An Expressions holiday to Sri Lanka's Negombo offers travellers the chance to experience Sri Lankan heritage and culture. Negombo is an important fishing town with Portuguese and Dutch colonial heritage. It is also a popular holiday destination because of its proximity to the international airport and its beachfront location. Due to the Portuguese influx back in the 16th century, the inhabitants are predominantly Catholic. The country’s Dutch legacy is seen in the remains of the grand Dutch Fort and the Dutch canal (now called Hamilton Canal) which runs from Colombo to Chilaw via Negombo. Although large parts of the canal are in disrepair, it is being revived and you can see gaily-painted boats using it as a waterway. The beaches at Negombo are wide and good for beach walking, although it is a struggle to keep them clean as urban debris washes ashore daily. The currents can be strong here, so it is better to swim in the hotel pool. It is fascinating to see how the fishing industry dominates life in coastal Negombo - the fish market, the auctions, the stalls along the beach. The tourist resort area of Negombo, known as the Golden Mile, caters to a wide spectrum of holidaymakers on a range of budgets, mostly the mid to the lower end. It’s lively at night and has bars, restaurants, tourist shops and fashion outlets, selling everything from flip-flops to colourful batiks and handlooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and this is how we most often use it. Negombo lies only around twenty minutes from Bandaranaike International Airport, so it spares you the drive into Colombo after an overnight flight, or allows a relaxed final day before an evening departure without the risk of city traffic. From here, the onward journey to the Cultural Triangle takes three to three and a half hours, to Kandy around three and a half, and to Colombo between one and one and a half hours. We would be candid, however, that Negombo is not the island's finest beach destination. Its wide beaches are good for walking, but the sea can have strong currents, so swimming is best in a hotel pool, and the busy resort strip known as the Golden Mile is aimed largely at mid-range and budget travellers. For a longer beach stay, the south and south-west coasts, or the east coast in the summer months, are the better choice. For one or two nights at either end of a holiday, though, a well-chosen hotel here is comfortable, practical and restful, and there is more of genuine interest in the town and its lagoon than most visitors realise.
It depends on whether you would like to be by the sea or in a quieter garden setting, and both are possible within a short drive of the airport. On the beach, Jetwing Beach, originally designed by Geoffrey Bawa, is a small and well-run hotel with good restaurants, a spa and a wine cellar, and it suits families as well as couples. Heritance Negombo is a modern hotel where every room faces the ocean, and Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Sea offer contemporary comfort beside the beach, with Jetwing Lagoon on the quieter lagoon side of the town. For those who would rather begin or end their holiday in a calm, private setting, our inland houses are often the better choice. The Wallawwa, at Kotugoda, is a restored manor house set in mature tropical gardens around two centuries old, and is only a short drive from the airport. Casa Heliconia is a small hotel surrounded by greenery, and The Notary's House has six rooms overlooking a lake, around half an hour from Negombo. Ayurveda Pavilions is an adults-only retreat for those planning a programme of treatments. We know these properties individually and will match the hotel to your flight times and the shape of your holiday.
Negombo is a working fishing town with a long colonial and Catholic history, and a morning with a guide shows a side of Sri Lanka quite different from the rest of a classic itinerary. The fish market is at its liveliest early in the morning, when the catch is landed and auctioned, and along the beach, fish are laid out to dry in the sun much as they have been for generations. The Portuguese arrived in the sixteenth century, and the town's population remains largely Catholic, which is why Negombo is sometimes called Little Rome; St Mary's Church, with its painted ceilings, is the most striking of its many churches. The Dutch, who captured the town in the seventeenth century, left the gateway of their fort, dated 1678, and the canal system now known as the Hamilton Canal, which runs along the coast towards Colombo and north to Chilaw; a boat trip along it passes villages, fishing craft and riverside life. The Angurukaramulla Temple, with its large Buddha figure and painted interiors, offers a contrast. In the evening, the better restaurants allow you to choose your seafood fresh from the day's catch. A half day is enough for the main sights, and they combine easily with an afternoon at leisure.
More than its reputation suggests, particularly for birdwatchers. The Muthurajawela wetlands, between Negombo and Colombo, are a large area of marsh, mangrove and waterways explored by small boat, where several species of kingfisher are frequently seen, along with herons, egrets, monitor lizards and, at times, crocodiles. Negombo Lagoon itself can be explored by traditional outrigger canoe, with its fishing communities and mangrove islands. Divers will find offshore wrecks and reefs, at their best between November and April when the sea is calmer. Further north, the Kalpitiya peninsula, a drive of three to four hours from Negombo, is quite different in character: a sparsely populated strip of sand dunes, lagoons and fishing villages, where large pods of spinner dolphins are often seen offshore in season, and whales are sometimes sighted. Palagama Beach is a small, peaceful hotel here, and Anantaya at Chilaw, on a peninsula between the beach and the lagoon, makes a comfortable stop on the way. Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka's largest, lies inland from Kalpitiya and offers leopards, sloth bear and elephants in a landscape of forest and natural lakes, with far fewer vehicles than Yala. We can build any of these into your holiday.
