Where’s the toilet?

Call it washroom, loo, W.C., lavatory or toilet. Sooner or later you will find you need one and quickly. It happens to everyone so if you’re out and about in Sri Lanka, what to do?

There are some public toilets in Colombo but better not to venture there. There are other opportunities for tourists in Colombo and country towns.

The obvious answer is to find a smart restaurant or hotel. But if you feel intimidated at using the facilities of a place where you’re neither eating nor staying, then you need to pretend to go shopping.

In Colombo, the shopping malls of Crescat, Liberty Plaza and Majestic City have toilets, sometimes with a caretaker soliciting a fee. Branches of Keells or Cargills supermarkets in Colombo and country towns have free toilets and you might even see something to purchase while you’re there, but it’s not necessary.

The Dutch Hospital shopping and restaurant complex in Colombo has a toilet for customers (who’s to know if you’re not?). In the Dutch Hospital complex in Galle Fort, there is a well-maintained toilet with a caretaker and admission tickets on the ground floor, and another toilet (no charge) on the first floor where the restaurants are.

Toilets at railway stations, end even those on trains, should only be used in the direst moment. In the countryside away from civilisation, there’s always the jungle.

Sri Lanka Holiday Guru Tip:

It’s a good idea to carry a few paper tissues with you when you go out, just in case.

Last Modified: November 1, 2024