Transportation in Sri Lanka for Air:
The only international airport in Sri Lanka is the Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake, 30 kilometers north of Colombo. Transportation to and from the airport is available in the form of buses and taxis. At present there are no scheduled domestic passenger flights operating within Sri Lanka. Private operators from Ratmalana Airport near Colombo can organize charter flights.
Sea transport in Sri Lanka:
There are four international ports in Sri Lanka including Colombo, Talaimannar, Trincomalee, and Galle. Some cruise liners running around India and Maldives, or on longer cruises from Singapore to Dubai port in Colombo. Others start at Colombo and head for Indonesia via Malaysia and Singapore. The cruising season is from October through May and cruises take about 12 to 16 days. However, due the enduring ethnic conflict, there is no longer ferry service plying between Rameswaram in South India and Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. |
Plane:
The major domestic airport in Sri Lanka is Ratamalana at Colombo. There are daily flights to other smaller airports at Batticaloa, Gal Oya, Palali, and Trincomalee. However, flights to Jaffna are not available.
Train:
You can get to all major tourist towns by trains, but a few first-class carriages, air-conditioning and dining cars are available. New fast services are launched on the principal routes, including an inter-city express service linking Colombo with Kandy.
Bus:
A nation wide network of buses operates in Sri Lanka comprising worker owned buses referred to as Ceylon Transport Board (CTB) buses, wholly government owned buses and private buses. Public bus transport in Sri Lanka ranks as one of the cheapest in the world. Seats can be booked in advance on the CTB buses but not on private buses. Express bus services run to all major towns.
Taxi:
Taxis operate in most of Sri Lanka's main towns but most of them are not metered. Again it is advisable to agree on the cost before commencement of the journey.
Three-wheeler:
These are available as local transport in Colombo and many provincial towns. They do not have meters so it is best to settle with the driver on the fare before you get on.
Car rentals:
Cars are available for self-drive and also with drivers. For someone unused to Sri Lankan driving conditions where having to make unexpected maneuvers is the rule rather than the exception this option needs to be exercised with some degree of caution. |
