No selfies at the Dambulla cave temple please.

This is a very important travel tip if you go to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans can get seriously upset if you take a photo of yourself, when turning your back to Buddha.

I have been visiting many Buddhist countries over the years. You have varying degrees of how people expect you to behave as a visitor. In Thailand for instance, turning your foot sole towards people is considered very disrespectful.

In Sri Lanka, you should be very aware when taking photos of yourself in front of a Buddha statue. In Sri Lanka it’s considered very disrespectful to take a photo of yourself when turning your back to a Buddha statue.

So do NEVER EVER take a photo of yourself or your friends when standing in front of Buddha. Sri Lankans will not just get upset. They will speak up against it. And if the police see you doing it, they will confiscate your camera and go through all the photos.

They will also delete the photos they consider inappropriate. I have seen this happen twice in the past few weeks, here in Sri Lanka.

No photos when turning your back to Buddha please.

When you visit a foreign country, the last thing you want is to be a stupid tourist. So try to observe these basic rules, even if they might seem silly to you.

And in Sri Lanka, one of the most important things is not turning your back to Buddha when taking a photo.

Sri Lankans are extremely friendly and hospitable people. So it would be such a shame both for you and them, if you end up upsetting them. All because you were turning your back to Buddha when you took a selfie.

Do not upset the friendly Sri Lankans please.

This should not deter you from visiting Sri Lanka though. It’s a super friendly country, with a population that is very welcoming. And the island is very diverse. It’s simply one of the best places in the world to holiday.

Keep taking photos of yourself. But do it in places where you are not upsetting other people.