Travels across the mainland. Sri Lanka - interesting notes From Colombo airport to Negombo

Not far from the unofficial capital of the island, there is a famous resort. For many years now, it has been attracting vacationers with its sandy beaches and amazing culture. What makes it a favorite place for tourists is its proximity to the administrative center of Sri Lanka, as well as reasonable hotel prices.

Holidays in Negombo

Conditions for relaxation in Negombo are quite comfortable. The weather here is hot. The air temperature during the day is 28-34 degrees above zero, the water warms up to 25-28 degrees. Rains at the resort are observed from May to October.

How to get to Negombo

Getting to Negombo is quick and inexpensive. To do this, tourists are invited to use a special free bus from Colombo Airport. Then you can transfer to local tuk-tuk transport. Vacationers can also travel from the airport to the city by regular bus. The resort is easy to get to if you take the train from the capital's station.

You can buy a plane ticket to Colombo directly on our website using the form on the right.

Negombo Sri Lanka provides its guests with traditional tropical entertainment: diving and windsurfing. Some hotels in the resort town are specially equipped with their own water sports centers. There are special taverns on the beach where you can enjoy seafood dishes cooked over an open fire.

Features of Negombo

The resort is famous for its fishing. In a small town, a festival dedicated to this is held annually, where all its participants can communicate according to their interests.

For those who decide to delve into the secrets of ancient medicine, Negombo provides hotel complexes located on "Golden Mile", is the name of the coastline in Negombo, along which there are hotels where guests can learn the secrets of Indian healers.

Sights in Negombo

Recently a new pier was built in the city. Today she is happy to welcome everyone go down the river by boat. In addition, on the territory of Negombo there is a canal with a length of about 100 kilometers, and not far from the resort there is the largest swamp in Sri Lanka.

Negombo can rightfully be called one of centers of Catholicism. And it’s not surprising, because it has a huge number of cathedrals, the most famous of which is Church of the Holy Virgin Mary.

Sri Lanka Negombo surprises its guests Dutch fort, built in 1672. Today all that remains of it are the gates and walls, which are washed by water on three sides. While visiting it, tourists can see ancient granite slabs with the year carved on them, as well as a clock tower built in honor of Queen Victoria.

At a distance of 20 kilometers from Negombo rises majestically ancient temple, which, according to legend, was visited by Buddha himself. This cultural monument recently underwent restoration and today is in great demand among vacationers.

If guests of the tropical resort want to plunge into a more familiar atmosphere, then Negombo is pleased to offer them a large number of souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes, as well as bicycle rental services.

Best hotels in Negombo

Among the inexpensive ones we can highlight Holiday Fashion Inn 2*, price for a double room with one bed - from 50 $ per night. If you are accustomed to luxury and total comfort, then it is better Jetwing Beach 5* cannot be found, it is located near Ethukala beach, the price of a DBL room is from 200 $ per night.

You can book hotels in Negombo at a competitive price using the form below.

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Negombo Beach located at the mouth of the lagoon of the same name and is the main beach on the west coast. Its advantages usually include its ideal location (seven kilometers from Bandaranaike International Airport), width and safe sea.

The town of Negombo has a small port and its economy is mainly based on tourism and traditional fishing. It is therefore not surprising that Negombo is famous among gourmets for its seafood . It also produces spices, ceramics and copper products.

Most of Negombo's population Catholics (followed by Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims). Due to this and the rich Roman Catholic heritage of the Raj era, the city of Negombo was even given the name "Little".

Wide sandy Negombo beach tourists usually leave for the last days of their stay, since it is most convenient to get to the airport from here. On Negombo beach there are many hotels of different classes, ranging from the most luxurious to modest guesthouses, as well as restaurants for every taste. Some quiet areas of the beach are even maintained by the hotels themselves. Water sports and diving are extremely popular among beach visitors, as the coastline is home to several well-preserved coral reefs and a 50-year-old shipwreck that serves as an artificial habitat for many species of fish. Handicrafts are sold near the beach.

Location: Gampaha, West Coast
Coordinates forGPS: 7.237024°, 79.840048° / 7.233905°, 79.839919°
From Colombo: 37 km
From Bandaranaike Airport: 7 km
Nearestand/dstation: Negombo railway station
Nearest city: Negombo
Best time to visit: from November to April

Attractions/Negombo Beach:

Negombo Lagoon

Negombo Lagoon covers an area of ​​3164 hectares and is located 40 km north of. It is part of the large Muthurawajawel coastal wetland. Apart from a narrow point facing the sea in the north, the water depth in the lagoon is less than 2 m.

Drying freshly caught fish on Negombo beach.

Another tourist attraction is the fish laid out to dry on huge sheets right on the beach.

Making spices in Negombo.

Spices lovers can visit the yards where they are produced and watch the process.

Dutch fort in Negombo.

One of Negombo's most outstanding attractions is undoubtedly the Old Dutch Fort. This building takes us back to colonial times, when the people were under Portuguese rule and then .

Church of the Virgin Mary in Negombo

The dominant religion in Negombo is Christianity, so the Church of the Virgin Mary is of great importance here. This is a luxurious and monumental church, towering above all other buildings in the city. The church consists of three main levels, which are easy to distinguish when standing a short distance from the front.

