You are right to be concerned re the traffic between Unawatuna and Columbo, it is horrendous. We drove from Galle to Negombo via Columbo and it was horrendous. I think it took around 7 hours! Should be much better at that time. I don't think the time would affect the driving to much (the driving standards are not high to begin with!).

For me, arriving at that time, going from Columbo to Kandy would make more sense and leave the beach to the end. We spent our beach time in Tangalle and Weligama and then drove to Galle through Unawatuna. We had intended to stay in Una for a few days but it seemed way to busy for us so we carried on and really enjoyed our time in Galle.

We normally travel completely independently, making it up as we go along but, in the case of Sri Lanka it seemed easier and cheaper (or at least the same cost) to use a tour operator. We experience more than a few problems - click on my screen name for my trip report and more details. We were probably just unlucky and I know that others have had different experiences.

The driver we ended up with, Namuni, was really excellent guide and driver and, having his own car does freelance work (he is also a professional photographer if that is of interest to you). If you are interested in using him let me know and I will try and find his contact info.

A few other have had good experiences with individual drivers and hopefully will see this post - Thursdaysd, Craig, Leightravelclub spring to mind. Kathie also had good experiences with Boutique Sri lanka.

Hi Frances, we seem to be planning a very similar trip. I'll take the opportunity to ask another question here.
On the return journey would taking the train from Galle to Negombo be a good/possible option?
Has anyone done it?

In general,for safety reasons, I avoid travelling by road at night unless absolutely neccessary.

In your situation I would spend the night/day in or around Colombo. Depending on where you are coming from jet lag may also be a factor to consider and for me I would rather not start a long road trip when I'm still out of sorts from an even longer plane ride.

I'd suggest you overnight (what there is left of the night) near the airport, then get up in the morning and drive to Kandy. You don't actually go through Columbo, but you do pass near it and there is a lot of traffic. We arranged our driver through Boutique Sri Lanka and he was excellent.

Maybe our driver took a wrong turn but we actually did go through Columbo en route to Negombo.

We did look at the train option (Feb 2011) from Galle to negombo via Columbo but the south coast route had only just started and the timings were awful and there were very few trains actually scheduled. Maybe things have improved by now. See http://www.seat61.com/SriLanka.htm#Colombo - Galle - Matara for timetable

Thank you for all your information. It seems to bear out what I had suspected-that it wouldn't be very wise to set off for the south coast in the middle of the night. If we set off for Kandy(either from the airport or after a few hours sleep) I suppose another option would be a point to point taxi. We could then take another taxi when we left Kandy.
I only came up with Unawatuna as a destination as Galle at this time of year will be very very expensive. I thought that by staying in Unawatuna it would cost less but still be within distance for us to visit Galle, and swim!
I would welcome recommendations for drivers- many thanks.

Well six months later on and we are still facing the same question about a driver.
We are travelling to Kandy from the airport in Colombo but cannot get any response from our hotel as to booking a car for us- even though they advertise airport transfers!I am planning to telephone them this weekend but would be grateful if Crellston would find and post the details for Namuni.I shall also look into Boutique Sri Lanka.
Also on the 1st Jan we want to travel from Ella to Unawatuna. We are happy to catch a bus and our hotel have confirmed that they will be running. In the Rough Guide it says that Suresh Rodrigo in Ella Holiday Inn can book the bus but my emails have gone unanswered. Does anyone know how else I can reserve the bus? I am reading in the Rough Guide that there may be difficulty getting a seat because the buses do not start in Ella.
At this stage (as always!) all help is very gratefully received.

Hi Frances,
Namunu's email is namunu74@yahoo.com telephone 0777389499. Ialso recall that Thursdaysd posted the details for her driver guide whom she thought was very good. You may be able to find it if you search under her screen name. Good luck! I hope you find someone

I managed to find Thursdaysd post. an extract "If you want to book a driver direct, mine is free for February - J. R. A Ganiori at (0)71 49 50 890. He is a very sedate and careful driver and has been taking almost obsessive care of me!"

Hope you find someone

I didn't read anyone suggesting you take the train....does it not go where you are headed? I took it from Colombo-Kandy and all through the tea country and it was terrific. No traffic, very scenic. Cheap.

Thank you for this information.
Yesterday I rang our hotel in Kandy which promised to send an email today- nothing so far.
I have now sent an email to Namunu.
I also contacted Boutique Sri Lanka but they only provide transport as part of a package.
Thank you offwego for the info about the train. We are hoping to take the train up to Negombo from Galle when we leave but as we arrive after an overnight from the U.K. I think that making our way into Colombo on public transport and on by train will be one of the more stressful options!

