in the country, but you often meet them anyway.

[@robertosborne7542]

No reason to apologise-I know from talking to SLankans that they hate the situation with bus drivers etc but feel powerless to do anything as the police do not enforce existing laws. I feel sorry for locals having to put up with this craziness-esp.bus drivers-on a daily basis.

[@christopherfernando2764]

@@swissthamilfox The Tuktuk drivers are the LOWEST rung of srilankan society. Mostly trash guys. No one will employ them, so they do this job

[@PernillaO]

We hope to visit Srilanka this december ❤️ Hope you will have a better journey from now on! 🙏🏽

[@neomiperez309]

Sorry for all the troubles you had in 🇱🇰 and thank you for promoting Sri Lanka. Seriously you guys doing better job than tourist board .👍🙏

[@LabRat6619]

When we were touring Sri Lanka, we found it was actually cheaper to visit the popular London attractions than the Sri Lankan monuments.

[@jegajega8945]

Guys really appreciate your constructive criticism and the encouraging feedback. It's all about the experience end of the day. Hopefully when you will visit srilanka again the negative comments mostly be reduced. Once again thank you for visiting and hope you have safe travel herein. 👍

[@aravind4090]

Lots of love and blessings to srilanka by India 💕

[@dee2022uk]

Pros - the variety of fruit & veg, hospitality, local crafts, aruyveda, helpfulness of local people, beautiful nature, historic sites, culture. Cons: traffic, crazy bus drivers, current economic climate. Plans to go to SL: hopefully later this year.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Amazing comment! Thank you ❤️❤️

[@showma_in_korea]

Nice video! I hope this video could help Sri Lanka to develop more! Thank u for being honest. Good luck🎉

[@rohithpinto2845]

Thank you guys for visiting Sri Lanka and all your good videos and comments we love you come back please

[@clsamarasinghe2029]

Thank you for your assessment, hope our tourist board sees your video and take a note of what you shared..❤

[@kushan1369]

Much organised vlog describing positive and negative sides of my country! Thanks for pointout negative side so that people could correct those!! Lovely Vlog good vibe!!✌️😍❤

[@sodalicious24]

As a Sri Lankan who is from Canada I understand what you're saying about the local vs foreign rates for tourist attractions, etc. But you have to also understand that they do this to make things accessible for the locals and Tourism was the primary source of income for the economy prior to the pandemic. To compare to a Western country or to Europe is a bit ridiculous as the standard of living is much lower for locals in Sri Lanka. Separately, if you travelled to anywhere in Africa or other parts of Asia you will experience the same things with regard to the traffic and driving. You can't expect that from anywhere outside Europe or North America. If you want orderly sidewalks in Asia, go to Singapore. You can't expect an entire culture to change for your own inconvenience. That sounds a lot like privilege and entitlement with not much perspective. I'm happy to hear that you found Sri Lanka so wonderful and unique. I'm just always weary of a European lense on feedback like this.

[@rameshmenuka4918]

You are so damn true❤

[@Gadavillers-Panoir]

You left Sri Lanka but dont want to see Sri Lanka improving its standards. Hypocrite much?

[@Gadavillers-Panoir]

@@sodalicious24 improvement starts with the smallest things first. Then you move on to the bigger problems. Hate your whataaboutism. How do you expect us to develop when you cover up Sri Lankas problems you live in a developed country but dont want to apply the same standards to us.

[@WojciechowskaAnna]

nobody expect to change anythng, but ppl who like order can feel tired looking at souther lifestyle. What is normal for locals, can look neglected for tourists, that's all. When I travelled I often ended up collecting rubish at beaches, I simply was not able to relax if there was too much plastic rubbish around me. Yes, some ppl think its normal. And for some ppl it looks like 'somebody needs to clean it" and you often volonteer.

[@robertosborne7542]

​@@WojciechowskaAnnaAgree that trash is a massive problem all over the region,not just SLanka.Schools should be doing more to educate the kids,parents too tho it must be said that Western countries arent perfect in this regard either!

