Negombo’s Dutch-era canal network and lagoon fishing villages offer a genuinely different side of the town to its beach resort reputation, with traditional catamaran fishing techniques still practised much as they have been for generations. A lagoon boat trip through mangrove-lined waterways gives a close look at local fishing life, followed by a visit to the lively fish market where the morning catch is laid out for sale. It works particularly well as an arrival or departure day, given the town’s proximity to the airport. The pace throughout is relaxed and low-key.