Sri Lanka 2026
DAY 1
Welcome to Colombo
Namrata & Ranjit — welcome to Sri Lanka.
Land soft, rest at Granbell, then Galle Face at sunset and crab at the Dutch Hospital.
“You land in the morning · this view is the city you meet at sunset”
Today's Rhythm
Airport morning · then rest — evening is when the day begins.
🏠
02:00
Leave Thane
🛬
08:45
Land CMB
🛂
~09:00–10:30
After bags · before exit
🏨
~11:45
Hotel arrive
😴
12:15–17:00
Lunch + rest
🚶
17:00
Walk to Galle Face
🌅
17:20
Galle Face
🦀
19:15
MoC · Booked
⏱ Door-to-Door · Thu 30 Jul
Until hotel · Thane → land → Granbell
| Activity | Time | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Leave home · Thane | ~02:00 | Pre-booked cab · reach BOM T2 ~03:15–03:30 · Day 0 |
| Land CMB | 08:45 | Allow ~2 hrs · immigration, bags, SIM, forex — then ride |
| Leave CMB for Granbell | 10:45 | PickMe/Uber · more info |
| Arrive at Granbell | 11:45 | Bag drop · formal check-in from 14:00 |
| Lunch + rest | 12:15–17:00 | Café EN / rooftop light bite if open · sleep or optional rooftop pool · aim to head out around 17:00 |
Evening · Galle Face / MoC
| Activity | Time | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Leave Granbell for Galle Face | 17:00 | On foot along Marine Drive · tuk-tuk if rain |
| Galle Face Green | 17:20–18:50 | Sunset promenade · head toward Ministry of Crab around 18:55 |
| Ministry of Crab | 19:15 | Booked · gift shopping waits for Day 10 · conf in today's plan |
Cash plan → Arrival · Money & cards
Attire: Breathable day clothes for rest after the flight. Ministry of Crab — casual / smart casual (no beachwear or flip-flops); neat shirt + trousers or skirt.
🛬 Arrival Guide
🛂 Immigration
- Passport ready
- Sri Lanka ETA PDF on phone + offline copy
- Return ticket · hotel conf.
- Customs — declare if asked
- ETA approved — Namrata 260716VM16893867
- Ranjit 260716VM16893868
- Show PDF at immigration (+ offline copy) · see Day 0
💵 Money & cards
- Bring ~USD 300–400 from an RBI-authorised dealer in India · keep the receipt
- After customs, exchange only USD 75–100 at a CMB 24-hour bank counter
- Keep the rest as backup
How to pay Low/zero forex · always charge in LKR
Prefer LKR on the card machine — decline INR/USD conversion (DCC).
- Best: your bank’s zero/low-forex travel or international card (e.g. Scapia / Niyo-type) at hotels & malls
- Avoid: standard Indian credit/debit with ~3.5–4% forex markup
- Cash: street food, tips, tuk-tuks, markets · PickMe sometimes
- No low-FX card? Prefer exchanged USD/LKR cash over a 4% markup card
- ATM: bank ATMs · larger amounts, less often · backup if you run short
📶 Connectivity
SIM + PickMe/Uber before you leave arrivals — then book Granbell from inside.
📶 Connectivity · SIM & Ride Apps (before you leave CMB) Buy SIM → register PickMe/Uber → book Granbell
After bags, before the rideshare bay · ~10–15 min.
- 1 · Buy SIM — Official Dialog or Mobitel booth · passport · ~LKR 1,500 cash · keep it working for the whole trip: Less Taxi long legs (driver / plate WhatsApp) and Day 4 night → Day 5 whale / Pigeon operator confirms
- 2 · Data on — activate at booth · insert · turn on mobile data
- 3 · PickMe & Uber — verify with your new Sri Lankan number (OTP often fails on Indian numbers)
- 4 · Book Granbell — still inside arrivals · drop-off: Granbell Hotel Colombo
- 5 · Pickup — app bay only · match the plate before you board
- Dual-SIM: WhatsApp on Indian number · local SIM for data + ride OTPs
- Single-SIM: WhatsApp can stay on the old number · apps need the local one
🚘 Self-drive only — tap for steps Skip for PickMe / Uber · DMT near SPAR
Optional — not needed for PickMe/Uber on this trip. Apply at the airport if you wish.
