Possible ?

Having never visited the Island could someone tell me if $u.s. 500 per month would cover my daily costs: I would be happy with a simple beach hut (month stay) and when travelling (week - two in each place) a small guest house or Hotel. Also any other usefull advice, im a pensioner. Cheers.

Possible ?

You could stay in Negombo after arrival. It%26#39;s not very good for swimming but close to the airport. There are Hotels and Guesthouses of different levels available there. Put Negombo in the search machine and you will find review of many places. Negombo is also a good place for excursions to the cultural triangle.

Good beaches are around Unnawattuna (put Unnawattuna in the search machine andyou will find many of them).

If you eat Sri Lankan food and if you do not need imported drinks, life in Sri Lanka can be cheap. We count more the USD 500 for our living costs in Sri Lanka.

Pore

Possible ?

Hi

USD 500 (LKR 53000) for a month is bit tight in my opinion.

You can rent a bungalow for about LKR 25000/month, but staying in even the simplest guesthouses is about LKR 2000/night. All depending on when you intend to visit. May to October may be a bit cheaper as it is not the peak season, but December to April prices tend to be a bit more.

Travel in Sri Lanka is extremely cheap by public transport (trains and buses), but also extremely crowded. Trains are less than LKR 1/km. AC intercity buses are about LKR 2/km, slower non-ac buses cheaper.

Local meals (rice %26amp; curry etc.) can be bought from small shops called ';hotels'; for about LKR 120-150/meal. Bottled drinking water is about LKR 30/500 ml.

The visa you will get free on arrival at the airport is valid for 30 days. If you intend to stay longer, apply for visa from the Sri Lankan Embassy closest to you or extend your arrival visa at Immigration Department in Colombo (Punchi Borella).

Hans

Hi,

i think as a pensioner you can enjoy the relax and can manage the things with your budget....for that you can get small house near to beach as u wish for rent ...there are lot of small houses u can rent it bargained prices...(will not cost some where 25000/=) you can manage more lesser price.....

And public transport mean buses and trains are not crowded if you avoide the office hours(morning 6-8.30 and evening 4.30- 6.30) ..so you can manage your transport very cheaply by using those.....hope you will have a nice time and with in your budget too....

Hi,

There are still a few small, clean guesthouses southern end of Hikkaduwa for around 800 to 1000 per night.

Eat in local cafes, as Hans said, called '; hotels'; and you could manage on that budget.

Rod.

If you base your holiday inland, it will be cheaper ... guesthouses are really cheap here, whereas on the coast you will pay considerably more.

If you want a beach stay, we found things cheaper on the south coast than on the west ... Negombo%26#39;s proximity to the airport means the people are used to tourists who are prepared to pay that little bit more for everything, whether it be three-wheelers, food or accommodation. And the resorts further down the west coast are generally more expensive than those on the south ... looking to an up-market, western clientele once again.

And if you are prepared to use public transport to get around ... train or bus, it will cost you next to nothing!

All the best

Sue

Many thanks to all you gave advice. Im going for one last long haul trip (Kandy to Kathmandu) whilst im still capable. Once again many thanks. Cheers

P.S. rod b: re travel pins, am i following you or are you ............