Colombo to Adelaide Flights

  About Colombo

Colombo is the largest city and the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. It is one of the holiday destinations that you must add to your travel list. It is also known for its eclectic dining scene and its nightlife. It is also a great place to shop for clothes, wedding invitations and indulge in spa treatments. Sri Lanka is also known for its wildlife and elephant sanctuaries. It is the perfect place to go to if you want to club your luxurious, relaxing holiday plans with adventures. You can either volunteer to help out at an Elephant Sanctuary or sign up for a walking tour. Do try the ayurvedic spas in the city to relieve yourself of all the stress. You can book a hotel in Colombo at an affordable price. While it is not exactly the cheapest holiday destination in Asia, it is worth every money spent. The city is also known for its temples and no matter which religion you follow, you will find a temple of your choice of deity/religion here.

Best Time to Visit Colombo

January to March is ideal for taking off to Colombo on a trip since they are the driest months of the year. The best season to visit, however, is winter from November to March. Winters are quite chilly, and it is the best time to go sightseeing, too. The rainfall does not affect any of your sightseeing plans or any other outdoor activities. It is also an ideal time to head to the beaches and indulges in a few water activities. Colombo also has a very vibrant nightlife that is best experienced in winter when there is barely any rainfall. You can book a hotel in Colombo that is either close to the beach or the nightclubs, depending on how you intend to spend your holiday. The temperature ranges from 25 to 30 degree Celsius. January to March is the high tourist season in Colombo, and a lot of attractions will be filled with tourists. Colombo is also filled with festive spirit during these months as they celebrate festivals like Thai Pongal, Independence Day of Sri Lanka, New Year and Duruthu Perahera Festival. Make sure you book your flight tickets to Colombo well in advance if you are on a budget. If you are planning to go to Colombo on your honeymoon, this is the best time to go.

Colombo experiences summer from May to October, and it is considered as an off-season for tourists. Not only is it unbearably hot in the city, but it is also quite humid, so much that you won't feel like stepping out of your hotel at all. The temperature ranges from 28 to 32 degrees and will only make you uncomfortable. However, since it is offseason, you will get great flight deals to Colombo online. It also rains during this season and might lead to a hailstorm sometimes. If you are not an outdoorsy person and prefer indoor activities, this might be the best time for you to head to Colombo. You will also get really good hotels at a reasonable price during this time since it is offseason and the demand is low. You can sip cocktails by the pool in your hotel or indulge in relaxing spa treatments. You can also explore the Pettah market during this time without being hassled by the tourist crowd. It starts raining from May to August, and it rains intermittently in September and October. The temperature ranges around 28 degree Celsius during this time.

Places to Visit in Colombo

Galle Face Green is a popular beach park in Colombo that you can visit. You can also indulge in a lot of water activities at the beach. Pettah Market is another popular destination where you can go on a shopping spree and walk away with high-end luxury items at the lowest prices. Fort-Colombo is an important tourist attraction in the capital of Sri Lanka. It is the political and cultural heritage of the country and is also known for its vibrant nightlife. A major part is shut because of the turbulence caused by the Civil War. You will also find a lot of casinos here. The National Museum of Colombo is the largest one in Sri Lanka. It was founded by the British Governor of Ceylon from 1872 to 1877, William Henry Gregory. You will find artwork that dates back to the British Colonial and Portuguese era, along with a lot of artefacts. The Gangaramaya temple is famous for its blend of culture and architectural styles from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Chinese and India. It was built in the 19th century and is a place of Buddhist worship and learning. Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara is another Buddhist temple that was built in the 5th century, which holds a lot of historical importance. The temple sees a lot of tourists and devotees during the Duruthu Maha Perehera every January and on full moon days of every month. The paintings and sculptures in the temple will tell you tales from Lord Buddha's life and the Jataka Tales.

