Colombo Bentota and Negombo - Ayubowan
Every time there’s a long weekend approaching, the previous week, you can find me working at a rather fast pace while simultaneously searching through megabytes and megabytes of information on travel destinations, cheap tickets, hotels, things to do and places to see. My colleagues will tell you that this occurrence is quite commonplace in the office once every two months because that’s how often I take a vacation. Not always having time for a long holiday, we sometimes have to make do with a quick getaway. This time my search for a 4 to 5 day vacation from Bangalore ended up in Sri Lanka – fairly close (a 2 hour flight away), reasonably priced and multi-faceted. A vacation where you can chose to lie on the beach and do nothing or you can go and explore Sri Lanka’s abounding culture and heritage. I chose to do more of the former.
Flying to Sri Lanka is definitely the best option and of course the most commonly used one. Flights are not too expensive and would cost anything between Rs 8000 and Rs 14000 return. When traveling on a budget, we’d recommend that you take a train to Chennai and then fly Spicejet to Colombo available at sometimes as less than Rs 6000 to and fro. However, when traveling on a time constraint, Sri Lankan Airlines offers a direct flight from Bangalore which we got for Rs 12000 both ways, the amount we would end up spending anyway had we decided to drive to Chennai. There are daily flights available to Colombo on various airlines from the major metros in India. In order to avoid long hauls at domestic airports, you can fly separately to Bangalore or Chennai and then fly to Colombo from there.
It’s an island so quite obviously you can get there by sea. There isn’t really a ferry service that plies regularly from any part of India, but there are a few cruises to choose from. However these don’t seem to be active all round the year so you need to check and book in advance. You could use the following link - http://srilankacruises.com/default.aspx.
Weather in Sri Lanka was hot and humid. While the monsoon season is from May to September, we faced a classic case of April Showers. It alternated between getting really hot and then getting really wet! Not too far from the equator, Sri Lanka has tropical climate with temperature rarely ever falling below 20 degrees. Year round average temperatures are as high as 27 degrees. High lying areas such as the popular hillstation Kandy, have winter temperatures falling to around 15 – 16 degrees.
Across the Indian ocean lies a beautiful island country – Sri Lanka – a land you have most likely underestimated. I know I did. We landed at the Katunyake International airport around midnight and our pre-booked cab brought us to the Grand Oriental Hotel after an hour’s drive into the heart of Colombo city. The GOH is an old heritage hotel with the only other that matches its legacy being the Galle Face hotel. Decently priced at around 100 $ (US) per night, I’d have to say I was not ecstatic. With a tiny bathroom, creaking mini-fridge and rumbling air-conditioner, the room was definitely not ‘Five Star’. The one major plus point GOH offers is a magnificent 180-degree view of the port, otherwise not accessible to tourists.
View of the port
For travellers with a budget of 90 to 120 USD per night, the nicer options are ‘The Ceylon Continental’, ‘Berjaya’, ‘Global Towers’ to name a few. For those intending to stay for more than 3 days in Colombo, renting an apartment is a good and economical option. (However there really isn’t too much touristy to do in Colombo for 3 days)
Travelling in Colombo can be quite a pain. Tuk Tuks are available at every bend but work out highly cost ineffective. Hiring a cab for the entire day (or period of stay) can work out much better. Our first day in Colombo was spent being driven around the city as untimely rain showers didn’t allow for much else. While, we didn’t make it inside the Gangaramaya temple, I’m pretty sure that it’s one to be seen. The Viharamahadevi Park and the zoo are also popular among tourists. The city centre, numbered Colombo 01 is a high security zone where photography is not permitted. However, I managed to sneak in a couple of photos even while the cab driver was warning me against the cops.
A hugely popular warehouse in York Street, Central Colombo
The twin towers – the tallest buildings in Colombo
The Colombo Sky…oops… Sea line
Traffic in Colombo could give tough competition to any Metro in India
All in all, Colombo was a wonderful modern capital city with the right blend of traditional (temples, parks, museums) and contemporary (night-clubs, casinos and shopping malls.)
On the morning of our third day of the trip, we braved the heavy down pour and made way to Bentota, a beautiful coastal town two hours south of Colombo. Bentota is known for its beautiful beaches, local handicrafts and lipsmacking local seafood preparations.
Pic – Approaching Bentota
Bentota has a number of beautiful beach side resorts most of which have a private stretch of beach. There are super luxury boutique hotels which could cost around 250 – 300 USD a night but who needs those when you can get a room at the Taj Bentota for 150 USD a night – that’s around 7000 rupees a night for two.
Pic – The Taj Vivanta at Bentota, Sri Lanka
Pic – Beach at Bentota
Pic – Burning Sky – my room with a view… and what a view it was
The pure white sand beaches and the clear blue sky reflecting in the ocean make jumping into the water so tempting that you almost forget about the rocks that lie deceivingly submerged underwater. So yes, this is not one of those beaches you can take a carefree swim in but the rocks make for an amazing sitting spot. Lined with mangroves and quaint fruit, parts of the beach are so secluded, I felt like I was inside the TV show ‘Lost’.
