Patini Bungalows

Your home at the beach of paradise...

Map/Way

Patini Bungalows is situated on Madilla (or Medilla) beach at Tangalla on the southern coast of Sri Lanka between Matara and Hambantota. Daya can drive you with his comfortable A/C car (Kia Sorento) wherever you like (pick up, drop off).

The directions from Tangalle to our guesthouse

From Tangalle center (West side, Matara side)

In front of the bus stand in Tangalle, you follow the road towards Hambantota and Tissamaharama (or "Tissa") for about 100m. After the bridge, near the bus stand, you turn right at the first road (Medaketiya Road or Vijaya Road, then Madilla Road). You follow this charming beach road for about 1.5 kilometres.

From East side of Tangalle (Tissa side)

When you entry in Tangalle, there is a Temple (Henakaduwa Temple) on the right. After this temple, you take the first road on the left. When you reach the beach, you turn again left. Patini is about 1km on this charming beach road.

Don't follow Google Maps or Maps.me. They show you to take a road on the Eastern side of the lagoon. This road is very bad, often innundated. You have to go around the lagoon (as described above).


View Larger Map

How to come to Patini/Tangalle

If you arrive by bus, you need to get off the bus at the main bus station at Tangalle. Then, you will find many tuk tuks which can bring you to our guesthouse (2km, 10 minutes, 200rs). Some guests get off the bus at Henakaduwa Temple, but the way is 2km until Patini, no tuk tuk are waiting at this bus stop and sometimes the bus doesn't stop there. Please check FAQ page for many information about bus. Many companies who offers bus seat online reservations are available in search engin (type "sri lankan bus booking").

If you need a taxi (A/C car or A/C van or tuk tuk), contact us.

If you come by train, you must alight at Beliaththa (pronounce Beliatta) and continue by road (30min, bus about 50rs, A/C car/van 1'200rs or tuk tuk 700rs). Train timetables in Sri Lanka are available at railway.gov.lk. Many information are available at Seat 61. The seat reservation in public trains is not easy and we don't know the details, please check the official website or travelling forums. Private companies (Rajadhani, Exporail and Viceroy) attached private wagons to public trains. Seats in these wagons could be booked but at a much higher price that in the public wagons. These wagons should offer more services and comfort. But these services were stopped. We don't know when they will be resumed.

You can also come by airtaxi. Sri Lankan Airlines and Cinnamon Air are the two main companies with many internal airports. Other companies also have internal flights: Fits Air, Fly Sri Sanka, Helitours. We can come to pick up you at Dickwella by taxi (3'500 LKR for A/C car or van, 1'200 LKR for tuk tuk, 30 minutes). Please contact us.

More information about traveling on our FAQ pages.

From airport

By bus, normal road, costal road (the longest and less comfortable option):

  • Take the direct bus using expressway to Colombo Pettah at the exit of the airport (leaves the airport every 30 minutes, around 1 hour travel, depends on trafic)
  • We don't know at which bus stand the bus stops, maybe you have to take a tuk tuk to the other bus stand (10min)
  • Take a bus to Tangalle (about 6 hours) (Tangalle Bus, Hambantota Bus or Kataragama Bus, all these buses have number 32).

By bus, highway or expressway:

  • You have to go to one of the Southern expressway exits (Maharagama, Kaduwella, Kottawa, Kadawatha), but we don't know how. One possibility, but be opened to other possibilities you can find on internet: take the direct expressway bus airport - Colombo Pettah (about 1 hour) which use the northern expressway. At Pettah, you are maybe lucky and find an expressway bus Pettah - Matara/Tangalle/Kataragama. If not, take a bus Pettah - Maharagama (about 1 hour). At Maharagama, take the Maharagama - Matara/Tangalle/Kataragama expressway bus (Matara bus: about 1h30, around 600lkr per people). In November 2019, the link between the nothern and southern expressway opened. Soon, some expressway buses will go from airport to Matara. 
  • Take a bus to Tangalle (about 1 hours, 65lkr per people). Try to avoid Matara-Tangalle bus because its stops everywhere. Take Matara-Embilipitiya bus or Matara-Tissamaharama bus or a taxi to Tangalle (1h, 4'000rs by car/van, 2'000rs by tuk tuk).