[@solo483]

Thanks for visiting my Birth Country and I have been following all your videos.I totally agree with your Pros and Cons.Its time the Government Quickly make Changes to the Cons you have pointed out.Thanks for visiting Sri Lanka and try to promote Tourism

[@whynotdiaries]

Great pointers.. back from SL and can definitely relate to few. The people are great, and in some cases they have gone above and beyond to help us (from scammers as well!). Hats off to Sri Lankan people. Fortunately we faced only the gem scammers in Colombo but they were way too many. That was little scary because the first one really seemed very friendly until he started talking about the gems and almost forced us into a tuk tuk. But we escaped that one. Leaving this aside, over all experience in Sri Lanka was amazing!

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Yes it can be quite annoying, but the people are 99% fantastic ❤️ thanks for watching and commenting!

[@whynotdiaries]

@@TwoMadExplorers 🤍✨

[@youjuda]

The message should be delivered to places where it should be pointed at so people and officials can learn. Sorry to hear the bad experiences that you Guys had to endure here in Sri Lanka. Hope your rest of the stay is full with positive surprises...! Cheers !!!

[@TwoMadExplorers]

🙏🙏🙏

[@teamwhiztravels]

Really enjoyed this video guys. Thanks so much for sharing Sri Lanka with the rest of the world! 🙏🏼

[@MrW781]

Nice to see #7. I also found the experience in Sri Lanka to be unique and quite different from India and Southeast Asian countries. I'd like to add a pro: Sri Lanka is an excellent country for studying meditation. Buddhist communities there are very open to sharing their knowledge and resources to anyone willing to live by temple rules and stay in humble accommodation. They are very serious about sharing dhamma teachings and technique, often even for free or for a minimal charge. Many meditation centers even have English-speaking teachers. I very much love the Buddhist life in Sri Lanka.

[@MrW781]

P.S. I've seen foreign ticket prices in Western China, as well. That was very common when I lived in Xinjiang for 4 years. Been in China since 2009.

[@ulrikeschuldt5851]

Bohoma styti dear ones. Very nice and helpful. I appreciate much. Coming end of January 3th time...Looking forward and thank you again. Warm hug from Germany

[@TwoMadExplorers]

All the best❤❤❤

[@kumu2613]

The cons are quite legitimate. Having been there this Dec/January, we felt the same. It is important to work on the cons as SL depends a whole lot on tourism to boost its economy. Overall, a lovely country with beautiful kind hearted and friendly people without a doubt 🙏💕

[@dkir3829]

Appreciate the honest assesment, we are aware of these issues as well. all the best with your travels!!

[@nihalepa400]

True and balanced expression. 🇱🇰 Thank you for visiting Sri Lanka

[@the_chale]

Thank you so much for visiting sri lanka 🇱🇰 🖤

[@WITYTRAVELS]

So excited to be able to experience Sri Lanka one day. So many wonderful pros. Paying way more as a tourist does stink. That happened to us in Kenya also. Thanks for The heads up on the scams.

[@jinnid8612]

Thank you for sharing this extremely useful list of pros and cons of Sri Lanka--Knowledge is power and I hope the Sri Lankan Tourism Board would address the issues raised.

[@PernillaO]

•We have to keep in mind though that SriLanka is a developing country. The most people are poor. They find new ways to make money to feed their families. Many tourists is very generous with money charing. The people of most developing countries know that if you can afford visiting the country just for fun, then you probably have money that they would need more than you. We have to keep this in mind. 🥺 •I think that in every single country of this world (even in Dubai, believe it or not 😱) people cat calls girls and women. Even in nature (where we come from originally) male animals calls for female animals in different ways. •The infrastructure of SriLanka isn’t that developed yet (this is not a rich county). Since you share most streets with vehicles you have to respect the drivers and walk as much as you can by the side of the street. •Most people shouldn’t walk by there selves anywhere in the world, New york, Beijing, Sydney, the amazons, Zimbabwe, Madrid when its dark etc etc.. (I live in the center of Stockholm even in my city and country I stay of some parts). I really hope everyone watching this video are smart AND street smart people, that thinks a bit further than that they now are scared to travel there. •If someone watches this video and cant handle that a country and the people of the country has les money than themselves -please travel to a country that is richer than yours. Be among people that has more than you. 👍🏻 it will probably do you good in many ways in many levels. To everyone that now maybe got scared to travel to SriLanka: SriLanka is the most lovely country with the most amazing people! Be a little street smart 😉 Lots of love and respect to this country. And I sincerely hope you guys thats in this video, from this second, get a bit of positive sprinkles spread over you. With positivity comes positivity. Negativity is dragged to negativity. 🙌🏼 Lots of ✨✨✨ to you guys! Enjoy the rest of your travel in SriLanka. Breath- start over! There you go 🙏🏼

