India & Sri Lanka (Post Covid Overseas Visit No 12 - My 24 days in Southern India & Sri Lanka Nov 14 > Dec 7 2024) Day 6 - Nov 19 2024 (Day 5 - Colombo & Day 1 - Kochi)

Bye Bye ! Sri Lanka !

KM & KF - Welcome Back
to Kochi, Kerala, India

 

Day 6 Tuesday Nov 19 2024 (Day 5 - Colombo, Sri Lanka & Kochi, Kerala) - a heart warming day for me & KF after an unusual 5 days 4 nights we spent in Colombo & Galle, Sri Lanka. My Indian visa saga (a shocking story by a seasoned traveller) was finally over & we will move on to resume our visit in Southern India (Kochi, Puducherry, Mahabalipuram, Chennai, Puri & Bhubaneswar) starting from Kochi tomorrow !  

1) Hotel check out & a bus ride from our hotel to a bus stop opposite the Fort Railway station nearby the Colombo Airport Bus Stand; took a airport shuttle bus ride (500LKR = Rs150 = Rm8.10) from Colombo Airport Bus Stand > Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport via a new express highway (32km, 30 minutes)  

2) Arriving at a bus stop near Olcott Mawatha / WE Bastian Road Junction, Colombo, Sri Lanka - a busy road junction near Fort Railway Station & Airport Bus Stand. 

Fort Railway Station >
Airport Bus Stand (700m)
Colombo, Sri Lanka

3) Boarding an airport shuttle bus (500LKR  = Rs160 = Rm8.60) from Colombo Airport Bus Stand > Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport, bus journey via expressway took 30 minutes. 

Lotus Tower, Colombo
Sri Lanka

4) Arriving at the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport

5) Luggage check-in, boarding pass, immigration clearance etc for our flight (departing 13.50) from Colombo to Kochi (arriving 17.35) via Chennai 

6) Currency Exchange at Colombo Bandaranaike Airport - minimum 500LKR for exchange to US$, British Pound, Euro$ & Indian Rupees, a levy of 1% commission for each transaction, so don't bother if you have less than 500LKR in your wallet, keep the notes as souvenir or walk into a Burger King & buy a snack or drink & use up all your Sri Lankan notes !

7) Used up our remnant of 300LKR (approx US$4) to buy a takeaway pack of Burger King nuggets at the airport !

8) Window shopping & walking pass duty free shops / outlets at the airport.  

9) Resting at the waiting lounge in Gate 6 prior to boarding 

10) On board the Indigo flight - time to fly & looking forward to land in  Kochi soon ! 

11) Arriving in Chennai International Airport, luggage collection & a short walk to Chennai Domestic Airport to board a connecting Indigo flight to Kochi, Kerala. 

12) Arriving in Kochi International Airport, luggage collection & exiting the airport.

13) Private vehicle airport pick-up (Rs1700 = Rm91 = US$21) arranged by Bastian Homestay after exiting the Kochi International Airport. Sleep well tonight, KM & KF as we shall pick up all the pieces from now on starting in Kochi & strive to complete our Southern India trip & look forward for a happy ending when we finish up in Bhubaneswar - 19 exciting days awaiting us from now on !