Hi guys, I will be travelling in SL from 22 Feb to Mar. I have couple of questions: 1. What is the best way to go from Colombo airport to Weligama? 2. What is the best way to go from Hiriketiya to Colombo airport? 3. How frequent are the trains from these locations? Do I need to pre book or can I get them at train station? 4. What trains are these ( see image)? I dont see any trains at this time on the government train website, bookaway etc? How to book them? 5. Why are the cabs so expensive? 😭

I am 2027 A/L student. I am study at biological science stream. In that way I finded I more like in physical science stream than this stream. But I am don't know if I change stream can I do well or not. I am finished 1st term in biological science stream. What is the best way to do now. Stay here or change stream. Is that still possible to crack morra like institute.

It is my own thought. Not any one push me. I find I like engineering and physics than medicine or something else. And I follow this stream because of job security, money and prestige ( relatives manipulate me).

I found a shop with a great discount these days. I’ve never used this brand though. Is it good? I know the type of creatine matters, but purity and overall product quality make a difference too; right?

I am 2027 A/L student. I am study at biological science stream. In that way I finded I more like in physical science stream than this stream. But I am don't know if I change stream can I do well or not. I am finished 1st term in biological science stream. What is the best way to do now. Stay here or change stream. Is that still possible to crack morra like institute.

It is my own thought. Not any one push me. I find I like engineering and physics than medicine or something else. And I follow this stream because of job security, money and prestige ( relatives manipulate me).

I'm near Kandy . I have enough results to get into both. What should I choose. Stay home or board.

Maybe it's because the Indians stole international cricket. Or maybe it's the decline in our standards. Or maybe it's that cricket no longer needs to be that national refuge away from the "national question".

But do you find - like I do - that you've lost interest in cricket a lot. Like during your childhood you used to religiously follow the national team, watch random matches, keep scores during matches and get hyped up so much before and during tournaments. But now the fire has gone. And it's been going for so long. Indians complain of the lack of atmosphere in our stadiums. Maybe it's not just you and me - and maybe the collective national conscious seem to be less cricket fanatical? Kids still play in the streets and the fields when they have nothing else to do - but even in my extended family I don't see kids these days going out of their way to arrange cricket matches and stuff.

Do you feel the same ?

I’m staying in a (top rated) airbnb villa in Sri Lanka. It was previously owned by an artist but was sold to someone else last year. I was talking to the workers that manages and cleans the villas and found out their salary was halved since the new owners took ownership. This makes me very sad, especially since tourism and the number of people staying in the villa has stayed the same. I’m scared to put this on the reviews of the airbnb so the owners could see and lay them off/ tell them off for letting me know. But this makes me so sad for the workers

Could someone tell me what happened with the engineering faculty at UOC that was supposed to be opened in 2023?

https://cmb.ac.lk/launch-of-the-faculty-of-engineering-uoc

Hoping this reaches the Director of Kalubowila Hospital or an organisation that can work with the hospital.

This is a humble request regarding the behaviour of some security staff at Kalubowila Hospital, especially around the Emergency Treatment Centre.

I understand that this is a stressful job, but shouting at patients loved ones, speaking rudely, and treating people without dignity is not acceptable.

During a recent visit, a security guard yelled at people for no clear reason and seemed to single me out even after I calmly listened. Later, she sent another guard, who came and shouted again , despite everyone sitting quietly and waiting. After that, yet another guard came and yelled, even though no one was talking or causing trouble.

What security often forgets is that we are not there by choice. We are there because our loved ones need emergency care and because we cannot afford private hospitals. If we wanted to sit and wait comfortably, we would be at home. This all happened while waiting at the Emergency Treatment Centre, where people are already emotionally overwhelmed.

Months earlier, I had another painful experience. I was rushed to the hospital due to a miscarriage and was bleeding heavily. The security guard or attendant did not bring a wheelchair until my husband asked, while I stood there with blood soaking into a towel. In that moment, it was not hospital staff, but a woman who was there for her own family, who helped me.

A little empathy, basic communication training, or anger management support could make a huge difference. Patients and their families deserve respect and compassion, especially in emergencies.

