Peradeniya Botanical Garden Tips: Rules and What to Know Before You Go

Not without two approvals. Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority (CAASL) requires visiting tourists to get flying approval for each location through its online portal, and the garden office at Peradeniya has to agree as well. Without both, guards can stop the flight and ask you to pack the drone away. If aerial shots matter to you, start the CAASL process two to three weeks before you fly to Sri Lanka.

Yes. Pre-wedding, fashion and any commercial shoot must be cleared with the garden office in the administration building, point 26 on the official map, before the camera comes out. The office tells you the fee and any conditions on the day, so build half an hour into the schedule. Personal photos by a couple on their own phone or camera need no permission.

Ask at the ticket counter before you set one up. Tripods, light stands and reflectors are treated as professional gear and may be sent to the garden office for permission. A small phone tripod used for a quick family shot rarely draws attention, but never plant one in a flower bed or on a path where it blocks other visitors.

No. This is a public garden, not a temple, so shorts and T-shirts are normal. Wear light cotton, a hat and closed walking shoes. If you are going on to the Temple of the Tooth the same day, carry a scarf or sarong, because the temple needs shoulders and knees covered and you will take your shoes off at the door.

No. The fruit bats, also called flying foxes, roost upside down in the tall trees near the river and sleep through the day. They do not attack people. The two real rules are to avoid standing directly under the roost, because of droppings, and never to touch a bat, even one lying on the ground, because bats can carry viruses.

Carry Sri Lankan rupees in cash and treat anything else as a bonus. Card acceptance at the ticket counter is not something to rely on, and while Indian UPI apps now work at Sri Lankan shops that display a LankaQR code, the garden counter, café and buggy stand may not. Indian rupees are not accepted. Change money in Kandy before you go.