It may come as a surprise for some tourists but Sri Lanka has so many meditation centers that you can consider. Most of them will offer tuition in Sinhala so this may be a problem. However, all the ones that we will mention will include English communication so can be considered by every single tourist that may be interested.
Kanduboda Meditation Center
This meditation center is located just sixteen miles away from Colombo. You can access it by bus and you do want to since we are talking about a location that appeared in the year 1956, so a lot of experience is present. Vipassana instruction is offered in the Mahasi Sayadaw Of Burma Style. Seventy meditators can be accommodate at one time. You will get meals, various services and accommodation that are offered for free since this is a center that is funded through donations. All meditators will have to dress in white during the stay and they are allowed to stay for a really long time. The center can even aid them with visa extensions. As a rule of thumb, most that visit will go through the initial 3 weeks training period so you need to telephone ahead.
Nilambe Meditation Center
Until the year 2000, the center teacher was the world-renowned Godwin Samaratne. He had huge experience, an experience that is clearly shown in his following. The Buddhist tradition is highly respected here and there is a huge emphasis that is put on mindfulness and metta.
In the past the meditators were allowed to stay for free but at the moment this is no longer the case since short retreats are accommodated on various dates. You need to get in touch to check availability. One small daily amount will be charged for the foreigners in order to cover food and accommodations.
Dekanduwala Meditation Center
You need to make bookings and inquiries way in advance since this center is highly popular. Most of the meditators here are Sri Lankan but foreigners are recommended. You can get to the center via free regular transport that is offered by Dehiwala BCC but a bus from Colombo can also be taken.