[@BuddhikaLakanth]

The starting point of fixing any problem is acknowledging the problem. Probably in the hunter gatherer age, cat calling was the norm of dating, but it is not now. It is a harassment. And as everyone who lived in SL knows, speeding bus drivers are a menace, specially in narrow roads like the Galle road. These problems need to be fixed, not just for tourism, but for the improvement of quality of life in the country.

[@PernillaO]

@@BuddhikaLakanth Of course it has to be fixed!!! 🙌🏼 But until then we as private people has to be aware of the infrastructure in SriLanka. That people will call for other people will never go away. It is in our genes. But decent people know that it is in appropriate of course! And there for can stop themselves from doing this. This is mostly common by uneducated people. And yet again, poor countries… ✨

[@Gadavillers-Panoir]

Stop trying to cover Sri Lankas flaws you are stopping us from developing when you hide them.

[@yusufahmed9699]

Tourist prices are also seen in Turkey. They are more than what the locals pay. Sri Lanka is not unique in that sense, You must understand the different economic situation/ earning capacity. It is possible that the difference can be more reasonable, but to claim that it is the only country which does this is just not right.

[@Gadavillers-Panoir]

Turkey is a poor country with an idiotic government.

[@adrianfernandopulle9674]

You both have given good points for the Sri Lankan Tourist Authority to get their job done.

[@kalingapanduka9082]

Nice list,thx for that...love you guys...🇱🇰

[@RK-oq3bx]

The scammers are the worst for even local tourists as well, maybe it will get worse under the worsening cost of living for every Srilankan. The flat rate entry tickets to all is a good suggestion, but for the students and other charity people, they can give a concession rate. The hotel reservations through online bookings must be monitored and what appeared on the website must tally with the promotion of the concerned hotels, boutiques, lodges, etc. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences and rating the pros and cons of Srilankan tourism. I'm proud to be a Srilankan after you rating us as the first impressive pros in this video😃

[@raviseneviratne8846]

Hi , Really proud of pros,and proud to hear. The cons,totally agree of your observations,,specially the 2nd point. It's really absurd to change very High charges, which gives a negative impact. Anyway hopefully the authorities concern will see your post and appropriate action/ attention is paid . Majority of tourists have the same issues you have pointed out.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Thanks for watching Ravi ❤️❤️

[@pasinduudara7212]

Yala national park is 25 times expensive than locals. It should definitely reduce. Before covid, it was around 7000 for two people but now 26000.

[@hiranthi83]

10:25 . I think this is rather normal in developing countries. Costs in SL are comparatively low actually. I'm a Sri Lankan in Cambodia, and in Cambodia locals are not charged at all and foreigners are charged. For an example, Angkorwat one day entrance fee is US$ 39 for a foreigner while its free for locals. This is just to enlighten u. Appreciate u visiting Sri Lanka.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

❤️❤️❤️

[@juergengrunert151]

Hi Luke ans Naomi, I have been watching your Sri Lanka videos since the beginning and I am very greatful for this. Unfortunately we could not meet during my December stay at Balapityia. It is so important to show people around the world that Sri Lanka is always worth a visit. So together we will keep on showing how amazing this country and its people are. Thank you ❤

[@TwoMadExplorers]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ thank you Juergen

[@erandalee810]

Thank you for visiting Sri Lanka. Point 6 and 7 under cons associated with current economic crisis. Tourism will play a big part to get out of that. We had over 2 million tourist arrivals back in 2018. Series of unfortunate events plus government mismanagement led to a collapse in tourism industry. Your support promoting our country and feed back greatly appreciated. We will work towards improving our cons and hopefully it will be a far better experience next time for you.