By train:

  • Take the direct bus using expressway to Colombo Pettah at the exit of the airport (leaves every 30 minutes, around 1 hour travel, depends on trafic)
  • Take the train to Beliaththa (pronounce Beliatta) (3-5h) (railway.gov.lk)
  • Take a bus (about 30min, 50lkr per people) from the main road at 500m from Beliatta railway station to Tangalle bus station; or a taxi to Patini (30min, A/C car/van 1'200rs or tuk tuk 700rs).

By taxi:

  • We can come to pick up you at any time of the day or night. Please, contact us. You need 3 hours by night and 3h30 by day, without stop and high traffic. Prices are 17'500 LKR to be picked up and 16'500 LKR to be dropped off. These prices include expressway fee.

By airtaxi:

From Negombo

By bus, normal road (longest and less comfortable):

  • Take a bus to Colombo Pettah (1 hour by night, 2 hours by day)
  • Take a tuk tuk to the other bus station (10min)
  • Take a bus to Tangalle (about 6 hours) (Tangalle Bus, Hambantota Bus or Kataragama Bus, all these buses have number 32).

By bus, highway/expressway:

  • You have to go to one of the Southern expressway exits (Maharagama, Kaduwella, Kottawa, Kadawatha), but we don't know how. One possibility, but be opened to other possibilities you can find on internet: take the direct expressway bus Negombo - Colombo Pettah (about 1 hour) which use the northern expressway. At Pettah, you are maybe lucky and find an expressway bus Pettah - Matara/Tangalle/Kataragama. If not, take a bus Pettah - Maharagama (about 1 hour). At Maharagama, take the Maharagama - Matara/Tangalle/Kataragama expressway bus (Matara bus: about 1h30, around 600lkr per people). In November 2019, the link between the nothern and southern expressway opened. Soon, some expressway buses will go from Negombo to Matara.
  • Take a bus to Tangalle (about 1 hours, 65lkr per people). Try to avoid Matara-Tangalle bus because its stops everywhere. Take Matara-Embilipitiya bus or Matara-Tissamaharama bus or a taxi to Tangalle (1h, 4'000rs by car/van, 2'000rs by tuk tuk).

By train:

  • Take the train to Colombo Fort Railways Station (please check railway.gov.lk)
  • Take the train to Beliaththa (pronounce Beliatta) (3-5h) (railway.gov.lk). Be aware that you need to go out of the train station to take the ticket Colombo-Beliaththa and that the train can be late. So plan enough time between the two trains (more than one hour).
  • Take a bus (about 30min, 50lkr per people) from the main road at 500m from Beliatta railway station to Tangalle bus station; or a taxi to Patini (30min, A/C car/van 1'200rs or tuk tuk 700rs).

By taxi:

  • We can come to pick up you at any time of the day or night. Please, contact us. You need 4 hours by day, without stop and high traffic. Price is 18'000 LKR. It includes expressway fee.

By airtaxi:

From West and South Coast (Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Unawatuna, Koggala, Weligama, Mirissa, Madiha, Polhena, Matara, Tallala, Dickwella, Hiriketiya)

By bus:

  • Take Tangalle Bus, Hambantota Bus or Kataragama Bus (all these buses have number 32). The bus time written is for the bus ride, without waiting time and to Tangalle bus station not to Patini. 3 hours from Bentota, 2h15 from Hikkaduwa, 2 hours from Galle, 1h45 from Unawatuna, 1h45 from Koggala, 1h30 from Weligama, 1h15 from Mirissa, 1 hour from Matara, 45 minutes from Tallala, 30 minutes from Dickwella. The expressway buses doesn't link the towns, only with Colombo.
  • From Polhena, take the bus Galle - Matara and the bus to Tangalle, read below please.
  • From Matara, you can take Matara - Embilipitiya bus or Matara - Tissamaharama bus, so you are sure to get a seat. Avoid the Matara - Tangalle bus because it stops everywhere and you will need a long time.
  • From Tallala and Dickwella, you can take Matara - Embilipitiya bus or Matara - Tissamaharama bus. Avoid the Matara - Tangalle bus because it stops everywhere and you will need a long time.

By train:

  • Take the train to Beliaththa (pronounce Beliatta) (railway.gov.lk)
  • Take a bus (about 30min, 50lkr per people) from the main road at 500m from the railway station to Tangalle bus station; or a taxi to Patini (30min, A/C car/van 1'200rs or tuk tuk 700rs).