Tourists in Negombo also deserve attention Churches of St. Sebastian and the Anglican Church.

Hotels near Negombo beach:

Browns Beach Hotel (on the beach)
Camelot Beach Hotel (100 m to the beach)
Catamaran Beach Hotel
Club Hotel Dolphin (near the lagoon)
Dickman Resort Negombo
Golden Star Beach Hotel (100 m to the beach)
Goldi Sands Hotel (on the beach)
Jetwing Beach Hotel
Jetwing Sea Hotel (10 m to the beach)
Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions hotel (200 m to the beach)
Kumudu Valley Resort
Little Taprobane
Oasis Beach Resort
Ocean View Tourist Guesthouse (100 m to the beach)
Paradise Beach Hotel (70 m to the beach)
Paradise Holiday Village (100 m to the beach)
The Pearl (50 m to the beach)
Sea Garden Hotel (on the beach)
Silver Sands Hotel (100 m to the beach)
St. Lachlan Hotel & Suites
Sunset Beach Hotel (50 m to the beach)
Villa Aralia

Negombo Beach in Sri Lanka is just 10 km from the airport. The city of Negombo is a convenient place to start your trip to Sri Lanka. Negombo also sells some of the cheapest tours to Sri Lanka. You can buy a ticket for only $450-500. We wanted to find out what Negombo Beach Resort is like.

Negombo Beach

The beach in Negombo is huge. The wide sandy coast stretches for 6 km. The sand is yellow. Mostly everyone vacations in the northern part of Negombo, which is filled with hotels and guesthouses.

Negombo is really a budget resort; you shouldn’t expect from it all the delights that Sri Lanka has to offer. In general, at first we thought that Negombo was not a suitable place to relax, having read numerous reviews from tourists that swimming here was not an option.

In fact, everything turned out to be a little different, but there is undoubtedly some truth in this. Beach holidays in Negombo cannot beat the clean and well-kept beaches with blue water and bamboo sun loungers. There are no sun loungers here at all, unless at hotels on the first line. But you can swim in Negombo, we saw tourists who come to swim in the sea.

It is very difficult to find shade from the sun. Palm trees are planted only at expensive hotels and the entire 50-meter coastline is completely given over to the sun.

Where can I order a transfer from the airport?

We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article.

Ocean in Negombo

Sea and waves. In the morning the ocean is the calmest and cleanest. After 9 am the waves get stronger and the current carries debris.

Animals on the beach

Crows and dogs. These 2 dogs walked with us along the beach for an hour. We played with them, threw a stick, and later brought them food. Instead of seagulls and parrots, there are crows circling in the sky. Relaxing on the beach or in the pool to the sounds of croaking, which again reminds me of India.

Negombo video

Watch a short video from the beach:

Situation in Negombo during the day

During the day there are practically no people on Negombo Beach. Mostly the beach is inhabited by rare tourists and fishermen who prepare boats for going out into the ocean, straighten the sails, and lay out their nets.

Negombo sunsets and evening life

During the day, as you understand, there are very few people on the beach. But by evening the picture changes completely. It feels like the whole town of Negombo is facing the beach. Some are playing ball, some are walking the dogs, some are having a picnic and sitting and eating.

The ocean can take out the trash

It's not just the presence of a huge number of people that changes the situation on the beach. It happens that currents bring tons of garbage. Logs, sticks, coconuts, plastic, bottles, other household garbage and even some pipes. And in the evening the entire coastline can be littered with this mostly natural debris. We've seen this before. This is the beauty that can await those who want to swim at sunset.

District in northern Negombo

A tourist street along the sea with cafes, shops, hotels and guest houses. Many cafes are not open in the morning. There is a sidewalk.

Negombo city

• The center of Negombo is an ordinary Sri Lankan city, where it is bustling, crowded and noisy.
• Lots of Catholic churches and fish markets. There are no other attractions.
• You can withdraw money without commission at the HSBC ATM, which is opposite Dominos pizza. On the map .

Transport

Buses are cheap. Tuk tuks charge an average of 300-400 rupees for travel within the city. Uber and Pick me apps work. But in Pik Mi, tuk-tuk drivers always cancel orders because they don’t want to carry them at that price.

Where to eat in Negombo, prices in restaurants

• The prices in the cafe are very reasonable.
• For two people, it cost us about 1500 - 2000 rupees ($9-11) for lunch with soft drinks.
• We ate most often in our restaurant, which has good reviews and is in demand among tourists. It’s delicious, inexpensive, the portions are large and, most importantly, they cook quickly! Waiting time 20-25 minutes. Prices on the menu in the photo. Rate 1$=170Rs. A point on the map .

We once went to the Sunnys restaurant, which also had a lot of positive reviews. Overall ok, but the prices are a little expensive, the taste is average. A 10% service fee is included in the check. Our lunch bill is 2800 rupees. Waiting in an empty room for 30 minutes. I liked the Petit cafe better. On the map .

Negombo reviews

What we personally liked about Negombo is that it is a developed area with good inexpensive guesthouses and hotels. Moreover, it doesn’t matter in which part of Negombo you settle, if it is the first line from the beach, then in any case there will be cafes, restaurants and small shops with souvenirs nearby.

