Sri Lanka. How to get from Colombo Airport to Hikkaduwa or Weligama.

Colombo Bandaranaike Airport (also known as Katunayake International Airport) is only called that, but in reality, it is not in Colombo at all, and is located 35 km from the city.

Upon arrival, without leaving the airport, you will see a row of currency exchange offices. I advise exchanging money here, as the exchange rate in tourist areas will be worse. Paying by card anywhere is almost impossible, so make sure you have cash. There are ATMs in the airport building, but they charge a commission for transactions.

You can also buy a SIM card here. I bought the most expensive one, it costs 1400 rupees, which is approximately 640 rubles. This price includes 12 GB of internet and 100 minutes of free calls. I need to work, and Wi-Fi in guesthouses is not always good quality, in which case I tether the internet to my laptop, fortunately, mobile coverage is good everywhere here. If you came for a couple of weeks, you can get by with a SIM card with 2 GB and 50 minutes of local calls, such a package will cost about 100-150 rubles.

If you arrived in Sri Lanka on your own, without any tours or travel packages, you will have to arrange your transfer yourself.

Your further actions will depend on your plans. Travelers in Sri Lanka usually have 2 route options:

• Colombo - Kandy - Nuwara Eliya - Ella - South (beaches) - standard clockwise island travel route. Visiting the center of the island and then relaxing on the beach
• Colombo - South (beaches) - you came to relax on the beach, surf, maybe you want to go to the center of the island, but sometime later.

Let's first look at the second option. It doesn't matter what time of day or night you arrived, if you are willing to spend on a transfer - taxis are at your service. You can book both an individual transfer and a group one, which will naturally be cheaper. An individual transfer to the nearest resort, Bentota, costs an average of $50, while a trip to popular beaches like Hikkaduwa, Weligama, or Mirissa will cost at least $100. The travel time to these towns will take up to 3.5 hours.

What if there are two of you or you are alone? Apply for a group transfer in advance, several weeks before your trip. They will find fellow travelers for you to share the transfer with. This will make your trip 5 times cheaper. Don't worry if your flight is in a few days and you haven't applied - many of our compatriots fly to Sri Lanka, and you can always find fellow travelers right there.

How can you save even more? Easily.

A local bus runs from the airport to the city. It's very easy to find. Exit the arrivals area and walk diagonally to the right. Cross 2 narrow roads directly in front of the airport and you will reach the bus stop. You need bus number 187.

If you can't find it - ask, but only not taxi drivers. You won't get any truthful and accurate information from them.

Well-known self-travel websites state that you need to exit and turn left, leave the airport gates, and look for the stop there. I responsibly declare - you will find nothing and no one there except tuk-tuk drivers wanting to take you "to bus stop 187".

Without much thought, I asked the police about the bus. They gladly told me how to find it, and so I'm going to the city for 120 rupees (50 rubles). The final destination of the bus route is the bus station. Next, you need to get to the railway station (Colombo Fort Railway Station - the main junction station of Sri Lanka), which is a kilometer from the bus station. You can walk or get there for 70-100 rupees.



A second-class ticket from Colombo to Hikkaduwa cost me 220 rupees. A third-class ticket costs 120 rupees. More about trains will be in future posts. The first train departs at 6:55 AM, the last at 6:10 PM. Compared to India, train delays are practically non-existent here.

In total, with minimal expenses, you can get to the south coast for just 240 rupees!

If your initial path is to the center of the island, you get to Colombo by bus or taxi, and then you take a train from the same station to Kandy.

Of course, if you have a lot of suitcases, it's not very convenient, so... leave your suitcases at home. A trip on a Sri Lankan train is worth it!

And finally. Colombo is not the capital of Sri Lanka. The capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Learn to pronounce it, and - Welcome to the island of Ceylon!)

More photos can be found here