Colombo: The Harbour with Leafy Mango Trees

Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city, is one of the more beautiful cities in the Indian Subcontinent. Famous for its own unique pace of life, Colombo is one of the best natural harbours in the world. The name Colombo itself is said to be a trans-lingual corruption of the Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota, which means “Harbour with Leafy Mango Trees”. Formerly the political capital of Sri Lanka (which was then moved to Sri Jayewardenepura-Kotte in 1978), Colombo is a vibrant and colourful city with a likable mixture of modern and colonial architecture. Famous since antiquity as one of the best ports in the Indian subcontinent, the city is also home to some rather ancient ruins. The city’s Caribbean-like atmosphere is perhaps the most inviting of the many Colombo tourist attractions.

Places to visit in Colombo

Colombo is a beautiful port city and is home to some of the best colonial structures in the subcontinent. The city also has some excellent post-modernist and modernist structures. Many modern government and civic structures have a distinct Sri Lankan architectural influence. Colombo’s World Trade Centre towers are the second-tallest twin towers in the Subcontinent, and are among the tallest buildings in South Asia.

Some of the more prominent Colombo tourist sites include:

• Colombo Fort area
• Old Colombo Lighthouse
• President’s House
• Presidential Secretariat
• Republic Building
• Treasury building
• Old General Post Office
• Prime Minister’s Office
• Khan Clock Tower
• University of Colombo
• Royal College of Colombo
• Galle Face Hotel
• Cargills & Millers complex
• Grand Oriental Hotel
• Orient Club
• 80’s Club
• Colombo Cricket Club
• Colombo Town Hall
• Independence Hall
• Jami Ul Alfar mosque
• Murugan Hindu temple
• Beira Lake and the Gallery Island it houses
• Viharamahadevi Park
• National Museum of Colombo
• Natural History Museum
• Colombo Dutch Museum
• Lionel Wendt Memorial Art Center
• Sapumal Foundation
• Galle Face Green
• Colombo Zoological Gardens
• Pettah Market
• Bank of Ceylon tower

Colombo- Travel tips, languages spoken, cuisine

Colombo it is advisable that certain rather necessary precautions be taken including avoiding certain areas after dark, keeping valuables out of sight, etc. Though the stringent security measures in the wake of the Sri Lankan Civil War may appear daunting, they are nevertheless necessary. With the end of the war, however, these are likely to slowly disappear. Nevertheless, the security forces are polite and very tourist-friendly. Colombo has its own pace of life and at times can appear to be both fast and slow at the same time.

Colombo is one of the few cities in the world to house significant numbers of colonial buildings from two different colonial powers (Britain and Portugal). Colombo also boasts a very vibrant and very good nightlife, considered by many to be among the best in South Asia. The city is home to a multitude of restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, parks, discos, etc. Colombo is also home to some of the best malls and resorts in the country. English is very much understood by most of the locals. The local currency is Sri Lankan rupee (LKR). The local cuisine draws influences from a variety of cuisines and has its own unique and distinct flavour. What’s more, it is freely available at very affordable prices. Street food in Colombo is cheap and very filling.

Colombo is also home to a large number of eateries catering to all types of cuisines and suited to all types of budgets; it is also home to some of South Asia’s best and most prolific restaurants and hotels.

Best time to visit Colombo

The best time to visit Colombo is from November to April.

Best way to reach Colombo

• By Air: Colombo is one of South Asia’s most important air travel hubs, and is connected to most major destinations in the world via regular flights.
• By Rail: Colombo is one of the major railway stations on the Sri Lankan rail network, and forms the terminating or originating point for many express and inter-city trains in the country. A city-wide metro is being constructed.
• By Road: Colombo is well connected to all national and regional destinations and popular attractions. Further, Colombo is also one of the major centres of Sri Lanka’s road transport system and as such offers comfortable transport options for almost all of the nearby Sri Lanka attractions. The city is the hub of intra-country bus travel in Sri Lanka. The road network within the city is excellent but almost always very congested and jammed. The city’s intra-city bus network, though effective, is sometimes very crowded.
• By Sea: Some cruise liners also make a visit to Colombo.

Accommodation

The Colombo accommodation scene is very active and wide enough to cater to all budgets and needs. Colombo is home of some of the finest hotels in the continent. Further, many local and international tour operators offer Colombo vacation package tours. These tours cover most of the Colombo tourist destinations, but do not carry the element of risk and adventure that going solo does. One might even miss out on the many hidden attractions and surprises Colombo may hold.