I was pestered at a minimum in Negombo compared to the southern resorts. They will unobtrusively offer you a pareo 3 times, some kind of catamaran 5 times and a fishing trip a couple of times or something like that. Well, tuk-tuks will offer their services at most 10 times a day. Compared to and, we can say that they are trifles.

Conclusion: if your priority is to save a lot, but still, you can consider Negombo. But in this case, it would still be better to at least take 3-4 excursions and diversify your days if you suddenly cannot swim at the local beach.

We can also recommend Negombo for 1-2 days to those who are planning to actively travel around Sri Lanka, as the first city on the route to relax after a flight before a long-distance trip. Or for an overnight stay before departure. Since the city is close to the airport, it takes 20-30 minutes to get there, and a taxi is inexpensive.

Negombo on the map and how to get there

Read how to get to Negombo from the airport. Order a transfer you can here.

Everything stated below is purely personal impressions and reflections and may not at all coincide with the opinions of other travelers.

Why Sri Lanka? I feel the need to explore different places, countries, continents and the people inhabiting them. I return to places I like from time to time. I collect countries - this is the 54th.

As a matter of principle, I don’t take tours if I understand that I can organize everything myself and most likely it will be cheaper and of better quality.

So, I initially planned Thailand (I’ve been there a hundred times, but I really wanted the sea - I was tired after a couple of stressful months at work) - but when I saw the cost of tickets, I thought, maybe something new. Goa, Bali - there were, Madagascar - well, I don’t know... but I liked Sri Lanka.

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I bought tickets on Emirates. The transfer was to Dubai at night, from 00 to 2.30.. but the arrival was at 8.00 and not at 4 in the morning like Fly Dubai.. and the flight back was at 9 in the morning and not at three in the morning.. Well, it’s 4 rubles more expensive - that’s not significant . The ticket cost 45 rubles with all the purchased leg seats... probably if you buy it six months in advance it will be cheaper. I took it for a month. I’ll tell you that the Emirates Business Lounge in Dubai is good, although Sharik has better service and food.

There is no schedule. The program is conditional. Negombo and Unawatuna are the main places where I will hang out, so I booked hotels here. Booking was tedious and long. I read the reviews and was in shock - as stardom increased, enthusiasm decreased and negativity increased, while prices rose straight to the sky as a result of stardom.

Therefore, even with financial possibilities, I ruled out 5s... right away. And I felt freer!

Sri Lanka is very similar to India... The locals are more trained by the British, of whom, by the way, there are a huge number. Later I read that all the Indians were brought in at one time by the same British, because the locals were enviably lazy and did not like to work in principle, although the Indians are not very agile.

Upon arrival, I thought, what a great guy I am for getting an electronic visa (1,500 rubles - 3 hours), the queue at the airport for a visa is huge.

On the way out, I famously made a deal with a local tour office and rented a car from them to the hotel for a symbolic $15. I traveled in the same car with a driver for the next two days.

By the way, oddly enough, the best currency exchange rate is at the airport, but I realized this already in the city.

Negombo.

There are a lot of reviews about the country, so there’s no desire to load too much. I got up to All Sutes Hotel 4*. Eighteen thousand rubles for 3 nights. Booking on Hotels.com seemed cheaper, I had two free nights, which I used (and paid 6,000 rubles - beauty).

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The hotel is very decent, clean, even closer to 5*. A kettle, bathrobes, slippers, a refrigerator - everything is there, a beautiful view of the ocean. The staff is polite, breakfast is good, wifi is good. Decent clean pool. Of the minuses - they cook to order so-so, but there is even a hookah for $10 - nothing at all. .

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But the beach looks depressing, dirty - plastic, glass, no sunbeds or umbrellas, few people. The ocean, if there is no wave, is not bad, but after 17.00 I was afraid to enter - it seemed that the wave was very powerful.

Walking down the street in the evening, I saw restaurants filled with Europeans - they keep their prices decent (by local standards), but in my opinion the food is lousy. Souvenirs - just like in Goa, elephants and Buddhas... well, some other scary leather bags.

Yes, it’s cleaner here than in Goa - that’s a fact. But people sometimes relax right on the asphalt.

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Negombo is most often used as a place of adaptation after a flight and a base for forays into Kandy, Sigiriya, and Dante's Peak. It's much closer from here. This does not apply to group tours - these are usually on a bus and driven six hours to Unawatuna Beach, or seven to Melissa. And then they take you to the same Sigiriya for an excursion, but with an overnight stay - well, it’s just brutal. And I got ready for Kandy in the morning.

Kandy.

This town is very popular, there is a Temple of the Tooth Relic there and you should see it - well, definitely!

We drove there for three hours - that’s a hundred kilometers. The landscape is the same - palm trees, palm trees, mountains - palm trees. The car and driver cost $100 and we left at 9 am.

After a two-hour drive along narrow roads and heavy traffic, we stopped at Pinnewala, a town where elephants are led through the streets to a local river and then bathed!