[@rehabrox]

Thanks guys for the honest review and thanks for visiting our beautiful country ❤

[@roshanrathnayaka7989]

It is very deserving to reveal both sides of the situation and you guys have hilighted significant points which should consider by government and tourist board authorities . Of course some of the matters too even frustrated us before forigners but sadly could not understand by authorities. Appreciate your good work and definitely it will help our tourism industry here sri lanka.

[@kasunramanayaka2661]

You need to visit Sinharaja rain forest . Most beautiful place where situated in Rathnapura Kalawana . You can take best eco friendly hotels in Kalawana area.

[@allencoldwater8083]

Thank you for giving true picture about Sri Lanka. Hope Sri Lanka will take care of this kind of cons soon.

[@tharindunishal]

As a Sri Lankan I totally agree with your cons. Ticket prices for foreigners are very unfair and even we locals also have raised our voice against this practise in social medias. Specially I don't like to see foreigners pay for tickets when they enter into some Buddhist religious places where locals don't need to pay a single rupee. For example Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. Catcalling is a problem for our local girls too. Even my female friends have become a victim of this. We appreciate if you can secretly video these kind of experience and publishing them in social media. So at least after that authorities will wake up and start to take actions to prevent this. Tuk tuk drivers are a curse. Although their are many honest Tuk Tuk drivers, most drivers are uneducated and undisciplined thugs. We encourage you to use apps like PickMe or Uber more and more in available areas. Yes, power cuts are a big problem for locals too. Government don't even think about fixing this issue. Same answer everyday. No Dollars, No Dollars, No Dollars. I work in IT industry for some foreign clients. This has become a huge pain in the ass now. Appreciate you two guys promoting our country and Thank you for that. Everything you have said is 100% true and our Ministry of Tourism must take quick actions to fix these issues for foreigner travellers.

[@archiehickox6518]

Hey man, that's a really balanced reply. It's good to see. Me and the wife are considering coming to Sri Lanka for a few months. We are currently chilling in Thailand. Would you recommend Sri Lanka at this time?

[@tharindunishal]

@@archiehickox6518 Absolutely. If you are planning to work remotely while travelling, it's better if you always try to stay in tourist areas. Because many tourist areas around the country don't get power cuts. For example Negombo Beach area where I live near by. Or else try to book a hotel with backup generators. Also if you are into activities like kitesurfing this is winter kitesurfing season in Kalpitiya area. One of the safest places on earth for kitesurfers. Specially for beginners to train. If you have watched Luke and Naomi's other videos too, that's the real situation in our country during this time. Their contents are quite good. Our people, culture are very different than Thailand. So it'll be a different experience for you. Some thinks Sri Lankans are like Indian too. Actually we are not. Although geographically we are neighbours, the only thing we have in common is love for Cricket. 😉 Happy to provide you more information if you need more. Welcome to Sri Lanka.

[@archiehickox6518]

@@tharindunishal That's great info, thanks so much man. I have a business and have a period of about 3 months I need to be totally locked in with work and as comfortable as possible. Where are the higher end neighborhoods or places one can stay?

[@archiehickox6518]

@@tharindunishal also, I met a Sri Lankan in Thailand the other day and he was probably the nicest guy I've met in Thailand 😂 I've lived here for years. Middle ages dude. Super nice.

[@tharindunishal]

@@archiehickox6518 Probably Colombo. No Power cuts in the city. You can easily rent an apartment in Colombo. Colombo 7 is the richest neighbourhood in Sri Lanka. That's where almost all the foreign ambassadors, business people are residing. And you'll have easy access to everything. If the city is not for you I suggest Negombo beach area, just couple of kilo meters away from the Airport. There are no power cuts because of tourist hotels and close by hospitals. There are luxury hotels or homes for you to rent with close access to beach. I personally don't know much about down south area such as Hikkaduwa, Galle etc. Those places are very touristic and there are lot of Russian tourists these days in southern province's coastal areas. But I don't have any idea about the power cut situations in the southern province.