Pic – Fruit
Pic – A treasure trove of mangroves
Pic – A symbol of Bentota’s Buddhist Tradition
With its fair share of practicing Buddhists, Bentota is home to a massive Buddha statue. You can see it from pretty far away so asking the Tuk Tuk to drive you by it is sufficient. It’s usually only the locals who actually go inside the temple. Wood carving is a popular industry in Bentota. The tuk tuk we rented for the day sped through narrow lanes to bring us to a little hole in the wall wood factory. However the kind of work being produced there was marvelous.
Pic – Wood Carving
Pic – Traditional Masks
After much ado, we finally decided to go visit the Turtle farm instead of the Moonstone Mine. You’re probably thinking why not the Moonstone Mine. Funny Story. Almost all the Tuk Tuks in Bentota have dozens of brochures hanging at the back of the drivers seat so that the passengers can browse through them. The particular brochure on the Moonstone Mines also doubles up as a mine which shows ‘X’ mine is a manmade mine, ‘Y’ mine is also a manmade mine but ‘Z’ is all natural – the original thing. Clearly this brochure belonged to Z. X and Y’s brochures go on to make the exact same claim that they’re the real deal. So the million dollar question is – Is any of these mines real? We decided not to even try to find out. While the Turtle Farm is pretty overrated and not worth the 300-rupee entry fee they charge, they do offer volunteer programs for enthusiasts who have the time and inclination.
Pic- Holding a baby turtle at the Moonstone Mine
After two blissful days of swimming and sun bathing in Bentota, we drove past Colombo to Negombo. An excellent overnight stop to make one way, Negombo is only about 15 kms from the airport. We had a really early morning flight back to Bangalore and so decided to spend a day there. Negombo gets a lot of Dutch tourists probably to see the old dutch fort and the canal built by the Dutch in the 17th century. We stayed at the Sunset beach resort which is right on the beach. Locals throng the beach which also has Snake Charmers and Monkey Dancers for entertainment. Sunset beach resort has a lovely bar which is less than 50 feet from the water. In Negombo, I’d recommend renting a bicycle and just riding around. Small in size but packed with gourmet cafes, funky eateries, foreign tourists and shops filled with an array of goodies, Negombo made for the perfect end to a lovely trip.
On our cab driver’s recommendation for lunch at the Mount Lavinia Beach hotel, we reached there in time for a late lunch on day 2. A palatial white building with pristine views of the ocean, Mt Lavinia hotel offers delectable crab cakes. The ‘Governer’s Brunch’ on Sundays is a specialty. Mount Lavinia beach is lined with resorts and restaurants and has a lovely French Restaurant that I don’t remember the name of. However it’s popularity doesn’t need a name.
Pic - The beautiful Mount Lavinia Beach Hôtel
Pic – The delectable crab cakes
Bentota and Negombo both have awesome seaside restaurants that serve local delicacies – crab, lobster, fried fish – you name it and they have it.
Pic – Way better than Bread and Butter – Bread and Beer
Pic – Mmmm Butter Garlic Sauce tastes divine with just about anything
Pic – Dahi set in a traditional Sri Lankan earthen pot
Our first day in Colombo, we spent exploring the various shopping malls that we’d heard so much about. Most people are under the impression that Shopping is ‘cheap’ in Sri Lanka but don’t be fooled. Sure, Sri Lanka is a global hub for cotton and knit clothing and they do manufacture for well-known brands from across the world but the Export Surplus left behind for sale within the country is in truth ‘Export Reject’. House of Fashion is a definite to visit once and probably the only store in Sri Lanka where one would manage to hunt down good bargains. Majestic City has mostly fakes to offer and is essentially where the locals shop. For a more premium shopping experience, head to ‘Crescat Boulevard’. This is definitely where to hoard up on a years supply of the choicest teas from the Dilmah and Mlesna. The ever famous ‘Odel’ is not a ‘must-go’ in terms of shopping but is a great store to browse around. Negombo offers lovely handicrafts and street art that can be bargained down a fair bit. Sri Lanka is famous for its semi precious gems which are available at better prices in Negombo than in Colombo.
The Sri Lankan Rupee is around half that of the Indian rupee but pricing and standard of living is similar to that of India so expect to spend as much as you would on a 5 day holiday in India. Food is slightly expensive with a meal for 2 costing around Rs 2000 at any of the beach shacks. Excluding air tickets and shopping, a short trip to Sri Lanka should not cost more than Rs 20000/- a head.
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3 Comment
I love reading these arictles because they're short but informative.
Thank you Ahswaat. Rgds Rashi!
Fantastic Review. Makes me want to take a trip to sri-lanka right away. Thanks rashi.