Sri Lanka money
The Sri Lankan currency is the rupee (abbreviated variously as R., R/ or more commonly Rs.) Coins come in denominations of 25 and 50 cents, and Rs. 1, 2, 5 and 10. Notes come in denominations of Rs. 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000. Try breaking large notes and always stock up on change whenever possible.
At the time of this being written, the exchange rate was around Rs. 115 to the US dollar, Rs. 163 to the euro and Rs. 188 to the pound - you can check the current exchange rates at www.xe.com.
There is no shortage of banks in Sri Lanka. The six main banks are, the Bank of Ceylon, Sampath Bank, Hatton National Bank, Commercial Bank, Seylan Bank and the People’s Bank. All of them are open Monday to Friday from 8am or 9am till 2pm or 3pm, and they are all closed on weekends. Exchange rates for foreign currency whether in the form of travelers cheques, cash or withdrawals by credit or debit card are fairly similar across the different banks.
If you need to change money outside of banking hours, most high-end hotels will change cash or travelers cheques for you. Although one drawback would be the poorer rates that they tend to offer. If all else fails, you could try local guest-houses or shops.
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