[@nikghostyt1998]

I'm totally agree with you you, price neet to be change and the scams, i really don't like the people who scamming. government needs to take action about those who are scamming tourist. Much love from srilankans🇱🇰👍❤️♥️✌️💪🙏

[@TwoMadExplorers]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@sujeewa8067]

Thank you guys absolutely loved the whole series. Spot on with the cons! ❤

[@MariaWithRoaming]

Thank you for sharing your honest opinion!

[@ManjeevaSilva]

Thanks for candid comments. You have done good job of summarizing the facts.

[@liliabrancewiczdeswan298]

I am agree that power cuts is a problem with WiFi, you can avoid it with a dialog simcard and the gigabit es you need, not to expensive and you are online all the time, very good comments spetially the turist places då we did not make sirygia, not Dambulla, I think we tourist should not accept the prices!!!

[@anitravelvlog5176]

Thank you for sharing your experience.Your negative cons about ticket price for foreigner, I would say compare with other countries, the ticket price is not too high for foreigners. But you both are well deserve to explain your good & bad cons, because you been in Sri Lanka more than 2 months to get actual experience. All the best for your future project and thanks for promoting Sri Lanka in difficult time.🙏🇱🇰

[@hattasidi2]

I just come back from Sri Lanka and visited places of Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Galle. Galle is beautiful, to me more interesting than the buzzling town of Hikkaduwa. Peoples selling fruits always have a different price, and just be careful as they (the sellers) will increase the price of fruits tremendously. For example, a price of ripe pineapple is around rupee 120 - 200 per kilo, but when you stop and ask the seller, they will ask for 700 rupees per kilo. Sufferings and beggars are almost everywhere. Pity some of them. Scammers are rampant either in Colombo, or Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya. We encountered a group of pony rider who are being insisted in asking us (harassing) to take their ride. The price may change suddenly (to a higher pay). You need to write it down (to show the agreed amount to pay) and don't forget to bring small change (in rupees), just in case you need to pay a little bit more. Sri Lanka is a majestic country, but scammers make this island nation lesser attractive to the future tourist.

[@prasannalokugamage5296]

Thanks for visiting our country and your videos. This episode on positives and specially the negatives are very important and well covered. Very informative for prospective visitors and authorities.

[@Escape_With_Us_Official]

Great list, thanks alot guys, just a suggestion for these type of video; have you tried setting it out as 'pro - con - pro - con - pro - con'? I think it would have left me personally in a more positive vibe ending with some positivity, especially as i'm travelling SL next month with my girlfriend. Great vid, really helpful info though, as i'm really wary of scammers, the headsup was much appreciated! Thanks again!

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Great suggestion!❤❤❤

[@travelguide4995]

Great job, liked it!

[@rajithaperera1716]

As a Sri Lankan, I also agree with your cons. and especially very ashamed about charging very high prices to foreigners. If we need to attract more tourists, we must introduce tourist-friendly policies.

[@H2dizzo]

Thank you guys for this list. As a Sri Lankan I do 100% agree with both pros and cons list. Me personally have been talking about these mainly to tourists who visits Sri Lanka. Regarding the Cons list; Unfortunately Sri Lankan tourism board hasn't taken any action at all and these negatives has been there as long as I remember. People are complaining that there are no tourist and no dollars in the country. But don't take action to find solutions the negatives which keeps most tourists away. but thanks for pointing these out.

