Travelling to Sri Lanka

Since Sri Lanka is an island, it is not possible to reach the country from other parts of the world by buses. However, the country has an extensive network of intercity buses.  Pettah Central Bus Depot in Colombo operates long distance bus services. In southern Pettah, two more bus stations are located, Bastion Mawatha Station and Saunders Place Station.

Buses destined to Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, Matara and the airport depart from Bastion Mawatha Station.  Negombo, Ratnapura, Badulla and Anuradhapura are linked with Colombo by buses from Saunders Place Station. The private bus station that has services to Jaffna, is located near the Pettah Central Bus Depot.

In Kandy, there is one bus station, the Goods Shed. Bus stops are also located near the clock tower. From the Goods Shed, buses are available to travel to Peradeniya, Ampitiya, Matale and Kegalle. Intercity express buses also connect Kandy with Negombo and Colombo.

From the Galle bus station that is located near the cricket ground, buses are available for Colombo. The journey takes about 3 hours. The bus station is located in the Central part of Galle. The bus station contains supermarkets and stores, from where one can purchase snacks.

The buses that operate in Sri Lanka have been built by Tata and Ashok Leyland. The first two seats of Sri Lanka Transport Board buses are reserved for Buddhist monks. The buses are air-conditioned and have place for luggage.

To travel to the suburbs near Colombo, one can take a bus from the Pettah Central Bus Depot. The Sri Lanka Transport Board and other Private Bus Companies are the major bus operators in the country. The frequency of buses to the coastal town is 30 minutes.

From Colombo, buses to Kandy run at an interval of 15 minutes. Buses destined for long distances like Ratnapura run every hour.

From Pettah Central Bus Depot in Colombo, the fare for Bandaranaike International Airport is $0.45. From Goods Shed bus station in Kandy, buses are available for Colombo every half-hour till 8.30 pm.

The fare of a bus by Sri Lanka Transport Board is $0.63. The fare of ordinary private buses ranges from $0.72 to $1.08. For luggage, one needs to pay an extra amount of $1.17.

The fare of air-conditioned intercity express buses is $1.26. The bus service in the country begins at 5.15 am. The fare from Kandy to Colombo by an air-conditioned intercity express bus is $1.26.

From Colombo to Kataragama, a bus trip by ordinary private bus costs $1.32 and by air-conditioned intercity express bus costs $2.53. To travel to villages outside main towns, the bus fare ranges from $0.03 to $0.22.

The fare from Kandy to Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lanka Transport Board bus is $0.57 and by air-conditioned intercity express bus is $1.26. From Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, fare of an air-conditioned intercity express bus is $1.13. A trip to Ratnapura from Kandy by ordinary private bus costs $0.60 and till Anuradhapura costs $0.67.