Since there’s a long weekend coming up (well, if you take Monday off), what with Poya and Independence Day – some of you might be considering trips out of town. Here are our favourite places to head off to for some down time for 2-4 days.
Negombo
Negombo is an awesome place for watching sunsets. You can check out our Negombo sunset pictures
here
and
here.
Lewis Place is ripe with eateries and hotels, for sight-seeing you have the gorgeous painted ceilings of
St Mary’s Church
, the mossy library of the
Angurukaramulla Temple
and the
Negombo fish market, and if you just want to unwind Negombo has got clear large shores and boat rides on the beach, or at the
Negombo lagoon. We recommend you stop by the very quirky
IceBear Century Cafe
for their chocolate cake and wacky interior decor. If you want to really live it up this weekend, you can stay at
The Beach All Suite Hotel
(Rs. 17,000 per suite, which is actually not bad at all by suite standards), they’ve got The Vu for a great rooftop bar, and if you’re on a budget there’s the very charming and colourful Jetwing’s
Hotel J
(Rs. 6000 per double-room).
Getting there:
Take the Expressway bus to Negombo from the Gunasinghapura bus station in Pettah – you’ll be at the central Negombo bus station about 45 minutes later, Rs. 120 for a ticket.
Galle
The main attraction at Galle is the
Galle Fort. Shopping is generally expensive here, but the little kades down Pedlar’s Street are ripe for bargaining if you want to buy some chilled out beach wear or printed pants, and if you’ve got the cash then
The Three by TPV
is the ideal gift shop.
The Galle Dutch Hospital
is quite pricey, but if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth browsing through for its posh architecture, antique shops and its hammock-themed cafe. For food, we recommend
Rocket Burger‘s juicy giant Bulgogi burgers (but eat them hot-hot, they get soggy when you takeaway),
Sugar Bistro, and for desserts,
Pedlar’s Inn Gelato, the
Dairy King
and the eclairs at
Cafe Hula Hula.
For sight-seeing there’s the Dutch architecture of
Fort Meeran Mosque
, the garden tombs of the
Dutch Reformed Church, and the iconic
All Saints’ Church. There are plenty of great places in Galle to stay at – among them
Jetwing Lighthouse
(Rs. 18K per room) and
Galle Heritage Villa
(double room for Rs. 12K), and Mango House sounds like a lot of fun, though we’re yet to visit it ourselves.
Watch the sunset by
the clocktower at the Moon Bastion, or alternatively take a tuk tuk to Unawatuna (for about Rs. 500) to Sunset Point at the temple by the beach. There’s also restaurants all along same shore, and the private shores of
Jungle Beach
in Unawatuna.
Getting there:
Take the Expressway bus to Galle from the Maharagama bus station, 1 hour journey, Rs. 420 for a ticket.
Mirissa
Mirissa is known for its sprawling, beautiful beaches, and good beginner-level surfing. It’s easy to find surfing instructors at the beach-side restaurants if you’re in the mood. Also,
whale watching. Technically it’s still whale watching season now, so if you’re interested in the ride you should call the hotel you’re staying at and ask if they can arrange it.
Palm Villa Hotel
is a wonderful place to stay (double room for Rs. 7500), where they’ve got
a nice swimmable beach
and a giant climbable rock. If you’re craving a solid rice and curry during your stay,
Samagi Cream House
is the place. Zepyhr is also a really cool spot to chill.
Getting there:
Everything in Mirissa is basically on one walking strip, so you can take the Expressway bus to Galle at the Maharagama bus station (1 hour, Rs. 420), catch a regular bus down the coast and spend the rest of the time with your toes in the sand.
Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa is another beach favourite for holiday-goers. Again like Negombo and Mirissa, there are plenty of beach-side restaurants to choose from, but
Top Secret Restaurant
is one of the awesome ones – the food is good and not as costly as other joints here, and they get full points for their funky decor and seating. If you’re going with friends, the very private
Taru Villa 906
is idyllic (though they only accept bookings for 2-days minimum), and the quaint, kind-of-expensive boutique hotel
Aditya
is worth considering.
Spaghetti & Co, Hikka’s classic Italian restaurant is a must-visit (only open in the evenings), and
Drunken Monkey
is good for drinks and
surfing plans. They’ve also got a pretty neat
Turtle Hatchery
in Hikka that takes donations, and where you get to pet the turtles.
Getting there:
Take the train to Hikkaduwa from the Pettah railway station (a 3-hour journey), or take the Expressway bus to Galle (1 hour, Rs. 420) and then a normal bus to Hikkaduwa from there.
If you got any more ideas, please share them in the comments. Enjoy the weekend!
