The lighthouse provides stunning views of the Indian Ocean. From its raised base you can see all the way down the Galle Face Green to the Galle Face Hotel and right across to the very tip of the horizon.…
It looks like England's lake district or New Zealand. In fact Ambewala's marketing tag is - little New Zealand, and unlike certain little Rome's and Englands we have in this country the name isn't a…
Just being able to stand in a space that someone from the 17th century would still recognize is worth the Rs 20 admission charge.
The Southern Expressway opened two gleaming service stations near Welipenna. Each houses a Cargills Food City and assorted shops like Juiceez, Dinemore, Gihan's, Gill's, Pascucci and New Monis. They…
Located in the outskirts of Colombo, Attidiya Bird Sanctuary is a small land (may be the only place near Colombo) for the birds and other animals to take refuge in. I was surprised at the biodiversity which…
Even if you have nothing to to do with Anglicanism St Peters is fully worth visiting as one the city's oldest and most attractive buildings. An amazing and long-forgotten space that quite desperately needs…
The Planetarium is one of those places in Colombo that's stayed more or less the same since 1965, give or take a bit of furniture revamping and their new website. The building still looks fantastic,…
A couple of years ago the once gentle gathering of music lovers turned into something of a socialite scene, overrun by adolescents ducking for cigarettes behind plastic chairs and the chatter of patrons…
Colombo's only proper museum (the Dutch museum and the weird old Town Hall one barely come on par) is pretty amazing. This Italianate colonial style building houses statues, artifacts and paintings that go back…
The Dehiwala Zoo is kind of depressing if you're an animal lover, ironically, because a lot of the animals live in sad situations here. Some of the animals have wider greener spaces to live in now…
Viharamahadevi Park (VMDP) is Colombo's only major public park. As such it’s a rather important place, providing the sole significant green space and lung for the city's 1 million + inhabitants.
The new Savoy 3D cinema is just...wow. It's huge, the seats aren't falling apart and the screen is HD. That's right, no more trembling, blurry projections. Just a crystal clear, blazingly vibrant,…
This interesting temple in interesting Kotahena is a unique blend of Thai, colonial and local architecture. It's also the oldest Buddhist temple in Colombo.
It’s called the swimming club, so this ought to be a good place for a swim - and it is. Apart from splashing it out in the pool, you can also dive into their excellent club-level food.
Of Colombo’s 5 star hotel pools we are partial to the one at Cinnamon Lakeside. It’s probably the most recently refurbished of the big hotel pools and with its Beira-side views, deep blue tinge,…
Well you really can’t do one without the other - Mount Lavinia Hotel and the Galle Face Hotel are Colombo’s colonial duo. So we headed to the GFH’s famed salt water pool. That’s right, no chlorine here,…
Sea bathing at Mount Lavinia was an old colonial tradition and for over a century the Mt Lavinia hotel has been the place for an afternoon swim. The swimming pool itself is a modern creation and, well,…
Independence Square is still a great place to relax in Colombo. It's part monument, part park, part walking ground. It's main function seems to be as the place where Colombars go for…
This tiny memorial to Sri Wickrama Rajasingha in the Ceylinco parking lot is a quirky destination.
We've been looking forward to the opening of the refurbished Racecourse Grounds in Cinnamon Gardens. The old Dutch Hospital in Fort was renovated by the same authorities recently and they pretty much got it spot…
The Nelum Pokuna Art Street is Colombo's only or at least oldest 'street art' space: a long pavement stretch of paintings by local artists, opposite Viharamahadevi Park, frequented by art enthusiasts…
Once you get there (following our tips), the experience is awesome. Not to be missed. Nothing beats a tense Sri Lanka cricket game, and the show is good even when Sri Lanka isn't playing.
