A wise man once said: ‘Only a fool hateth on Colombo’.
Full disclosure – that wise man was me. Trust me, I too was once a Colombo hater but having now spent a substantial amount of time in Sri Lanka’s capital city, I’m a convert.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen comments in backpacker forums advising people to ‘get the hell out of Colombo’.
However, these are usually written by people whose only experience of the place is spending a frustrated morning in the immigration office trying to extend their tourist visa, before escaping back down south to the beaches.
These people are missing out because Colombo has a lot to offer – you just need to know where to go.
Tourism in the city has suffered greatly since the horrific Easter Sunday terrorist attacks committed earlier this year, so spending time here will not only broaden your own horizons, but will help out the thousands of local people whose businesses have been affected.
Here are my suggestions on how to spend 48 hours in the city.
(Mostly involving food because I am motivated by things I can put in my mouth. If you want a boring guide involving every single museum in the city, you can easily find that elsewhere.)
DAY ONE
8.30am: Yoga at Prana Lounge
Chances are, you’re in Colombo pre or post a long haul flight and your limbs are pretty achey, so revitalise a tired body and mind with a delicious 75 minute yoga class at the Prana Lounge, Colombo 7.
A drop-in class costs 1500rs (£6.80).
10am: Breakfast
Fuel up – you’ve got a big day ahead! If you fancy eating local grub (think delicious dhal curry with paratha and pol [coconut] sambol) your best bet is to ask your hotel where their favourite spot is, as there are many modest little roadside restaurants to choose from. They will likely point you to a hidden gem.
Failing that, have a search on Yamu which is a super useful guide to eateries in Colombo and beyond.
Not up for having curry three meals a day? (I am a diehard Sri Lankan food fan and even I don’t want it all day, every day.) Try The Grind, Colombo 2, which serves beautifully presented Western brunch delights like avocado on toast, berry cream cheese French toast and whole food bowls.
The vegan avo on toasted sourdough is a deliciously pimped-up version of the classic, with fresh avocado salsa, beetroot houmus, rocket, basil pesto, sautéed abalone mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and beetroot pickle. All for 750rs (£3.20).
The Grind does proper coffee (quite hard to find in Sri Lanka, especially outside of Colombo), with almond milk as a non-dairy milk alternative.
11am: Take a stroll around Viharamahadevi Park
Get a dose of nature by checking out Viharamahadevi Park, a big, leafy space in the heart of the city.
Colombo’s humidity can be exhausting, so this is a great opportunity to find a spot under a shady tree and relax, especially if you’ve only just landed in the country and are new to the heat.
If you’re up for exploring, there’s a lake to walk around and a giant Buddha statue. Make sure you don’t have your picture taken with your back to Buddha as it’s considered extremely offensive.
It’s also worth checking out the beautiful red and yellow building nearby that houses the National Eye Hospital of Sri Lanka, built in 1906. It’s one of my favourite buildings in the city.
Department stores are my personal hell but if you’re a shopper, you should check out nearby Odel, a huge, modern department store.
12pm: Enjoy the serenity of Seema Malakaya Buddhist temple
Seema Malakaya is a peaceful Buddhist temple seemingly floating on Beira Lake, accessed by a pontoon bridge, about a 10 minute walk from Viharamahadevi Park.
The original Seema Malakaya sunk into the lake (not ideal), so famed Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa (more on him later) was commissioned to redesign its replacement in the 1970s.
It’s more of a place for meditation than worship, so come and enjoy the serenity of the temple, juxtaposed by the city’s busy backdrop.
Don’t forget to dress appropriately, covering shoulders and knees.
1pm: Stock up on eco-friendly products at Bhumi
The Bhumi eco store in Colombo 3 is a great place to stock up on affordable environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday items.
A great example is the plastic straw, which is still plonked into many drinks on the island (including the coconuts you drink on the beach) and will inevitably end up in the sea, pissing off surfers or spelling an untimely end for sealife.
If you didn’t bring a reusable straw on your travels, nip into Bhumi and get yourself a metal or bamboo version. It also sells ridiculously cute (and cheap) straw pouches made from fabric offcuts, so you can carry your straw and cleaning brush around in style.
If you use cotton buds, make sure you leave with a packet of compostable ones, made from compressed wood and cotton.
