Negombo, or මීගමුව, is a small town on the Western border of Sri Lanka, 40 km North from Colombo, near the International Airport.
Well located, it has been colonized by the Portuguese in 1500, by the Dutch in 1646 and finally by the British in 1796. Hopefully, the city won his freedom on the 4th February 1948. Negombo’s cultural background has been shaped by this history.
If you’re curious about the local traditions and like to be active, we highly recommend you to take up your bicycle and follow our steps.
You will be able to stop by the Dutch canals, used to transport goods to avoid the wavy ocean. From there, you will be able to watch Sri Lankan families into their daily lives.
Then, you might stop at the big and beautiful Angurukaramulla buddhist temple. This one also houses a Monastery (that cannot be visited). There, all the Buddha’s lifesteps and the philosophy behind buddhism lifestyle will be shown. To respect the traditions, kindly mind that you will have to remove your shoes before entering into the temple and dress in a proper way (knees and shoulders must be covered).
If you are more into food wandering : you can stop by a fruits and vegetables market to test local sweetness.
Going back to your bicycle, you can then stop by the harbor to have a look at the colorful fishing boats. A little coconut drink might be tried enroute for refreshment.
Also, if you like to wake up early, do not miss the boats to come back from their fishing duties early morning, around 4am.
To finish with the market walks, you can next stop by the ocean and smell the particular scent of drying fishes under the sun. You might also want to buy some species that cannot be found elsewhere : small sharks for exemple.
To end the day properly, you can also stop at a store to enjoy some local snacks : fish rolls and tasty samosas… or take this time to splash into the pool / in the ocean for a little refresh.
