Outdoor activities in Negombo– Enjoy the sun and relaxed atmosphere

Boating is a great way to explore the amazing natural beauty of Negombo. Visitors can easily rent fishing boats and to take them out for the day to enjoy an exciting excursion along the coast. A typical boating excursion will take visitors along the small coastal villages or you can book a tour on the Kalu River to enjoy the lush greenery. This is an excellent opportunity to hire a guide and to learn about the coastal wildlife and to see beautiful flocks of migrant birds. Be sure to inquire your Negombo resort about boating options as most accommodation do offer excursion. A great choice of accommodation to enjoy the most of the town is Club Hotel Dolphin Negombo.

There are several amazing sites for diving and snorkeling in Negombo. Located about 12 miles from the shore is a very popular dive site where visitors can enjoy beautiful and colorful corals and a great variety of reef fish. You can catch a glimpse of hundreds of different colored fish and other fascinating marine creatures such as puffing starfish, stonefish, sea cucumbers, blue triggerfish, Christmas tree anemones, emperor angel fish and moray eels. If you are a fan of snorkeling, Negombo will provide you with an amazing experience with its warm waters, beautiful corals and unusual marine life.

Panduvasnuwara is an ancient Sinhalese capital city. Although it is not as popular as Anuradhapura, Panduvasnuwara is easily accessible from Negombo and would make a great outdoor excursion full of educational value. Panduvasnuwara is an important part of Sri Lanka's rich culture. Be sure to make your tour with a guide to learn more about the history of Panduvasnuwara and try to include a visit to Yapahuwa while you are at it.

Although Negombo is not a town littered with massive shopping malls and designer outlets, it does have its own unique selection of great shopping options for visitors. Although the selection is limited, the shops do offer some good merchandise targeted at foreign and local travellers. There are plenty of outlets from which visitors can pick up batik items, spices, teas, beautiful carvings and lovely souvenirs to take back home. If you go to the beach strip where most of the hotels are located, you will find plenty of little shops that offer souvenirs and local handicrafts at great prices. Some of the most popular merchandise includes silver jewelry, carved masks, leather items and gemstones. Most stores have set prices so your bargaining skills may have much use. However, if you wish to shop at the beaches, the sellers are open to negotiate the prices for carved masks, sarongs, ethnic clothing, jewelry and swimwear. If you have the time, you may visit Kochikade, located about 4 miles from Negombo, to pay a visit to the Sunday market to find a great selection of everyday items as well as to mix and mingle with the locals. Mahawewa, a neighboring town of Negombo is a town that is specialized in producing batik. This means you will be able to enjoy the lowest prices for batik in the country.