Colombo Travel Forum

Hi i am planning to visit Comombo in the month of May for 3 days. i request anyone of members of this forum to help me with any female tourist guide.

I notice that the weather in Colombo is heavy rain, and has been for quite some time now. Is this likely to continue?

The reason I ask is that my fiance and I will be having our wedding in Sri Lanka (Beruwela to be exact) on the 26th March and would obviously prefer sunny weather. But looking at the forecast, are we likely to be soaked on our special day?

Is this current weather normal and should we just expect heavy rain for the week that we're there?

Regards

Jason

hi everyone,first forum i've ever joined,so hope i'm doing it right!Arriving Colombo at 10.25,onward to Bangkok at 07.30 next morning.Is it possible,practical, worth trying, to get to city,or better to get Hotel near airport for the day/night?If so,any idea of costs.Also what is a day room,and how do you get one?Hope someone can help

Heard that Colombo airport has completed renovation and fully functional with new and better facilities. Are there any Day rooms where we can have some sleep fro about 3-4 hrs and a shower and then go to city centre before we take an evenIg flight from Colombo?

If no Day rooms, what are your sugegstions or alternatives so that we can have have a room for some sleep and a shower?

Hi, I will be travelling to Bangkok on the 7th April but will have a 7 hour layover on the way and a 15 hour layover on the way back, the 27th. We will arrive at Colombo Airport at 21:40 and need to back on the flight at 13:15 the next day. I have no idea what are the legalities of leavin the airport and what we could do? I heard the elephant sanctury is amazing, is 15 hours enough to visit there? Any help would be great! Thank you in advance! Emma

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone can help us. We are coming to Sri Lanka in June 2008 and are looking for a Hindu priest to conduct a ceremony in Hindi, English, Gujarati or Sanskrit.

We will be staying in Bentota, but are willing to travel. If anyone can help us, we be grateful.

Many thanks,
JS

This is always a difficult subject when travelling.
We are due in Colombo in February and leave Colombo on a four day/three night tour before spending two weeks on the beach at Bentoto.
The tour is by car, and there will be two of us. How much should I tip the driver if , as expected, the driver/guide is good at his job.

Hi,

I was wondering if someone could give me any advice on how long it would take to get to Sigiriya from Colombo please ?? Could I do a day trip to Sigiriya and fit everything in comfortably or would I really need to stay overnight there ??

Also, in terms of getting there, what would people recommend as the best way of doing it ... hire a taxi driver personally or go via an organised tour ?? Do organised tours actually just do trips to Sigiriya or do they want to include Kandy/Pinnewala/etc too (which I don't want as I saw them last time I was in Sri Lanka) ??

Thanks in advance for any help !!

Cheers,
Darren

I have an 11 hour layover in Colombo and would like to go into town. How much would the fare be for a taxi from the airport to town? If I hired a driver for the day, what would the cost be?

Hi,

I will hopefully be arriving at CMB airport at around 0500-0530 in the morning on the 27th Dec. I have read some of the other posts and they seem to suggest that getting an airport taxi to your hotel is the easiest and cheapest option ... just a couple of questions :-

1) - How much would you expect a taxi to be to the Galadari hotel ??
2) - Do the taxis run 24 hours ... i.e. will I have a problem getting one at around 0530 ??

Thanks in advance,
Darren

Are there taxis available after midnight from the airport to town and back before 0600? Are there other forms of transportation besides taxis?

Hello,
I have an 11 hour layover in Colombo and would like to know where I can go and what I can do in that time? Do they have lockers in Colombo to store my luggage while I am in town?

I presume there are ATMs at Colombo airport. Can anyone confirm they are after immigration (if flying inbound), before or both!?

Thanks

I stayed in this hotel 9 years ago and adored it.
I see from the posts that it has been renovated...are there any old standard and superior rooms left? I recall a huge bedroom with an antiquated bathroom, reminiscent of an 1950's English country house. There were huge terrasses overlooking the Indian Ocean with breakers crashing in...
I want to go back , but I fear what I will find...Has anyone up to date information on this hotel, please? THANK YOU.

Hi! Is it safe to travel to colombo alone? Is there any interest tours / tour companies that you could recomment? Is it possible to make a day our to kandy or overnight stay would be preferable? visa requiremnet to sri lanka?
thanks!

