Cheap places to stay in Colombo
If you’ve just landed in Sri Lanka and want a cheap but comfy, efficient place to stay at while you tour the city – here’s a roundup of a few of Colombo’s good hostels. While you can get a private double room at these places for about USD 45 (LKR 6000), it’s the dorm rooms that make more sense when you’re backpacking on a budget.
Bunking in a dorm room generally costs about 10-12 dollars (LKR 1200-1500), they all usually have the option of A/C, a library and bicycle rental. Most of these places are accessible through Booking.com.
Drift BnB
646, Galle Road, Colombo 4 | 11 2 505536
Drift is one of the better looking, minimal and modern hostels on our list, if their Facebook pictures are anything to go by. It’s a little fancier than the rest, with some rooms facing the garden or the sea, and even the dorm rooms feature Drift’s signature quirky art pieces. They’ve got free WiFi, and the dorm room is A/Ced, with 6 bunk beds, a view of the sea and a shared bathroom. Breakfast will cost about USD 3 (LKR 500) extra, and nearby restaurants include Acropol, Cricket Club Cafe and The Gallery Cafe.
Bunking here costs USD 13 (LKR 1871) | Book Online
BED Hostels
17 & 17A, Park Avenue, Colombo 5 |11 4 545596
BED advertises itself as a ‘party hostel’, so if you want to party during breaks between backpacking, this is the place. They’ve got a very chilled out crowd-friendly atmosphere, with a private garden and a central lounge with bean bags and the lot. They’ve also got free bike rental for guests which is super convenient when you want to set off touring the city.
Bunking here costs USD 10 (LKR 1342) | Book Online
City Beds
20, Regent Building, Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 1 | 11 2 393 420
Situated in Fort, City Beds at The Regent is a small and functional hostel. It’s clean, simple, comfortable and doesn’t try too hard – as a TripAdvisor comment on the place suggests, it does the job. They’ve got free WiFi, free parking, and only four hotel rooms so it can get booked fast. If bunking in a dorm room is not you thing, this is a good option since they only have double and triple bed rooms, but this also makes your stay pricier than at other hostels.
It’s in a great location for travelers, caught between Galle Face Green, Dutch Hospital (where you can sample some Ministry of Crab or have tea at Heladiv) and the Pettah marketplace.
Bunking here costs USD 20 (LKR 2685) | Book Online
Colombo City Hostel
68, S D S Jayasinghe Mawatha, Kohuwella, Kalubowila |077 485 2650
Colombo City Hostel is another very crowd-friendly hostel, with an outdoor pool, barbecue parties, a garden and a terrace. It looks pretty old school from the outside, it’s very simply put together, and has dorm rooms featuring 8 beds. It is not in a central location though, all the way in the Dehiwala side of town, but on the plus side it’s quite cheap.
Bunking here costs USD 11 (LKR 1600) | Book Online
Clock Inn Colombo
457, Galle Road, Colombo 3 | 11 500 588
Clock Inn, like Drift, is big and has a pleasant, arty character of its own. It sticks out among the other buildings on Galle Road, with its panel of blue-white themed windows. I love their website which is easy to use and features very inviting little glimpses into the place, especially the lounging area with its quaint, colourful decor. The dorm rooms here have 4 beds, and each bed has a personal locker. Clock Inn is right smack in the middle of Kollupitiya, a very central location which makes it easier to look around the city.
Bunking here costs USD 16 (LKR 2138) | Book Online
Backpack Lanka
247D, R. A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3 | 770 300 900
Backpack Lanka is another more interactive place to stay at – the tagline on their website is ‘meet, bond, explore’. Aesthetically it seems to be a bare-minimum kind of place, but still clean, efficient and helpful in making your stay entertaining and travel-conducive. They offer free WiFi and free use of the Pool table. Located in Duplication Road, Kollupitiya, it’s not far from Colombo’s big restaurants and bars. A bunk room has 4 beds.
Bunking here costs USD 15 (LKR 2013) | Book Online