Sorry to come so late to your post as I know your trip is next week but here are my thoughts:

1. There is a brand-new highway between Colombo and Galle which means you can get to Galle in 2 hours. Most people above do not seem to have been in Sri Lanka since the highway was opened and may not be aware of it. This makes it quite easy to get between the two. While I agree that travelling and night is generally to be avoided, going to Galle/Unawantuna from Colombo airport in the middle of the night would not be too bad. First of all, you will miss the Colombo day time traffic. Secondly, the new highway is basically deserted as trucks don’t want to pay the toll and they still go on the old coast road. So I would say that is an option (although I am more of a person who would save the beach for the end). If your flight out is late at night, then leaving from the Galle area in the evening and going right to the airport may work. You would again miss Colombo rush hour. (The highway current ends just outside Galle at the coast road, although construction to extend it is ongoing; at this point I don’t think anything beyond Galle is open. But check on this, I may be wrong. But from the end point to Unawantuna would be maybe 15 minutes. )

I would not feel the same at all about the road up to Kandy at night. It will be full of trucks and is very twisty. The Galle highway is literally a straight shot.

2. I personally would skip Kandy. I have now been twice over the last more than 10 years ago and most recently about 3 weeks ago. I just don’t think it is that interesting; even the Temple of the Tooth I have to say. It’s a long trip for not much, IMO. I usually am an advocate of temples, but I think there are other more interesting ones in Sri Lanka, even in the beach areas.

3. I really like Colombo. Many people give it short shrift, but for a day or so it actually offers quite a lot. A big shout out to Colombo City Walks, who will give you a terrific walking tour of the Fort area and the wonderful Pettah market. Great street food. Lots of British-raj architecture just beginning to be restored. See http://colombocitywalks.blogspot.hk/ or contact by email at ruvishinie@gmail.com (see their rave reviews on Tripadvisor, which is how I found them.) Have lunch or try the arrack at the Galle Face and take in the scene. Walk the Galle Face green. Have dinner at the Ministry of Crab in the restored Dutch hospital.

4. So my other suggestion if you don’t go right to Galle is to spend a day in Colombo and then the next day take the wonderful train to the tea country. The train up is more scenic than the drive for many parts, as you ride the ridge line on the train and get great views virtually the whole way. The train takes a bit more time than most of the drives, but is very pleasant and at about US$14 from Colombo for first class (including a meal) is worth it.

5. For Ella, I think hiring a car and driver to get to or from the beach would be better than the bus. I don't think you would have any trouble finding a driver in either Ella or the beach area to take you. Having your own car will allow you to stop as and when you want along the way, esp as you will near to or by several national parks and a few temples. The drive will take about 3-4 hours. Also, from what I see of the buses in Sri Lanka, I am not sure I would want to be on one for that long.

6. I don't understand going to Negombo from Galle, as you are just going from one beach to another. Unless you plan to just overnight in Negombo before your flight?

7. The other transport option to consider of course are the sea planes, which will save you a lot of time and are extremely scenic. One drawback there is that in the tea country flights are limited. There is regular service to Kandy and NE, and you sometimes get scheduled service from there onto Castlereagh reservoir near Hatton. Look at http://www.srilankan.com/a/flying-with-us/airtaxi to see how this may help you get to and from beach areas and the center or Colombo and the beach. The website schedule may not always be up to date, and the best thing to do is probably to call them.

The seaplanes mostly go from the lake in the center of Colombo, so you do really have to be in Colombo for those flights to work. They don’t fly after dark.

If you have to go to Kandy on a flight, then you could spend some time there.

Cicerone- you are the LAST person I ignore as some 4 years ago you commented on a trip we were intending to take to Hong Kong and told me to go to Bali instead! We did and it was wonderful!
However our accom is all booked now together with our route. In the time since we did this I have read elsewhere that Kandy is not fantastic but there we are, we may never return.
Overnight we have finally had a response from our hotel in Kandy and they will arrange transport from the airport.
Two others that we put feelers out with at the same time are unable to help and I haven't heard from Namunu.
It looks as if we'll travel to Ella by taxi and then try to get a car from there down to Unawatuna.
We are planning to spend a night in Negombo before our return flight in order to try and see a little of Colombo without staying in it. We have also reserved the room for the next night as well as our flight departs at an unearthly hour and we shall try and sleep before leaving for the airport.
I love the idea of a seaplane!
(By the way, we still haven't been to Hong Kong!)

Hi! Thanks so much for all this useful info. I've sent an email to Boutique SL.

We are going there Feb 7-17. Planning to spend one day in Colombo, then 4 days in the Cultural Triangle, 4 day at the beach.

does anyone know a nice unspoiled beach with more locals than tourists? ideally near a fishing village. Is Tangalle a good choice?

From Dambulla to Tangalle is a 5 hour drive according to Google Maps, is it realistic? If we need to break the journey, where should it be? Anyone know a nice hotel with view at the Tea Country?