- Where: DMT counter in CMB arrivals, near SPAR · 24/7 · ~10–30 min
- Bring: passport + full Indian licence (English) · LKR 15,000/mo cash (~₹4,200–4,400) · keep receipt
🏨 Hotel Information
📍 282/5 Kollupitiya Road, Marine Drive, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka
🕐 Check-in from 14:00 · bag drop earlier if room not ready
🛏 Standard Double Sea View · conf. 0180235021 · ₹7,966
☎ Reception +94 11 239 7397
🚗 From CMB · leave ~10:45 · ~45–60 min · Connectivity
📶 Wi-Fi complimentary
🍳 Breakfast (included) from Fri 31 Jul — not on arrival day
🏊 Rooftop infinity pool · 07:00–23:00
🛁 Bathtub yes · Standard Double Sea View
Scan
🧭 How today unfolds
- Default after lunch: rest / sleep until Galle Face ~17:20 — no afternoon sightseeing
- Tired later? Shrink Galle Face to 20 mins — or PickMe from Granbell ~18:50 straight to MoC
11:45–17:00Lunch + rest · Granbell
- ~11:45 Arrive · bag drop (room may wait until 14:00)
- ~12:15–14:00 Light lunch at Café EN (lobby) · ~₹430–1,150 · alt: rooftop light bites (Bar on the Top) · All Day Dining · café on Marine Drive
- ~14:00 Formal check-in
- ~14:30–16:45 Rest — shower · change · sleep if you want to · alarm ~16:45 · aim to head out around 17:00
- Optional · rooftop pool if you want a dip during the rest window (open until 23:00) — skip if you’d rather sleep before Galle Face
17:00Leave Granbell · on foot to the sea
~1.4 km · Marine Drive · 🚶 15–20 mins · tuk-tuk if rain
17:20–18:50
Galle Face Green
⭐ Recommended
- Time to spend
- ~90 mins · aim to leave around 18:55 for dinner
- Cost
- Free entry
- Best approach
- No fixed route — umbrella for showers; tuk-tuk or PickMe if it pours.
- What to expect
-
Galle Face promenade - Sea wind, food carts, after-work crowd — atmosphere over landmark
- Keep light for MoC · no safe swimming · valuables close
- Try isso wade, roasted kadala, or grilled corn · ~LKR 200–600 cash
Isso wade — crispy lentil patty with a prawn - Photo tip
- Golden hour ~18:15 · face the water with Fort towers behind you
Around 18:55, make your way · PickMe/tuk-tuk ~8–12 mins · Ministry of Crab 19:15
18:55Leave Galle Face for the Old Dutch Hospital
🚗 8–12 mins · ~2 km · PickMe / Uber · no hotel return · optional courtyard stroll on arrival (5–15 mins) before the 19:15 seating — look only — gift shopping waits for Day 10
Optional Gangaramaya exterior glance
Optional · Gangaramaya exterior on a short tuk detour to/from MoC (outside only · Beira / Slave Island · ~10–15 min extra) · skip if tight on time. Not on the default Marine Drive / Fort route.
Courtyard / street view from the tuk — no full temple visit before dinner.
Visit details · Gangaramaya (exterior)
Website: gangaramaya.com
Address: Sri Jinarathana Road, Colombo 02 (Beira Lake / Slave Island)
Map: Open Google Maps
Tonight: outside look only · full visit optional on Day 10 if gift clock allows.
Open map
19:15–21:15
Ministry of Crab
✔ Booked · 19:15
- Booked
-
Conf. JAD-0730-1915-7302 · Ms. Namrata Kadam · 2 diners · Thu 30 Jul19:15–21:15 · No. 04 Old Dutch Hospital · 15-min hold — call if delayedPhoto: Kanatonian / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Scan
- Dress
- Casual / smart casual — no beachwear or flip-flops. Neat shirt + trousers or skirt.
- Cost (for two)
- ~₹6,500–9,500 · shared crab + bread + soft drinks
- Card OK · always choose LKR
- Ask crab sizes when you order
PickMe back to Granbell · ~15–25 mins · ~4 km
~21:30Back at Granbell — sleep, or a short rooftop look
- Optional · ~21:30 · short sea/city-lights look (15–20 min)
- Optional · hotel pool until 23:00 if you want a dip · bar until 00:00 — no need to swim or order
- Most travellers sleep after MoC — and that’s fine
💵 Money today Today's Out-of-pocket Expenses~₹7,900–11,800 · Hotel already prepaid separately.
Today's Out-of-pocket Expenses · ~₹7,900–11,800
Hotel already prepaid separately. Breakfast on 6E1185 and Granbell Night 1 (₹7,966) sit outside this total.
| For what? | Amount | ≈ INR | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD exchanged at CMB for starter LKR | USD 75–100 | ~₹6,300–8,400 | Bank counter |
| Dialog or Mobitel tourist SIM | ~LKR 1,500 | ~₹430 | Cash |
| CMB → Granbell (PickMe / Uber) | LKR 3,500–5,000 | ₹520–700 | Card / App |
| Lunch at Granbell | LKR 1,500–4,000 | ₹430–1,150 | Cash / Card |
| Ministry of Crab dinner (for two) | ~LKR 23,000–33,000 | ~₹6,500–9,500 | Card |
| Granbell Night 1 | ₹7,966 | paid | Already paid |
- Payment tips — Arrival · Money & cards
- Exchange only at banks / authorised counters · keep receipts
💡 Useful Tips
- Go easy at lunch — save room for crab tonight
- Sleep is strategy — Kandy drive tomorrow · checkout 10:00
- Gift shopping waits for Day 10 — nothing to chase this afternoon
Don’t rush today. Recover first — the island introduces itself properly at sunset.