I was sitting at the airport, at the flight boarding gate at 5 AM, coffee in hand, looking up things to do in Colombo. This was my first international trip in 5 years and the reality of going to a new country hadn’t actually sunk in until I was about to board the plane. I had 4 days to spend in Sri Lanka’s capital city, which, by most accounts was 2 days too many. The blog I was reading was titled ‘Colombo – learning to love an unlovable city,’ and before that, I’d read about Colombo’s snarling traffic, dusty and grimy buildings, and poverty. “Ok, so it’s somewhat like Mumbai,” I thought.
So when I touched down at Bandaranaike International Airport in Negombo and was doing the one-hour cab ride to Colombo, imagine my surprise to see a city that was absolutely sparkling clean. Steel-grey skyrises glistened in the sun, there was a generous dose of greenery wherever you looked, and posh cars zoomed along immaculate, wide roads – it was the opposite of what I’d just read.
Over the course of 4 days, my first impression of the city held true. Colombo was a fascinating, high-energy city that is also calm, quiet, well-organized and so beautiful. We ticked off most of what we wanted to see in Colombo, and here are some of the best things to do in no particular order.
Things to do in Colombo
Visit Jami ul Alfar – the Red and White Mosque
One of the most popular places to visit in Colombo is the Jami ul Alfar mosque, more popularly called the Red and White Mosque. This stunning piece of architecture towers over the chaotic market and it was so hard getting a single picture without people constantly waking or driving past.
Its candy-striped edifice and pomegranate-shaped domes make it a unique piece of architecture. Interestingly, it was created by an unqualified architect, commissioned by South Indian traders. It draws elements from Indo-Islamic architecture that combine Gothic revival and Neo-classic styles. You can enter the mosque from Gate 3 between 4 PM – 10 PM when there are no prayers going on. Remember to dress conservatively! If you’re driving, you will find the paid parking area a few hundred meters down the road beside a line of shops on the pavement, and it is easy to miss.
Marvel at thousands of Buddha Statues at Gangaramaya Temple
The Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo has more Buddha statues than you can imagine. They’re in every shape, size, form, colour, and in every material imaginable… it’s nuts!! There’s even one made of nuts and bolts. The entry fee for foreigners is 400 LKR. You will need at least an hour to go through its several rooms at leisure – you’ll find stuffed elephants and alligators, a room full of antique watches, radios, and electronics, another room full of beautifully maintained furniture and crockery, and yes, Buddha statues *everywhere.* This is an antique lover’s paradise.
After a morning of looking at endless Buddhas, the statue fatigue got real. So we took a break and visited the other part of the temple on Beira Lake, down the road. You will be able to enter by presenting the same ticket you paid for at Gangaramaya Temple. There were only a couple dozen gold Buddhas here. Phew. Notice the green colour of the water? While that looked pretty cool, the lake gets its bright green colour because of pollution.
As in all Buddhist temples, we had to leave our shoes outside. We visited at noon and were jumping around on the hot-as-hellfire granite tiles. I’d imagine we must have been quite a sight for the temple staff. My feet still burn, a week later.
Sri Kailawasanthan Swami Devasthanam Kovli – the oldest temple in Colombo
We stopped at the Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam as we were on our way out of Colombo on Day 4, and I’m glad we did. It was one of the best sights in the city, in my books. It was offbeat, had no entry fees, and was incredibly colourful (thanks to its South Indian influence) – and these are just a few of the things I loved about it. It is actually the oldest temple in Colombo, dating back 200 years. One temple is dedicated to the god Ganesha and the other to god Shiva. Photos are not allowed inside, but it is full of masterfully crafted sculptures. A feast for the eyes, both inside the temple and out.
Admire the view from the top of Lotus Tower
I’d recommend a visit to the Lotus Tower only if you have time and money to spare. We didn’t really plan on going to the top of the tallest self-supported structure in Sri Lanka; but after spending 3 days in Colombo, we’d done all the evening activities we wanted to and more, so we drove by the tower on our last night and popped in. To be honest, we almost left after hearing that the entry fee was over 6000 LKR per person (or a better-sounding 20 USD).
In my experience of visiting towers abroad, it is free to spend time sitting or walking around outside the tower, and the entry fee applies only if you want to get inside. That was not the case here. Lucky for us, we had a few USD on hand and paid the balance in LKR so we didn’t feel so bad about going up to the top after shelling out 18000 LKR for the three of us – which would have never happened.
