Well 2 days split up really.

I'll be doing 2 24 hour (or approx) layovers in CMB soon. Can anyone suggest things that I should check out in CMB?

And...is it a safe place generally?

Oh and anyone knows a good, cheap hotel near the airport?

actually i think it is pretty safe. i stayed sunway hotel last time. good one. i did not go out at all so cannot suggest you to go anywhere

My favorite stores are:

Paradise Road - (Dharmapala Mawatha Street)- near the Town Hall, is a chic Asian Conran of antiques and fine crafts designed on the island.

Barefoot (704 Galle Road) � brilliantly hued textiles and clothes made exclusively for the company, as well as a caf� and beautiful Zen garden.

Many recommend Odells; it is worth the stop but IMO is more for the expat on the island. It has lots of international brands, and several seemed to me to be imported with import prices rather than locally made. I don't keep track of Birkenstock prices, but the sandals they had were about $65. It is like a mini-mall within one store, with a cafe, chocolate shop, tea shop, clothes, crafts, books, and more.

Restaurants I like:

I had lunch at the Gallery Cafe, owned by the Paradise Road folks, and liked it very much. This was built in the old offices of Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's most notible architect. It has a beautiful, contemporary, indoor outdoor room, and the food is very good. You pay a price for the style; it is similar in price with a bistro in the US - albeit with considerably more ambience. It has a small shop with some of the stock found at the address given about for Paradise Road.

The Gallery Caf�
2, Alfred House Road,
Off Alfred House Gardens,
Colombo 3.

I also enjoyed lunch at Mount Lavinia. This hotel is a little south of Colombo. It is an old colonial property, named after the mistress of a Sri Lankan governor. It is right on the water with a wonderful view. They serve an extensive and delicious buffet. You can buy any combo of salads plus main courses plus desserts. Their mango lassi is superb.

The Hilton gave me a price of a car and driver for 4 hours for $22. This seemed fair enough, but I had a driver from an excursion I had taken elsewhere on the island. All of the stores that appeal to tourists are within a relatively small range, although not within walking distance of each other.

Thanks for the tips y'all!

The Tamarind Tree is about 5 minutes from the airport.
They have both rooms and suites. Buffet is very nice.
Enclosed grounds.

Alternatives are the beach hotels in Negombo - perhaps 15-20 minutes away. Might be better if you like to wander a bit, as the airport area really doesn't have a lot to offer.

Downtown would probably take 45 minutes plus. Though if you are flying CX out (ie after midnight) that's not a real disadvantage. If you are looking for something clean in the bargain range try the Tropic Inn. Not that far from the Mt Lavinia Hotel already mentioned.

Happy wandering

Fred

I spent a week in Sri Lanka in November 2005. I stayed at the Hilton in the city and enjoyed the time there. I felt reasonably safe but I did not venture out at night. There are some small casinos in Colombo. On one day you may want to take a quick tour of the city of Colombo. I walked a good deal of the city on foot and felt safe. There were a lot of armed guards but in recent years things have been quiet there. Hindus and Buddhist have quarreled in the past but they tend to be two of the most peaceful groups on the earth. The primary religion is Buddhism so there are a lot of Buddhist temples.

I took a three day tour visiting the ancient cities. I liked best the Sigiriya Rock Fortress and The Cave Temples of Dambulla. They are about a three hour drive from CMB. I don�t know if you could arrange for a quick one day tour there.

You could also view the Tsunami area about two hours south of CMB, but I did not do that since I live in Florida, USA, and had enough destruction with the hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

I consider Sri Lanka �India Lite.� You get a good feel of Indian type food and culture with less stress. I enjoy traveling to India, but I found Sri Lanka a lot less crowded and less stressful.

I'm just like the OP spending 2 days in CMB, can you tell me if I stay at the beach hotels in Negombo is it relativley easy to get to the city just to wander around? Also I am flying out on CX am I better off staying in the city that being the case? I'm thinking I'd probably prefer the beaches but is their anything worth doing in the city?

Thanks

I might stopover in CMB for a couple of days on the way back from MLE.

Is it possible to see the fortress and cave temple as a day trip from Colombo ? Any idea on the cost of hiring a car for a day ? (I am assuming theres no day tour departing from Colombo)

Thanks.

I've traveled to the cultural center of Sri Lanka, and think that is much too ambitious an undertaking for a day trip. It takes well over an hour just to get out of Colombo before you even begin your trip. It's another 3 hours or so to Sigirya - and then you need a couple hours to hike the 1400 steps to the top. A more realistic day trip is to go to the Elephant Orphanage (be sure to be there when the elephants are taken to the river for their morning bath) and Kandy, which has a variety of sights.

Are you considering staying at the Colombo Hilton? If so, you might email and ask how much they charge for their car and driver. I used Jetwings for my travels inside Sri Lanka. They are a superb agency, but I am not sure they will quote a car and driver for a day. Still, there's no downside in sending them a message.

It's possible to take the train to Kandy, but then you miss the Elephant Orphanage. The opportunity to sit and have a cup of tea on a balcony overlooking the river while 40 elephants bathed was magical.

Sounds magical and I definitely want to do it, but I also want to see Sigirya as well. I guess Sri Lanka deserves a separate trip on its own.

BTW I checked the room rates at the Hilton in CMB and I thought it was quite high at around USD150 after the 28% taxes. Not much different from the rates at the Conrads in SIN, BKK or DPS.

I agree - given that they're having a hard time filling the rooms, this is way over the top. I bet you could get a better rate just showing up and asking.

BTW - having spent a month in Sri Lanka before the civil war broke out, it is definitely worth its own trip.

At least one website has a much more reasonable "leisure" rate, though I have no idea how they determine if you are not there on business.....
As long as you don't mind a taxi ride "to and from" each day, the Mt Lavinia Hotel is quite acceptable and somewhat less expensive.

Happy wandering

Fred

What website?

Sigirya would a long day trip from Colombo. You might do better not staying in downtown Colombo, somewhere near the airport might offer a quicker trip, free of urban congestion at least, but I am not sure about the existence of a cross country road from near the airport.

Rates at the Hilton have gone up significantly recently. I am presently at the Cinnamon Grand which has better rates on Orbitz and which is broadly comparable.

Drop the manager an email and you may get better rates. I did.


dilmini.kulatilake -the@sign- hilton.com