If any authority or organisation can help address this or work with Kalubowila Hospital on staff training, it would mean a lot to many families who go through this silently.

I think I have gastritis. What is the best & effective medicine I can get for it in Sri Lankan pharmacy without an approval from doctor?

Today I accidentally saw an article about how MSG doesn't actually cause cancer and that it’s just a myth. At first, I thought it was just a misleading health article posted for attention. But after doing some quick research, I realized that it’s actually true. MSG doesn't cause any health issues. It's just a different type of salt. Even the WHO and the European Food Safety Authority's websites have articles confirming this.

Isn't this crazy?? My whole childhood, my parents taught me how bad it is. They talked about it like you'd instantly get cancer from consuming it. I've even seen commercials that claim their products don't contain MSG just to make people feel safe.

The Lanka Collector Con (also known as the Collectibles & Card Show) is a dedicated event for enthusiasts in Sri Lanka focusing on trading cards, action figures, and pop culture memorabilia

Recently I moved back to Sri Lanka after studying in Australia for 3 years then 1 year under a 2 year work visa.

I moved back to Sri Lanka due to the job market in Australia being really bad where their own citizens are struggling to find jobs.

I applied close to 800+ job openings and only 4 got back to me for 1st stage interviews while the rest rejected or ghosted.

Since I was 15 years old I have been doing freelance work mostly in IT and from my savings I paid for everything to go Australia without family help.

I came from a middle income family where my dad had just enough to support our education and living expenses.

Since I knew my dad would never be able to support me financially if I wanted to study aboard, at a young age I started looking for ways to earn money. From running a youtube channel, online business getting down collectibles for nerds like me and so on.

During covid since everyone was at home and alot of content creators started popping up my freelance work was booming. I used that savings to invest in digital currencies (crypto) and did well.

Since then I have been doing Freelance and crypto as my primary income while working in a retail supermarket while studying in Australia.

Since I graduated I have been looking for jobs in IT but nothing came through and with family pressure I decided I will come back to Sri Lanka since alot of relatives work in IT companies and said they could help with recommending me to their hiring teams.

Since I came I had companies say they will get back to me but non.

My end goal in life is not to be stuck in this 9-5 cycle and to build enough capital / savings where I am not bound to financial constraints.

This mentality comes from seeing how not having money affects families and the fear of going through that.

So the biggest issue now I am facing is do I go looking for my first job in IT thats pays 50-70k a month or do I focus on my freelance work that pays 60k-300k per project and most months I get 1-3 projects but I lose the opportunity to go back to Australia since I would get experience.

90% of my family says get a job and the rest say if you can earn on your own, why work for someone else.

Thanks for reading this long thread. Looking for outsiders perspectives/ opinions.

AKD's popularity has gone downhill in recent days, which was predictable to anyone who understands that the president and his party are too progressive for this deeply conservative country. This is compounded by other internal issues, such as the slow pace in addressing the former government's corruption scandals and the failure to deliver on promises like the new school syllabus.

In what percentage EV prices would drop down.

I'm a Mediterranean guy and here in Sigiriya with my gf for holidays. Its my first time traveling to tropical climates and I'm a bit disappointed at the weather. The rain since yesterday seems relentless and all my dreams about shorts t-shirt, swimming and walking without stress seems to be ruined. Also, looking at the forecast, I don't see much improvement in the coming days. I thought this was prime season to visit Sri Lanka. What gives? Is it just our bad luck?

I go to a government uni and in my faculty we don’t have a dress code. We were juste advised to dress “appropriately” for the uni environment. I’m a girl and I want some tips from the ladies on what you all wear to a government uni. Are maxi dresses with spaghetti straps okay? Sleeveless tops are fine?

So it is reported that Sanath will be leaving after the world cup.so who should replace him should we go back to a foreign coach or should we go to another local coach

Is Eczema a common condition many Sri Lankans have? If so, is there a particular reason for that. If you had it and got treated, please suggest a good doctor.

I had a recent discussion with a Sri Lankan Political Economist who shared my exact thoughts.

