Originally Posted by
enki
Catching up on this thread....
In early April, I'm arriving in Colombo on SQ, arriving at 12:30am. I then intend to catch the train towards Badulla at 8:00am. My guess is that I'll be pretty tired, and would rather rest for a few hours than try and wander around for that time. I checked out the transit hotel at CMB, but that's only open (according to the station manager) to true transit passengers and for certain other individuals departing from CMB. So that's out.
My question is this: Is there a safe and easy place to stay for the 6 hours or so that I need to pass before going to the train station? Or, is there actually something to do that can keep me up during this time? What would you do? It'd be great not to pay $100+ for just a few hours. This may apply to transit passengers, but I'm looking specifically for ideas on how to manage the transition between my flights and my train. Do I stay near the airport? Or near the train station?
Thanks!
We did something similar (flight arrived at 10:30PM, 6AM train). We stayed at
this guesthouse near the airport. Less than US$30 per night. For a small fee, they picked us up at the airport, and we were in our room within 20 minutes of leaving the airport. They also arranged for a taxi to pick us up early the next morning to take us to the train station (about a 45-minute drive). Very simple accommodations, but clean. And the owners were very friendly and helpful.