I’d have been more excited about it if it allowed some sort of urban adventure (maybe walking on the edge as I did at CN Tower Canada) or dining in the revolving restaurant (like in Kuwait Towers). But I love me a good skyline, so this was a nice-ish, although expensive way to spend an hour. Would have been better at sunset though.
Stroll through Viharamahadevi Park
Yet another thing you can skip if you don’t have time. The Viharamahadevi Park, previously called Victoria Park is a large, beautiful space just opposite the Parliament building / Town Hall. There is no entry fee, making it a great place for locals and tourists to sit or lie on the well-manicured lawns under large trees and simply unwind. A toy train and a large golden statue of Buddha are two of the landmarks in the park. If you have some time to kill between sightseeing, head over.
Spend an evening at Galle Face Green
A lot of the blogs about Sri Lanka said to avoid Galle Face Green, a small stretch of lawn and beach. But like Viharamahadevi Park, we popped by for a bit as we had time to spare after work one evening. There is not much to do here except sit on the grass and watch the sunset or grab some food from the swanky food trucks that open up in the evenings. The street food vendors who had small carts had food that didn’t look fresh, appetizing, or hygienic. There were cooked crabs as well as prawn skewers among other things kept in the open on display.
Galle Face Green had barely a couple of meters of beach stretch below, which isn’t really accessible. After spending 15-20 mins walking along the promenade, we crossed the road and checked out Galle Face One. It is a massive, upscale mall complex that had stores selling branded apparel, alongside grocery stores, cafes, ice cream vendors, and more. On a hot summer’s evening, the a/c interiors were a welcome relief.
Shop and eat at Dutch Hospital
The Colombo Fort area is a wonderful place to experience the blend of Sri Lanka’s colonial history merged with its modern and independent avatar. Colombo Fort is sort of like a business district and has several high-rise buildings, alongside historic flashbacks from colonial times. One of the most prominent buildings is the Lighthouse Clock Tower, and the other is the Old Dutch Hospital.
The Old Dutch Hospital is considered one of the oldest buildings in the Colombo Fort area, dating back to the Dutch colonial era (early 1600). It is beautifully restored and houses some really nice restaurants, cafes, and cool shops.
Shop for souvenirs in Colombo
If you’re planning to shop for gifts or souvenirs, Colombo is the best place to do so. I personally loved the store called Odel at Old Dutch Hospital, but there are several others that offer some top-quality, attractive items. I went gaga at Odel over the cute elephant jewelry, the fridge magnets, coffee mugs, stationery, teas, and pretty much everything they had. The entire Fort area has some decent shops, and if you want cheaper items like clothes, bags, and shoes, Pettah Market (where Jami ul Alfar is located) is a good bet.
Get your first taste of Sri Lankan food
Sri Lanka is known for dishes such as Rice & Curry (fun fact – when you order Rice and Curry, you get half a dozen or more accompaniments alongside), Kottu (chopped roti with curry and scrambled eggs), hoppers (also called appams in India), and more. While Colombo has nice places to try Sri Lankan food, my favourite being Ceylon Curry Club, it is a metropolitan city and therefore boasts of a lot of international cuisines too. I also tried Cafe on the Fifth, which is known for local food, but I wasn’t too impressed with it.
Other Things to Do In Colombo
Ok, so I’m tired of reading listicles that feature ‘take a tuk tuk ride’ or ‘drink king coconut water’ as part of things to do in Colombo. Sounds a bit daft, if you ask me. Nevertheless, I will talk about one thing I didn’t do in Colombo that I want to do on my next trip, and that is a visit to Geoffrey Bawa’s house.
Geoffrey Bawa was a Sri Lankan architect who lived between 1919 and 2003, and was one of the most influential architects in the region at the time. He designed prominent buildings such as the Sri Lankan Parliament Complex, the Seema Malakaya Meditation Centre, and more, but his residence for 40 years, simply called ‘Number 11,’ is said to be a treat for architecture lovers. So if you’re inclined to do a tour of this historic attraction, I bet it will be a one-of-a-kind experience.
Lastly, if you’re a digital nomad in Colombo, I’d recommend spending a few hours working out of a cafe called the Department of Coffee. We loved spending a couple of hours here – the coffee was excellent and the ambiance was beautiful.
Hope you found this blog post helpful. Here’s where you can find all my blogs on Sri Lanka. I’ll share my Colombo itinerary with you shortly as well as some fun things to do in Ella, Kandy, and Galle. Catch me on Facebook and Instagram until then.
