Colombo
Why go?
A hot and bustling city which few locals or tourists seem to love;
far better to escape beyond it as soon as possible - but it's
likely that you will end up spending a day or night there either
end of your trip.
There are some joys to be had though. Go shopping; Barefoot
(704 Galle Road) has great sarongs and furnishing fabrics and
Paradise Road (213 Dharmapala Mawatha Street) sells
antiques, homeware and good quality crafts. Have lunch at the cool
Paradise Road Gallery Café, the former offices of Sri
Lanka’s best known architect, Geoffrey Bawa (at 2 Alfred
House Road).
At the end of the day take in a cool beer at the Galle Face Hotel -
a colonial institution - while watching the sun set over the Indian
Ocean. We highly recommend you stay at the intimate
Havelock Place Bungalows, a former homestead turned
gallery/boutique hotel; or at the supremely classy and elegant
Park Street Hotel. For those wanting to be with the
in-crowd, Casa Colombo is very funky if your budget can
stretch. For tranquility not far from the airport, The
Wallawa is perfect, while the friendly Mount Lodge
offers laid-back hospitality in the beachside Mount Lavina area.