[@SmoothieBun]

Thank you for the amazing video

[@zeenath-thaha]

You guys are amazing 😍

[@TwoMadExplorers]

❤️❤️❤️

[@PeacfullSoul]

Let me just say thanks for the warnings concerning the cons, but that would never put me off going to Sri Lanka, in fact I can’t wait to visit that beautiful country. I pray to God that their economical situation improves, and that the beautiful people of Sri Lanka enjoy future prosperity. 🙏🏻

[@lankanlife8489]

Thankyou guys for visiting Sri Lanka in this difficult time. That means lot to us and sorry for the inconveniences you have faced. Love you...❤❤❤❤

[@silencegardensrilankarober3338]

Thanks for all your story’s about Sri Lanka. Mostly I can agreed what you say and show us from this wonderful island.

[@au9680]

thank you for visiting Sri lanka and all your videos. i enjoyed it all ❤

[@TwoMadExplorers]

We are here for much longer ❤️❤️❤️

[@barbaras5874]

Brilliant video, thank you!

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Glad you enjoyed it!❤️

[@ratznim]

As Sri Lankan we thank you for your comments and support given to us and apologize for the bad experience,as you said pros outweigh the corn’s so do visit this tropical paradise….LOL❤❤❤

[@Car__ter989]

New sub. Great video

[@TwoMadExplorers]

❤️

[@Dodilafir]

Absolutely spot on with cons... I'm a big campaigner against price discrimination for us foreigners and locals. If Sri Lanka as a country willing to develop the government or tourism people should listen to these people their observations very much the truth. I have been to SL many times as I have roots in that country but definitely government should be strict with scammers and reckless motorists.

[@WhereisPower]

11:17 I am sorry for the tourists who had to face this situation. But the point is, that the tourism is one of the top incomes of our country. As a country we should market our beauty and it will come with a certain price. Don't it? For a similar situation, in Australia, they market thier education and non Australian students should pay way way more than local students. Unfortunately, our small nation doesn't have much to market. It is very unfair to charge a local price(very low price) from a foreigner because it will not help to balance our economey( we have to purchase exports with USD rates which is so high). And thank you very much for visiting. We highly appriciate your videos about Sri Lanka. And it will help the country to recover the tourism industry. Pls enjoy❤❤❤

[@knightmail17]

I wouldn't disagree with any of your pros and cons except for the word aggressive in relation to Tuk Tuk drivers. Not experienced an aggressive one in any of my more than 10 visits to the country. I would use the word persistent. Advise to use Pickme or Uber is good. Have had great experience with Pickme. Back again on 1st March.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

We unfortunately have experienced quite a few instances of aggression from these drivers. A physical fight even broke out over who would drive us the other day, which is sad to see. Thanks Nigel ❤

[@knightmail17]

@@TwoMadExplorers at least that wasn't aggression towards you. Hope you walked on and left them to it.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

@@knightmail17 Absolutely right Nigel ❤️

[@allevuve]

The Tuk Tuk problem: Many(most?) drivers do not own the Tuk Tuk but pay the owner(per day?) and have a problem making a living from it. The rent is such that the driver cannot save enough to buy their own. The rich owners have many Tuk Tuks and try to get a monopoly by having to many in order to push out ones that have to make a living from one. IMHO the solution is to tax extra those who have more than one.

[@RantingAboutTheWorld]

Another PRO is the street food ❤ short eatsssssssss

[@jayerathnabanda8525]

Thank you thank you very very much visit our country..i love both of 🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰🇱🇰💕💕💕💕

[@LasandaLiyadipita]