1.30pm: Lunch at Kiku
Head to the super cool Kiku, Colombo 5 for Japanese-inspired food and beautiful interior design (the sofas, crockery and pink/black speckled tiles in the loo are a dream. Dare I say, ‘an Instagram dream’ *implodes*).
I had the vegan wafu pasta with tofu steak, shiitake mushrooms and soy butter sauce, which was pretty damn delicious, and filling, despite the seemingly small portion.
Plant-based pals are well catered for with delights such as miso scrambled tofu, a vegan burger, and mochi, while meat-eaters can enjoy dishes like grilled salmon onigiri, prawn katsu, and chicken karage waffle.
The hot drinks list is extensive with the usual Western coffee suspects (all double shots, baby) as well as beetroot, turmeric, matcha, charcoal or lavender lattes for the more adventurous/caffeine dodgers. (The drinks are hella pretty, so expect to see people taking pictures of their food.)
You could easily while away an afternoon in here chilling with a coffee and your book or laptop. Or, y’know, a human. An actual real-life human.
3.30pm: Explore the city on a Tuk Tuk Safari
If you’re short on time or would rather someone else did all the legwork for you, I highly recommend Tuk Tuk Safari as a way of seeing the city’s choice chunks.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Colombo, yet just driving from A to B on this safari, I saw sights I’d never seen before.
We were picked up from our hotel by our driver and guide, Wizard, in his fancy white get-up and pimped out three wheeler (which had a coolbox of Lion beer and snacks inside waiting for us. Nice).
He handed us each a fresh king coconut (thambili) to drink, before we started our tour of the city, whizzing past landmarks like the town hall and the Lotus Tower (the super tall building in the main image), before getting to our first stop, Sri Kaileswaram temple.
This is the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo and is tucked away in back streets behind Fort railway station. It’s vibrant and stunning, with incredible ceiling paintings and shrines to the Hindu gods.
Later in the tour, we also visited the huge Buddhist Gangaramaya temple, which was full of huge Buddha statues and – strangely – a large amount of cabinets full of trinkets that wouldn’t look out of place in my nan’s sitting room. Well, actually they would look out of place because my nan is dead, but you get the gist.
As someone whose experience of religion is being forced into a dull, modern build Catholic church every Sunday as a child, visiting temples such as these is so exciting. The atmosphere reminds you how far you are from home, and it’s pretty special.
We also drove past the stunning Jami Ul-Alfar mosque in Pettah AKA the Red Mosque, which is super distinctive with its red and white striped design.
Also on the trip was a trip to the spice market, sampling espresso at a local coffee roastery, and sipping on various brews at a tea shop, as well as inhaling a delicious meal in a local street food spot.
The Tuk Tuk Safari is a really unstuffy way of exploring the city and seeing which places you might want to pop back and explore in more depth later.
One such place is Pettah market, a busy labyrinth of lanes and alleys housing stalls and shops. Each street is dedicated to a different type of good – you’ll find all manner of things like fresh produce, spices, clothing and household items.
It’s an incredibly hectic shopping experience, but definitely worth a browse.
We did our Tuk Tuk Safari during low season so were the only ones doing the tour, but in high season you can expect to be zooming around town in a convoy of tuks, which sounds pretty fun.
A four hour Colombo safari costs $49 (£38) per person (kids under six go free, half price for 12 and under). This price covers everything done on the tour, including entrance fees and dinner.
Book at Tuk Tuk Safari.
8pm: Dinner at Upali’s
Still peckish after your Tuk Tuk Safari dinner? No judgement from me, pal.
If you’re after a low key vibe then nip into a streetside restaurant (a very modest affair – think plastic chairs and a ‘leave as soon as you’ve finished’ vibe) for rice and curry. Look for where the locals are eating – that generally signifies where you’ll get the best food.
Vegetable rice and curry can be found for as little as 100rs (45p) in super local places, but prices vary and will be substantially more in tourist hotspots. Expect a mountain of rice topped with spoonfuls of various different curries and sambol.
Fancy a more leisurely local dinner? Head to Upali’s in Colombo 7 which is swankier than your average roti shop.
Veggie or vegan? You can’t go wrong with a serving of hoppers (a kind of light pancake made with fermented rice flour and coconut milk) and some curry and sambol.