Beira Lake is another popular landmark in the city where you can head to if you want to relax and soak in the beautiful views. It is also a highly recommended place for couples to head to in Colombo. Colombo Zoo also called the National Zoological Garden of Sri Lanka, houses over 300 different species of animals, birds, marine life and reptiles from all over the world. Casino Marina started in 2013 and is usually filled with elite tourists in the evenings. You can gamble away till wee hours of the night or enjoy the view of the sea from here. World Trade Centre is one of the most famous colonial buildings that you will find in the Old Fort area. St Lucia's Cathedral got its name after the saint martyr, St Lucia, who is believed to have protected everyone with eye problems in Colombo. It was built in 1760, and the Gothic style architecture draws tourists to it every year. Panadura and Crow Island Beaches are quite popular in the city and the best spots to indulge in recreational activities. You will find a lot of beach parks and temples in the city that are worth a visit.

Things to do in Colombo

Sign up for a city tour of Colombo and indulge in all the activities that come with your tour package. You can also get a customised tour of places that are of interest to you and activities that you have listed in your itinerary. Sri Lanka is known for its seafood and treating yourself to fresh seafood at Mt Lavinia Beach is highly recommended. While you can always rent a taxi for the entire day to get around the city, you can also enjoy a tuk-tuk ride, which is a popular way for locals to get around the city. Pettah Market, Good Market, Paradise Road are some of the popular places in the city for you to go on a shopping spree. You can also indulge in rejuvenating massage therapies at the spas in Colombo. The city also offers scuba diving at certain locations. If you want to give water sports a try, make sure you try this one. Most beaches also have boating, surfing and other water activities for you to try.

Food and Restaurants in Colombo

Seafood, especially prawns, is popular in Colombo since it is a coastal city. Curry Leaf and Seafood's Cove are some of the popular restaurants for you to binge on seafood or other types of meat. The city also has a lot of Indian restaurants; a lot of them have a vegetarian menu, too. Spice Coast is known for its biryani, Chana's for delicious North Indian cuisine and Shanmugas for its vegetarian menu. While you are trying seafood in the city, make sure you also try the chilli crabs. Paradise Road Gallery Cafe is a lovely cafe that is set in a walled garden and also has rotating exhibitions by local artists. It is considered as one of the most romantic restaurants in Colombo and is popular for its cakes. Rare is a chic and modern restaurant in Colombo with wonderful service. The restaurant uses organic produce to cook their unique, delicious cuisines and also boast of a wine cellar with over 150 labels. The lagoon is one of the best seafood restaurants in Colombo, and the fish curries, lobster Thermidor and raw sashimi are their speciality dishes.

How to reach Colombo (Transportation)

Bandaranaike International Airport, also called Colombo International Airport, is about 32 km north of Colombo. The flight connectivity to Colombo from India is excellent. While there are only a few direct flights to Colombo from India, most of the flights have layovers in Chennai or Bangalore. GoAir, Indigo and Spicejet have the maximum number of flights from India. However, Vistara and Srilankan Airlines have direct flights that help you reach the city in 2-3 hours instead of 6 hours. It is also quite easy to get cheap flight tickets to Colombo from India.

  About Adelaide

Even though it is not as popular as Sydney or Melbourne, Adelaide is a tourist destination in Australia that you must visit for a ton of reasons. Located in the southern part of Australia, this is where the country's best shiraz is made. Kangaroo Island here is a very popular tourist attraction. This is the perfect place for all nature, food and adventure lovers to visit. If you sign up for a food tour, you might even get to take back some sample cheese or baked goods. Adelaide also has museums for all you art and history lovers. A visit to Adelaide is also a very popular sightseeing option that tourists add to their itinerary. It has over 2500 animals of 250 different species. You can also head to Cleland Wildlife Park and Monarto Zoo. If there is one thing that Australia is popular for, it is the beaches. Adelaide also has quite a few beaches that will spruce up your vacation entirely. Adelaide is also called 'The Festival City'. No matter when you visit the city, you will find yourself attending one or another. The city is also known for its diverse cuisines and a vibrant nightlife.

