Fritzjames Stephen
The capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo is the most urban city here and is packed with plenty of exciting things to do. Despite the world of choices, I specifically enjoyed the 5 main attractions listed below.
With golden brown sands and Sparkling blue waters the beaches of Colombo are absolutely stunning and accounts for being a major attraction in this commercial capital. Colombo is a coastal city and most of its suburbs are located adjoining the beaches giving easy access to a majority of the city's sparkling Blues. The most popular beach in Colombo is the Galle Face which is located in the North end of the city. A popular hangout spot among locals, Galle face is full of life year round and is packed with plenty of eateries, kites and fun. The Mount Lavinia beach is yet another picturesque beach in Colombo. Calm and far more quiet, this is a much better beach for relaxation and for indulging in authentic seafood cuisine.
If you can't find it in Colombo, you will not be able to find it anywhere else in the country. In a nutshell, Colombo is 'the' shopping destination in Sri Lanka where you can find anything from modern branded apparel to traditional Sri Lankan crafts. Adorned with malls and markets, Colombo has a world of shopping for you to experience. You can either browse through Majestic City, Liberty Plaza, or Crescat Boulevard; the 3 most elite malls in the city or better yet haggle, bargain and buy more for less at the numerous whole sale markets in Pettah; the commercial hub of Colombo.
For foodies Colombo offers an entire world to choose from. You can either opt to savor Sri Lankan delicacies at the many 'Game Kades' dotted around the city or indulge in rich and exquisite fine dining in Colombo's most elite restaurant s. In fact most of Colombo's fine dining eateries are located within the 5 star Colombo hotels centered in the heart of this city. Take Cinnamon Grand for instance. Not only does this restaurant have the popular Taprobane, it is also home to the famous seafood restaurant, Lagoon, the traditional Nuga Game and several other restaurants.
Once a strong hold of the colonial reign; Colombo has plenty of locations in the city that still reflect the charm of its yesteryears. The many age old buildings at the Colombo Fort is living proof of this and so is the Railway station, the old monument, the Dutch hospital and several other similar places. For a holistic dose of the history of Colombo, pay a visit to the National Museum. With an array of artifacts from the yesteryears you can go on a journey back time at this place.
Of late plenty of beautiful parks have been established in Colombo giving the city a plethora of points ideal to take a walk, grab a bite or to simply relax. Victoria Park has been very recently refurbished and other names like the Diyavanna Oya, Boralasgamuwa Park and the Nugegoda Park have all come up giving this city plenty of spots to wind down.
