Colombo is Sri Lanka’s largest urban complex and is also its commercial capital. While the administrative center is located in Sri Jayawardenapura, Kotte. Both are located in the Western Province along the coast, specifically within the district of Colombo itself. Within its city limits there are 555,000 people and many more in its suburbs. Colombo is far more populous than Kandy, and it gained its recognition during the colonial eras as an important trading post.

Naming of Colombo

Colombo has been known for centuries under its original name of Kolom Thota. While its current name was given during the Portuguese time. Colombo is derived from the Sinhalese terms “Kola+Amba”, after green mangoes, or mango trees. Currently the Sinhalese name of the city is “Kolamba”, while Colombo is an Anglicization of the older terms. It was finally taken over by the Portuguese. At the same time, it was during the Portuguese period that the western Kingdom of Kotte fell and Colombo fell out of local hands. Finally the Europeans were free to develop the harbor and turn it into their own center of commerce.

The British modeled Colombo on their own urban settlements. During that time, before independence, there were tram car tracks laid all over the roads of the city. Earlier the name itself referred only to the area around the Pettah Market and Khan Clock Tower, at least until 1948.

Colombo is divided into fifteen postal districts, with the capital of Colombo 1 being Fort and of 15 being Mutwal and Mattakkuliya, among the more remote and little-known parts of the urban complex. To most people today, Colombo 7 is the hub of elitist activity but is also an incredible artistic center with a great deal of culture, poetry and theater. All of these fields are incredibly developed in Sri Lanka’s west where both foreign and local ideologies clash.

Places to Visit in Colombo

Anyone from the city can tell you that there are plenty of things to do and places to visit in Colombo. Among the best places to visit in Colombo include the Independence Square, a monument constructed in commemoration of Sri Lanka’s freedom from British grasp. It is built in a much older architectural style, with its stylistic lions guarding the main structure. Colombo 7 also includes the Race Course Promenade, parallel to a section of the massive Royal College-once Victoria Academy-complex. Royal college is yet another remnant from the British period and one of many private institutions modeled upon the old British schooling system.

Some locations that retain their original design include the National Museum and the older Public Library whereas the newer one has a more modern look to it. The current Public Library has an incredible atmosphere for reading, with its extensive gardens and air-conditioned halls, while it might be slightly dark inside.

Viharamahadevi Park is perhaps the best place in the city to catch a breath of fresh air. There are bike lanes here, and if one is adventurous enough, one may even bring a skateboard. The suburbs of Boralesgamuwa, Battaramulla & Nugegoda, set outside the city limits, contain good scenic walking paths. These overlooked wetlands where cleared-out and now is populated by joggers and cyclists of all ages.

Iconic Landmarks

Part of the city’s charm is the actual inclusion of these colonial and post-colonial reminders and sometimes the modern attractions of Colombo merge together to create such places of interest such as the famous Arcade Independence Square. At one time it had been an old asylum but is now one of the best hangout spots in the city. Its colonial architecture is included in the tiled roofs and the sculptures of the lions that romp around the middle of the courtyard. However it is, for all thoughts and purposes, a modern building in its premise.

A similar one is the famous Old Dutch Hospital, set on the coast around the vicinity of the Galle Face Green. Built around an open courtyard. The building complex was truly an old infirmary for the Dutch sailors during the 16th and 17th Centuries. Thus making it one of the oldest surviving buildings in the area. One can enjoy a cup of Ceylon tea from the famous Heladiv. Dig into Sri Lankan crabs at the Ministry of Crab or shop at the Dutch’s ODEL outlet. The Green itself has had an incredibly long history since its original conception as a sporting ground for a number of years. Presently it too is a hangout spot by the sea.

Hangout Places

Other coastal destinations include the famous Mount Lavinia Beach while a tourist can certainly do much more than merely swim or walk on the sands. There is the Mount Lavinia Hotel, once a governor’s residence during the earliest days of colonialism. It still maintains its historic charm. On the road to the hotel there are a number of cafeterias such as Lavazza, famous for Arabic and Mediterranean flavors, and Charcoal Gallery Café. These locations are all built in the suburb of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.

Race Course Promenade was once what its name suggests it to be, a center for equestrian sports during the colonial era. At times it plays host to the Good Market, an incredible display of color and splendor which includes organic delicacies and little shopping stalls with second-hand books, clothes and little trinkets. While at Race Course one might enjoy a rather pricey albeit delectable meal at RnR, with its high-profile atmosphere and bar just adjoining the restaurant. Or if one prefers the simpler things in life, they may opt for McDonald’s downstairs.

Popular Local Brands

As for the other places to visit in Colombo, there is the brainchild of Barbara Sansoni, the famed Barefoot Gallery. There is also Paradise Road, with its wide variety of shopping complexes but none as widely known as ODEL. House of Fashion is also a fashion destination for the devoted shopper. Sri Lankan food restaurants in Colombo include Nuga Gama, Kaema Sutra & Thuna Paha. Nuga gama is famous for its rural aesthetic, or rather a romanticized version of a traditional Sri Lankan village. The place gets its name from the large banyan or “Nuga” tree right in the center. The Cinnamon Gardens area, the hotspot for Colombo’s cultured and elite group, is filled with hotels as well. Some of the urban five star hotels include Cinnamon Grand, The Kingsbury, Shangri-La, Taj Samudra and Galle Face Hotel.

Written by Vasika Udurawane for Travel Lanka Compass