I had no desire to explore Colombo so we opted for an overnight stay in a suburb of Negombo, near the airport, and moved straight on to Dambulla the next morning. Surprisingly, we had the best breakfast of our trip at the small guesthouse here, enjoyed alongside the picturesque canal with a backdrop of Sunday hymns wafting across from a church on the other side.
The hotel was in a suburb and not in central Negombo, which was my expectation when booking. We only had a brief look around and the beach wasn’t up to much It wasn’t somewhere I’d choose to spend more than a night or two – if the hotel had a pool. Although I hear that there are a few sightstuk tuk to the market and St Mary’s Church and maybe a boat trip on the lagoon.
Where we stayed
Serendip Village Guest House had a very large room and a warm welcome very late at night! The room was a bit noisy thanks to a neighbourhood dog but this was made up for with the delicious breakfast in a wonderful setting by the river.
What I’d do differently
Get there earlier! Some time by the pool, an evening out nearby and a good night’s sleep would have been a good idea after a 19 hour journey.