Advice on where to live

Dear Lynne

I would suggest that you should consider Negombo. I came on holiday here 15 years ago and loved it so much that I bought a little village house as a holiday home. I came to live here two years ago. I work in my retirement in a local English language school, where they make me feel very welcome and valued.

Negombo is a busy coastal tourist resort and an important fishing port. It is big enough for you to be able to find all that you need. There are three very good supermarkets Arpico, Cargills and Keels. But it's not so big and overpowering as Colombo. And it's not so expensive either. English is very widely spoken, even in the little local shops. Its  very convenient for the airport (20 minutes), and with the new highway it's only just over an hour  by A/C bus to Colombo. The Sri Lankan people are very kind and welcoming.

I live in a little village just outside Negombo, called Dalupotha. It's a charming area, very calm and quiet, and we have two very good local shops selling just about all you could need,  just at the end of the road. In my village you can rent a simple two bedroom,  little village house between Rs12,000  - 15,000 per month. You really don't need A/C. Ceiling fans or floor fans are quite enough. In the past three months we have hardly even needed to use the fans. Something to do with climate change everybody says. I have been finding it cool enough at night to sleep without the fan.

Since  I was lucky enough to buy my house the government has made it very difficult for foreigners to buy property freehold, but you can buy leasehold. Or if your husband has retained his Sri Lankan passport there will be no problem to buy. I understand that there is a process for ex Sri Lankan passport holders to reclaim their passports. Look online at the government website. You can Google it.

You don't need to have a car. The local and the long distance  buses are very adequate. Last weekend I took a bus to see some friends in Kandy. The trip was easy and straightforward, with a bus direct from Negombo to Kandy. For local trips to the town and the supermarkets you can use a tuktuk (three-wheeler) hire. There are always tuktuks for hire. They are very cheap. The average trip into town is Rs250 - 300 . You can collect the phone numbers of your favourite local tuktuk drivers and they will come when you call them.

There are many towns more beautiful than Negombo. But Negombo has a raffish charm. The tourist area beachside offers all the usual tourist attractions, with some fine hotels and restaurants. But Negombo town is much bigger than the tourist area. It's a bustling large town with all the facilities of a large town. There are also some nice restaurants which are away from the tourist areas, patronised by locals and very much cheaper than the restaurants catering to tourists. There is one called Rolanka which does excellent rice and curry for Rs200. I eat there regularly when I'm not eating at home.

I am writing this to you using the  4G wifi connection provided by the telecom company Dialog. You just need to buy a dongle from their big showroom and offices in Negombo town. They will even come and fix it for you for free. There are other wifi providers, including Mobitel and Lanka Telecom.
Dialog also provides television with a very choice of channels in Sinhala, English and Tamil.

I would thoroughly recommend Negombo and the surrounding little villages. I would suggest that you come and have a look.

Best regards


Christopher

Hello Christopher,

I am ever so grateful for your wonderful advice. The area you described sounds exactly like what we are looking for. We are in the initial stages of researching our move, so this gives us a strong start.

Yes, I have checked the website and it seems that getting residency may not be an issue. We are okay with renting for awhile so that is no problem.

We are also pleased to read what you say about getting around without a car, as well as the bus having a/c (some SE Asian countries do not  have a/c on buses) A/C in the house is not an issue for me. My husband prefers it, however if there is a breeze, he is ok, or he also is ok with a fan.

It is also good to hear about the English language being spoken widely. My husband speaks fluent Tamil, Sinhala, and English.

Your work sounds like a possible option. Were you previously teaching prior to moving. I was not planning on working, however that is the best way to get involved in the community. I have heard many stories of westerners teaching English in different countries.

I will start researching the areas you have mentioned. Do you know of any websites that you can recommend to look for house rentals?

Thanks again,
Lynne

Dear Lynne

There are websites for rental property, but they cater for the more expensive properties on the beachside. You can find them on Google. Just enter properties for rent in Negombo. 

For the cheaper properties in the little surrounding villages you need to come here and make enquiries in local shops. They will put the word around that you are looking for somewhere to rent in the area. Also the tuktuk drivers will put the word round for you. In every area there are tuktuk stands where the drivers wait for hire. You can go and talk to them and tell them that you are looking for a house to rent. Don't tell them that you are expats from USA. Tell them that you are moving into the area from another distant town in Sri Lanka. If they know that you are expats from the USA the price will go up and the drivers will expect commission to find you a house to rent.

Regards


Christopher

Hello,
What you want might be in several places, but Panadura might suit you well.  My relatives' house has high-speed internet that we use to Skype with them often, with images.  AC isn't common in Sri Lanka, but their house has an air conditioned bedroom.  The Cargills grocery store is across the street and Keeles is down the street a little, and everything else is close by, a doctor's office, a baker, a bank, etc.  The beach is less than 10 minutes on foot.  The house is for sale, furnished or unfurnished (panadura2014.webs.com/).

Sincerely,
Dilkushi

Dear Lynne

How's it going with your projected move to Sri Lanka?

Are you going to visit Sri Lanka before you make the move?

Regards


Christopher

Hello Christopher,

Yes we are thinking about visiting mid to late 2015 after staying with family in India for awhile.

We are not positive yet, so we will need to visit first. My husband has contacted an old friend in Colombo so we can meet up when we arrive.

The area you live in seems ideal.

Regards,
Lynne

Dear Lynne

I would be very pleased to meet up with you and show you round the area. You can call me on *** or ***

My email is ***

Kind regards

Christopher

Hi Christopher,

Nice to see you helping people. I just posted a topic in Sri Lanka expat-blog. As I wrote you in PMs sometimes ago, plan to move back in May-June 2015. Hope to meet you for a drink.

Upali (ca2ca)

Hi

I would be delighted to meet for a drink, or even rice and curry !

Where are you planning to live ?

Regards



Christopher

Hi Christopher,
Thanks so much for your help and information.
We will keep your info so we can meet up with you when we come over there.
Best,
Lynne

Live in Colombo go arround Sri lanka

(Moderated: no free ad on the forum pls + register in the business directory)

Hello again,

My first choice is Kandana / Wattala area. Then comes Kandy. Got any tips / infos about custom duties ?

Ca2ca

Hi Lynn,
if you have not found a place yet, you may contact me via e mail nmimbulgoda{at} gmail.com
I  am a Sri Lankan have lived overseas for over 28 years. I  will send some information about the available property etc if you are still looking for a place to live in Sri Lanka

Hi Christopher,

We heard about the flooding there so I thought I would write to check if you are affected and make sure you are safe and sound.

Hope all is well.