sdorling

Hi All,

I hit CMB on 28/01 coming in on CX703 from HKG - It is part of a DOWE5 and was only added in the first place as it gave a nice little tier point/mileage earner with SE Asia where i had an extra flight to use up.

Due to lack of decent accomodation available for a discerning backpacker like myself, continued political unrest and also a very, very bad report from a good friend of mine who spent xmas/new year there i'm looking at just getting on the same plane when it leaves @ 01:10 to go back to HKG via SIN. (CMB-SIN CX710) and just make use of the opportunity to grab the extra tier points.

However, not being familiar with CMB is it feasible to get off the plane, through customs and checked in in-time for the flight Give there's only a 90min window.

Alternitively does anyone know if I am able to check my bags in @ HKG through to SIN as all travel is with CX and enter and exit CMB as a 'transit' passenger?

flygirl555

CMB is a small airport and we were through customs quickly. Do not bring any valuables with you. We brought some old computers and office equipment to donate and the customs officers gave us a difficult time.

It's a shame you will not be spending time in CMB. I was there in September and can't wait to return. I met some of the kindest, most caring and loving people in my life...even though the people had so very little, they treated us like long, lost friends. Some evenings, I would walk along the beach and be stopped by a family who just wanted to talk...they did not ask for anything except to practice their english and hear about a foreign country.

I am not sure what is in your price range, but I stayed at a lovely guest house which was about $22/night for a private room / bath and a full breakfast. It is across the street from the beach and you could use the swimming pool / facilities of an associated hotel.

Please PM me if your plans change and you want details...

Japhydog

Easy turnaround.

Pretty sure it's impossible to have CX treat you as a transit passenger...

Don't know what your friend told you, but I find Sri Lanka to be an excellent place to visit. In fact I'm buying property there.

AA EXP DFW-LON

I did a HKG-CMB-HKG turnaround last night. You can remain as an in-transit passenger and not have to clear immigration and customs. You will have 4 hours on the ground which is MORE than enough time to do it. An important note, check-in does not open until 3 hours before the flight (i.e., 10:15pm) so you'll have to wait for about an hour before checking in.

As an aside, the airport has been recently renovated complete with new lounge facilities and jetbridges! For anyone familiar with the old terminal, the new terminal is a welcome change. It's bright, airy, and comfortable.

MiamiPrep

I have transitted CMB twice, most recently last June. As a prior FT'er noted, the air terminal has been updated. You will exit the plane to a bus which takes you to the terminal. Once you enter the terminal, take the stairs UP (I believe there are signs which direct you to Transfers). The transfer desk was a nightmare in June. No clear line, and 50 PAX waiving tickets pushing up against the ticket desk (no ropes to maintain order). The ticket agent should already have your preprinted boarding pass available. You can then proceed to the bar/lounge (can't remember what it is called, but just keep walking straight until the end) if you are in J. There was no lounge acccess pass; the waiter just asks to see your boarding pass.

I believe CX DID treat me as a transit PAX, as my luggage was checked BKK-CMB-HKG-AKL.

I have not stopped over in CMB yet, but may at some point. Will be transitting again in April (in BKK now).

JohnAx

At least one FT'er whom I trust to be "wordly wise" has good things to say about Sri Lanka, but my experience with a short visit a year ago was very ho-hum. We found ransport to be tediously slow, accommodation poor for the price, and no compelling reason to be there for a family with racks of different "been there" tee-shirts in the closets. But since other wise folks disagree, I'd guess that you can find things to enjoy there, but it may take considerable effort - friends on the ground, for instance - to do that. For us, it's a transit these days.

TerryK

You are confused by different CX schedules on different days. The turnaround time is 4:15 if going via SIN (2055-0110), it is 3:10 if going via BKK (2345-0255). Either one is more than enough time. I would more worried about what to do at the airport with all the time you have.

SanDiego1K

I am a great fan of the foot reflexology available at the airport.

Re Sri Lanka, I like the country very much. However, IMO, Colombo itself does not offer that much to do. Rather, it takes several days to go south along the coast or to go inland to the cultural center of the island. I did both in 2005, and had great trips. I highly recommend the final night of Perahera in Kandy, one of the all time great festivals in the world. It is in early August in 2006.

In 2006, at least one of my CMB trips will be simply a transit. Arriving at 1am and leaving at 2am is a rough schedule for a layover. There is a 45 minute trip into the city, and then the issue of whether to get a hotel for one night or two. I think it will be easier bodywise to simply transit.

TiteG4

Why not go through immigration and go check-in at the departure terminal? I found the experience quite an eye-opening and sobering. En-route to the exit from immigration, you will see stalls selling various things (mainly electronics). There is no consideration given to glitzzy displays: everything piled up together, bare-boned and utilitarian. The thought that struck me was that esthetics is cleary a luxury. Outside the arrival building, there is a mob of touts trying to get your attention. Here I was: flying to CMB to pick up a cheap DONE ticket while there are many people there trying to eek out a living (at 1 am) in this poor country. I must say that the middle class guilt hit me pretty hard (I ended up filling the unicef envelope quite generously onboard).

Sorry to be a downer, but I think reality check is needed once in a while.

Back to FT: I agree with the foot message (at least the12USD may contribute the local economy). The business lounge is a contracted lounge located opposite from the F lounge with the walkway in the middle. There are 3 computer terminals with internet access, but no wi-fi (as of 12/05). There are snacks, coffee/tea/beers/bev. The local offerings are quite tasty. I only saw one small duty-free shop airside. So you may want to stay in the lounge. Of note, you will be bussed out the plane and they require your presence at the gate about 45 minutes before departure.

I am going back to CMB next month and will stay for a few days this time. I am looking forward to getting to know Sri Lanka a little better as a country and not an XONEX shop.

JohnAx

Well, I was momentarily excited by the all time greatest festival in the world, until I read this more detailed description. http://www.lankalibrary.com/heritage/esala.htm
Somehow in all the comings and going of elephants and people the excitement failed to surface. Is there a more captivating description somewhere else, or am I revealing my basic boorishness?

abrelosojos

= Well, you said it ... I find SL to be an awesome place to visit personally.

-A.

SanDiego1K

All the descriptions focus on all the religious symbolism, and one can get really bogged down. But to see it in person is to get caught up in a colorful, magical spectacle.

Here is a travel agent's description.

What can I say, I like seeing elephants all dressed up with twinkle lights on their cloths.

From the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die

You want to go the final night, as five temples combine their resources into one parade. During the day, it's great fun to go to the temple grounds where most of the elephants are quietly awaiting their role in the night's pageantry.

Also, go so Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage enroute. Be sure to be there when the elephants are taken to the river to bathe. You can get a comfortable seat in the restaurant by the river and sit sipping your cold drink or tea as you watch 50 or more elephants playing in the water. Magic.

On the day after the final perahera, you'll see elephants on the highway headed home. Some are walking; some are in trucks - that's also fascinating.

Kandy is a nice town, and you can get a very comfortable hotel room there. We liked Mahaweli Reach, on the edge of town overlooking a river, will full facilities.

On the other hand, if you don't like elephants, Perahera is not for you.