John Da Costa put it plainly in his review: "If you are renting on the south coast then save yourself the high delivery and collection fees and choose NOHA." He'd already worked out the thing most people only discover after booking — where your rental company is based decides how your first day goes.
Most tuk tuk and scooter operators in Sri Lanka are based around Negombo, next to Bandaranaike International Airport. That makes sense for them: it's the first place every visitor lands. It's a sensible place to run a business.
It's roughly 160 km, about two hours, from Negombo down to Galle — and Galle is where the south coast actually starts. Unawatuna, Weligama, Mirissa, and the road up to Ella are all close from there, not a half-day drive further on.
What this means in practice
Collect a vehicle from an airport-area company and, if your trip is headed south, your first driving day is largely spent covering ground you'd rather be exploring. Collect from Galle instead, and day one starts at Unawatuna or the Fort, not on the highway.
We're based in Galle, so delivery to hotels and guesthouses around town is free — Unawatuna and the edge of Galle Fort included. Further afield, and one-way drop-off in a different town entirely, is arranged island-wide on request.
If you're landing at the airport
You don't need to collect a vehicle at Negombo just because that's where you land. Many guests take a taxi or train down to Galle first, then start their rental from there — handling the necessary paperwork before arrival means there's nothing to sort out on the day itself.
