Sri Lanka - Is it Your Cup of Tea?

Our Prayers go out to the victims if the senseless attacks Easter Sunday 2019. The people of Sri Lanka are wonderful and for the most part peace loving. Hate mongers such as these individuals seek to destroy a wonderful and beautiful country.


Update: 4-22-2014
There are things that one should be aware of when visiting Sri Lanka and in a recent BBC report, it details what could become a problem for visitors coming to the Island. If you are going to visit Sri Lanka, be mindful of this report which I strongly encourage you to read.

Having traveled throughout most parts of the world, I found that Sri Lanka was one location which I had not traveled even though I was close by in India during the final months of the war in 2009 between the government and the Tamil Tigers which raged in the northern states of the country.

During the run up to my visit I decided to do my usual research into the country and its tourism as best I could and while in this process came away with a certain limited view and understanding of what I could expect and find in the way of the tourist who come and how they spend their holiday time here.

Of course I also wanted to understand the backpacker or traveler portion of tourism here due to the fact that it is this segment of tourism which is of most interest for me as a travel writer.  My goal was to travel as much of the country as possible during a 20 day stay and see if I could acquire a feel for where and why backpackers come to Sri Lanka if any really came.

I began my visit to the city of Negombo which lies around 10-15 kilometers from the international airport to the north of Colombo.

The international airport is a relatively modern one, seemed friendly upon arrival and was not too difficult to navigate within or outside its main arrival hall.  In the quest for foreign currency which I needed I could only locate one ATM machine and there are two Forex booths.

In my mind, one ATM in an airport arrival hall could spell disaster if it is not working properly, is out of money or like in some cases, the card being used simply will not be accepted by the banking system network and due to the fact that I can not carry enough hard currency, these machines are my lifeline when traveling.

I also wanted to make the transit from the airport to the guest house in a three wheeler taxi or tuk-tuk as they call them here, (tuk-tuk is a Thai thing), so with this in mind I move toward the exit doors after securing my local currency.

I already had a basic idea of the cost for a taxi, a private pickup from the guest house and a cost range for a tuk-tuk and with this information in hand headed toward the exit doors.  However, as it is in most airports, the many offers for a taxi flow over me like a torrent of water attempting to sweep me away in the current of uncertainty, concern and ……how much did you say?

Earlier I had walked out one exit door to smoke a cigarette and found a security person standing there and I asked him some questions about where to find a tuk-tuk, which of course, between his lack of English speaking abilities and my lack of understanding his accented English words, I came away from the conversation with little information.  I had difficulty with the ATM machine so I needed to try once again and after that purchase a sim card for my mobile phone.  It was during the sim card purchase I again asked about where to find the tuk-tuk outside and again I came away with little I could depend on.

I once again head toward the exit door, this time with some basic information and again I am approached for a taxi.  I ask what the cost would be and was told 1,200 LRK which was amazingly close to the cost I had been given for a simple tuk-tuk but far less than what I was told the cost would be for the taxi of a private vehicle pickup.

After some usual stalling tactics I offered 1,000 rupees and of course was told how the price I was given was the very best but as I began walking away, I was told “okay” and was led to a desk on the perimeter of the arrival hall to an awaiting group of men.  I mad sure that the price was still being honored, received an affirmative nod of the head and paid my money.  The amounted to about to just a bit over nine US dollars and was the top end of the range for the tuk-tuk.

As we walked out to the awaiting vehicle I could not see where to find a tuk-tuk but as we were exiting the airport I discovered that within a very short walk there on the side of the road were a few tuk-tuks waiting for passengers.

While driving in I asked the driver how far it was from the airport to Negombo city and was told it was a mere 10 kilometers.  In comparison, it costs ten US dollars from the airport to my hotel in Bangkok which is three times the distance.  Petrol here is about the same as it is in Bangkok and this always makes me wonder how the price can vary so much in a country like Sri Lanka, what it is about here that makes this ride so expensive and my only conclusion is based on the type of tourism which takes place in Sri Lanka.

NEGOMBO

Negombo is a coastal city and as such most of the tourist accommodations are within close proximity to the beach which stretches both north and south of the city.

In first observation, Negombo’s tourist area is clean unlike some of its Indian counterparts.  The streets for the most part are paved, it is the third largest city in Sri Lanka and from what I can understand in conversations with locals and the odd foreigner living here, Negombo has just about everything one could need in the way of goods and services.