Best Time to Visit Adelaide

Adelaide sees a high tourist season from March to May. The temperature ranges from 10 to 26 degree Celsius, and the weather is just perfect for hitting the beach. A lot of major events are also hosted during the fall season. This is the best time for you to sip a glass of wine and enjoy the festivals. Summer is also when a lot of cricket and rugby matches are organised, especially in March. Players gear up to give it their best and locals gear up to support their favourite teams in March when these matches are hosted. The hotel prices and cost of flight tickets to Adelaide drop by the end of the fall season. If you are planning to visit the city towards the end of fall, you might come across exciting flight deals to Adelaide online. You can attend events like Adelaide Fringe, Clipsal 500 Adelaide, WOMADelaide, Adelaide Festival, Barossa Vintage Festival and Tasting Australia.

December to February is the summer season in Adelaide, and the temperature ranges from 15 to 29 degree Celsius. While summer is a high tourist season for most cities in Australia, it is not the same for Adelaide. The tourist crowd is comparatively less in summer. However, this is the best time to explore all the outdoor tourist attractions like Kangaroo Island and Waterfall Gully. The end of summer also has wineries harvesting wine grapes. You can attend events like Santos Tour Down Under and Adelaide Fringe that goes on till March.

Adelaide experiences winter from June to August. The temperature ranges from 7 to 16 degree Celsius. The days are warmer compared to the evenings. It is best if you pack a pair of light jackets, too. Make sure you pack an umbrella also since the city is prone to rainstorms in this season. The occasional rainfall might put a damper on sightseeing or plans to pursue any outdoor activities. The city doesn't see a lot of tourists during winter, which is why it will be easier for you to get cheap flight tickets to Adelaide in winter. You can book a hotel in Adelaide at the lowest price, too. You can attend events like Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival, Adelaide Guitar Festival and the South Australian Living Artists Festival. The spring season hits Adelaide from September to November. The temperature ranges from 10 to 25 degree Celsius. Spring is the perfect time for you to go sightseeing. Make sure you head to the Adelaide Botanic Garden if you are visiting the city in spring. You will get to see roses and water lilies bloom. Apart from the festival days, you will get cheap flight tickets to Adelaide and low hotel prices, too. Head over to attend the Royal Adelaide Show, OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Fashion Festival and Feast Festival.

Places to Visit in Adelaide

Adelaide Botanic Garden is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, especially during the spring season. You will also come across a lot of other historic buildings here. Give yourself an adrenaline boost and head to Mount Lofty. The view from the top of this mountain is breathtaking, and no pictures will do justice to how overwhelmingly beautiful the city looks from here. If you are an art lover and a history buff, make sure you visit the South Australian Museum. This is a perfect place for everyone interested in palaeontology, too. Victoria Square is dedicated to Queen Victoria and even has a statue of her at the centre of the square. You can head over to Victoria Square to relax after a long day of sightseeing and adventures. The National Wine Centre of Australia has a permanent exhibition on how wine is made, and you will even get to know all about the different kinds of wine and the grapes used to make it. If you want to indulge in a little gambling, you can try your luck at Adelaide Casino. The Adelaide Zoo has over 1800 animals, and you can also visit the zoo at night. Cleland Wildlife Park is another place you can go to if you want to bond with the animals. The animals here are not caged, and you can even feed the kangaroos here. Waterfall Gully is one of the most beautiful places in the city that you must visit. You can trek near the walls or follow the walking tracks. Waterfall Gully will not disappoint you one bit. If you want to go on a shopping spree, head over to Adelaide Central Market.

Things to do in Adelaide

Adelaide is known for its diverse food culture, and nothing will make your day better than signing up for a food tour of the city. You can also visit the Adelaide Central Market and head over to the stalls there to get a sneak peek into the city's food culture. If you are into arts and history, you can visit the museums in the city. Adelaide also offers a lot of trekking, hiking and biking opportunities close to nature at places like Waterfall Gully, Kangaroo Island and so on. You can also attend various festivals here to get to know more about the city's culture. Head over to Barossa Valley to know more about how grapes are harvested and what goes into making the finest wines in the city. While you can go exploring on your own, it is recommended that you opt for a guided tour of the vineyards. Adelaide is also known for its vibrant nightlife, and you cannot leave without partying here. You can either go with your friends, or you can make friends at the clubs.