Hoppers with dhal and coconut sambol is my go-to but aubergine (brinjal) curry is also ridiculously good. Look out for soya meat curry if you’re into your mock meat.
Omnivores can feast on a tasting plate for two for 2350rs (£10.65) which features a wide variety of traditional Sri Lankan fayre, including hoppers, chicken kottu, dhal and coconut sambol.
Not up for curry again after your Tuk Tuk Safari feast? Get takeout tacos from Tacocat in Colombo 7.
DAY TWO
9am: Breakfast
Get your butt down to Black Cat café in Colombo 7 (it’s next door to Tacocat) – their menu boasts a delicious array of delights to suit all tums.
It can be hard to find decent coffee in Sri Lanka but this is one of the few places you can get a Melbourne-worthy barista brew so make the most of it.
Crucially, they do soy milk, dairy-free friends.
There’s not too much in the way of vegan food for breakfast (bar coconut milk overnight oats) but they’ve always been happy to modify vegetarian dishes for me to make them dairy-free. Happy days.
Veggies and omnivores will have a field day here, with hearty brunch options like tahini and cream sautéed mushrooms on sourdough with haloumi, chicken curry with onion sambol, poached eggs and hollandaise on sourdough, and poached eggs, Norwegian smoked salmon, caviar on toast.
If you’re around Colombo a while and you’re a burger fiend, definitely pop back here one lunchtime/dinner for a burger from Black Burgers. They are ridiculously good, as are the fries.
(Also available to order to your hotel on Uber Eats, if you fancy a munch by the pool…)
10.30am: Browse the secondhand book stores in Maradana
My eyes almost fell out of my head when we drove past the secondhand book shops on McCallum Road while on our Tuk Tuk Safari, and I dropped a pin so I could head back there the next day.
There are thousands upon thousands of books here, piled up high in each shop. You could spend hours scouring the shelves, looking for your next read.
If, like myself, you’re pretty old school when it comes to reading, and love having something tangible to thumb through, rather than scanning words on a Kindle screen, you will be in heaven here.
Expect to find books in all languages, including English. Bring water because it gets hot.
12pm: Watch the trains go by with a coffee at Whight & Co café
Don’t come for the food, come for the coffee and the view. Whight & Co café in Colombo 3 is across the road from the ocean – and the train line which runs right along it.
(Tip – if you’re on a southbound train leaving Colombo, grab a seat – or more likely, a standing spot at the open door – on the right-hand side of the train and you’ll be treated to stunning ocean views for miles. It’s one of my favourite train journeys.)
Grab a window seat at Whight & Co and you’ll be treated to trains sidling past just metres across the road, with commuters hanging out of the windows and open doors. It’s a view that never gets old.
The café uses Ruby Harvest coffee which is roasted onsite. I had a cold brew coffee that gave me hairs on my chest. In a good way.
After you’re done, take a stroll along the street which has the sea and railway on one side, and the busy shops of Colombo on the other.
1.30pm: Lunch at Plus Nine Four
Expect great coffee and delicious brunch food at Plus Nine Four (named after the international dialling code for Sri Lanka, fact fans), set away from the chaos of the city in a peaceful, walled garden in Colombo 5.
I have the same thing every time I go because it’s just so good – houmous, pesto, sundried tomatoes, and roasted garlic on sourdough toast, at 1080rs (£4.57). Trust me, if you’re a houmous fiend, you’ll be happy to find somewhere in Sri Lanka that makes it.
The hot butter mushrooms with sweet chilli sauce (they’re vegan, despite the name) are great to share.
I don’t eat meat, but their coconut sambol, bacon and egg sourdough sounds like a good time, as does the smashed avo and prawns on sourdough, and the scrambled egg, bacon and mushroom croffle.
It’s super peaceful here, and the main seating area is outside in a walled, shady garden.
3.30pm: Geoffrey Bawa Number 11 house tour
The late Geoffrey Bawa is without a doubt the architectural daddy of Sri Lanka, and one of the most influentional Asian architects.
He’s responsible for the popular ‘tropical modernism’ aesthetic you see around the island, tweaking modernisn to suit island living by designing open, ventilated spaces, using materials that keep buildings cool, and utilising local resources.
