The early 17th Century Jaffna Fort was built by the Portuguese, expanded by the Dutch, and destroyed by human aggression. Visit the ruins - a testament to architectural prowess and sheer brutality.
The Yal Devi is a part of history. It's by no means a quick or luxurious way to the North or back, but it's an interesting journey. It's hot, vibrant and slow - a proper Sri Lankan voyage.
Casuarina Beach is the go-to beach for Jaffna locals. Don't expect a bikinis-and-beers sort of scene.
If you’re looking for a quick way to get across the country in luxury with a view you can’t find anywhere else, Cinnamon Air is your best bet.
This lonely island/isthmus just before Tangalle is a beautiful spot, well worth a stop as you're driving down the coast. At low tide (around sunset) you can walk/wade across a spit of land and be surrounded…
Apart from its pool, Otter's strikes this delightful yet confusing mix between being simultaneously family-friendly and being a good place for chaps after work to put a manly arrack session.
The Japanese Peace Pagoda near Unawatuna is a beautiful shrine with amazing views across the ocean. It's also quite near Jungle Beach.
This is the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo, by most accounts. It's in a hidden location just off D.R. Wijewardena Mw and is a pleasant and welcoming kovil to visit.
This is a great beach if you’re looking for a secluded place to chill out and watch the sunset, etc. You can also bring your car right up to the sand at some points, so it makes for a great…
If you're into history, this 1757 church is an important part of Colombo. It's heavy, lasting architecture that they don't make anymore and we think it's worth a visit.
If you have a penchant for birds, nature and general chilling on a canoe, this is the place to be.
Jungle Beach is a secluded beach in Unawatuna that's growing less secluded all the time. It's still a nice and relatively peaceful Una beach off the main strip.
Turtle hatcheries are good for the environment, save lives, and incredibly fun. There are a few lovely ones down the coast, especially in and around the Kosgoda area. We visited the Kosgoda Sea…
The Batticaloa Science Museum is not a very good museum and it smells funny (probably because of the generally live sea creatures in tanks) but it's interesting in its own way.
Geeth has a small boat which keeps you close to the action - sightings of whales, dolphins and immersion in the great expanse of the ocean.
Cinnamon Air's flight to Batticaloa is the best way to get there. It's also pretty expensive. If you can afford it, do it.
On the side of Baseline Road in Narahenpita there's a wall mural depicting hell/the underworld and all the terrible torments that await (beheadings, eye pokings, punching in the stomach). If you're stopped…
Near the Palm Villa, there's a nice swimmable beach and a big climbable rock.
The old Town Hall is a gothic-type Dutch building at the end of Main Street in Pettah. Inside it is a creepy museum of life-size dolls sitting around a wooden table in different postures: a replica of…
Octagonal in shape with quaint yellow windows set against brick painted white, the Dondra Lighthouse stands fifty metres tall at the edge of a shady and well-kept garden
The Om Space is a yoga studio located off Havelock Road, near the Royal Institute.
At the end of Main Street, Pettah, there is a forgotten museum. The Old Town Hall Museum houses a variety of very heavy memorabilia from the city's past - steam-rollers, street signs,…
Viharamahadevi Park, known earlier as Victoria Park, is Colombo's only central park. It's been done-up for quite a while now and it looks great, especially in the evenings.