Thanks guys for this honest review of Sri Lanka. You guys have been doing a lot for Sri Lankan tourism in the past couple of months and I have watched every single video you have posted about Sri Lanka. Couldn't agree more about all the points you brought up in this video. Specially the negatives, Sri Lankan government need to take some attention on all of these points. One thing I would slightly disagree with you guys is the ticket price discrimination towards foreigners, I am Sri Lankan currently living in Canada so I have some idea to ticket prices which we have here in Canada. Quite literary everything from small art galleries, museums to small events costs more than $30 over here at least the city where I live in and the places I have visited so far. Yes its the same price for everyone here because majority has relatively same level of income including the tourists who are allowed here. But in Sri Lanka the situation is different, Apart from the upper middle class people in Sri Lanka who would usually have around about one tenth of average income of westerners, majority of Sri Lankans have around about 100 times less average income compared to majority of the western countries. Therefore in lot of places it will cost quite literary like 20 cents for locals but the same place would cost $5 for a foreigner .But still its dirt cheap compared to ticket prices over here in north america (Except for places like Sigiriya Fortress which I also agree is too expensive) and experiences you get for it is much much worth. Comparing the average household income of Sri Lankan its really hard for those places to come up with an average price for both locals and foreigners because that would turn most of the locals away from those places. And lowering tourist ticket prices to local level would also not work because Sri Lanka usually gets significantly low amount of tourists compared to rest of the Asia and Sri Lanka is now mostly reliant on tourism income. I think thats the reason for two different ticket prices. However I agree to every other point you bought up in this video. And I sincerely thanks you for all what you are doing for Sri Lankan tourism and bringing light to what Sri Lanka really can offer. Keep up the good work guys!

[@BuddhikaLakanth]

I've experienced similar ticket prices when visiting Canada last year. There needs to be a systematic and logical reasoning behind pricing though. Something like the purchase parity index could be good I think. 25x is crazy at any rate.

[@LasandaLiyadipita]

@@BuddhikaLakanth 25x is something that I took as an example in most places I dont think the ratio is that high. Yes I agree there should be systemic reason behind pricing on anything but if we did have that for past 3 decades I dont think we would have had one of the highest inflation rates in the world by now. I dont have much knowledge in economics but as far as I understand I dont think PPP takes diversity of average household income into the picture. So I dont know what kind of systemic approach will suffice a pricing model fit for us with above average income compared to majority at least 50 times less income. And we are talking about fully bankrupt economy with a currency having artificial exchange rate to temporarily satisfy the public, So I dont think PPP Index would be easily applicable here. At the end of the day in reality I dont think it matters because we can try to come up with strategies on our point of view as above average income holders, but I dont think someone with average monthly income of less than $200 would agree to that. So systemic change in my mind should come from the core but unfortunately in Sri Lanka would never happen

[@DillanSK]

Thanks for your valuable comments..they are good..the reason for higer price in Sri Lanka for tourists than local is salary of local is low comparison to dollars and pounds etc..and sri lanka need to get some income from tourism..I think your food..accommodation,traveling cheap rather than Europe and US in my knowledge..I think sri lanka is affordable for many tourists than Europe

[@ranilabeyasinghe]

It is still wrong to charge different prices to different people for the same service. We need to change that if we want to improve our image as a tourist destination.

[@DillanSK]

And also sri lankan rupees is very low compared to dollars and it has been depreciated too

[@DillanSK]

And also, European countries have special benefits among them rather than other countries for jobs..education..etc..

[@anandawijesinghe6298]

Absolutely !🇱🇰💖

[@TheIlovepie1]

Thank you for the honest advice. I’m Traveling there soon solo as part of a voluntary program. Looking forward to it but also apprehensive about some parts. Hopefully I have a good experience and can make the most of it. Happy travels 😊

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Cheers ❤️🙏 you’ll love it

[@achinthawimalaweera5463]

That is real reading of you. Actually those things happening. This is great advice. Thank you for traveling Sri Lanka. I really appreciate both of you.

[@EarthMan1932]

Great analysis. Many thanks! I hope people and authorities will take this seriously.

[@loveforever17]

Thank you for the pros and cons video on SL. Bus drivers in SL are a reckless lot. Traffic laws should be enforced rigorously to cut down these dare devils.