Thanks!!
c

Chinlin - Goyambokka could suit you. It is a small village close to Tangalla with a lovely beach which definite seemed to have more locals than tourists around when we were there. A few photos on our blog
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/candcthai/4/1304068869/tpod.html

Frances, I quite enjoyed Kandy especially the evening ceremony at the temple of the tooth - amazing drummers!! It was however, VERY crowded. If you have the time the Pinnewela elephant orphanage is definitely worth a visit. If you are interested in colonial history ( which I was as. My grandfather was a tea planter in the old Ceylon) then a couple of the colonial cemeteries and the war cemetery are very interesting. I also loved the food in Kandy which seemed to be about the best we found in SL. The "short eats" were particularly good.

Unnawatuna to Colombo is now a superb drive on the new expressway that has been opened takes only one hour. The new expressway is very very good.

aha - our friend garrett/nishan seems to have gone away.

re the new highway, because we weren't in a hurry, our driver suggested we take the old road. Of course it too much longer but there were lots of interesting things to see on the way, and perhaps because of the new highway, it was virtually free of lorries.

Posting from Unawatuna
The driver provided by the hotel had been awake all night when we arrived at the airport at 5am - 1.5 hours late. He was seriously tired- exactly what I had tried toavoid when I first posted here. When I spoke to the man in the hotel about this he said that he had spoken to our driver when we arrived and he was “alright“!
We had another driver then for two days when we left Kandy who was caution personified but I certainly felt safe with him
Happy New Year to you all.

For me, that is a reason to go with an agency driver. I'd heard awful stories about drivers being over-tired or (worse yet) drugged up to stay awake.

hi Frances - a happy new year to you too.

I hope that the rest of your trip goes well, and look forward to the trip report!

Frances-

I am planning a trip to Sri Lanka at the begining of February and am just finishing up the itinerary. I've read a couple newspaper articles about the recent flooding and am a bit concerned about getting around, espically in the Kandy, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa areas.

How is it over there?

How recent is this flooding,because we left Kandy on Monday. There was no sign of flooding there or on through Ella to Unawatuna. We did however have torrential rain here on Thursday and it rained all day yesterday.
Driving through the tea country and on down beyond Ella we passed several locations where the land above the road had cascaded down onto the carriageway but that seemed to be a normal overnight occurence and there were groups of men clearing up.
Moving on to Negombo today. i'll update when we get there
Annhig-due to your recent visits to the principality I reckon you now deserve a "blwyddyn newydd dda"

Annhig-due to your recent visits to the principality I reckon you now deserve a "blwyddyn newydd dda">>

and a "Bledhen Nowyth Da!" from Cornwall to you, Frances. [very similar, aren't they?]

whilst the rains may be a pain for tourists, when we were in Sri lanka n October everyone was telling us how desperate they were for decent rain, so it must be relief to the locals that they have now arrives.

The flooding occurred in the middle of December. Here is an article:

www.emirates247.com/lifestyle/living/deadly-sri-lanka-floods-thousands-homeless-2012-12-24-1.488493

If you are not seeing much then that must be a good sign. Even from the article it looked like they were making a quick recovery. Thanks for the update!

Have arrived in Negombo (not a place that I'll be hurrying back to) !
No sign of floods anywhere but yet another driver who caused us concern.
After being asked three times to slow down he did reduce his speed to 60kmh in Colombo(when the traffic allowed him to do that].
Feel we are just killing time now until we leave for the airport in about 24hours

Frances - glad you have arrived in Colombo in one piece.

we were not over-impressed with it, but our driver did a tour with us in the evening before we left which showed us a few interesting places. AS you would not want to use your driver, why not get a tuk tuk driver to take you on a tour of the city, and perhaps drop you off in the Dutch quarter at the end.

another way to kill time might be to get a tuk tuk to one of the big hotels and spend the evening there. WE did that one night we were there - we walked down to the cinnamon grand and had supper there in one of their many restaurants, as they had an offer on - a Pakistani buffet for Rs1,900. i got the impression that this was quite common.

I'm sure that there must be some decent shops somewhere for souvenir buying [we wished we'd bought more in Galle] but actually I'd wait til the airport as there are some excellent shops there, but they are all airside. they seemed very reasonable to us, unlike the cafes which were rubbish and very expensive.

Pity you did not find some nice eating places in Colombo, what exactly are you looking for? Fine dining or a cafe fo a quick bite or something in between?

I was in Wilpattu NP (near Anuradhapura)last week and although quite some heavy rains there were no floods.

If you looking for some nice North Indian/Pakistani food try The Mango Tree restaurant, else a more basic place with very good food is Indian Spice on Marine Drive.

Several good souvenir shops in Colombo,
Lakpahana for more tradional Sri Lanka arts/crafts

Barefoot for handlooms, very colourful style and good book selection too, nice alfresco cafe too.

Paradise Rd Gallery very arty household stuff, also has a very fine restaurant at the back, great for a coffee and desert too, try the cinnamon ice cream.

Chesa Swiss Restaurant - absolutely superb fine dining