Hello-

I'm looking to make a quick trip to Sri Lanka next June/July. Are there any day trips to see scenery and wildlife from Columbo? Even an overnight trip could be possible. Thank you!

~Linzy

My advice for Colombo is to spend your time elsewhere in SL, assuming that the situation next summer is better than it is now. (If not, I would go somewhere other than SL.) From Colombo you cpuld go south to Galle, east to Kandy, or northeast to the Dambulla area.

My TR for SL is here, links at the top of the page: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...bo-going-deaf/

hello there. yes its possible you could tavel yo yala and stay 1 night and come back to colombo. if its for 3 days .. you may stay 1 night in yala and do the safri, then spend 1 night in mirissa or unawatuna, and return,, or you could do the safari in wilpattu national park within a day from colombo,, so theer are some options,, in the mean time yala national park is very much fine to do the safari,,

I presume you are on a short visit to Colombo for some other work/purpose and want to take a one night off to do some sightseeing?

As already suggested Yala is good and probably better choice as you can travel easily via the Southern Expressway. Travel time from Colombo to Yala is about four hours. If doing a second night somewhere along the Southern Coast (Mirissa, Unawatuna, Galle etc) do keep in mind that June/July is not a good season and the sea will be quite rough. If you really like wildlife suggest to spend the night in Yala (there is a choice of hotels and tented camps to choose from) and fit in at least two safari game drives and then make a lunch or tea stop at Galle and look around the fort etc.

Typical itinerary will be as below
Day one - leave Colombo early morning by say 6am and head to Yala and check in to your hotel/camp by about 11am.
after lunch depart on an afternoon game drive in Yala (2pm - 6.30pm)
dinner and overnight at Yala hotel/camp
Day 2 - Early morning game drive (5am - 10am)
10.30am breakfast at lodge and then check out and head to Galle
Arrive at Galle Fort by about 1.30pm for walkabout and lunch
Depart Galle by about 5pm and arrive back in Colombo by 7pm.

Cheers and best of luck.

We spent a wonderful few days in Colombo with my family a couple of months ago. It’s definitely worth staying there for a few days, as it’s the capital and offers a great mix of culture, history, and modern city life. We enjoyed excellent food, high quality hotels, and very good service overall. It was also the perfect place to relax after jet lag.

We stayed at Jetwing Colombo 7, which has a beautiful rooftop pool with a great view, and the service was excellent. We explored the city on a Colombo city tour, which gave us a nice overview, including visits to the main temple and museum.

We did an authentic home cooking experience with a Colombo cooking class and market tour. The host had deep knowledge of local cuisine, and it was a really fun and authentic experience.

We also did a day trip to Lunuganga, the country home of architect Geoffrey Bawa. Visiting his house and gardens was an amazing and peaceful experience.

Overall, Colombo was a fantastic start to our Sri Lanka journey.