Foods and Restaurants in Adelaide

Adelaide has a very eclectic dining scene. You will find a lot of cafes and pubs in the city. There are a lot of eateries serving Indian, Thai, Italian, Asian and European food, too. Andre's Cucina and Georges on Waymouth are popular restaurants for Italian and European cuisines. You will get the best Asian and Chinese foods at Chinatown Adelaide, Star of Siam and Concubine. You can also try traditional Australian dishes at Restaurant Orana, Press*Food & Wine and Peel St. Make sure you try the pie floaters and AB (french fries topped with garlic sauces, gyro meat, barbecue and tomato) with a pint of beer. You can also enjoy the local seafood like king prawns, King George whiting and oysters at the restaurants in the city. For dessert, you can head over to Haigh's Chocolates or pick up some FruChocs from a grocery store. Adelaide is also known for its wineries and a wide selection of wines. You can go on a wine tasting tour or add to your food tasting tour. You can also try some Vietnamese cuisine at Mai Kitchen.

How to reach Adelaide

Adelaide International Airport is the fifth-busiest airport in Australia. The flight connectivity to Adelaide from India is excellent. Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways have frequent flights to Adelaide from India with layovers at Singapore, Sydney, Brisbane and Hong Kong. If you book at the right time, you might come across excellent flight deals to Adelaide online. If you are heading to the city during the offseason, you might even get cheap flight tickets to Adelaide. It is pretty convenient to get a cab or a car rental service from the airport to your hotel. The airport is also equipped with premium lounges, restaurants, cafes, shopping areas, smoking area, children's play area and a lot more. You can also book a hotel in Adelaide closer to the airport for the last few days of your holiday. It will be less stressful for you to reach the airport on time to board your flight. You will also be able to cut through all the traffic to reach the airport without any hassle.

  About Colombo Airport

Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport, popularly known as Bandaranaike International Airport is the international hub that serves Sri Lanka. The airport is situated at Negombo and has been named after SWRD Bandaranaike, the former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

About Airport Terminals

Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport stretches about 32.5 km at Katunayake. The airport accommodates three passenger terminals with Terminal 1 being reserved for international airlines and flight activity. Terminal 2 also caters to international activities while Terminal 3 is set for domestic airline functions. Terminal 1 is the oldest and largest terminal in the Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport with 12 gates. It opened back in 1967. Departure and arrival are also located in the same terminal and separated horizontally. Currently, all the international operations take place from this terminal. The terminal is connected to one concourse which has all the 12 gates. The terminal also has two lounges with Srilankan Airlines' famous Serendib Lounge being installed. Along with this, the Palm Spirit lounge is also located in proximity. Terminal 1 also has a dedicated cafeteria, day-rooms, showers, duty-free shops and a smoking lounge.

Terminal 2 has been constructed and opened much recently. It has eight gates and accommodates departure and arrival areas which are separated vertically. As per expansion plans, the airport plans to build an extension to Terminal 2 which will be built in stages and phases. The new terminal is set to have eight boarding gates along with 14 passenger boarding bridges. The proposed development plan also has bridge accommodations for Airbus A380. Terminal 3 came into existence in 2012 and has since been used for domestic operations. The departure and arrival zones are strategically separated in a horizontal manner. There is a dedicated Cargo Terminal that takes care of all cargo airline activities. The arrival and departure are separated in the same way as terminal 1, horizontally.

About Airport Authority

Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport is owned by the Government of Sri Lanka while it is operated by Airport and Aviation Services Limited (AASL). AASL is a government body that has statutory powers to administer, manage and work on the development of the airport. The statutory body is also known to be a big contributor to Sri Lanka's economy as the civil aviation industry has witnessed tremendous financial revenues from the airport. Other airports that also fall under the AASL umbrella are Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, Ratmalana Airport, Batticaloa Airport and Jaffna International Airport.