Hi guys. My friend MarikARC, has been living in Chennai and working hard. She'll be visiting Colombo soon, to take care of some business and also let her hair down and relax. Are there any good options for partying, and having a good time?

I don't know Sri Lanka at all, but I thought I should ask and see what you guys think? Come on, what are the spots to party?

Thanks in advance!!!

Giampiero

Hello!
I'm in Colombo from 8 am to 7 am (23 hours....).
...What can one do in Sri Lanka for such a short time?
Is there any other reasonable option, may be more peaceful, other than Colombo?

Because I probably have to be back at the airport at 4 in the morning, does anybody know what kind of accommodation one can find near the airport? I've heard there are rooms at the airport itself which can be rented (by the hour?). Is that correct? Do they still exist? I couldn't find out.

Any suggestion will be very welcome.

Hello,
I have got a 4½ hours transit, the moment my plane landed at Colombo air port (10.40am), until the connecting flight departs for Delhi (3.10pm). I'm hoping, if possible, to go to Colombo city. I've heard that it's quite a distance from the airport. Can anyone tell me how could I make this possible ? I've read that the journey time from the airport to the city is almost the same (45 mins - 1 hour, 1 way)when taking a cab or by bus. Is there any faster way ? Where would you suggest me to go during that transit time ? Advices welcomed. Thanks.

I was recently offered a job in Colombo but don't know much about the city. The office is located in the area of Colombo 14. I would appreciate any advice on good (and not so good) neighbourhoods to live in and what the area around the office is like (i.e. safety). Also, is there a variety of food / shopping in Colombo? I assume that there is but truly have no idea what to expect if I were to move there!

Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated =)

Thanks in advance.

Hi there
Heading to Sri Lanka in few weeks and want to go shopping in Colombo, just wondering if this shopping center stocks Diesel clothing? Thanks a million to anyone who knows

Hi there, I am getting married in Colombo in dec. My girlfriend is from Sri Lankan parents but born in the Uk , and I am from Spain so we dont know much about Colombo. The weedding is at The Galle Face Hotel. I was told that the celebration could only last till 11 o 12pm,due to the hotel rules. Is there any where i could rent a nice venue or house ( maybe outdoors )and continue the celebration till morning? as most of our guests are from Spain, it would be very difficult to send them to sleep that early... :)

Thank you.

I wish to hire a car with a driver (must speak english) in Colombo for 3 days. Approximately what is the all inclusive dayrate (car, driver and fuel) and any recommadations for a good place to rent from?

Hi
I am planning visit colombo april 6th - April 9th. Will be staying all 3 days in colombo. is it safe to travel to colombo now after the fresh attacks from LTTE.If so please let me know what are the safe spots in colombo and what are places in colombo that i should avoid.

I will be reaching colombo by 20th march evening. Can you help me as what all i can do for next 3 evening. I will be busy during the day and hence.

I want to shop - which places
I want to enjoy food & drink - which place
I want to get entertained - which place

I will be put up at Holiday Inn and would love to meet locals and dine with them. I look forward to invitation if someone wish to extend the same. I jam looking forward to employ few marketing and back office people for my forthcoming venture in Sri Lanka.

Ramesh Sinha

Hi,

Does anyone know what is the monthly rent for a room with internet connection in Colombo?

Greetings,

I'd like to get information on how to book the day rooms at either the departure lounge or the arrival lounge in CMB. The phone number for the airport that I got from a website (The colombo airport website is perpetually down...) doesn't seem to work when calling from the USA:
Tel: +94 (0)11 225 2861

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Hi! I work as an assistant for a CEO in NYC who will have a layover with his girlfriend in Colombo for 3 hours before flying on to Delhi. Any suggestions for any sights in can see in and around the airport within that time? I know, crazy question, right?!

Hi! I work as an assistant for a CEO in NYC who will have a layover with his girlfriend in Colombo for 3 hours before flying on to Delhi. Any suggestions for any sights in can see in and around the airport within that time? I know, crazy question, right?!

Am arriving is Colombo on 14th of Dec, 2006 around at 1.30 in the morning and wish to get a Cab through Airport Taxi service. I just want to know the Taxi service counter is open at the time. As well please let me know the money exchange counter is also open or not in that time.
Thanks
Alwis

A friend will be travelling to Siri Lanka and would be thankful of anyon who could provide Telephone numbers of Duty free shops in Colombo.

It seems only one shop appears to have a web site.

Many thanks.