Public Toilet Facilities in Sri Lanka

We are unfortunately obliged to inform would be visitors to Sri Lanka of some of the few down-sides and public toilet facilities is one of them.

In hotels, restaurants and bars in major conurbations that are normally frequented by westerners plus public buildings and office blocks occupied by main businesses you will usually find the standard western toilet facilities.

Once you wander off the beaten track, even just a bit, you are likely to encounter the dreaded 'footprints', dreaded by the majority of westerners that is. We haven't been brought up to 'squat' to do our business and usually find it precarious, difficult and dare we say 'unnatural'?

Public Toilet Facilities - Sign Funnily enough many Sri Lankans haven't seen or used a western loo either! You will find broken or missing toilet seats occasionally. The Sri Lankan, unfamiliar with sitting on the loo, will precariously squat over the pedestal, dislodging or breaking the seat!

There are public education posters (left) in some well managed public toilets, like this one we found in the World Trade Centre in Colombo.

To top it all some can't even figure out the flush handle either. The public information poster that helps these folk is shown on the right.

Public access footprint toilets tend to be smelly, dark 'holes', that aren't too clean. Many don't have a flush systems, just a bucket of water and a scoop to swill your waste away!

For a country that is forging ahead in the global economy, little education appears to have been given, or modernisation of facilities been made, in this basic area of international necessities.

Another point of note is that even if there is a western loo, it may not be fastened down too tightly to the floor as the original steel screws have rusted away!

Always carry a quantity of toilet paper with you. Enough said!

We apologise for the repetition of some place or proper names with different spellings, but there is no definitive spelling translation of these words.

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The conflict between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, commonly known as “the Tamil Tigers”) ended in May 2009. Although the conflict is over, the LTTE are believed to retain some capability to mount terrorist attacks such as grenade or explosive device attacks and shootings. The Government has relaxed the State of Emergency, under which it has extensive anti-terrorism powers but there are still heightened levels of security (e.g. checkpoints, road blocks) throughout the country. You should exercise a high level of vigilance. The risk for the most part is one of being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order to minimise this, you should avoid military, government and paramilitary locations. Always carry formal photographic identification with you. Stop and show your ID when asked to do so. If you are detained, you should ask the authorities to contact the British High Commission.

Fatal attacks linked to the LTTE occurred throughout the country into 2009. Most attacks have been directed against Government and military targets though a number have been focussed on civilian targets such as crowded public places, public transport and market areas. Some of the most significant attacks included a suicide bomb at a political gathering in March 2009 and an air raid on military targets in Colombo in February 2009.

JeGraNet.com statement - 15 October 2008 - Quote from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: "There is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka. Fatal attacks have become more frequent. They have occurred in Colombo and throughout Sri Lanka, including places frequented by expatriate and foreign travellers. Further attacks may occur at any time. There is an increasing risk of British nationals being caught up in an attack". As independent travellers we left Colombo after just 9 days into our planned 6 month stay as a result of a feeling of insecurity, however we are sure that 'package tour' travellers to tourist resorts will probably enjoy a worry free holiday.