Frequently Asked Questions
When and where?
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The reunion is going to be held in Sri Lanka from Saturday, January 18th, 2025 to Wednesday, January 22, 2025. We will be in the beach town of Kosgoda from the 18th to the 21st and then proceed to the capital city of Colombo for the final night.
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Who is our travel agent?
We picked Harvey Bonvoy, a Mumbai based agency that specializes in corporate group travel across the world. They have strong relationships in the Sri Lankan market and have contracted with Jetwing Travel, a local agency that is part of a conglomerate which runs several resorts in the country.
Estimated Cost
We are still working out some of the supplementals, but as of now we estimate the total cost of the trip to be around $1,600 (INR 1.35L) for a couple, 1,300 (INR 1.1L) for a solo traveler not sharing a room, and $800 (INR 66k) for a solo traveler on a sharing basis. This includes hotels, transportation and meals beginning with dinner on the 18th to breakfast on the 22nd. You will not be required to make any payments to the hotels, other than for incidentals.
We have already collected a deposit from you and will be collecting the second (and possibly final) installment by the end of September. We are still working out the logistics for the method of payment.
The itinerary
All attendees will be picked up by buses or vans at Bandaranaike International Airport on the 18th in groups depending on the arrival time of flights. We assume that a majority of you will be flying in from India and will time the pickups to coincide with these flights. We will provide more details as we get closer to the end of the year.
The detailed itinerary can be found here
Flight bookings
While Harvey Bonvoy has special discounts with certain airlines, and offerred to book group tickets for us from popular departure points, we concluded that with a diverse set of flight preferences it would be more efficient for everyone to book their own flights. After you have booked your flights, please enter the flight numbers, dates and times in a Google Sheet which can be found here.
It is important to fill out these details as they form the basis for determining the timing and vehicle sizes for airport pickup and drop offs.
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We do want to point out that arrivals between 11 am - 2 pm will make airport transportation more efficient and will ensure that you get to the hotel on time for the opening night events.
Early arrivals
If you plan on arriving on a date other than the 18th, you will be responsible for your transportation to Kosgoda, which is about 120 kms away and takes 2 hours by car. The one-way cost of a private taxi is approximately USD $60. Kangaroo Cabs is a recommended cab service with professional customer support and a user-friendly web site for booking a car or a van. https://kangaroocabs.com/
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If you will be reaching late in the night or in the pre dawn hours when many flights connecting through the Middle East arrive, you have a choice of either heading out to Kosgoda by private taxi or staying at a hotel close to the airport and having the organized coach make a stop to pick you up in the early afternoon. If you decide to head out to Kosgoda, please note that there is no guarantee that the hotel will be able to accommodate early check ins.
Do I need a visa?
As of September 27, 2024, Sri Lanka announced that it has reinstated the on-line ETA application system, which can be accessed at https://eta.gov.lk/slvisa/. Currently, the ETA is free for Indian nationals and costs $50 for nationals of most other countries. The ETA turnaround time is fairly quick (in most cases under 24 hours). You should apply for an ETA any time before commencing your travel in order to avoid standing in long lines at the visa-on-arrival counter.
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You will also be required to fill in a short disembarkation form that the airline hands out prior to landing. The forms are also available at the immigration counter upon arrival, or can be completed on line a few days before your travel. The on line portal is here. If you fill out the form on line, there is no need to take any print outs of the email as it is automatically linked to your passport.
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Mobile Phones
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If you are carrying a phone from India, international roaming service which we believe is reasonably priced is your best option for mobile services. If you are just staying for the main event and not planning on any extended tours, you may not even need cellular service as the hotel Wi-Fi may suffice. For those staying longer and requiring mobile services, you may get a local SIM or an eSIM from one of the providers at the airport immediately after you exit customs (Dialog is one of them). A 30-day plan with 15GB of data and unlimited calls costs between $4-6 and can be purchased in under 5 minutes with only a passport. For additional advice, you may contact Ashok Natesan who has researched this topic exhaustively.
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Medical insurance
If you are interested, travel insurance can be purchased in India from one of many providers. We are told that Royal Sundaram offers a USD 50,000 policy for a 5 day visit at a cost of INR 530+GST.
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Food
The local food leans on the spicy side and uses familiar Indian ingredients prepared in a mix of Indian and South-East Asian styles. Due to the growth in tourist traffic from India, which accounts for 20% of annual traffic, there are plenty of vegetarian options available at all hotels and restaurants. Vegetarians will be intrigued by a variety of unusual vegetables and fruits, particularly leafy greens that weave their way into most meals. Whatever your individual preferences, we strongly recommend trying out these local dishes.
Please enter any diet and drinking preferences in the Google sheet. The purpose of this is to guide the hotels on the approximate percentage of vegetarians in our party so that the menu can be set accordingly.
Booze
Some of us have volunteered to carry a bottle of liquor or wine from the duty free shop. The Sheraton has agreed to waive corkage on spirits and we certainly would like to take advantage of that opportunity. Feel free to bring along a beverage of your choice, though this is not mandatory, particular for the teetotalers.
Dress
Temperatures along the coast are in the 30 (High), 22 (Low) range and people generally dress casually. If you plan to visit the central hill country, it will be cooler and damper with temperatures of 22 (High) and 10 (Low), so bring a light jacket and appropriate shoes if hiking. There are no mosquitos along the coast, but if you venture inland you may need to carry bug spray. Bring a hat, as you will be 5-7 degrees north of the Equator.
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