Negombo & surrounds Trips & Tours

Located a mere 10 kilometres from Bandaranaike Airport, in Colombo, Negombo is the ultimate fly-and-flop beach destination with no fuss whatsoever. Yes, it’s incredibly close to the airport and the main thoroughfare might look a tad touristy, but it’s not all bright lights and ice-cream licking travellers. In the town itself, an impressive network of Dutch canals wind past palm trees and pastel-coloured Catholic churches, and the picturesque lagoon is an ideal spot for windsurfing, boat riding and cocktail drinking. A tuk-tuk up to Angurukaramulla, a striking temple with a six-metre high Buddha at its centre, will give you a real taste of Sri Lanka, as will the lip-smacking array of hip restaurants serving everything from fried crab to coconut-fuelled curries. And then there’s the beach. Sweeping north of the town for several miles in a golden, glorious arc, it might not be as pristine as others on the island, but the balmy waters and buttery sands suit us just fine.