The main tourist strip, which hugs the beach road, is located not more than a few kilometers from the city center.  It is sprinkled with a varying range of accommodation types from the guest house to overly priced hotel.  Also along this road are the many restaurants and tourist shops selling goods including leather products, jewelry and the typical tourist trinkets.

Accommodations in Negombo range from moderately priced to expensive.  There are no "backpacker hostels" but rather a large number of guest houses and hotels.  The average guest house will have a small number of rooms some with air conditioning and some with a basic fan.  The rooms may also include a mini fridge, television and hot water in the shower.  The price range for the guest house will be from $20 USD and up.

Recommendations for accommodation are based on actual sleeping in the specific location.

Negombo Fish Market - Dried Fish

Blue Horizon Guest House is owned and operated by a local Sri Lankan couple.  Both speak English extremely well and are attentive to the needs of their customers.  It is an open and airy building and you will never feel crowded or claustrophobic. They have recently renovated the rooms, their restaurant can accommodate 20-24 persons and their cooking staff is well trained.  The menu is varied and the prices are very reasonable in comparison with other restaurants.  The hotel staff is extremely friendly and helpful and will assist in any area possible to make your stay a pleasant one.  The beds are comfortable, the bathroom is spacious and have new hot water heaters.  There are three rooms with balconies each with seating and table and are equipped with air conditioning.  Ask for rooms 1,2 or three.

The location is between the two main tourist strips not more than a 10 minute walk in either direction for outside dinning, shopping or other activities.

Eating out has a wide range of restaurants and prices to match.  Since Negombo is a costal city, it has fresh seafood however some restaurants will over purchase and use the extra the next day which is not exactly the “daily fresh” catch so it is wise to ask when ordering seafood.  The local beef can range from excellent to poor depending on where it is purchased.  The better restaurants will use a leaner meat for everything from steaks to the ground meat in their burgers.  Some restaurants have excellent chef staff including those who have worked in other countries such as the United States and these chefs bring an extra added value to the food quality, service and menu variety.

When attempting to decide where to eat, make an effort to walk about first checking the menu and prices and you will notice the difference in pricing for the same menu item.  There are some very over priced restaurants, one being Lords with its overly modern design and it has a very impersonal feel.  Even though Lonely Planet has chosen this as a premier restaurant in Negombo it is the writers’ opinion that the prices for the food and beverages do not make it a better choice for dinning.

Recommendation for dinning are based on actually sitting down and trying the food and service as well as the restaurant staff you will be dealing with.

Oysters Restaurant, which is located on the main strip road, is an excellent choice for menu selection, freshness of seafood, quality of its meat and most importantly, owner and operations.  The owner/chef is Sri Lankan born and has worked in Los Angeles and brings a high standard of quality and service to his patrons.  Not only is the food quality excellent and reasonably priced but the owner Sebastian has incorporated a large and beautiful garden area in the back portion of the restaurant where once there, all the noise of the city seems to melt away with the only sounds being that of a calm and serene atmosphere in which to enjoy an evenings dinner with friends or family.  Reservations are required for the garden area and seat a limited number in order to provide the best service.  His belief is that it is better to offer 40 people a high quality of service than 100 people with mediocre service.

There are the odd local vendors and small markets which sell a basket of goods from food to medical items and these are inexpensive in comparison to the new and air conditioned retail stores which sell products at a much inflated cost.

One thing I realized in my efforts to understand tourism in Sri Lanka with Negombo being my first example and impression was the total lack of real travelers or backpackers.  The more I walked and observed, the more I came to realize that the majority of tourists I saw were couples on holiday from Europe and they were not disposed to being very friendly.  It was rare to see any solo travelers.

In the bars and restaurants this scene was repeated except there were really not that many tourists out in the evenings most probably due to their dining at their hotel restaurant.

As far as tourism is concerned in Negombo, there is very little to do with the exception of going to the beaches, maybe taking a ride on the local boats or going to the fish market.  It seems to be for the holiday maker to sit, read a book, lounge on the beach and be lazy.

