Negombo Travel Answers

Easier if you tell what your intersts are.

Theres lots to see and do in Sri Lanka but there isn't that much to do in Negombo so you will want to travel to other parts of the Island. Will you be taking organised trips, hiring a car with driver, making your own way on public transport or a bit of each? By the way, I’ve stayed in Browns Beach, I’m not a big Negombo fan but the hotel is fine, no bother.

hi will be doing abit of both local transport and maybe hiring car with driver,is negombo not very nice then,which place would of been better to go to,

Don’t panic, some people swear by Negombo and go back every year, it’s certainly handy for the airport, which is very welcome after a long flight. I don’t like it much but I wouldn’t want to spend my entire holiday in any one ‘resort’ because there isn’t much happening in any of them, at least Negombo has a little more going on outside the hotel than some, there are one or two livelier bars (a lot depends on when you’re going?) . You can spend a day or two just exploring Negombo with its smelly fish market and equally smelly, the Dutch fort will take you about 10 minutes but it has tons of shops and bars and stuff. There are plenty of Temples and Churches to look at (mainly churches, Negombo is a Christian town) but you are much better visiting these places off the beaten track where you will be pretty much left alone (unless you are offered tea with the Monk) where as in tourist areas even places of worship can feel like a business and you can sometimes feel hounded. The beaches are often better further south and places like Bentota are better for rail travel. There is a station at Negombo but the trains are of the slow, local and infrequent variety, however you can get a bus just about anywhere, including Colombo Fort station which is where you will pick a train for the Hill Country (in terms of scenery and fun train is the best way to get to Kandy and the Hills but it takes an age. You should be in for a great holiday but forward planning is a good idea, there are two particular trips which I would definitely do and both can be done by rail (which will cost you next to nothing but will be an adventure) first just take the train along the west coast (it goes round as far as Matara) and then if you like that take the train up into the Hill Country as far as Haputale, in both cases you can travel until you get tired spend the night in a guest house (Hatton is good on the Hill country trip) when you have seen and done enough just turn round and go back. Why not take a look at some of the VT Sri Lanka pages (and the numerous tips attached to them) get an idea of the place and then hit us with any specific questions you may have. You’ll find a list of pages here; Top Pages for Sri Lanka

You can go to the beaches there. They are really good. You can go to the fish market. You get to see nice fishes. Try going to Hill country. Its better you hire a car with driver cause you dont know much about Negombo. All the best. ------------------- SERA [url=http://www.drivenwide.com]Guaranteed ROI[/url]

Hi I have the same question as you my hubbie and I are going to Negombo next July 19th for 10 days we wonder if there are local tour people to show us round rather than pay loads for rep excursions. we are staying at the jetwing Beach so maybe us brits could cut a deal with the locals I would feel safer going in a foursome. we certainly dont want to laze on the beach everyday. Cheers Mary

Jetwing Beach is the best hotel in Negombo. There are small travel company offices where you can arrange a car and driver among the shops in shopping areas close to the hotels. I can recommend a driver in Negombo. Mail me if your interested in his details.

Hans………. Please avoid your bad habit, promoting your own drivers having attacking to the stomach of poor sri lanka drivers.please let them to do there business with out Involve. Like other forums he gradually approaching to this as well to spoil , I know your little pension is not sufficient to living please find genuine path to earn . Thanks ,

liyara or nicola (or whoever you are) The only drivers I have are in my golf bag;-) I get absolutely no personal or economical gains from offering contact details of drivers (whom I have used personally or have been recommended to me by friends or for that matter can be found searching the fora). Why do you have a grudge against me? Others offer contact details of drivers, but it's only me you attack under various screen names. I doubt you have the guts to answer this. What do you know about my pension? It's probably more in a month than you earn in a year.

you're worried that there's not much to do for two weeks in Negombo? What makes you think that? In which case why on earth did you book a holiday for 2 weeks in Negombo?! You're flying all that way halfway across the world to Negombo - sorry but this is realy a terrible idea. I would urge you to rethink your plans, and amend the booking. I only spent a night and a day in Negombo, its not such a great place and night its even a little dogy and I was only there because i had to get to the airport the next day. Yes, there are some things to do in the area but u can do this in a couple of days. Who advised you to spend two weeks in a hotel in Negombo? Get them to pay for the charge, if there is any, for changes to your booking

I definitely agree!! DO NOT spend a lot of time in Negombo! I have been going to Lanka frequently for 38 yrs and only spend 1-2 days occasionally if it is convenient for meeting friends coming down from the north, or to get out of Colombo, if I am there too long. For first trip, there is SOOOO much to see and do; start researching!