You can have a nosey around his Colombo residence, Number 11 which is four houses knocked into one, tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac in Colombo 3.
Bawa has a thing for indoor-outdoor spaces – you can see in the above photo his sitting room that opens out onto an indoor garden with an open roof. It’s perfectly designed to never flood into the house, even in the rainy season.
Make sure you climb the dazzling white staircase up to the roof terrace, which is exquisite and will have you dreaming of moving into your own suburban tropical abode.
45 minute tours cost 1000rs (£4.53) per person and take place Monday – Saturday by strict appointment only.
Find out more and book here.
5pm: Sunset flag lowering ceremony at Galle Face Hotel
Watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean from the tranquility of the chequerboard bar at the historic Galle Face Hotel in Colombo 3 is a great way to ease into the evening. Especially when done with a passionfruit Pimms cocktail in hand.
There’s a flag lowering ceremony with bagpipes (a nod to us colonising ratbags) every day at sunset.
7pm: Dinner at August by Mama Aida’s
Want Lebanese food? Look no further than August by Mama Aida’s in Colombo 8.
The food here is unreal, with veggie/vegan, meat and seafood mezze platters including the usual suspects houmous, babaganoush (a rare find in Sri Lanka) and tabbouleh.
Don’t dare leave without trying the pita chips.
Alcohol isn’t served here but they have a delicious array of other drinks, including Arabian coffee with cardamom.
8.30pm: Drinks on Park Street Mews
Park Street Mews is a cute little cobbled street in Colombo 2 lined with bars and restaurants built in warehouse conversions.
We had a few drinks in Italian restaurant, Park Street Trattoria, purely because I knew they would have Aperol and I was gagging for a spritz as I am a basic bitch.
You, however, can wander the cobbles and see which establishment takes your fancy.
If you’re up for drinking into the wee hours, jump in a tuk and head over to Baillie Street Merchants in Old Fort, which has a cool, speakeasy vibe and a (expensive) drinks menu that screams ‘mixologist’.
Cocktails utilise local ingredients like cinnamon, pineapple and curry leaves – if you’re up for trying Sri Lanka’s signature spirirt, arrack, then this is a good place to try it.
Just beware of drinking too much and experiencing the dreaded ‘arrack attack’…
Where to stay
Bustling Colombo can be a bit of a culture shock, especially if you came to Sri Lanka with dreams of deserted beaches.
I’d advise treating yourself and checking in to somewhere quiet and on the right side of luxe. That way you have a sanctuary to retreat to if the noisy city gets too much.
For those on a tighter budget, there’s Bunkyard Hostel, Colombo 7. Hostels aren’t too commonplace on the island but this one is great. It’s clean and modern with comfy beds, and you can stay in a dorm for as little as $8 (£6.24).
If your budget is higher, here are three luxury escapes I trialled.
Residence by Uga Escapes
Residence by Uga Escapes in Colombo 2 is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Colombo (and it’s in a great location, just up the road from Park Street Mews).
This boutique hotel has 11 luxury suites – we stayed in a Park Suite, which has a bedroom, living room, big bathroom (with the largest shower I’ve ever had the pleasure of being naked in, as well as delicious smelling toiletries) and a private, walled courtyard.
It’s so rare to sit in a hotel room and think, ‘I could happily spend an afternoon in here’ but I had to be torn away from our sofa to go get lunch. The Geneva sound system in the room was incredible – we stayed around Christmas time so had Shakin’ Stevens blasting, which our neighbours probably didn’t appreciate.
Sri Lanka isn’t known for its peaceful silence yet our room was super quiet at night and I slept like a log. Everything about the hotel is comfy and cosy, which is exactly what you want from a city retreat.
The room also had a selection of loose leaf teas in which was a huge bonus in my eyes – peppermint tea is hard to find in Sri Lanka, yet our room had it. Winning.
Our room door opened out onto the pool, which was super convenient for nipping back inside to grab…another peppermint tea.
The whole place feels high end without being pretentious – the perfect balance.
Rates start at $186 (£144) for a night in a Park Suite.
Galle Face Hotel
If you’re after a heritage hotel steeped in history, look no further than Galle Face Hotel – an enormously grand, colonial affair, situated on the seafront in Colombo 3.
