May Visit

We will be in Sri Lanka from 08-13 May %26#39;09 %26amp; would appreciate advice on the following:

1) we arrive at the airport at 11 pm; any problem getting a taxi to Colombo? %26amp; how much approximately?

2) Can we change money at the airport at 11 pm?

3) Is a Colombo/Kandi/Colombo day trip feasable?

4) Is a Colombo/elephant orphanage/Colombo day trip feasable?

5) Is it worth renting a car for our visit?

6) Will the Vesak Festival mean difficulties with restaurant bookings %26amp; extended travel times?

Many Thanks

May Visit

Hi Ron,

1) There is a 24-hour taxi counter with fixed prices after you exit customs and pass the bank counters. Airport taxis charges a surcharge so expect to pay LKR 60-70/km. Depending on the location of your hotel the distance is around 30-35 km.

2) There are 5-6 bank counters at the Airport. They are open 24 hours every day including bank holidays.

3 + 4) Distance from Colombo to Kandy is 115 km/3-4 hours drive depending on traffic. The Elephant Orphanage is 6-7 km off Colombo-Kandy road, so will even be feasible to combine both in a day trip. Expect to pay LKR 8500-9000 for a car/van with driver.

5) The price for renting a car with driver is only a little bit more expensive than self drive, and self drive in Sri Lanka is suicidal. They have traffic codes, but no one seem to follow them. Bicycles, motorbikes and tuk tuks drive on both sides of the road. Traffic from byroads enter main roads without considering the right of way. Overtaking esp. by buses where the is no room to overtake. The rules seem to be: The bigger vehicle has the right of way.

6) The Vesak Festival will mean NO alcohol will served at least on 8th %26amp; 9th May. Off licenses are closed for a week during the Vesak Festival in many places. In Colombo city you can expect extended travel times in the evenings as many people go to Colombo to watch the Vesak pandals (thorana).

Do you need to stay in Colombo? Colombo is just another big, noisy, traffic congested and dirty city. Why not stay in Negombo (close to the Airport) or go to one of the many beach resorts south of Colombo?

Hans

May Visit

Hiya Ron,

I鈥檓 not an expert (I鈥檓 just bored and up late) but I was answering a similar question in VT earlier so I鈥檒l have a crack while the experts are in bed :-)

1) You will have no problem getting a taxi to Colombo, there%26#39;s a desk in the airport and they run round the clock; I鈥檓 guessing that Rs3000 (about 40 Australian dollars) should cover it.

2) I understand that branches of Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, People鈥檚 Bank, Sampath Bank, Seylan Bank etc (located in arrivals, before the taxi desk) have a 24 hour service.

3 and 4) On a good day a Colombo/Kandy/Colombo day trip is arguably feasible but not advisable 鈥?you would need to leave very early and get back very late 鈥?it would be exhausting and you wouldn鈥檛 get much time in Kandy.

If you want to see both the Elephant Orphanage and Kandy you may as well do them on the same trip, which realistically means an over-night stop, absolutely anyone will arrange it.

5) Yes, arrange a car with a driver for your trips (driving your own hire car is pretty pointless here).

6) Yes, Vesak is busy, I don鈥檛 know much about restaurant bookings (except you won鈥檛 get alcohol with your meal at Vesak) but Vesak will probably mean extended travel times (and drivers who would sooner be at home).

Are you sure you want to use Colombo as your base? It鈥檚 not the nicest place to stay.

Regards

Mark

Hi,

I go along with whats already been said regarding travel times and the suggestion that it would be far better to make Kandy and Pinawella a two day trip.

Overnight accomodation in Kandy needn%26#39;t be expensive. Less than 2000 rupees for a double room including breakfasts.

I was there through the Vesak festival last year mostly in Negombo.

No trouble at all getting seats in restaurants, etc , and no trouble getting drinks served either. Not every place would serve alcahol but plenty did. One particular restaurant, quite a big pace in full view of the road , just asked us to place any bottles on the floor beside ourchairs insted of keeping them on the table in view.

The main way that Vesak affected us was being stopped on the road. If walking, we%26#39;d be stopped and several times when in a tuk tuk it was flagged down, we%26#39;d be asked to get out and then be given food, mainly sweet stuff and drinks so quite often, by the time you got to the restaurant, you didn%26#39;t want to eat anyway.

I enjoyed Vesk.

Rod.

Hi Hans, Mark %26amp; Rod

Wow, what a site. Thank you very much for your very fast %26amp; informative responses.

We were about to book our 4 nights at the Galle Face, but in light of your info, we%26#39;ll now look at going to Negombo on arrival (8th/10:45 pm flight) for a couple of days on the beach (Brown%26#39;s Hotel?), then a night in Kandy somewhere - with a stop at the Elephant Orphanage on the way %26amp; perhaps the last night at the Mt Lavinia - we fly out at 11:40 pm the following night (13th). We%26#39;d like to spend a few hours in Colombo - perhaps enroute to the airport on the last day - ok to leave our baggage with the driver? (rather than a trip Colombo/airport/Colombo just to check our baggage).

Thanks again

Best Regards

Ron

Hi Ron,

Brown%26#39;s Beach Hotel in Negombo is a decent 3 star hotel.

In Kandy my favourite hotel is Serene Garden Hotel. It does not have a star classification, but IMO it matches a 2-3 star hotel. Double rooms with half board is about LKR 7000/night.

Do you want to spend your hours in Colombo going shopping? If so, I would stay at the Galle Face. Both Galle Face and Mt Lavinia are colonial style hotels, but Galle Face is closer to the shopping areas.

I would not trust my baggage with a driver unless I got him through the hotel or a reliable company.

Hans