By taxi (van, car, tuk tuk):

  • We can come to pick up you at any time. Please, contact us. 
  • Time and Price for a van or a car: Bentota 3h, 11'000 LKR; Hikkaduwa 2h30, 9'500 LKR; Galle 2h, 8'000 LKR; Unawatuna 1h45, 7'500 LKR; Koggala 1h45, 6'500 LKR, Weligama 1h30, 5'000 LKR; Mirissa 1h30 5'000 LKR; Madiha or Polhena 1h15 4'500 LKR; Matara 1h 4'500 LKR; Tallala 45 minutes, 4'000rs; Dickwella 30 minutes, 3'500 LKR; Hiriketiya 30 minutes 2'500rs.
  • Time and Price for a tuk tuk: Hikkaduwa 2h45, 5'500 LKR; Galle 2h15, 4'000 LKR; Unawatuna 2h, 4'000 LKR; Koggala 1h45, 3'500 LKR, Weligama 1h45, 3'250 LKR; Mirissa 1h30 2'800 LKR; Madiha or Polhena 1h15 2'300 LKR; Matara 1h 2'000 LKR; Tallala 45 minutes 1'700 LKR; Dickwella 30 minutes 1'200 LKR; Hiriketiya 25 minutes 1'000rs.

From Tissa, Kirinda, Kataragama

By bus:

  • Take Colombo Bus, number 32, (1h30-2h) or the Tissa - Matara bus (1h30-2h).
  • From Kirinda, take a bus to Tissa and then the Colombo or Matara buses.

By train:

  • No railways line between Tissa and Tangalle.

By taxi (van, car, tuk tuk):

  • We can come to pick up you at any time. Please, contact us.
  • by car or van : Tissa 1h30-2h, 6'000 LKR; Kirinda 2h30, 8'500rs; Palatupana (Yala South) 3h 10'500rs; Kataragama 2h30 8'000rs; Yala (Tissa entrance) 2h30, 9'000rs.
  • by tuk tuk: Tissa 2h, 3'800 LKR; Kirinda 3h 4'500 LKR

From Uda Walawa / Embilipitiya

By bus:

  • You have to take a tuk tuk to join the main road Ratnapura - Embilipitiya (about 15 minutes). At the junction, you can maybe catch the Ratnapura - Matara bus which stops at Tangalle (only few buses per day). Otherwise, you take a bus to Embilipitiya (most of the buses, about 30 minutes) and then the bus Embilipitiya - Matara which stops at Tangalle. Embilipitiya - Tangalle takes 1h30. Some guests informed that there is one or two direct buses Uda Walawa - Tangalle per day.

By train:

  • No railways line in this area.

By taxi (van, car, tuk tuk):

  • We can come to pick up you at any time. Please, contact us.
  • by car/van : Uda Walawa: 1h30, 6'500 LKR; Embilipitiya: 1h15, 5'500 LKR.
  • by tuk tuk: Uda Walawa: 2h, 3'500 LKR; Embilipitiya: 1h45, 2'500 LKR.

From Ella

By bus:

  • The direct buses going through Ella and Tangalle are at 6.30am, 7.20am, 8.40am, 9.15am, 10.00am, 11.00am, 11.20am, 12.15pm and 12.30pm (Please check the times with your guesthouse). A board is hang at the Police Station. The bus is usually full when it arrives at Ella. The direct bus should need 3h30-4h to come to Tangalle.
  • If you can't catch this bus, you have two possibilities: first possibility is to take a bus to Wellawaya and then take another bus for Tangalle. Second possibility is to take a bus to Tissa and then the bus Tissa - Matara which stops at Tangalle.

By train:

  • No railways line between Ella and Tangalle

By taxi:

  • We can come to pick up you at any time. Please, contact us. (by car/van 3h30, 11'000 LKR; by tuk tuk 5h, 7'000 LKR)
  • You can visit one National Park (Yala, Uda Walawa or Bundala) on the way. 2'000rs will be added for Uda Walawa or 3'000rs for Yala.
  • You can visit Buduruwagala on the way. 1'000rs will be added (entrance 500rs per person).

From Haputale

By bus:

  • You have to go to Ella or Wellawaya to catch the direct bus to Tangalle. A second possibility is to take a bus to Tissa and then the bus Tissa - Matara which stops at Tangalle.

