How to travel around Negombo             

Situated on the west coast of Sri Lanka, Negombo is only 8km from the Bandaranaike International Airport, the main airport in Sri Lanka making this bustling town not only a delightful place with a bevy of fine beaches and colonial buildings for exploration but also a convenient overnight stop before an early morning flight or a place for a quick excursion in between flights in Sri Lanka. With a lot of transportation options available to get around, find out how to choose wisely.

Cycling around Negombo

One of the fun things to do in Negombo is riding a bike. It can seem a little scary even for seasoned cyclists at first as you go on narrow roads as there are no separate cycling tracks. However, that nervousness will flee as you get into the rhythm of cycling on these streets. It gives you a sense of freedom and fulfilment to explore attractions like the beautiful St Mary’s Church Negombo or the serene environs of Angunukaramulla Temple by yourself immersing in learning about the place and savouring the aura of these holy places.

Bicycles are provided free of charge at many hotels near Negombo beach and they are also available for rent throughout Negombo town at reasonable rates.

Motor Bikes

These are quite practical in Negombo to cover distances especially when you need to get to a point in a hurry. Most single visitors and couples use motorbikes to visit places like Negombo Lagoon to admire the landscapes and the rich wildlife surrounding the scenic lagoon while some take time even to do a boat trip on the lagoon.
Motor Bike rentals are reasonably priced and are an efficient way of getting about Negombo.

Tuk-Tuks

Tuk-Tuk Rides in Negombo | Image via flickr

These three-wheeled mini taxis can take up to 3 passengers and many visitors opt to hire the tuk-tuk for the day or a few days as there are many places in Negombo offering this service. Although the ride can be a bit bumpy, they are quite versatile and easy to navigate around the cities even during busy hours.

Many visitors from fine hotels such as Club Hotel Dolphin Sri Lanka opt to do a tuk-tuk ride for their visit to the Negombo Fish Market as they need to arrive early at the beach, by 6 a.m. to witness the day’s catch being brought in and the excitement and noise that go with the process with many fishermen and onlookers enjoying it. This is also a place to get fresh seafood quite cheaply as many restaurant owners do every day. For visitors, the spice market in operation at the beach has good cinnamon and other spices Sri Lanka is famous for.

When using Tuk-Tuks for rides make sure it is a metered one, if not agree on the charge before you set off. If you are hiring a tuk-tuk for a day or more such agreed charges will apply.

Taxis/Cars

There are taxi services offered by various hotels and used by visitors to and from the airport or to the commercial capital Colombo and many other popular tourist cities on the island which are added to the visitor's bill.

Apart from these taxis, many visitors use services from the two popular taxi companies that have a good service network in major cities and towns like Negombo. These taxis, Pick Me and Uber, can be engaged by downloading and using their apps.
Other than these there are many other taxi companies and hired car services available in Negombo; the details can be obtained from your hotel, guest house or place of lodging.

Buses

There are public and private bus services from Negombo to other main cities on the island, the details should be obtained from your hotel, guest house or place of lodging.