Colombo City Jumbo Backpackers Hostel

The beds and pillows were comfortable, and breakfast was included, two pieces of toast with egg. Without AC, the room gets kind of hot. It was around $8 a night for a dorm bed. The hostel is cheap and well placed near the bus stop for buses coming from arugam bay. The woman working there is lovely, though I had some trouble understanding her English. We could check in at 3h30 am because we were arriving on the night bus.

The accommodation isn't very modern, but the caring, helpful staff made us feel at home. There's a kitchen where we could cook, and a washing machine too. The lounge and living room are elegant, nice spots to chat and relax.

The WiFi is great and breakfast is good. This is a great hostel for a night or two, especially if you want to get an early start. The AC rules are taken very seriously and could be loosened. One woman is constantly in your room and feels extremely invasive. Staff have loud conversations outside four of the dorms, though the female dorm doesn't get that noise. The owners come in around 6, turn off the AC, and start conversations that seem to go on forever, so you're guaranteed to be woken up.

It's a compact but comfortable hostel, with both indoor and outdoor common rooms. The bedrooms have lockers and AC, and they serve a simple breakfast in the morning. It's in Colombo, about a 15-minute walk from Maradana train station, with good bus connections to Colombo fort.