The best place to stay in Negombo is near to the Bandaranaike International Airport. A place for an unwind after your arrival and before your departure.
When you arrive to Sri Lanka, especially during the night or in the early morning, you probably are tired after your long flight and dreaming about a place where you can rest and refresh yourself.
That’s how it was with us. After a long 13-hour flight from Amsterdam (plus a two hour flight to Amsterdam) we were extremely exhausted. It was midnight at local time. The airport’s formalities ran smoothly. It took us about one hour to exchange money and buy local phone cards. We were leaving the airport tired but excited at the same time. We were supposed to be the first guests in Negombo, in a brand new house prepared for our arrival. A dream home for our wonderful host who had shown us around Sri Lanka during last year’s trip. Back then, just walls and a roof, today a palace.
Just outside the arrival hall, a Buddhika awaited us. Tired and emaciated. It was evident that this past year had cost him a lot of effort, especially because he did a lot of work with his own bare hands. A quick and tear-filled greeting, and in a few minutes we found ourselves in front of a beautiful-lit villa. We had great joy, admiration and great respect for the effect and hard work undertaken by our host.
The rest of the family also gave us a very emotional welcome with and our host showed us around their new home. Finally, a cup of real Ceylon tea and time to sleep, because dawn (local time) was imminent. A short but very comfortable sleep. Each of the three couples had an air-conditioned room with a beautiful bathroom.
We were woken up to birdsong. Such an unfamiliar sound to our Northern European ears on a January morning. Soon it turned out that a special ceremony awaited us. As the first guests in this new Home, we would have the honour of taking part in the grand opening ceremony.
When the whole family gathered, the ladies prepared a special hearth in front of the house. They cooked coconut milk in a special Clay pot until the milk boiled over. This is the first ritual performed in the newly opened house. Boiled milk is sprinkled around the home to ensure happiness and prosperity.
Then, starting with the host, down through the most important members of the family and ending with the guests, everyone lit the wick of a traditional oil lamp. At the top of the lamp was an image of a rooster symbolizing new life.
The brass oil lamp is an important element of the Sri Lankan culture and it has been an integral part of all religious and cultural ceremonies or festivals since time began. Such a lamp is deeply connected with human life, it is ignited during the most important events and accompanies every Sri Lankan from the cradle to the grave.
A table full of local sweet accompanied the ceremony.
It was all such a wonderful and fascinating experience. We were honoured to be able to take part in such an important family ceremony.
At the end of the day we, the guests, prepared a typical Polish dinner. At one table, together with our Sri Lankan friends, we ate warm oscypek (a special smoked sheep’s cheese) with cranberries, red borscht and dumplings. As a dessert we made homemade fruit cake and a poppy-seed cake. The evening ended with sing song accompanied by the guitar. We would never know if they were just being kind, but they complimented us wildly on the taste and texture.
We spent the next day visiting Negombo and we had cooking classes with real Sri Lankan housewives. It was a wonderful experience where we had lots of and got to grips with real sweet and spicy flavours.
The day before heading north of Sri Lanka, we wandered around Colombo, ate dinner enjoyed the amazing sunset and retired to bed to rest up for our impending journey.
After remembering the wonderful time we had spent in our friend’s comfortable home, we returned back there on the day of departure, to repack, refresh and say goodbye to such a friendly family.
If you are looking for such a place in Srilanka, the perfect place in Negombo, we highly recommend it. Please contact with our host by e-mail: buddhikagomis@gmail.com or mobile: +94777194751
