8 Answers from travellers
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Do not talk to the touts yelling outside. Walk into the Bastian Mawatha Private Bus Station. Walk all the way to the back. The Highway Express (EX01) buses have English signs in the windows. Ask the driver sitting inside the bus, not the guys outside. Better yet, take an Uber to Makumbura Multimodal Center outside the city to avoid Pettah entirely.
Classic scam. The public buses never all break down at once. Just ignore them.
Makumbura is the best advice ever. It is clean, air-conditioned, and has zero scammers.
Keep your bags physically touching you in Pettah, pickpockets operate there heavily during rush hours.
Scam Watch: colombo
Driver claims the meter is broken and quotes an inflated flat rate. Common on arrival at airport or railway stations when tourists are tired and disoriented.
Drivers wearing official-looking uniforms claim to be "government-approved" and charge 3-5x normal rates. They may have fake badges or ID cards.
Women with babies approach asking you to buy milk powder at a nearby shop (not cash). The shop is run by accomplices and charges 5-10x normal price.
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