By train:

  • No railways line between Haputale and Tangalle

By taxi:

  • We can come to pick up you at any time. Please, contact us. (4h30,13'000 LKR)
  • You can visit one National Park (Yala, Uda Walawa or Bundala) on the way. 2'000rs will be added for Uda Walawa or 3'000rs for Yala.
    You can visit Buduruwagala on the way. 1'000rs will be added (entrance 500rs per person).

From Nuwere Eliya

3 ways are possible to do Nuwere Eliya - Tangalle:

  • Nuwere Eliya - Ella - Tangalle: by train between Nuwere Eliya and Ella (about 3 hours, www.railway.gov.lk) for the beautiful landscapes of the tea plantation. Then by bus (about 4 hours) or taxi (about 3 hours, 11'000 LKR by car or van, 5h, 7'000 LKR by tuk tuk). Please read the section about Ella. You can also take the taxi to do all the way, about 5h, 18'000 LKR. One direct bus is available Nuwere Eliya - Matara which stops at Tangalle, about 7h. The bus Matara - Nuwere Eliya is already full when it stops at Tangalle and most of the people go to Nuwere Eliya, so a little chance to get a seat on the way.
  • Nuwere Eliya - Avissawella - Ratnapura - Embilipitiya - Tangalle: only by bus or taxi. The landscapes are beautiful too at the bottom of the mountains with many kinds of plantations (rubber, tea, paddy fields). By bus, you will have to change some times. The lines available are the buses Nuwere Eliya - Avissawella (no information at all, sorry), then Kandy - Matara which stops at Tangalle (only a few per day, take it at Avissawella, maybe around 4 hours, no information at all, sorry) or a bus Avissawella - Embilipitiya (no information at all, sorry) and then a bus Embilipitiya - Matara which stops at Tangalle (1h30). By taxi, about 7-8 hours, price on request.
  • Nuwere Eliya - Kandy - Colombo - Tangalle: only by train all the way. You will have to change the train at Colombo. please check if it possible on www.railway.gov.lk.

From Kandy

There are three ways to do Kandy - Tangalle. The landscapes are very different from one way to the other.

  • through Ratnapura road at the bottom of the mountains (about 6 hours by taxi),
  • with the expressway through Colombo (about 5 hours by taxi),
  • through Ella and the tea plantation in the mountains (about 9 hours by taxi).  

By bus:

  • Ratnapura: we don't have details. We saw a bus Kandy - Matara which goes through Tangalle. It is once a day. Or you can take a bus Kandy - Ratnapura and then another bus Ratnapura - Matara which stops at Tangalle. Ratnapura - Matara bus is not often. You can take another bus to go to Embilipitiya from Ratnapura and then the bus Embilipitiya - Matara which stops at Tangalle. More details available at the bus station.
  • Expressway: take the bus Kandy - Colombo and then please read the section about Colombo, airport or Negombo.

By train:

There are two ways by train, one via Colombo and one via Ella:

Via Colombo:

  • Take the direct train Kandy to Matara (at 5am, railway.gov.lk) which goes through Colombo Fort Railway Station (about 7 hours, arrival at 11.50am).
  • Then you can continue by train to Beliaththa (at 14h00, 45min) or by tuk tuk (10min, 150rs) to the Matara bus station to take the bus (about 1h, 70rs per people, avoid Matara-Tangalle bus because its stops everywhere. Take Matara-Embilipitiya bus or Matara-Tissamaharama bus) or by taxi (1h, 4'000rs by car/van, 2'000rs by tuk tuk).

Via Ella:

  • Take the train to Ella (about 6 hours, railway.gov.lk)
  • Then you can come by bus or by car/van to Tangalle (about 3h30 by taxi). Please read the Ella section.

By taxi:

  • We can come to pick up you at any time. Please, contact us. (5 or 6 hours,19'000 LKR through Ratnapura and Colombo. Through Ella, it is more expensive, please request it)

From Arumga Bay

By bus:

we don't have details, sorry.

  • Some guests told us they took a direct bus which starts at around 6.30am.
  • You can take a bus to go to Monaragala or Wellawaya or Tissa and then another bus to Matara or Colombo.

By train:

  • no train available on this way

By taxi:

  • We can come to pick up you at any time. Please, contact us. (5 hours,17'000 LKR)
  • You can visit one National Park (Yala, Uda Walawa or Bundala) on the way. 2'000rs will be added for Uda Walawa or 3'000rs for Yala.
    You can visit Buduruwagala on the way. 1'000rs will be added (entrance 500rs per person).