Western Sri Lanka is a province in Sri Lanka. Being the province where the capital and the main international airport are, nearly all travellers to Sri Lanka will start their holiday here. Before heading further afield, it is well worth visiting the many attractions this province has to offer.
Bandaranaike International Airport is in Negombo, 33km north of Colombo. Almost every traveller entering Sri Lanka will enter here. It is not a world-class airport, but it does the job well enough.
Read in the guideYou may be able to tease some information from the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority website which has some bus timetable information in Sinhala only.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Colombo · International · RML
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Beruwela is a beach resort in Western Sri Lanka.
Colombo (Sinhala: කොළඹ, Tamil: கொழும்பு) is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka, and still perceived by many as the capital though the suburb of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is now the official capital. Just like any other big South Asian city, Colombo is congested, noisy, busy, and vibrant with a mixture of modern life and colonial architecture.
Negombo is a quiet town in the western coastal area of Sri Lanka, with a tourist strip to the north on Jetwing Beach. Its key attraction is its proximity to the international airport.
Kalutara is in Western Province (Sri Lanka). The area is well known for producing mangosteens, a fruit introduced from Malaysia in the 19th century.
legally the national capital, but not of great touristic importance. It is well served by restaurants and shops
beachside southern suburb of Colombo
Articles and travel topics about Western Province (Sri Lanka) and Sri Lanka.
The full 2026 list of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries for Sri Lankan passport holders, with digital arrival cards and border rules.
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The best places to visit in January for winter sun, deep powder snow and wildlife, comparing Niseko, Sri Lanka, Tromsø and New Zealand.
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Plan your trip on the Kandy to Ella train in Sri Lanka. Timetables, seat booking tips, carriage classes, and ticket prices for the scenic highland ride.
9 min read
Plan your trip with the best places to visit in Sri Lanka, from Sigiriya Lion Rock and Kandy temples to Ella tea hills, Yala leopards, and Galle Fort.
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