This was published 1 year ago
An expert expat tips for Negombo, Sri Lanka
An insider’s guide from an Australian perspective.
A Negombo Lagoon boat ride will show you birds, mangroves, small fishing villages and outrigger fishing boats.Credit: iStock
Deb Riedel came to Sri Lanka on a private guided tour in September 2019. "I fell in love with the country…. and my guide, Joseph de Meraal," she says. Three years on, Deb and Joseph run Olideb Gedara Guesthouse and Olideb Sri Lanka Tours and live at the guesthouse, which was designed by Joseph's father. See olidebsrilanka.com
SEE
Negombo's fish market shows the great variety of fresh seafood available here. The best time to go is early in the morning after the catch has been brought in. The seafood in Negombo is cheap and we have lagoon crabs and prawns, oysters, mussels, squid, cuttlefish and a great variety of fish.
DO
Take a Negombo Lagoon boat ride from Hamilton Canal. The lagoon extends just over 35 square kilometres and over two hours, you'll see a good variety of birds, mangroves, small fishing villages and outrigger fishing boats. You're also likely to see large water monitors and monkeys, which are fed fruit at Monkey Island. The monkeys jump on the front of the boat to enjoy their feast. You, too, will be fed fresh local fruits, while sitting on chairs in shallow water. The best time go is around 4pm so you can enjoy a lovely sunset on the water. It's best organised through your accommodation, expect to pay LKR14,000 ($56) for a couple. Any more and it's too expensive.
Australian expat Deb Riedel runs Olideb Sri Lanka Tours in Negombo.
EAT
My comfort food in Sri Lanka is kottu roti, which is chopped roti fried with spices, vegetables and chicken or meat with a spicy sauce. Also try string hoppers (rice flour noodles pressed into a small disc shape and eaten with curry and coconut sambal) and hoppers (like a pancake in the shape of a bowl with or without an egg in the bottom, and eaten with sambals, curry or dahl). There are some very good restaurants along Poruthota Road (the tourist strip) and we often eat at Serendib. Get a table out the back close to the beach and order the excellent chilli seafood platter. There is often a live Sri Lankan band up until about 10pm, then the DJ at the front takes over in the bar area and the nightclubbing starts. See serendibnegombo.com
DRINK
Lion beer and arrack are the Sri Lankan drinks to try and I enjoy both. There is varying quality of arack and our go-to brand is Rockland Old Arrack; Rockland also makes a good local gin. Our favourite watering hole is Rodeo Pub on Poruthota Road, which is fun and lively, and a favourite with both locals and tourists. See facebook.com/rodeopubnegombo
AVOID
Don't say "oi" to attract someone's attention! I help some local children with English and trying to get their attention during one lesson I said "Oi, boys!" The looks on their faces made me realise I had done something wrong. Joseph told me it was a very rude, harsh swear word in Sinhala, often used by thugs.
THRIVE
Take away your stress or fix that aching back with an ayurvedic relaxation or therapeutic massage. Just make sure the therapist has had ayurvedic training and uses the herbal oil suited to your skin and massage style. Some of the larger spas offer ayurvedic treatment, but I have found them to be more Western than genuine, medicinal ayurvedic, which is not only about the body, but considered to improve the mind, too. I go to a local lady who has set house up with massage tables and sauna, about $12 for an hour's relaxation massage!
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