Trains, Kandy & Other Information

First let me impart a bit of information concerning one resource for guest house information.  The government of Sri Lanka has a rating system which is supposedly applied to all forms of accommodations.  There are three different levels, these being Grade A, B or C.  Of course we know that a Grade A rating is best and Grade C would be the lowest.  Below is the web site to the Sri Lanka Government for guest house ratings and these are arranged by states in Sri Lanka.  There are of course other internet resources and I always recommend to readers it is best to spend a little time and learn as much as possible before you go.

I had already decided to spend about one month visiting parts of the island to get a more in depth view of Sri Lanka.  With this in mind I decided to journey to the mountain city of Kandy.  This of course would require a train trip, which having talked to a few locals (foreigners) living here, I discovered that train travel in Sri Lanka was a bit slow and rough.  I had learned that as the train would chug down the tracks one would literally bounce up and down in their seats.  However, having heard these comments I was a bit skeptical until I personally made the trip which indeed, as the train was on older sections of track, you actually did bounce up and down in your seat.  This was very amusing to observe the passengers with their heads bobbing up and down in a rhythm synched with the rougher sections of the track.

I will also say that I was told that no matter where you went in Sri Lanka by train, unless it was a local commuter train; the tracks can be the same.  Also, it seems that the locomotives are older units originating in Canada.

Looking to rear of Observation Car

Train To Kandy - 1st Class

There are a number of trains to Kandy, one of which is billed as an observation train with a special observation car.  The observation car, which there is only one, has large windows from which to view out of but the problem with this is all the windows seemed to be fogged over or were dirty so seeing a lot was a bit difficult.

Inside Observation Car

Train To & From Kandy

This train is also very popular with the tourists, has a limited number of seats and only runs on a limited basis, so if wanting to book this train I recommend it be done as soon as possible prior to any departure to Kandy.  Also, the only real good seats are the very front row of seats.

The normal train is not air conditioned, has relatively small and hard seats but is the only other option if you can not book the observation train car.

Here is the link to Sri Lanka Railway.  It is not for booking but gives train schedules.  Any booking must be done at the station from which one departs.

In summation on the train to Kandy, the trip is well worth the time and length of travel.  It goes through lovely mountain areas sometimes close enough to the rocks to reach out and touch them on the right hand side of the rail car.  You will also see the locals standing in the open train doors as the train makes it way along the tracks.

Kandy

Unfortunately for me and you as the reader I had arrived in Kandy when the weather was absolutely dismal.  Earlier in the month and for an extended period of time a tropical weather pattern had parked itself over the island and it had rained for nearly three weeks.  I knew this in advance but had been watching the weather and expected it to be better since when I arrived it was not raining too much in the region of Colombo or Negombo.

However, the second day after I arrived, the weather decided to go from sort of wet to an absolute full scale torrential event.  It was so bad in Kandy that the hillside where my guesthouse was located was washed into the guesthouse.

I did go into the city on two occasions prior to leaving but with the rains it was a lost cause. It was impossible to do anything or go anywhere much less do any photography work.

Rained Out

Since I had no idea of the true nature of why the rains had become so strong and heavy I thought about making my way to one of the eastern states of where the surfers are reputed to go and ride the waves.

However, in making my plans I checked the weather and discovered that a tropical weather pattern had parked itself over the island once again and it would be raining every where I want to go and doing any sort of photography work was out of the question, so I decided to return to Negombo which seemed to be drier than the eastern states were.

After returning to Negombo I was watching the news and discovered there had been massive flooding on the eastern coastal areas and that one state was flooded displacing nearly one million persons.  I was fortunate in making my decision in returning to Negombo.

The down side to all of this was that I was unable to do little in the country but I did come away with a limited view of tourism strictly based on what little time I had there but I came away with the full impression that Sri Lanka is not a backpacker region such as one may think of. Nor does it seem to be the place for a solo traveler either.  It is nothing like India, SE Asia, China, Europe or South & Central America.

I realize that there may be limited pockets of backpackers traveling there, some coming in from India but as a general rule, I believe that Sri Lanka is more about couples and Europeans coming for winter holiday than true hard core backpacking travelers which means that interaction with others is limited because those I encountered seemed totally uninterested in engaging in conversation with others.

If you read this far and have been to Sri Lanka and most importantly are a young backpacker either traveling solo, with friends or a spouse or girl friend and you have a different view, please include a well written comment so others will have an overall view and not just this limited view of the country.