Renting a car, tuk tuk or scooter can be a great way to explore the country. You have unparalleled freedom and will be able to visit many more sights that the average tourist will not.
There are however some important things you need to know BEFORE arriving in Sri Lanka and AFTER you land.
BEFORE:
Driving Conditions: Driving in Sri Lanka is not likely to be as safe as it is in your own country. Whilst there are road rules here, they are seldom followed. Many bad habits have been developed by local drivers over time that are dangerous to unsuspecting foreign drivers. Always drive defensively and give way even if you are not in the wrong (eg a bus coming at you on the wrong side of the road). Experienced drivers and riders should still heed extreme caution. There are many accidents in Sri Lanka and foreigners are involved in fatalities each year, often through no fault of their own. If you are not a confident rider, think twice about renting a scooter.
IDP: Obtain your International Driving Permit from your country. It can take 2-4 weeks to apply and receive it, so do it early. It is mandatory to have this, along with your country license. A copy of either is not satisfactory. The fine is Rs.25,000 and/or one day in the local Police Station.
Scooter / Motorbike: You must have a scooter or motorbike license in your own country to be able to legally ride one here. Police will look for the extra stamp in your IDP when checking its validity. This is an unusual requirement and much more stringent than most other Asian nations.
AFTER:
IDP: Technically, before renting your vehicle, you are supposed to visit the Automobile Association of Ceylon near Galle Face Green and get your IDP certified and pay a fee depending on how many months you want to drive in Sri Lanka. In reality, this requirement isn’t checked by the authorities. If you are in Colombo prior to renting your vehicle, perhaps stop by their office and get the stamp. It is usually a fairly quick and painless process.
Renting a Tuk Tuk: A 3-wheeled vehicle is considered a different class of vehicle to a car or a motorbike and thus requires a special licence to be issued. This can only be obtained from the Werahera Branch of the Department of Motor Traffic in the outskirts of Colombo. You will need to take you passport, country licence and complete an application form. You will be issued with a temporary licence. The process is confusing as you get bounced from counter to counter, but there are few alternatives. One commonly used alternative is to rent your tuk tuk through these guys, tuktukrental.com. They will arrange your licence ready for collection when you pick up your vehicle.