Colombo

Colombo, Sri Lanka

The capital and largest city of Sri Lanka is situated on the densely populated southwestern coast of the Indian Ocean. Back in the Middle Ages, it was one of the world's most important trading ports. It was from here that Sri Lanka's finest sapphires, rubies, emeralds and other high quality gem stones found their way to other parts of the world.

The typical coastal city of Southeast Asia is a blend of pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences. Skyscrapers loom over tree-lined, spic and span streets, quaint temples and bustling nightlife playgrounds. Colombo merits its reputation as “Paradise on the Sea”, which is exactly what the city's name means in Sinhalese.

Getting around

• National Museum of Colombo

  Sri Lanka's largest and oldest museum is an architecturally eye-pleasing work of art. Its collection includes the throne and crown of the Kandyan monarchs and intricate carvings.

• Colombo Municipal Council

  It's a building of neoclassical style put up by the British. It fronts onto the beautiful Viharamahadevi Park, the city's largest urban park.

• Gangaramaya Temple

  The complex is an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese architectural styles. It contains a library, a museum and a three-story Buddhist academy.

  
  
  
• Independence Square and Independence Memorial Hall

  This is where the independence of the nation was first celebrated in1948. In its center is the memorial hall patterned on the Kandyan Kingdom's palace where kings granted audiences to visitors. The columns are adorned with elegant cat-depicting carvings and Buddhist iconography. Around the memorial hall are 60 mock-Kandy lion sculptures. To the north of the memorial hall towers the statue of Don Stephen Senanayake, the founding father of modern Sri Lanka.