Colombo
Telephone dialing code for Colombo is 011
Places of interest
| Galleries | Serendip Gallery (largest collection in Sri Lanka) Barefoot gallery (a laberynth and collectors dream) Artists’ Gallery Lionel Wendt Memorial Art Centre (famed photograph, largely Black and white ) National Art Gallery Paradise Road Galleries (c. 50 paintings in a great café setting) |
| Museums | Dutch Period Museum National Museum |
Places of Worship
| Religion | Place of worship | Address |
| Buddhist | Temples | Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara 7km east of Fort |
| Gangaramaya Temple, Sri Jinaratana Road, Slave island | ||
| Seema Malakaya Temple, Beira Lake | ||
| Hindu | Temples | New & Old Kathiresan Kovil Sea Street, Pettah |
| Sri Kailawasanathar, Swami Devasthanam Captains Gardens, off DR Wijewardena Street | ||
| Muslim | Mosque | Grand Mosque New Moor Street, Pettah |
| Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque 2nd Cross & Bankshall Streets | ||
| Catholic/Christian | Church | Wolvendaal Church Wolfendhal Lane, Pettah |
| St. Lucia’s Cathedral St.Lucia’s St, Kotahena | ||
| St. Anthony’s Church St. Anthony’s Mawatha, Kotahena |
Festivals
Duruthu Perahera held on Poya day in January. This festival in Colombo celebrates Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka.
Activities
| Fitness Centres & Clubs | Hilton Sports Centre Lifestyle Fitness Lanka Power World Royal Colombo Golf Club Premadasa Riding School Ceylon Rugby & Football Club Premadasa Cricket Stadium |
Bars & Restaurants
| Brasserie Café style |
Cricket club Café Barefoot Garden cafe Queen Elizabeth café Havelock Garden Café Green cabin (Sri lankan) |
| Fast Food | Crescat Boulevard Food Hall: Pizza Hut, Deli France, etc Pizza Hut Dominos Pizza KFC McDonalds |
| Fine Dining (our favourites) | There are hundreds to chose from but our favourites are : Koluu’s Gallery Café Havelock Place (see above) Banana Leaf Le Palace La Rambla Fisherman’s Villa Beach Wadiya (Seafood) The Swimming Club (members only) |
| Bars/Pubs & light snacks | Glow (Trendy and cosmopolitan) Cricket Club Café (Full of ex-pats and sports lovers) Kiss Kiss Bar (Sophisticated youth, pre-club) Clancy’s Irish Pub & restaurant (Good old fashioned Hooley) Rhythm & Blues (Jazz/ piano bar) |
Entertainment/Nightlife
| NightClubs / Late Bars | Glow Cascades (Dance music and occasional 80’s) Blue Elephant (classic 80’s. Older clientele) |
| Casinos | MGM Club Bally’s Club |
Shopping
| Antiques | Barefoot Villa Saffron |
| Clothing / Designer bargains | Arena (adult & children ) Cotton Collection (adult & children ) House of Fashion (adult & children ) Odels (adult & children ) Barefoot (adult & children ) |
| Bargains / Fakes | Majestic City Galle Road Colombo 4 |
| Shopping Centres | Odels Crescat Boulevard Liberty Plaza |
| Gifts / crafts / house ware | Odels Arena Barefoot Gallery café |
Getting About
Taxi services
Airport Express
Tel: 011 5555050
Quick radio Cabs
Tel 011 2502888/9
Tuk Tuk’s
Prices around Colombo are markedly higher than the provinces but you should negotiate hard with any quoted price. Ask a few drivers and always negotiate the full journey at the beginning if you are stopping at a few destinations. Paying a driver for the day is usually cheaper and less hassle.
Trains
The main station is in the Fort and is the base for the Information Centre
Open : 9am-5pm Mon- Fri, 9am-1pm Sat.
Tel. 011 244 0048
There are a series of 5 sub stations along the Galle Road : Kollupitiya, bambalapitiya, Wellawatta, Dehiwala, Mt Lavinia. Some express trains will not stop at all these stations.
Buses
Colombo has 3 main bus stations, all on the South edge of Pettah and East of the Fort train station.
| Bus Station | Buses Departing To |
| Bastian Mawatha station | Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee, Ambalangoda, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Matara, Aluthgama, Tangalle, Kataragama, Aiport (no.187) |
| Saunders Place Station | Negombo, Ratnapura, Kurenagala, Haputale, Badulla, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa |
| Central Bus Station | Olcott Mawatha Colombo Suburbs |
Airports
International : Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake
Hotline for arrivals/ departures: Tel. 019 733 555
Domestic: Ratmalana Airport, South of Mt Lavinia, off Galle Road
Lionair / serendib Express
See our Moving Around review for help with transport.
Guide Books
Colombo produces a number of excellent “Time-out” equivalents which list all the latest venues and activities. They focus on Colombo but cover other Cities from time to time.
"LT" (Leisure Times) and "Oh!" Magazines can both be found in most of the shopping centres.
Daily News is the English newspaper and the Sunday Observer has many promotional deals and news on festivities and events.
Useful Contacts
| Contact | Telephone |
| Ceylon Tourist Board | 011 243 7571 |
| Police (tourist) | 011 250 3629 |
| Medi-call Ambulance | 011 257 5475 |