The airport has been going through some tremendous expansion plans and developments with a view to accommodating more airlines and flights. A split-level passenger terminal building is being constructed which would be separating both the departures as well as the arrivals vertically. Further on the same, there are constructions for a passenger boarding bridges that would directly connect to the new Airbus A380. Adding to the infrastructure would be a remote apron along with nine parking bays to facilitate air traffic movement. Stage II of the expansion seeks to acquiesce 600 hectares of land for construction of a new runway that can accommodate newer airplanes as well as aircraft maintenance and repair centre.

Top airlines flying from Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport

Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport accommodates various airlines as it is recognized to be one of the best tourist destinations. With its proximity to India, the airport sees a good amount of flights flying to Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport from the Indian cities. Some of the biggest Indian airlines operate from Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport are Air India, GoAir, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara. These airlines have dedicated direct flights to Sri Lanka. Indian cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, to name a few, have provisions of direct flight connections to Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport.

Similarly, various international airlines are also linked to Sri Lanka. In fact, some of the international airlines that operate from Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport are Air Arabia, AirAsia, Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern Airlines, Cinnamon Air, Edelweiss Air, Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Gulf Air, Korean Air, Kuwait Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Salam Air, Saudia, Silkair, Singapore Airlines, Srilankan Airlines, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and SCAT Airlines. A majority of the flight activities come from the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries. A handful of cargo carriers also fly in and out of the airport. These include Cathay Pacific Cargo, Turkish Airlines Cargo, SriLankan Cargo and Etihad Cargo.

Facilities at Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport

ATM, banks and currency exchange - The airport has a bunch of local banks and ATM services available. If you need to make the currency exchange for travelling within Sri Lanka or if you need some cash in hand for your destination outside the country, it can be arranged at the airport's premise.

Communication services - If you are in need of a local SIM service for your trip, you can get hold of the same at the airport itself. There are booths at the arrivals where they have telecommunication services. With necessary identification documents, you can get hold of the SIM.

Free WiFI - There are free WiFi services available at the airport. You will need to go to the website of Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport to avail the same. Or you can visit the information desk to learn more about how to work around it.

Medical services - To ensure that medical emergencies at the airport are resolved quickly, the airport has also installed designated medical rooms and services. You can find them as well as pharmacies also at the airport. In case you are unable to find them, you can visit the nearest information desk and get more details. The airport paramedic services are known to be of good quality.

Baggage - With respect to baggage services, the airport offers a slew of facilities that would be beneficial. You can get hold of services ranging from wrapping plastic on the luggage, trolleys, storage facilities for the luggage, delivering luggage to the specified destination and more.

Pet assistance - There is room for pet services at the airport too. In case you are travelling with pets, there are professional staff who can take care of your pets as well as their needs. They would require authorized papers and documents from the Department of Animal Production and Health.

Porter service - You can avail porter services at the airport. Basically, you will have to inform your airlines well in advance to book a porter service. The airport staff will escort you through the terminals and take care of your luggage. This would include a security check of the bags, wrapping services, etc.

Airport lounge - There are three lounges at the airport, namely, Lotus, Araliya and Executive. The lounges have been designed in a way to enhance tranquillity and excellent hospitality. You can relax in the lounge, and at the same time, you can avail their services too. These include rich culinary delights, good resting space and complimentary showers and spa.

Restaurants and cafe - Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport has many restaurants and cafes available. The departures and arrivals have good food establishments located perfectly to cater to passengers. Along with restaurants, the airport also as dedicated food courts that is in proximity to the lounge area.

Smoking zone - Smoking in public space is prohibited in Sri Lanka. Hence, the airport has also reserved a space for a smoking lounge. You can make purchases for cigarette boxes at nearby shops within the airport premise.

Transit Hotel - The airport's transit hotel is named Serendiva and offers world-class contemporary decor, aesthetic construction, modern amenities and top-notch hospitality. The interiors are known to bring about the rich culture of Sri Lanka. It is situated on the main pier of the Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport's arrival/departure zone. The hotel is also surrounded by duty-free shops, lounges, immigration counters, cafes and more.

How to reach Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport

The airport offers exemplary transport services and is well-connected to the main city. Although you would be required to travel a little depending on your itinerary and which part of the country you'll be visiting. But you will be able to reach the Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport from different parts of the country. There are public buses, transport services and taxicabs available.

Buses