Colombo Districts and Where to Best Stay

What hotels are like in Colombo, prices and where to book

There are many hotels in Colombo, but, based on our personal travel experience, the city cannot be called the "capital of budget hotels" in any way. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find a budget hotel of acceptable quality at a reasonable price and with a good location by the standards of other Asian countries. This doesn't mean there are no budget accommodation options at all, but objectively there is a clear shortage of hotels of normal quality for a reasonable price. Here you can find either expensive hotels priced closer to $100 per room, or completely run-down guest houses or hostels for about $25 with cockroaches and dirty sheets.

In other words, don't expect to rent a decent clean double room with all amenities for $20. You should rather plan to spend at least $40 for normal accommodation, and that's only if booked in advance.

So if possible, we advise booking accommodation in Colombo in advance at any time of year. If you still decide to look for a hotel on the spot, don't forget to bargain hard. The initially quoted prices are inflated many times over, and if desired, sometimes you can bargain down to a price even lower than online booking.

You can find and book a hotel in Colombo on these sites, or via the search form:

• 🛌 Search hotels in Colombo on Trip.com (👍 Mir cards work)
• 🛌 Search hotels in Colombo on Yandex.Travel
• 🛌 Search hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Colombo hotels on the map

Colombo districts and where to best stay

Hotels in Colombo are scattered throughout the city, there is no single area of concentration or a separate tourist district. Here are our tips for choosing a hotel location based on personal experience:

• If you are staying in Colombo at the beginning or end of your trip for a couple of days, just to explore the city, see its attractions and move on, then it's best to choose a hotel closer to the center in the Colombo Fort, Pettah, or Galle Face districts. This way you'll be closer to all the sights, infrastructure, transport, and entertainment. These districts themselves are interesting for evening walks, and the Pettah district is also the oldest and the main trading area in the country.

• If you plan to spend several days in Colombo and want to combine your stay with beach relaxation, then we recommend the Mount Lavinia district. It's very far from the center, but it's the only place in Colombo with a beach suitable for swimming and relaxing on the shore.

• Finally, if you don't plan to linger in Colombo at all, and just want to overnight after or before a flight, you can stay at a hotel in the airport area or go to Negombo. There are even a few reasonably priced hotels within walking distance of the airport, just for resting/overnighting. But keep in mind that you won't be able to quickly pop into the city and walk around from here: a "quick trip" will only be possible by taxi, and will take 1-2 hours one way depending on traffic. If you intend to explore the city, it's better to go straight to the city and settle in a hotel there.

And now a bit more detail about the main districts:

• Colombo Fort district (Colombo Fort)

  

  Fort is the historical and business district of Colombo city, the very center (Colombo Fort on the map). It got its name from the fortress fortification built in 1554 during the Portuguese occupation. Within this district, a fortress was built, surrounded by a fortress wall. Inside the fortification, besides the fortress itself, there were various buildings: administrative and residential buildings, churches, warehouses. The predominant population living here were Europeans. Later, with the arrival of the Dutch (17th century) and the displacement of the Portuguese from here, the area began to change radically. Starting from 1870, the fortress walls were destroyed, old city buildings were rebuilt, demolished, and new buildings were constructed. But today almost nothing remains of the former Fort, except for a few old buildings from the colonial period and the Clock Tower (or Old Lighthouse).

  The Colombo Fort district is one of the most visited by tourists, one could even say it's the tourist center. It will be interesting not only for the preserved historical elements but also shows the modern life of the city. After all, it is also the financial center of the country; government and administrative buildings are located here, including the President's residence, banks, luxury hotels, large shopping malls and boutiques, offices of trading companies, etc. By the way, you can find the best exchange rate in the entire country here.

  Just don't think that because this is the financial center, everything shines with cleanliness here. Actually, rats still run in the streets here, tuk-tuk drivers hassle you for rides, beggars pester you, and trash lies on the sidewalks. It's just that this district is a bit less dirty and not as chaotic and overcrowded as other city districts. In general, it can truly be said that by local standards it's a fairly clean and cozy district, plus you can comfortably walk around it on foot.

  

  

  

  

  

• Pettah district (Pettah, Colombo 11)

  

  Pettah is the main trading district of Colombo, located east of the Fort district (Pettah on the map). Essentially, it's a huge bazaar, always crowded, where you can buy food and goods of various purposes at low prices. The streets are narrow, and each specializes in certain types of goods.

  This district houses the country's main railway station and the main government and private bus stations. They are located close to each other and serve as the main starting point for traveling across the country.

  Pettah is also known for its cultural heritage. Hindu temples, Catholic churches, mosques, the Dutch Museum, the Old Town Hall Museum, and many old buildings are located here.

  Overall, it's a decent and convenient district for an overnight stop, especially if you need to transfer to other transport to travel further or to the airport. But the main drawback of staying here is that it's too noisy, hectic, and dirty, especially near the market. One could even say it's one of the most colorful districts in the city. And by the way, there are a lot of rats here, and we even encountered a snake on the street during a walk.

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Galle Face district (Galle Face)

  

  The Galle Face district is another decent central district, also adjacent to the Colombo Fort district (Galle Face on the map). It's quite clean by local standards, and it's even developing and being built up with skyscrapers, business centers, and modern hotels. The famous and only promenade and recreational area, Galle Face Green, stretches along this district. The large modern One Galle Face Mall shopping center is located here.

  There are no attractions here, but Colombo Fort, Gangaramaya Temple and the Meditation Center, and other interesting places are within walking distance.

  The only problem is that the hotels here are very expensive. Insanely expensive!!! So there's no place for budget travelers here. Otherwise, it's a cool and pleasant district.

  

  

  

• Mount Lavinia district (Mount Lavinia, Mt Lavinia)

  

  Mount Lavinia stretches along the coast south of the city (Mount Lavinia on the map). Although administratively it is a suburb of Colombo, it is considered an urban district.

  If you choose a hotel here, you'll be not too far from the center of the economic capital and next to the beach. And if during your stay you want to go to the center, it's easy to do on suburban trains or city buses for mere pennies.

  The beach here is sandy and quite suitable for swimming and sunbathing. And the district itself is not bad and differs greatly in pace from the city center: it's quieter and calmer, although at first glance it may seem like real slums. You can find inexpensive hotels and guest houses upon arrival, but the problem is they're not on every corner, and you'll have to wander quite a bit before stumbling upon a hotel.

  In short, if you need to stay in Colombo for a few days or a week to relax on the shore, you won't find a better place than Mount Lavinia. But it's still better to book accommodation here online rather than search on the spot.

  

  

• New Port City district (Port City)

  

  Port City is a new district, you could even say a new city, which has been under construction for several years on artificial land in central Colombo next to the port and Fort district (Port City on the map). There are grand plans for this place to become a new tourist attraction, a modern and clean district with financial companies, shopping centers, hotels, a new beach, and places for pleasant walks. Many of the planned facilities have already appeared on maps, but so far in reality it's only construction sites and empty lots. Only one conditional attraction was accessible – the Friendship Pedestrian Bridge and the Marina promenade, which offers a beautiful view of Galle Face Green.

  In short, there's nothing to do here yet, but in the future, when hotels appear and infrastructure starts working, the district promises to be the best place in Colombo.

  

  

  

  

  

That's all about the districts, and finally, you can also watch our video where we talk about the districts and beaches in Colombo, and why it's better to stay in the center: