Colombo
This terracotta-tiled, Dutch-era structure dates back to the early 1600s. Beautifully restored, it's now home to trendy shops, cafes and restaurants. In…
Must-see attractions in Colombo
Colombo
Offering a captivating walk through Sri Lankan history, this delightful Colombo museum sprawls across a gleaming white, neo-Baroque building constructed…
Colombo
This long open space traditionally faced a narrow beach and the sea. It was originally cleared by the Dutch to give the cannons of Fort a clear line of…
Colombo
Colombo’s biggest park was originally called Victoria Park, but was renamed in the 1950s after the mother of King Dutugemunu. It’s notable for its superb…
Colombo
This unique museum was originally the 17th-century residence of the Dutch governor and has since been used as a Catholic seminary, a military hospital, a…
Federation of Self Employees Market
Colombo
The concentrated and manic commerce of Pettah is concentrated even further in its markets. Stretching along 5th Cross St, this don't-miss market is a hive…
Colombo
Dating to 1865, this municipal building from the British era is mostly empty today, save for some old trucks and municipal equipment on display in the…
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Colombo
At the end of this quiet little street is the house where the renowned architect Bawa lived from 1960 to 1970. The house combines his usual love for…
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Seema Malakaya Meditation Centre
Colombo
One of Colombo’s most photographed sights is on an island on the east side of the South Beira Lake. This small but captivating meditation centre was…
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Colombo
In the heart of Pettah, the decorative 1909 Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque is a show-stopper with its candy-striped red-and-white brickwork. Guards will usually let…
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Colombo
Huge pelicans perch on light poles and otherwise lounge about at this roundabout. Watch where you walk.
Colombo
The 1749 Wolvendaal Church is the most important Dutch building in Sri Lanka. When the church was built, this area was a wilderness beyond the city walls…
Colombo
One of the city’s most interesting shrines is St Anthony’s Church. Outside it looks like a typical Portuguese Catholic church, but inside the atmosphere…
Colombo
Run by one of Sri Lanka’s more politically adept monks, Galboda Gnanissara Thera, this bustling temple complex has a library, a museum and an…
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Colombo
One corner of this bustling roundabout is occupied by the popular Odel department store. Opposite is the Cinnamon Gardens Baptist Church, which dates to…
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Colombo
Puppet shows were long a part of traditional entertainment in Sri Lankan villages. Performing troupes would stage shows with intricate plots that lasted…
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Colombo
It’s believed Buddha visited the site of this temple on his third visit to Sri Lanka. Suitably grand and labyrinthine, it has a dramatic past. The…
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Colombo
The 50-acre University of Colombo campus, which originally opened as the Ceylon Medical School in 1870, is surrounded by long tree-lined avenues lined…
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Colombo
Local retail giant Cargills once had its main store on York St. The now mostly empty ornate 1906 red building still shows its faded elegance in its long…
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Colombo
Chatham St is seeing the ongoing renovations of old buildings, one of the grandest being the old colonnaded 1914 Central Bank building known as Central…
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Colombo
Casting a shadow over Slave Island, the 350m Lotus Tower is set to open by sometime in 2018. With a bulbous top meant to resemble the namesake blossom,…
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Colombo
Climb up onto the large central terrace of this 1954 lighthouse for views of the ocean, and the rapidly expanding commercial port and mega offshore…
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Colombo
Sir Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha has the grandly restored Lloyd’s Buildings. Several other imposing colonial piles on the street are also in various stages…
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Colombo
On the relatively clean waters of Lake Battaramulla, this modern park has a children's play area as well as food vendors. It's a relaxing place to spend…
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Colombo
Really a large memorial building to Sri Lanka’s 1948 independence from Britain, this huge stone edifice is loosely based on Kandy’s Audience Hall. It's…
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Colombo
A perfect example of how quickly Colombo is changing: what was an industrial canal has been reborn as a waterfront district with simple cafes, food…
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Colombo
As compact as a fresh haggis, this 1834 granite church is an island of calm back from Galle Rd. Inside the cool interior, the walls are lined with fulsome…
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Colombo
The venerable Grand Oriental Hotel has an iconic statue on the small traffic circle in front of its entry that defies political correctness. A wiry local…
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Colombo
Reached along the arcade on the north side of the Grand Oriental Hotel, this converted Dutch governor’s banquet hall was first used as a church in 1821…
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Colombo
Some of the best contemporary Sri Lankan artists are displayed in this whitewashed compound. Look for the huge elephant sculpture, created from old…
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Colombo
The restored clock tower at the junction of Chatham St and Janadhipathi Mawatha (once Queen St) was originally a lighthouse that was built in 1857. It's…
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Colombo
If you can dodge the teeming mass of load-carrying labourers for a moment, it pays to look up as you explore Pettah. Case in point is this old potato…
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Colombo
This enormous 1881 cathedral lies in the Catholic heart of the Kotahena district. The biggest church in Sri Lanka has an exterior inspired by St Peter's…
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Colombo
Another of Colombo's new instant landmarks, the 240m-tall Altair is a stunning edifice that takes its name from its soaring A-shape. Balconies texturise…
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Colombo
Just east of Fort train station, Manning Market is ripe with everything grown in Sri Lanka. It’s the city’s wholesale fruit and veg centre and is a monkey…
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Colombo
Has a constantly changing line-up of cultural events, with regular art exhibitions as well as performances and theatre. It’s worth turning up just to see…
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Colombo
Dedicated to the war god Murugan (Skanda), this is the northernmost of three adjoining temples. It's one of the largest in Colombo and was built in 1830.
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Colombo
Sri Lanka's grand parliament complex, designed by Geoffrey Bawa; visits require a complex series of approvals as outlined on the website.
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Colombo
A row of colonial storefronts on Union Pl that aren't looking particularly healthy, what with the trees growing out their facades.
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Colombo
Dedicated to the war god Murugan (Skanda), this is the middle of three adjoining kovils (temples).
