The Wes
T
North of Colombo
The Wes
T
S
Ig
H
TS
&
A
C
TI
v
ITIES
The Wes
T
Negombo
Colombo to Negombo
NORTH OF COLOMBO
Leaving Colombo most eyes look south, but
for those with time on their hands and a sense
of curiosity, or for those on the slow road to-
wards Anuradhapura, then the northbound
A3 heads out of Colombo, skirts some charm-
ing old Dutch canals, slides past some sandy
beaches and gets utterly lost among a matted
tangle of coconut groves and wildlife-filled
woodlands. It all adds up to a wonderful
sense of discovery. For the moment, aside
from workaday Negombo, which sits close to
Bandaranaike International Airport, much of
this area remains fairly unexplored by tour-
ists, but things are on the cusp of change. The
government, inspired by the kind of high-end,
exclusive beach tourism of the neighbouring
Maldives, has embarked on an ambitious
tourism project around the town of Kalpitiya
at the end of the long peninsula that separates
Dutch Bay from the ocean.C olombo to Negombo
The narrow belt of land between the gulf and
the lagoon that stretches much of the way
from the northern suburbs of Colombo to Ne-
gombo is sometimes called Pamunugama,
after its biggest settlement. It’s a lovely strip of
coconut palms, old Portuguese-style churches,
cross-dotted cemeteries on dunes, and pock-
ets of tidy houses. There are some small hotels
along here. Unfortunately, though, the beach
is steep, with a sheer reef drop-off that makes
swimming perilous no matter the sea’s state.
This is also home to one of the best stretch-
es of the old and straight-as-an-arrow Dutch
Canal (also known as the Hamilton Canal)
that runs along this entire length of coast.
It’s lined with small factories, fishing villages,
mansions, nature areas and more. Hiring a
bike in Negombo is an ideal way to tour this
area.1 ights & ActivitiesS
The evocatively translated ‘Supreme Field
of Pearls’, or Muthurajawela Marsh, is a
little-known gem of a wetland at the south-
ern end of Negombo’s lagoon. It’s Sri Lanka’s
biggest saline wetland and home to 75 bird
species including purple herons, cormorants
and kingfishers, as well as crocodiles, mon-
keys and even some rarely seen otters.
The marsh is under threat from a pro-
posed high-speed rail line linking the airport
to Colombo.oMuthurajawela
Visitor Centre BIRDWATCHINg
(%011 403 0150; boat trip per person Rs 1000)
The Muthurajawela Visitor Centre is at the
southern end of the road along Pamunuga-
ma, next to the Hamilton Canal. It has some
moth-eaten displays and a 25-minute video
on the wetland’s fauna; but much more in-
terestingly, it also runs two-hour boat trips
through the wetlands. It’s a very good idea
to call and reserve a boat ride in advance, as
it can get busy at weekends and on holidays.Negombo
%031 / POPULATION 141,000
Negombo is a modest beach town located
close to Bandaranaike International Airport.
With a stash of decent hotels and restaurants
to suit all pockets, a friendly local community,
an interesting old quarter and a reasonable
(though polluted) beach, Negombo is a much
easier place to get your Sri Lankan feet than
Colombo.
The Dutch captured the town from the
Portuguese in 1640, lost it, and then captured
it again in 1644. The British then took it from
them in 1796 without a struggle. Negombo
was one of the most important sources of
cinnamon during the Dutch era, and there
are still reminders of the European days.
The busy centre of Negombo town lies to
the west of the bus and train stations. Most
places to stay, however, line the main road
that heads north from the town centre, run-
ning almost parallel to the beach.1 Sights
Dutch Fort RUINS
(map p 87 ) Close to the seafront near the la-
goon are the ruins of the old Dutch fort,
which has a fine gateway inscribed with the
date 1678. Also here is a green, called the
Esplanade, where cricket matches are a big
attraction. As the fort grounds are now occu-
pied by the town’s prison, the only way you’ll
get a peek inside is by stealing something.
You’d need to be very interested in old Dutch
forts to go to such lengths, however.
Several old Dutch buildings are still in use,
including the Lagoon Resthouse (map p 87 ;
Custom House Rd).Main Fish Market mARKET
(map p 87 ) Each day, fishermen take their oru-
vas (outrigger canoes) and go out in search
of the fish for which Negombo is well known.