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Two hours of show... from 10 to 12. Then even in the Nursery it’s not particularly interesting. But the surprising fact is that you can’t get through without a swimming ticket (and this is a simple street with access to the river).

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The ticket costs 2500 rupees (920 rubles). But the spectacle is very, very fascinating, although I was in Bali – I rode and swam on elephants. I note that there are several nurseries there, there is also a place where crippled animals are kept - it’s not a fact that it’s a fascinating sight to see crippled elephants.

On the way we stopped at a fruit market, but there were no mangoes. The local ones will only ripen in April, well, papaya, pineapple, breadfruit and all sorts of other things are available.

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I understand the prices are special - tourist prices, because there were no local buyers, but minibuses with tourists were constantly slowing down.

Well, my driver, naturally, took me to some spice plantation.... of course it was a scam. But I bought something for $50 and will experiment. (I bought an ointment for hair removal (I’m bald, I was interested) with which I later got an allergic reaction, but it was so beautifully advertised)

I didn’t like Kandy itself - hectic, dirty, noisy. In fact, after the elephant nursery, you can safely turn around. Unless of course you are a Buddhist.

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Another religious plane did not seem attractive to me, but when I arrived, I naturally went to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, but was not impressed.

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And I missed the lake next to the temple - well, a lake and a lake, nothing special. I’ve already seen so much - I haven’t gone further than the night market in Goa.... and now I feel in Goa - I’ll come back 100%, but here it’s not a fact yet

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After visiting the local Christian temple nearby, I can head out of town for lunch and my driver took me to a “super” buffet with some astronomical prices, and it felt like I paid for myself, the driver and that guy (probably the driver’s brother.) By the way, the driver was fed for free.

There were two more attempts on his part to deceive me - but I didn’t fall for one at all... a factory for the production of masks and elephants, but I stopped by for a tea tasting, why not drink tea. ^Golden^ tea - 500 grams was truly magical - $33 - I was surprised that they really charge it. In Unawatuna, by the way, this tea was sold for the same $35 but for 100g. So, they gave me tea, something simpler - so I went, and the consultant was upset. Hmmm, yes, there are a lot of scammers here...at every step they are literally trying to manipulate tourists and smuggle something in, but who else can they take money from. The price for locals and foreigners is unimaginably different... in the elephant reserve, for example, even the ticket offices are in different places - so that tourists don’t go nuts. Let me also note that the price tag for ours and foreigners is different.

We returned after dark.

I’m surprised by the weirdos that I rent cars here and talk about it as a feat. I read one here, he paid $2,100 for 3 weeks (I paid several times less in the States) and also managed it himself. Yes, for 1500 a local driver would take you in a minibus and pray for you, and maybe even cheaper. The traffic is very complicated - it’s not even Moscow, there are a lot of nuances - in the form of driving into oncoming traffic, etc. Notels.com offered me a Honda for $330 for 9 days, but I never got around to it.

Unawatunna.

You can get from Negombo to Unawatuna Beach by a toll highway in two and a half hours or by a regular road in 5-6 hours. Naturally, we went along the toll highway, even if it is more expensive. The car cost me $90 that day. The same guy of mine who received instructions to follow the route clearly - looked pleased, no wonder - I found out that it was possible to fly for $70.. So the first toll road cost 300 local rubles, then there was a long connection with the second road through the city, because highways not to connect, and the second one cost 1100 dirhams.

The hotel, located four kilometers from the main village, caused some confusion upon arrival, although I seemed to have read the reviews, but at that moment I was pressed for time and prices were rising by leaps and bounds.

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These bookings know that if you come in once, there is no point in making things cheaper, but always more expensive. By the way, you can easily fit in the place, there is a choice.

No, in general, if you look at it, I lived in India and in much extreme conditions... I didn’t like it here much - old furniture and a lack of sockets. In Negombo, I actually lived in a 4-room apartment... and moved to a 3-room apartment. There was a good hotel nearby, but there was no room. Anyway.

Amanda Beach Hotel - 31,000 for 6 nights with breakfast. At first I thought; I probably should have gone to a more populated hotel - only 7 people lived here, of which I saw 3, including two Russians from Yaroslavl. The Internet is not so great (and in Goa it’s the same), I could barely connect the tablet.

I think I got it in short... no pool, no shops nearby, no restaurants. A good place for lovers. But the breakfast is not bad - the air conditioner works, there is hot water and there are no mosquitoes. And then I appreciated this place, it’s quiet, calm, the food is excellent to order.

So - the first thing I saw when I entered the sea... no, I tried to enter, it was a wave twice as tall as me (and from the shore it seemed small) - and it threw me ashore and I scratched my knees and immediately understood, thank you for that - alive!.

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Well, don’t retreat... The second and third attempts were more successful - I dived, missed the wave - well, here we met - Unawatunna.

The village itself is four kilometers away, a tuk-tuk cost 200 rupees ($1.5), the hotel manager actually sold it for 500, but I’m sure that the locals pay about 100.

The Tartuga restaurant on Unawatuna beach seemed generally good. I can no longer say that the prices in restaurants are annoying... the locals are also sitting, I don’t think they have a special price list.

