5 Unconventional Things to Do in Negombo – Start your journey here

Negombo is located at the northern end of the country and its fish market is a haven for prawns, crabs and lobsters. If you hit the beach early in the morning you'll be able to watch the fishermen bringing their bounty ashore and auction it off at the fish market by trying to outbid their competitors' prices. In addition to the main fish market located on Negombo's main beach, there is also a second fish market located on the other side of the lagoon. For a nominal fee, you can even hire a boat or "oruva" as its referred in Sinhala, Sri Lanka's main language and venture into the ocean and put in some quality fishing time with the help of the local fishermen. Some of the hotels or resorts will even let you cook what you caught and make a scrumptious meal out of it.

The Negombo Dutch Fort which was originally built in 1678 in present day not only displays its remains but also consist of a green field called Esplanade which is used to host cricket matches. The local prison is also housed within the walls of the Negombo Dutch Fort.

Negombo is known as Mini Roam as it has quite a few churches and Catholic buildings. St. Mary's is one such building whose ceilings are adorned with religious paintings. Even though most of its residents are Catholic the Angurukaramulla Temple is frequented by most of the Buddhist devotees who visit the city.

Negombo is the perfect place to relax for a few days and get your strength back after a long flight and plan where you want to go next or rest and prepare for the flight back home after exploring the many treasures Sri Lank has to offer. Negombo offers some of the best beach hotels in Sri Lanka the likes of Amagi Hotels which provide ayurvedic spa's, oil treatment, mouth-watering food served with Sri Lanka's warm hospitality that makes people feel right at home.

With several kite-surfing production factories located close by and wind patterns designed for kite-surfing; Negombo is the birthplace of kite-surfing in Sri Lanka. While the wind patterns during January – March is suited for beginners May – to August is more suited for advanced kite flyers. In addition kite-surfing, Negombo also offers water skiing, jet-skis, surfing and banana boats for its water sports lovers.

Negombo is a rather quiet and lazy town compared to most of its more loud and vibrant beach destination which makes it perfect for spending some quality family time. You can organize cycle rides along the canal-side paths, explore the wide variety of local and foreign restaurants, go dolphin watching or simply spend the day frolicking on Negombo's golden beaches. The 100-kilometre lagoon that faces Negombo is a good place for sight-seeing and gives an amazing view of the city and also offers a unique view of the interior of the country. Colombo, Sri Lanka's commercial capital offers a selection of shopping and family-friendly activities can be easily accessed using either public transportation or commandeering a vehicle to chauffeur you around.