Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, a port city with a rich colonial heritage on the western coast, is a blend of races, religions, and cultures. Colombo displays both the best and the worst the country has to offer. The city is a contrast in itself, with mansions, lush gardens, fine dining options, shopping malls packed with designer brands standing next to urban slums, congested roads, and street markets.
Despite its small size of just 37.31 km², Colombo offers a wide variety of experiences ranging from taking a tuk tuk ride, visiting the Pettah market, and eating kottu to playing a round of golf and having high tea at one of the colonial-style hotels overlooking the Indian Ocean. With many boutiques filled with international brands and local art and fabrics, Colombo is the best place to do last-minute shopping. Then, it’s best to retire to Galle Face Green, Colombo's playground, for some kottu or wade.
About Colombo City
Colombo City, the capital of Sri Lanka, is an intense, vibrant, and dynamic commercial city with a population of 3 million. Colombo, with its seaport and its international airport located 35 km north of the city center, is Sri Lanka's prime hub of transportation: the main motor roads and railway lines to all parts of the island begin here. Among the accommodation options in Colombo, which sports an array of international-class hotels, boutique hotels, and villas, are top-tier establishments like Hilton Colombo.
Galadari Hotel, Ceylon Continental, Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Cinnamon Lakeside, Taj Samudra Colombo, Hotel Holiday Inn, and Galle Face Hotel are among the hotels of international standing in Colombo. The heart of the city called "Fort" (Colombo’s Portuguese fort no longer exists) is home to colonial buildings that house department stores and government offices, alongside modern high-rise buildings containing trade centers and commercial banks. Fort is also the center of Sri Lanka’s financial system, with institutions like the Central Bank, Bank of Ceylon, Peoples Bank, and multinational banks helping to drive the nation’s economy.
Galle Face Green, the perfect seafront promenade, runs parallel to the Indian Ocean and is a refreshing surprise to visitors entering Colombo. Just after passing the Hotel Galadari and Hilton Colombo, visitors will arrive at the historic Galle Face Hotel to the right, with Taj Samudra and Hotel Holiday Inn to the left. The Colombo–Galle coastal road stretches 160 km to Matara, hugging the coastline and often running parallel to the southern railway line. From Wadduwa to Matara, this southwestern belt offers pristine beaches supported by international-class hotels. Spend the night at Bentota Bay Beach (64 km from Colombo).