But the service is slow, they smile but really do everything slowly - they can take 30 minutes to carry the menu, so I always took the menu myself. The food is of average quality, although the fish can easily be spoiled.

Some things irritated me: for example, I ordered tea in one cafe, they brought me half a mug, I asked, did the water run out? No, like it costs that much. I say pour some water... no, pay extra for water, however. Well, I got up and left, let him drink and pay for it himself. .

The behavior of foreigners is interesting - a couple with two children (Danes) is sitting next to them, both smoking cigarettes and extinguishing their cigarettes in the sand under the table. I called the waiter - bring them an ashtray, and they asked the waiter to move me with a hookah further away - like children. I had to send... Russians, in order to smoke, get up and go away to smoke....that’s the culture of education for you.

Unawatunna.

This morning it finally became clear that swimming near the hotel is impossible; in the morning there was a wave as big as a house and the reefs were sticking out. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to a normal beach.. While you’re walking, you can look at the fishermen who are catching while sitting on a pole - it’s cool, the tradition is slowly dying out, by the way.

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But the beach is great. The lagoon is 100 by 20 meters, closed by reefs and there are no waves at all, the greatest depth is 150 cm. It’s a paradise for children, and super for adults too - you swim like in a pool with sea water.

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Even with a mask it’s good - there are more fish than on Jang Beach (a very popular beach). And also, when you swim or approach the edge of the reef ridge (and the depth is chest-deep), you observe on the blue horizon a wave that menacingly rises from the ocean - and immediately breaks on the reefs and billions of bubbles forming seething foam rush towards you and create the illusion of a jacuzzi. Fantastic.

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If you wanted something extreme, to jump in the wave, please go a little to the right, there the wave gets up to 2.5 meters and is ready to sweep you away. It’s good that there is a double sandy roll and you can also jump quite safely.

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Turtles, again, swim there almost every day - but you can see them just on the rifts.. There aren’t too many people in the lagoon, sunbeds for rent for 500 rubles, no music - just the sound of the waves. There are 3-4 restaurants, prices are average. Lapota. The beach is called Dalawella Beach. Hotels nearby – Sri Gemunu Beach / Sayra Beach.

But you can’t get to the main beach of Unawatuna on foot along the shore, and why would you?

Galle Fort .

Today I visited Galle Fort.

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Yesterday's tuk-tuk driver took me to the fort, showed me the main places (I didn't have to walk at all). I don’t particularly like fortifications - well, this one is so-so. Of course, it would be nice to restore it a little, but why? In general, it’s kind of weak. There are no shops here, no restaurants either, a market with local goods and a couple of museums.

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On the way back we stopped at a fruit shop - it turned out that the prices in the city were lower.

The tuk-tuk operator along the way offered a dozen entertainment options - I settled on several sea... fishing, whales in Merissa, turtles in Hikkaduwa and perhaps Yala (reserve and jeep safari). There were strong doubts about Yala - because it takes 4 hours one way, well, I don’t know. I read the reviews during the day, listened to the boring and joyless story of the Yaroslavl residents (they went to a similar reserve - closer, got tired, didn’t really see anything except two elephants and a buffalo) and came to the conclusion that I’ll go to Tanzania there and see the wild world of animals, and buffalos I also saw an elephant in the zoo.

Unawatunna. Fishing.

Tuk-tuker organized a fishing trip at my request. I invited neighbors from Yaroslavl and at 6 am we went to the boat. This process is unchanged in any country in the world - boat..sea..fishing rod..wave. The only question is whether the fish will bite where they bring them.

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Locals sail 2-3 km from the shore. Well, something was biting, we caught about 20 different ones. One Yaroslavl resident got seasick - and for him it was a real test, and he probably won’t forget it. The trip cost $80.

I was surprised by the behavior of the neighbors when paying (although I have encountered this before) two men paid $40 for fishing, saying - is it normal? Well, 80 for three is not 40, and at least 25 per person. Well, I said nothing, okay, I think, I kind of called. A couple of days later, history repeated itself. The three of us take a tuk tuk to Jang Beach. How much do you usually pay? - I ask. – There are three of us, it will probably be more expensive?

Four hundred answer, but they give 200 when calculating.

You guys are smart - I say, you can see right away that you are friends with mathematics, probably engineers; - another 100 from you (I prepared 150 myself) - but they only gave me fifty dollars. I didn't go anywhere else with them.

Unawatunna.

Today on our beach, I swam with two huge turtles, well, their shells were about a meter long....big. Moreover, in principle, the depth was one and a half meters. Cool. I even stroked one, and she rushed into the depths - well, not tame, however.

It turns out that five out of seven species of sea turtles live off the coast of Sri Lanka. Surprisingly, the turtle matures for fertilization after 30 years, and then it returns to where it was hatched. They write that tame ones swim to the Hikkaduwa beach and you can feed them, but judging by the photos - they are fed by such a crowd - that there is no desire to go anymore, much less to cut there for 45 minutes..

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There is also the place of Sigiriya and Dante Peak, but as I wrote, they are closer to Colombo and in the depths of the island - the road will take 5-6 hours to the Peak - plus the ascent 3-4 hours, plus the descent and back - two days at least. Neighbors from Yaroslavl went to Sigiriya one day by car with a driver and guide - heroes. We left at 4 in the morning and the tour company charged them 360 bucks for this excursion (60 for the guide, incl.).