We stayed in a Premier Ocean Balcony Twin Room which had the most wonderful view of the lapping ocean.
There are comfy sunloungers on the balcony and privacy from your next door neighbours so you can get some sun in peace. However, I highly recommend heading down to the saltwater pool to get your vitamin D fix – it’s big enough to do some morning laps, which is always a bonus from a hotel pool.
You can enjoy delicious (but pricy) cocktails way into the night at the hotel’s lively Cuban bar/restaurant, King of the Mambo – don’t get too drunk though as you’ll want to be sober to truly appreciate how comfy the beds are. Dreamy doesn’t even begin to cover it.
If you’re after some therapy for your aching limbs after a long flight, you can indulge at the hotel’s L’Occitane spa – it’s a very classy affair compared to some of the (admittedly much cheaper) massages you get in the coastal tourist towns.
We had a 60 minute relaxing aromachologie body massage which was absolute bliss. Body massages start from 9900rs (£42) – you get 20% off at the spa if you stay in a premier room or suite.
Rates start at $190 (£148) per night for a Premier Ocean Balcony Room.
Colombo House by Ceilão Villas
Colombo House by Ceilão Villas is a five bedroom boutique hotel, situated in the heart of Colombo. It’s actually the house the owner’s mother grew up in, which is rather lovely.
The building is a beautiful, airy, peaceful affair, with clean white walls, cool concrete bathrooms, and eclectic, colourful decor.
The hotel has two pools for sun worshippers – one on the ground floor and a plunge pool overlooking the other pool on the first floor. (‘Don’t jump from the top pool to the botoom pool,’ joked Ashan, who checked us in. It’s like he could read minds.)
There’s an in-house restaurant Forty Seven Spice, and a quiet, leafy garden area where you can chill out with a drink and read your book.
We stayed in The Discoverer room, which overlooks the upstairs pool and sun terrace, and has a huge hidden bathroom, with a bathtub (rare for hotels!).
The room itself is also huge, with a desk and lounge area, and a large, ridiculously comfy bed. We loved this room so much we got dinner delivered here and stayed in all night.
The whole place is so incredibly peaceful here, you’ll forget you’re in Colombo.
Rates start at $124 (£96) per night for The Discoverer room.
How to get around
It’s super easy to get around Colombo thanks to the abundance of cheap tuk tuks.
You can try navigating the inner city bus system, but I wouldn’t bother, unless you’re on a super tight budget. (It’s fun riding the buses in Sri Lanka, but I’d save that experience for when you can sail between towns and enjoy the view, rather than sitting in gridlocked city traffic, filling your lungs with smog.)
Unlike the rest of Sri Lanka, tuk tuks in Colombo have meters, which means you’re charged the correct price rather than an inflated tourist price.
You’ll find some drivers (especially around Colombo Fort railway station) will say their meter is broken and try to charge you a set price, so politely decline and get in one with a meter. (This is a small minority of drivers – most are regular, honest humans.)
You can always hail a tuk or cab using Pick Me or Uber (the Uber app you use at home will work here), although be aware that there is sometimes a tuk tuk ‘mafia’ that won’t let drivers from these apps stop in their patch.
Pick Me has always been cheaper than hailing a meter tuk, which gives me concerns about how much the drivers actually earn, so it’s definitely worth tipping your driver.
It’s useful to have Google Maps or Maps.me downloaded to find your way around town, and assist your driver with directions. Maps.me tends to be better for Sri Lanka as it shows more lanes and side roads in rural areas.
Be aware that there are many one way systems in Colombo so it may be quicker to hop out close to your destination and walk, rather than copping an extra 10 minutes in the tuk to get to the doorstep.
It’s nice to be disconnected on holiday but it’s also useful to have a working phone to be able to arrange transport, use online maps, and call for help if you’re lost.
You can buy a 30 day tourist SIM card in arrivals at the airport from various providers like Dialog, Mobitel and Etislat. This can give you benefits like data, some international calls/texts and local calls. This will cost you around £5.
You will see the counters as you come through arrivals, before you exit the airport.
How to get there
I flew with Etihad Airways from London Heathrow via Abu Dhabi.
Fares start from £494 per person, economy return.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/11/spend-48-hours-sri-lankas-capital-colombo-8240653/
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