Travel to Colombo

historic buildings and high-end eateries

The port city of Colombo is located on the west coast of Sri Lanka.

With a population of around six million people (about a quarter of the island’s total), Colombo is the capital city and major port of Sri Lanka.

Colombo owes its importance to the presence of a large deep water harbour, which has played an important role in the Indian Ocean trade for at least 2000 years. But the city was only declared the island’s capital in 1815, when the British took control, taking over the appellation from the inland city of Kandy.

The modern city is a vibrant and colourful place, with a pleasant mixture of historic British and Dutch colonial architecture and contemporary skyscrapers and modern temples.

The best way to get to know the place is to undertake a guided walking tour, starting in the central area (known as Fort, although the original Portuguese fort was demolished in 1830), with prominent colonial buildings including the Old Parliament Building, the General Post Office and the Cargills & Millers Building (originally a British department store). From there it’s a short stroll to the Dutch Hospital, one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city.

You might also choose to explore the vibrant Pettah Market (the largest in the country) and the port area (which is fast developing into a miniature version of Dubai).

One of the great joys of Colombo is the exciting restaurant scene, which varies from simple street food and local diners, all the way up to very chic high-end eateries.

Despite its attractions, Colombo does not feature in that many trips. Those of our guests who do want to explore some of the island’s urban landscapes tend to focus on the historic fort of Galle to the south and the pretty inland city of Kandy. But if you are interested in getting to know contemporary Sri Lanka, then a couple of days here can be very rewarding.

The best time of year to visit the Colombo area is generally considered to be during the Jan-Mar southwest dry season and, to a lesser extent, the Jun-Aug northeast dry season.

Temperatures are more or less constant year round, with daytime temperatures around 28C/82F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures up at a potentially uncomfortable 24C/75F.

The main issue is rainfall, which is highest Sep-Nov and has another smaller peak Apr-May. These periods are therefore usually best avoided, although the rain is sporadic and there are plenty of sunny spells in between.

Getting there

Colombo is home to the main international airport for Sri Lanka (CMB), which lies about 30 km to the north of the city centre.

Colombo therefore tends to feature at the start or end of a trip. Depending on flight timings, it may well be possible to skip staying in the area completely, if you prefer.

The city is usually reached by road. For our guests, this means combining it with various other locations on the island in a private guided overland safari, travelling in the company of an expert driver-guide.

Colombo is the main hub for railway services, with three main lines heading out around the island …

– Colombo to Puttalam
– Colombo to Kandy, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Trinco, Nuwara
– Colombo to Galle

If you specifically want to include a rail journey in your trip, then it should be possible for you to take the train, whilst your driver-guide drives on to meet you at the far end.

Where to stay

Accommodation in the Colombo area falls into three main categories …

If you are interested in exploring the city, then there are a handful of really good boutique hotels in the prime central areas, as well as the usual larger hotels.

If you want to explore the city a little, but would prefer to be based close to a beach, then there’s a few reasonable mid-range options to the south.

If you simply need somewhere to stay closer to the airport, then there’s a couple of really nice rural lodges out that way, which are actually much nicer than simple overnight places and can be used for multiple night rest stops.

deploying nights here is usually optional