It needs care, and we would always prefer our clients to know this in advance. Along much of the west coast, including Negombo, the beaches shelve quite steeply and there can be strong currents and undertow, even when the sea appears calm. This is particularly true during the south-west monsoon, from around May to August, when the sea becomes rough and swimming is not advisable. Between November and April, conditions are generally calmer, but we still recommend swimming only where the hotel or local people advise that it is safe, and never alone or after drinking. For most of our clients staying near Negombo, the hotel pool is the more relaxing choice, with the beach reserved for early-morning and evening walks, which are a pleasure in themselves as the fishing boats come and go. The beaches here are also used by the fishing community, and debris from the city and the sea can wash ashore, though the better hotels clean their stretch of sand daily. If swimming in the sea is an important part of your holiday, we will guide you towards the sheltered bays of the south coast in the winter months, or the east coast in the summer.
The best time is from November or December to April, when the weather is generally dry and sunny and the sea is at its calmest, which also suits diving and boat trips. Daytime temperatures range from around 26°C to 33°C throughout the year, and it is hot and humid, though sea breezes make the coast more comfortable than the towns inland. The south-west monsoon brings unsettled weather, with rain and rough seas, between roughly May and August; the rain usually comes in heavy showers rather than continuously, so a night or two near the airport remains perfectly practical at this time, but it is not a season for a beach holiday here. At Kalpitiya, further north, the strong winds of the summer months bring kitesurfers from around May to October, while the calmer winter season is better for dolphin watching. Because Negombo's community is largely Catholic, the Christian calendar is important here: Christmas and Easter are celebrated with particular devotion, and the Easter passion play on the small island of Duwa, in the lagoon, is a long-standing tradition. We will advise on the best timing for your holiday and the right balance between Negombo and the rest of the island.
Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Sri Lanka and within Sri Lanka, combining flights, rail, and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Negombo
● Cultural tours for individuals● Cookery
● Visits to local festivals
● Private guided sightseeing
● Safari and wildlife experiences
● Scenic train travel
● Family holidays
● Eco experiences
● Ayurveda and other spa holidays
● Walking and cycling
● Bird-watching
● Garden visits
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
Call us on 01392 441245
Highlights of Negombo
For nature lovers and birdwatchers there are the Muthurajawela wetlands where four varieties of kingfisher are frequently seen, as well as Negombo Lagoon. Offshore wrecks and a reef provide spots for diving (November to April, when the seas are calmer). PADI instructors, some other water sports and fishing trips are also available. Whale-watching and dolphin-watching boat trips are possible further north off Kalpitya, though this is a 3-4 hours drive away.
Cultural highlights of Negombo
In and around Negombo there are plenty of things to see and do: Dutch Fort remains; St Mary’s Church; Angurukaramulla Buddhist temple (murals); Fish markets, fishing boats and port; Select fresh seafood for your lunch or dinner; The Dutch canal (called Hamilton canal) and Maha Oya river – boat trip; Muthurajawela wetlands and Negombo Lagoon for birdwatching and nature; Some water sports and diving; November to April; Fishing; Tourist shops and restaurants (mostly mid-lower end), fashion shops; Inland to the archaeological site of Dambadeniya; Sri Lanka’s commercial capital of Colombo is 40 km away, offering a range of shops, restaurants and sightseeing.
Climate in Negombo
With daytime temperatures of between 26° C and 33° C, Negombo is hot and humid, though sea breezes cool and refresh the air. The evenings are slightly cooler. The main monsoon brings unsettled weather between May and August.
Travel around Negombo and Sri Lanka
We include private transfers with all our holidays to Sri Lanka, and a personal chauffer with all our touring holidays. Driving Distances: Negombo to Colombo International Airport: 20 minutes, Negombo to Sigiriya: 3 – 3.5 hours, Negombo to Kandy: 3.5 hours, Negombo to Colombo: 1-1.5 hours.
Negombo travel information
Sri Lankan Airways operates daily flights to Colombo from London Heathrow. Most flights leave London in the afternoon or evening. Flight time is about 11 hours. From Colombo you can also take the Sri Lankan air taxi to regional centres throughout the country.Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Sri Lanka and within Sri Lanka, combining flights, rail, and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Negombo
● Cultural tours for individuals● Cookery
● Visits to local festivals
● Private guided sightseeing
● Safari and wildlife experiences
● Scenic train travel
● Family holidays
● Eco experiences
● Ayurveda and other spa holidays
● Walking and cycling
● Bird-watching
● Garden visits
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
Call us on 01392 441245
Here you will find a map of Negombo and West Coast showing the locations of the hotels that we offer
Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Sri Lanka and within Sri Lanka, combining flights, rail, and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Negombo
● Cultural tours for individuals● Cookery
● Visits to local festivals
● Private guided sightseeing
● Safari and wildlife experiences
● Scenic train travel
● Family holidays
● Eco experiences
● Ayurveda and other spa holidays
● Walking and cycling
● Bird-watching
● Garden visits
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
