Joanna James
Set yourself out on a trip along the busy streets of Colombo, Sri Lanka with a camera in your hand and you will have the chance to capture some award winning frames in no time.
The Galle Face Green stretching along the beach in the heart of Colombo is a perfect location for street photography. Its half kilometre long grass carpet is sort of an open park usually filled with happy children flying their kites, playing and running about, and people having relaxed chats on the ground. The long walkway is packed with small, cart like shops where you will find the busy vendors selling out their tasty street food, drinks, ice cream, and toys for small children. It is a beautiful sight to see colourful umbrellas popping out from everywhere when it gets too sunny. Galle Face gets overly crowded on the weekends, but the weekday evenings are quite nice to capture some beautiful shots.
Fort is a busy and lively city with most of the local business being centred on it. One of the main spots of attraction is the Fort Railway Station, which is over 100 years old. It is quite fascinating to see the passengers getting in and out of trains, hurrying out to reach their destinations. Everyday morning and evening during the office hours the station gets packed with the working crowd. The main bus stand is also located in Fort, where you can catch a bus to almost anywhere in the country. This is also a good place to capture the ethnic diversity of Sri Lanka.
Starting very early in the morning every day, the Pettah Market or the Manning Market is open all 7 days of the week. As the day proceeds, the market gets very active and busy. The chaos of the business with sellers trying to attract customers and people bargaining to get a cheaper price for their buy create a lively environment. Even though you do not need to buy anything, just having a walk around the market is one of the best things to do in Colombo. What is best about the Pettah Market is that people are very friendly and welcoming, and even amidst the busy schedules they do not forget to greet you with a smile. If you are lucky enough, they might even spare a minute to pose for the camera.
Situated near the St. Anthony's Church, Colombo the Newnham Square is a quite infamous place, but is a culturally rich area with a vibrant multi religious and multi ethnic community. There are also a few mosques near the Newnham Square that are worth taking a look. You will find many small shops and a maze of byroads and cross streets to explore the city life. Some areas are residential, and there is also a school in close proximity.
There are enough boutique hotels in Colombo that offer a comfortable stay within the city limits, such as the Residence by Uga Escapes. But when you want to experience the beach, the best option close to the city is in Mt. Lavinia. You can catch a train from Pettah Station to Mt. Lavinia easily. The train ride gives you ample opportunity to capture the beautiful side of the city, waving in between urban and rural environments.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
