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Colombo Maps & Attractions Guide
Colombo maps & Attractions - Things to do
in Colombo
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Colombo
Attractions - Things to do
1. National Museum
Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha
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What is it? Sri Lanka's oldest museum was established in
1877 and today boasts a massive collection of antiques and objects
d'art, encompassing the cultural heritage of the island. Exhibits
include artefacts from archaeological sites all over Sri Lanka, and
more than 4,000 ancient palm leaf manuscripts. Among the exhibits
is displayed the regalia of the Kandyan Kings dating back to the
17th century. Alongside the archaeological museum in Ananda
Coomaraswamy Mawatha is the Natural History Museum, which features
the island's fauna and flora in dioramas. The dual museums are a
good introduction for visitors interested in discovering the
culture and 2,500-year history of the
island.
Hours of Operation: Daily 9am to 5pm. Closed Fridays
Phone:(0)1 2697467-8 |
2. Pettah
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What is it? Colombo's bazaar district, the Pettah,
presents a real treat for shopaholics who can wander through the
hustle and bustle of whole streets dedicated to selling a
particular type of merchandise, from local handcrafts to brand name
clothing. The area was once an exclusive residential area filled
with stately homes and large gardens in gas-lit streets. A relic of
the colonial era, the Dutch House Museum, is open to the public on
Prince Street. The mansion house dates from the 17th century and
was the residence of Count August Carl Van Ranzow. It has now been
restored and stands among the traders and boutiques as a museum
displaying the life and times of the Dutch occupation, its exhibits
including furniture, ceramics, coins and all the trappings of daily
life at the time.
Hours of Operation: Dutch House Museum open daily 9am to 5pm; closed
Fridays
Phone: |
3. Zoological Gardens
In Dehiwala, south of the city
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What is it? Colombo's zoo has a fine collection of
animals, birds, reptiles and fish from all over the world, but in
particular showcases the fauna of the island. The complex includes
an aquarium, which is the only one of its kind in Asia displaying
more than 500 varieties of aquatic life. There is also a
walk-through aviary, reptile enclosure and butterfly park. One of
the most popular attractions at the zoo are the daily elephant
shows, which take place at 5.15pm.
Hours of Operation: Daily 8am to 6pm
Phone: |
4. Hotels
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What is it? Whether you stay in them or not, Colombo has
some grand old hotels with plenty of legends and history attached
that are well worth visiting, even for a sundowner on the veranda.
The Grand Oriental Hotel faces the once-bustling passenger harbour
terminal and in the age of elegance played host to the rich and
famous travelling on the famed Cunard and P&O passenger
liners. The Galle Face Hotel faces the Green with a haughty,
beautiful façade. It oozes with charm and is believed to be the
oldest hotel east of the Suez Canal. The Mount Lavinia Hotel at the
city's beach resort was originally the residence of the British
Governor.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
5. Anuradhapura
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What is it? The remains of the ancient sacred city of
Anuradhapura are sited about 130 miles (205km) north of Colombo,
standing majestically in the jungle that for generations hid away
the palaces, monasteries and monuments, which have been there since
the third century BC. The ancient city was capital of the island
for more than 10 centuries, until an invasion in 993, having
initially been founded around a fig tree grown from a cutting of
Buddha's 'tree of enlightenment'. The remains visible today consist
of several magnificent dagobas (domes built to enshrine sacred
relics), sculptures, carvings, ruined palaces and monasteries,
bathing ponds and irrigation tanks. Tourist facilities and hotels
are available in the nearby 'new town' of Anuradhapura. A
recommended way to view the many scattered archaeological treasures
is to hire a bicycle, or travel between sights on a
'Tuk-tuk'.
Hours of Operation: Daily 8am to 5pm
Phone: |
6. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Near Kegalle town
www.elephant.se/pinnawela_elephant_orphanage_Sri_Lanka.php |
What is it? Among the green hills of Kegalle, about 50
miles (85km) from Colombo on the road to Kandy in the hill country,
a herd of about 60 elephants roam free in the Pinnewela Elephant
Orphanage. This popular attraction, established as a sanctuary
covering 25 acres of lush forest by the Sri Lankan Government in
1975, is unique. Its purpose is to feed, nurse and house young
elephants lost or abandoned by their mothers. Recently the
sanctuary has also started a breeding programme. Visitors are
invited to observe and assist the baby elephants as they are fed
from giant feeding bottles, before the pachyderms are lead down to
the river for their daily baths at 10am and
2pm.