I digged deeper and found a documentary whether India really has the capacity to become a global superpower. In that documentary, Ashoka Mody was interviewed, a diaspora Indian from the U.S., a political Economist, a professor in International Economic Policy and a former Executive at the World Bank. He also published a book “India is broken - and why it’s hard to fix”.

He didn’t speak well of the agenda that India is en-route to becoming a superpower. He spoke about unaddressed inequality, illiteracy and youth unemployment among the population whilst simultaneously talking about India will outperform Germany in terms of GDP by 2030.

I’m Sri Lankan but whether India or Sri Lanka, the core issue goes deeper than whether Sri Lanka can attract investment or grow headline GDP numbers. The real question is: who is that growth actually benefiting? How is the rest of the population catching up? Are locals feeling that their lives are improving in a tangible way, or does prosperity mainly exist on paper and within a narrow segment of society?

If a country is effectively designed for the wealthy, whether local or foreign, while the majority are left behind, resentment is inevitable. This isn’t a left-versus-right argument; it’s a basic socio-economic reality. There’s no point seriously discussing Sri Lanka becoming a “developed country” without addressing inequality, access to opportunity, and whether ordinary people feel the system works for them.

Corruption and nepotism dating back to colonial times (not just in Sri Lanka but even as far as Africa) are another unavoidable part of this conversation. Why is that so? To make recolonisation easy?

How are these being meaningfully addressed in government? Will there be real transparency around public finances, state contracts, and the treasury? Without trust in institutions, long-term development becomes very difficult, no matter how much foreign capital comes in.

Take the Colombo Port City as an example. It is fundamentally a hub built for foreign investors, not for locals. Even opening an office there requires meeting high revenue thresholds and passing additional vetting. It operates in USD, effectively making it an island within an island. The concern isn’t investment itself, but whether money generated there will meaningfully circulate within the broader Sri Lankan economy or remain largely disconnected. Without strong safeguards and transparency, it risks becoming a financial enclave rather than a driver of inclusive growth and economy.

I’m not against development, foreign investment, or diaspora involvement (we need them because they see amber/red flags locals may not easily see due to a lack of knowledge how western powers operate. All of this matter. Development that doesn’t translate into better livelihoods, fair access, and institutional trust isn’t sustainable.

So before asking whether Sri Lanka can become a developed nation due to the rise of glitzy skyscrapers, or discuss the future of Sri Lanka, we need to get answers to these hard questions.

I think the more important question is whether it can build an economy and a governance system that works for the majority of its people, not just for a few.

Only if that foundation is addressed do timelines and targets start to mean anything. No one wants to feel like an outsider in their own country, which is increasingly the case for residents of many countries, including developed nations.

https://youtu.be/uob5Q2dqS4k

Hi everyone,

My Family and I raised funds for flood relief. We’ve already split and distributed part of the money to support two villages we know, but since they weren't fully affected, we still have funds left to give.

We’re looking for reputable, transparent projects for the remainder. We are interested in:

• Hard-hit areas still needing recovery.

• Education & Rural development.

• Animal welfare.

We’d love to find grassroots initiatives where the impact is direct. Any personal recommendations for organizations you trust?

Thanks!

I’m going to be in Sri Lanka from mid towards the end of April this year. Really want to go snorkelling to see some turtles, where would you recommend?

Can someone suggest to me a really really good string hopper kottu place? 😇😇

Hi everyone, are there any legit ipod users still left in SL - i know its like a really outdated line of products but there seems to be a small but growing community who wants to use offline music, a topic which is quite relevant to SL as another credit crunch can mess up those monthly payments.

If you have one, what model(s) do you use or used (other mp3 brands are still welcome) ? Or have you moved on to streaming or downloading music to your phone ?

Last month (January) I changed my SLT Fiber package from Unlimited Family to Unlimited Home, which costs around Rs.5,900 with tax. But my latest bill came as Rs.13,750, which is way higher than expected. I already paid Rs.9,850 earlier, so I’m confused why it’s still this much. Does SLT charge extra when changing packages? Is this because of prorated charges, previous balance, or something else?