And I specifically found out that a private driver, for example, will charge $150 for this. The road takes 5 hours, I don’t know what kind of pleasure this is - there are no special highways here.

I gave up Melissa and whale watching. And again I read the reviews, out of 20, two saw the tails of whales on the horizon, but they all vomited, for a long time and painfully. And many people write that they haven’t seen anything, but they liked it!!! What did people like - puke???

I understand that this is not an aquarium, that there are wild animals, they cannot be specially organized for display, but I know, I need more guarantees... By the way, the walk costs $50-70.

Unawatunna. Jang Beach.

There is such a place in these parts, in the area of ​​​​the Japanese pagoda (although this is an ordinary Buddhist stupa). You drive up the hill for a while... and then a winding path from above leads you through the jungle - straight to the shallows... I didn’t see any snakes, monkeys or other living creatures. So - below is a lagoon, no waves, sand, some homemade and free sunbeds under palm trees.

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I went to a local massage and the tuk guy lured me away. Well, this is pure profanation. Don't fall for this provocation - for $25 they just rubbed it with oil.

Tuk tuk drivers, as you understand, replace both guides and travel agencies here. They make an agreement, make a reservation, change the bucks, take them to the liquor store, etc. Indispensable. They are sociable, coo in local English (mostly understandable), carry with them some letters of recommendation from tourists and they are very friendly, but they pretend to be naive simpletons. My friend takes me to the hotel in the evening, and everyone complains about how difficult it is to raise two children, that he earns little, etc. (average salary on the coast is $150-200). I'm somehow falling on deaf ears. So - he brought it and pointed at the rear wheels, repeating something about repairs - then he dumps it - give me a thousand bucks - I really need it. Nice people - no fuss, as they say.

I stopped by a spice shop. Not where the guides drag you, but where the locals buy. Well, I’ll say this - prices are cheaper than in Russia in online stores. The selection is decent. With tea, I think it’s more complicated - you won’t understand what they mix in the bags. I bought a couple of kilos for 50 bucks, I hope the tuk guy didn’t let me down.

I went to the liquor store, looked and asked. Wine mainly from New Zealand, Australia, Africa, India. Local wines are not produced. Price up to 2500 rupees ($16). Rum from 1800 (I don’t know which one).

Negombo.

Before the morning flight, I decided to get up for the night in Negombo - because the flight was at 10 am (the Yaroslavl residents had a flight at 3 am, so the bus picked them up from the hotel at seven in the evening - this is how agencies work).

Taking a local driver who was in love with cars, I flew to Negombo in 2 hours and $65. The same Kiwitaxi asked for 90. The guy - Samir (+94724217441) works extremely hard, travels to the airport 2 times a day. Two years and two months without days off. The car is a Toyota Plus, leased and you have to pay 2,300 bucks a month. Their cars are terribly expensive... This Toyota costs $40,000, my Merc cost that much.

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In Negombo we stayed at Hotel Pledge 3*, for 6,400 rubles/night. The place is not luxury - you have to walk about 10 minutes to the hiking trails, but the hotel is not bad, I lived in a room 60 meters away - large and stupid (there was some problem with the lighting - I still couldn’t figure out where everything was turned on), the pool was in the hotel. The restaurant could be called good, but the orders are mixed up - for example, they brought something completely different from what I ordered. And after sitting for 25 minutes, breakfast never arrived; they only managed to bring coffee - but I paid $13, which was very disproportionate. I liked the first hotel much better - it still has a view and access to the sea and the surrounding area is more fun, and generally much better.

As a result of a 10-day stay - I liked everything, except for the service, because they act as they see fit, you as a guest absolutely don’t care, an hour, an hour and a half - you’ll wait and don’t spoil their karma, as they say... they messed up the order - don’t care .. undercooked, overcooked, over-salted - don’t care, .. forgot, under-delivered, shortchanged - don’t care. No one will ever apologize - only a stupid happy smile hoping for condescension. Prices for food are sliding towards European ones, hotels are decent - they are expensive for the most part, in guesthouses I think hello (in the bad sense of the word, but ours stay there), the ocean is good - if you know the location of the beaches, waves and currents, about restaurants already wrote. (choose proven quality and service on TripAdvisor). Well, in general, it’s probably no worse than Goa; there’s just a catastrophic lack of fruit; it probably depends on the season. The main difference is that the ocean is much more serious - there are a lot of reefs and high waves, but there is the opportunity to wander around different attractions - if you can’t sit still and if you need them. As a result, for some reason it turns out that they are not particularly needed, these attractions are very nondescript. Well, it’s still a long way to fly, that’s a fact. But while I was writing, I thought, I’ll definitely come back; I liked something.

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One more thing - they all KNOW PUTIN - And they’re just crazy about him, and in different places they told me that he is their favorite president, maybe he can manage a couple of terms there?