Hours of Operation: Daily 8.30am to 5.45pm; feeding at 8am daily, and
bathing times are 10am and 2pm
Phone:035 65804 |
7. Adam's Peak
sripada.org |
What is it? The legendary mountain peak towering 7,297ft
(2,224m) over the island of Sri Lanka is known as Sri Pada or
Adam's Peak, and has been venerated as a place of pilgrimage and
worship for all major faiths for many generations. The holy
mountain bears the imprint of a foot on a rock on its summit.
Depending on their faith pilgrims believe the print was left there
by Buddha, the God Shiva, St Thomas, or Adam after he was expelled
from Eden. Whether you believe the footprint to be holy or not the
climb to view it, protected in an enclosure at the pinnacle of the
peak, is well worth it for the panoramic views of tropical forest
afforded from the top. The stairway up the mountainside is believed
to be the longest in the world and climbers are entitled to ring
the bell sited at the top once they have made the
journey.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
8. Kandy
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What is it? The relaxed and peaceful atmosphere of the
town of Kandy in the heart of Sri Lanka's hill country, about 75
miles (120km) from Colombo, is probably the result of being
beautifully situated around a tranquil lake in a bowl of hills. The
town is also the bastion of the island's pervasive Buddhist faith,
and plays host to the country's most venerated religious relic, the
sacred tooth of Buddha. The octagonal Dalada Maligawa, or Temple of
the Tooth, attracts hundreds of pilgrims to daily ceremonies
honouring the relic, and each year in July and August the tooth is
carried in procession on an elephant during the ancient Esala
Perahera parade. According to legend, the tooth was taken from
Buddha as he lay on his funeral pyre and was smuggled to Sri Lanka
hidden in the hair of a princess in the 4th century. Visitors can't
actually see the tooth as it's in a casket, but the temple is an
interesting place all the same. The ancient city also sports a good
museum, the lovely Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, a bird sanctuary
and an auditorium where folk dances are performed and local crafts
are on display.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
9. Trincomalee
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What is it? The ancient port of Trincomalee on the
northeast coast of Sri Lanka has a perfect natural harbour, which
has made the town a prize to be fought over by foreign powers for
generations. The Danes first took the trophy in 1617 on behalf of
the Dutch, but the Portuguese put up a fort and staked their claim
a few years later. By the mid-17th century the port was Dutch
again, until the British and French both had a turn at occupation
in the late 18th century. During the Second World War the harbour
was a strategic British naval base, and now is home to the Sri
Lankan Navy. The beaches in the area, especially those north of
Trincomalee at Nilaveli and Uppuveli, are broad, soft and white,
lapped by warm gentle waters. Among the sights to visit is Fort
Frederick, built by the Portuguese, and Wellington House, once home
to the Duke of Wellington. The Tirukoneswaram Temple is an
important modern Hindu shrine at Swami
Rock.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
10. Sigiriya
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What is it? Sigiriya is an important Buddhist site in
central Sri Lanka, about 100 miles (161km) northeast of Colombo.
The remains of an ancient royal fortress and city dating from 477
AD stand on a vast rock, which rises 600ft (180m) above the
surrounding plain. King Kasyapa built it to safeguard against
attack from his brother, Mogallana from whom he had stolen the
throne after having killed their father. The only way into the city
is through the massive carved jaws of a lion - the name Sigiriya is
taken from 'giriya', meaning 'jaws and throat' and 'sinha' meaning
'lion'. The site is one of the best-preserved first-millennium city
centres in Asia and is also renowned for its 5th-century rock
paintings and its magnificent, symmetrical water
gardens.
Hours of Operation: Daily 8.30am to 6pm
Phone: |
Colombo Holidays guide
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Transport -Catching a bus in Colombo is an experience
in itself and is perhaps recommended only for hardened travellers.
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