Negombo Hotels

With a population of 120,000 people, the town 40 km north of Colombo is not insignificant. Negombo Lagoon, a paramount commercial waterway, provides the historic basis for Negombo’s continual existence, even as tourism has come to replace traditional pursuits like fishing and agriculture as the main driver of the local economy.

The reason for Negombo’s growth as a holiday destination is manifest. The town is 7 km from Sri Lanka’s premier transport hub, Bandaranaike International Airport, which makes it a convenient alternative to the beach resorts that dot the country’s Southern Province. Negombo is decidedly more affordable as well, a fact not lost on hordes of budget-conscious tourists to the island nation. The promise of a good beach, decent enough tourism infrastructure, smatterings of local Tamil heritage and close proximity to Colombo make the Western Province town a winner.

Negombo’s Top 10

Negombo Local

Negombo is not fraught with neighbourhood enclaves or districts of interest per se. Life in the small, modest town truly takes place on the fringes of the lagoon and on the beach. As a de facto satellite of Colombo, however, day trips to the big city and its ever-expanding suburbs are always on the table.

Negombo Eat & Drink

Negombo’s restaurant scene has burgeoned in lockstep with the town’s widening popularity as a tourist retreat. The usual fare is on hand at eateries town-wide, from Sri Lankan to Chinese, Indian to Western grub.

Negombo Events

The Negombo Fisherman’s Association holds a festival in late July to promote and showcase their wares and trade, which, thanks to industrial commercial trawling, has grown increasingly precarious in recent years.

Intrepid tourists can book excursions deep into the mangroves that proliferate within the deeper recesses of Negombo. A wide range of wildlife flourishes in the swampland, for now.

As an incomparably dense cultural crossroads, Sri Lanka observes a stunning variety of religious holidays, from Buddhist and Hindu to Christian and Muslim. Visitors to Negombo shouldn’t be at all surprised if their visit coincides with a venerable festival of one kind or another.

When To Go

Sri Lanka’s tropical monsoon climate is in full effect in Negombo. The lean periods for rain are December to March and July to September. Nonetheless, the weather is seldom arid on the coast and heavy downpours can come fast and furious at any time.

Still, avoid the months of May, October and November in particular. In Negombo, January and February feature the least amount of rain, on average.

The even tropical heat is a major draw, of course, and indeed, temperatures hold between 72°F (22°C) and 88°F (31°C).

What To Miss

There is no other way around it: Negombo is a cheap beach town. The obvious appeal of this plain-as-day characteristic for scores of frugal travellers is also what makes Negombo a turn-off for others. Restaurants, hotels and other amenities lack the swanky sophistication and spotlessness of other beach resorts in South Asia and Southeast Asia, let alone Europe or the Caribbean. Keeping this in mind and, subsequently, letting go of expectations are keys to enjoying a holiday here.

Above and beyond this, the main traps to avoid in Negombo are the usual gatherings of unscrupulous beach vendors and DIY tour guides, operators and drivers. Come for the beach, arrange accommodations in advance, stick to the main restaurant drag and you’ll be in stellar shape.

Getting Around

Negombo is practically on the doorstep of Sri Lanka’s only international airport, which makes it a rather convenient destination to visit. Taxis and buses abound outside the main terminal and ferry travellers into town throughout the day. Avoid hotel pick ups, which are relatively costly, and take the free shuttle to Katunayake bus stop. From here most hotels are a short trishaw ride away.

From Colombo, private and intercity express buses run almost hourly to Negombo and offer more reliable service than the slower trains. Taxis can always be negotiated from practically any destination and, as always, for the right price.

In Negombo proper, most businesses of note are eminently accessible on foot and, in fact, reside on one street: Porutota Road. The main strip of Negombo runs parallel to the sea.

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