There is also a peculiarity with the weather - in winter (May-October) - in the described places it rains and is very stormy, but on the other hand, in the northeast there is peace and quiet - the wave is very small, it’s warm, there is no rain....surprisingly, the service there is poor developed

You need to be careful and attentive to reviews about hotels and beaches - they write a lot, often beautifully and enthusiastically, but they are written by people with little experience, who have mostly only been to Egypt.

Good luck everyone on your travels, stay safe

Negombo (Sri Lanka) is a popular resort that many travelers use as a stopover point during their trip. This state of affairs is due to the convenient location of the settlement - just 40 km from the airport in Colombo. The resort town in Sri Lanka is famous for its fish market, cinnamon production, and interesting sights.

general information

Negombo is a small town located in the western part of Sri Lanka. The settlement is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean in a picturesque lagoon. It is one of the main commercial centers of the country.

For most of its history, the city was ruled by the Moors, who successfully traded cinnamon. Then the Portuguese ousted the Arabs, built a fort, and took control of the sale of spices to other countries. During the years of Portuguese rule in Negombo, the local population converted to Catholicism, which is why today a large number of Catholic churches have been preserved here.

In the mid-17th century, the Dutch seized power, built a fortress, erected new buildings, cathedrals and organized a network of water canals.

After the British seized power in Negombo in Sri Lanka, the settlement developed as a commercial center. At the end of the 19th century, a railway was built here, fish and seafood production was carried out on an industrial scale, and extensive plantations of tea, coffee and nuts appeared.

What attracts travelers

Vacationers are attracted by the beaches, however, if you compare them with the beaches in other resorts in Sri Lanka, the comparison will not be in favor of Negombo. Residents warmly and friendly welcome vacationers, interesting sights have been preserved here, and good conditions for diving have been created.

A notable feature of the resort town in Sri Lanka is its network of canals. Their length is almost 100 km. Residents of Negombo use it as a trade and tourist route.

In Negombo you should definitely visit:

• Dutch fort;
• St. Mary's Cathedral;
• Church of St. Anne;
• fish market.

Interesting fact! At the market you can negotiate with local fishermen about fishing in the lagoon.

Beaches of Negombo

Often in photographs, Negombo in Sri Lanka is presented as a luxurious resort with picturesque beaches. However, in practice the situation is somewhat different. Beaches are of low quality. At first glance, it seems that there is everything you need for a comfortable stay. However, the overall impression is spoiled by garbage and unkempt coastline. In addition, the water is cloudy almost all year round due to the large amount of silt that accumulates from canals and rivers.

Almost the entire city beach, located outside the tourist area, is practically not cleaned. There are no sunbeds or umbrellas here; you can only find them near some hotels.

Good to know! If you want to relax and unwind, choose a beach located in a tourist area. There are many cafes, restaurants, shopping centers, and some hotels have vibrant nightlife. Negombo in Sri Lanka falls asleep around 22-00, it is calm and quiet here. Most guests who come to Sri Lanka to enjoy a beach holiday spend no more than 2 days in Negombo.

The cleanest sections of the beach are located along two city streets:

• Lewis Place;
• Porutota rd.

This is a tourist part of the city, so garbage is regularly removed from the beach here, so the sand is relatively clean. The descent into the water is gentle, and the width of the coastline is from 10 to 30 meters. In two directions from the beach (north and south) dirty areas begin. In this part of Negombo live local residents who do not stand on ceremony and throw garbage directly onto the shore.

Helpful information! Moving south, you can get to the lagoon, where the fairly good Negombo beach, covered with black sand, is located.

Vacation prices

The main advantage of the resort is cheap prices for accommodation and food. Especially in the low season, finding decent housing with good conditions is not difficult. You can rent a double room in a guesthouse for $9. You can and should bargain with the owners of guesthouses; most likely, housing prices can be reduced.

This is useful! Depending on the time of year and the desire of the owners to get rich, the initial price can be reduced by one and a half times.

If you prefer a comfortable stay, it is better to rent a hotel room in advance. In Negombo there are hotels of different levels, with different numbers of stars. For a short holiday, it makes sense to find a good hotel with air conditioning in the rooms and a swimming pool, since swimming in the ocean is not very pleasant due to silt and dirt.

During the low season, prices in 3-star hotels vary between $25-45. Rent a room in a decent 4- and 5-star hotel with a swimming pool and breakfast will cost $60-90.

Helpful information! If you arrive in Negombo at night, inform the hosts of your guesthouse or hotel in advance. The resort town falls asleep quite early, the hotels close for the night, and it’s impossible to stay late in the evening.

Find out PRICES or book any accommodation using this form

Food prices

Prices in cafes and restaurants in Negombo are lower than in other resort towns in Sri Lanka. The most expensive establishments are concentrated in tourist areas. There are establishments with different cuisines, different levels and price ranges.

The most budget cafes are concentrated in the commercial part of the village. As a rule, such inexpensive establishments are called Hotel and resemble an ordinary canteen. There are also expensive restaurants here, but you should be prepared for the fact that the service and manner of service in them differ from traditional European ones.

It is important! Breakfast costs approximately $3. Chicken soup costs about $2.50, a milkshake costs about $2, and a pot of tea costs $1.20.

Gourmet restaurant dishes can be sampled on hotel premises. Received good reviews:

• Orchid (Browns Beach Hotel);
• Sands' (The Beach Hotel).