[@risefromyourpain]

Cool buses tho. Discos buses almost

[@fantastictraveller]

These are on to points guys... sorry for all the troubles u met in sri lanka.. i thanked as a sri lankan for promoting my country ..love these videos guys.. enjoy the day 💐💐💐

[@NetITGeeks]

Not defending or anything but just for FYI, locals pay a significant amount of taxes in Sri Lanka. Specially for import products and this is then used to cover costs associated with local attractions. Sri Lanka has no inland tax system that is as complex as countries like Canada. This is the reason why the fees associated with tourist attractions are higher for tourist. I think of it as an outside tax. In Canada, locals do get a discount for some Provincial and Federal Parks but not all. The tax system is complex and well put together we can afford to keep the prices same for both locals and tourists in Canada. In countries like Japan, it is completely opposite because with our passports, Japanese government has discounted passes and tickets for JR rail (including Shinkansen) and JR buses. Maybe Sri Lanka can change the way they manage these tourist attractions and funding goes into them for maintaining them. I already posted a reply on negative comments on your pinned comment.... Internet is full of people with strong opinions unfortunately :(

[@nashdapistolshrimp8641]

Tourist price is the normal price and the locals get a massive discount because it is their culture and heritage to enjoy. It happens all over the world. The MONA in Tasmania allows local Tasmanians to see the place for free of charge while everyone else pays over $30. I've experienced the same in St.Petersburg, Russia, Poland,Spain and so on. People have no issue with paying 20 euros for a big Mac in Switzerland but are complaining about paying about the same amount to see a 4th century monument in Sri Lanka. Let's not worry what the locals pay. If I feel if its worth the money, i will go see it no matter what the cost is. Cheers❤

[@FoodZpah]

Thanks. Very helpful.

[@DUVINDA]

Thank you so much for visiting my country at this time. You guys are doing a great job promoting Sri Lanka. And you are correct in every fact I must say. Thank you for helping Sri Lanka at this time when the people have no help even from their own government.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

❤️❤️❤️

[@dilipjayasundera6281]

Spot on with pros and cons! 🙏

[@TwoMadExplorers]

🙏❤️

[@sanjgunetileke8836]

Thank you! Great honest video. I hope the Ceylon tourist board sees this. Sri Lanka does need to improve. It is such a great and beautiful country!

[@SurasLifeStories]

Hi, this is an excellent video and the cons are something that the tourism authorities should definitely look into. With regard to dual pricing, i am a Sri Lankan and I live in Thailand and it’s the same here.. the foreigners have to pay much higher prices, I think thr should be a balance.. the fair could be higher but fair too. Thanks for visiting Sri Lanka and making these awesome videos. I am sure the people of the Island appreciated it very much. Cheers

[@TropicalGarden99]

Every citizen and politician in this country should watch this video. All the problems you discussed are partly linked to the current economic crisis. Whereas if you go to the countryside, people are happy helpful and economically stable. And of course, that means it a good place for tourists to roam freely

[@danny_and_diggy]

People always make the place and experiences we having 🥰 One day we will go to Sri Lanka too 🤩🤩🤩 thanks to you guys!!!!

[@valleyoflight]

I've been in Colombo a few weeks ago. It was a terrible experience for me because I suffered from scams, too. One honest tuktuk driver told me, that they get 2l petrol if he will bring me to a gem store. I am sorry for this situation because Colombo is a very beautiful city.

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Wow 😯

[@udithaekanayake4115]

thanks for the comments, love your channel!

[@nature2941]

Thank s both u...good luck & wish next destination & safe journey ..🙏🙏🙏🇱🇰

[@pcmartmatara9805]

As A Local I Totally Agreed With You Guys..Those Cons Are Mostly Due To Bad Management Decisions Of Tourist Board Who Have No Idea about What They Doing..At Least Now Please Do Something For Them(Tourists) That They feel Safe And Secure...Thank You Luke And Naomi..We saw what You Have done To promote Our Tourism..God bless you..😍😍😍

[@bobbyponniah3176]

Great coverage 👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️❤️

[@FacesofEarth]

Con is definitely the tuk tuk drivers everywhere.. way too pushy

[@videomakerskandy]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙏

[@gihanabeywickrama3526]

Thank you so much friends for visiting Sri Lanka❤️👍

[@farookissam7031]

Thank you for Sri Lanka visiting both of you

[@n91605]

Finally, someone told me the downside ... I was thinking of living in retirement .. but to be targeted daily and kidnapped is not for me ..

[@travelvideos]

Good to know. Scammers always innovate ahead of tourists. Gosh that camera scam, never heard about it before!