The menu consists of international cuisine, with a separate menu offering vegetarian dishes. The Beach Hotel has a vegetarian restaurant, Black Coral.

If you prefer fish dishes and seafood, visit the Fish & Lobster restaurant. The dishes here are prepared in front of the customers. The average check is from $40. If you prefer German cuisine, order dinner at the Bijou restaurant. The cost of the check is about $25-30.

It is important! There are no Russian establishments in Negombo, Sri Lanka, but the restaurant has a menu in Russian.

Sights, what to see

There are few attractions in the resort; most of the architectural monuments are Catholic, Hindu and Buddhist temples. A colorful place that all tourists recommend visiting is the fish markets. There are several of them, you need to visit at least one. Here you can buy fresh seafood and arrange fishing trips. You should definitely take a ride along the canals and lagoons that envelop Negombo in a network.

It is important! You can admire the flora and fauna in the lagoons during a private excursion or using the services of travel agencies.

The main attraction of Negombo is its large number of churches. The Angurukaramula Church is rightfully considered the most beautiful and majestic. The Buddhist temple is located a 20-minute walk from the railway station, so many tourists prefer to walk to the attraction.

The attraction attracts with a six-meter statue of Buddha, which is installed in a wooden carved gazebo. The gazebo deserves special attention, since the best local craftsmen worked on its creation. A pool was dug and landscaped in front of the statue, because the element of water is mandatory for every Buddhist temple. There are dozens of Buddha statues inside and outside. The walls of the attraction are decorated with paintings telling about the life of Buddha. As a rule, paintings turn into original bas-reliefs and are supplemented with figures. A special atmosphere has been created inside the temple, which you must experience when you find yourself in Negombo.

The attraction is located within the city, you can get here on foot, walking from anywhere in the village. If you are coming from the train station, you need to head east from the train station.

the entrance is free, you can visit the temple daily from 8-00 to 18-00.

Note to traveler: .

Catholic temple decorated with statues. Many tourists note that the Catholic Church built in Sri Lanka is strikingly different from European churches. Despite the apparent simplicity, a unique atmosphere reigns inside; prayers are read differently here, they sing differently, even the statue of Jesus Christ does not look like the standard images common in Europe.

Local Christians stop near the entrance and say prayers right on the street. The church building stands out among the buildings - it is decorated with statues, decorations and elegance. This type of architecture is unusual for Negombo, so all tourists visiting the resort come to the attraction. The interior decoration is rich, many photographs, stained glass windows and sculptures. There is an unusual altar built inside, illuminated with red light. It takes from 20 minutes to half an hour to explore the temple.

The excursion involves a boat ride along the canals and lagoon. Duration – half a day. During this time, travelers get acquainted with the local flora and fauna. The lagoon has many birds and lush greenery.

Price:

• group of 2-3 people – 55 $;
• group of 4-5 people – $40.

The boats move slowly along the quiet river, and the guides talk about the features of the area. Such a trip is calming and relaxing. In the thickets of trees you can see an iguana, monitor lizard and even a crocodile in their natural habitat. At the request of tourists, guides stop boats to go ashore. The excursions differ in content; you can choose a trip during which the guide will demonstrate the process of collecting palm sap. At the end of the trip, travelers can swim in the ocean waters.

It is important! Be sure to take drinking water and a camera with you on your trip.

How to get there from Colombo

Negombo is the closest resort to Bandaranaike Airport in Colombo.

You can get from Colombo to Negombo by taxi. This is the most comfortable option, but expensive - the trip will cost approximately $20. The journey takes 30 minutes. From the airport there is bus No. 240, ticket price is $0.35. A trip by tuk-tuk will cost a little more - almost $4.

It is important! The most convenient option is to order a transfer at the host hotel; in this case, the driver will be waiting for the tourist with a sign at the airport building.

By bus

Transport departs from the bus station, which is located approximately a kilometer from the airport building. The journey duration is 1.5-2 hours, flight departure frequency is every 30 minutes. There are two ways to get from the airport building in Colombo:

• free shuttle (you need to check whether the transport runs);
• tuk-tuk – the cost of the trip will be almost $1.

In Negombo, transport also arrives at the bus station; the most convenient way to get to the resort areas is by tuk-tuk for $1-1.5.

It is important! Roomy, comfortable buses depart from the bus station in Colombo; ticket price is $1.5.

Sri Lanka has developed railway communications. Flights depart from the station in Colombo Colombo Fort every day, the journey takes from 1 to 1.5 hours. The ticket price, depending on the class of carriage, varies from 0.25 to 1 dollar. Tickets can be purchased directly at the box office. The current train schedule and ticket prices can be found on the website www.railway.gov.lk.

It is important! The closest station to the tourist areas of Negombo is Negombo Railway. You can get to the hotel by tuk-tuk for $1.

Compare accommodation prices using this form

Negombo in Sri Lanka is a resort that, first of all, attracts with its convenient geographical location (near the airport in Colombo). Tourists prefer to stay here for a few days and then go on a further journey around Sri Lanka.

What the city of Negombo looks like, its beach and attractions are clearly shown in the video.

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