From Wikitravel

Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 2.3 By car 2.4 By bus 2.5 By boat 3 Get around 4 See 4.1 Museums 4.2 Galleries 5 Do 6 Learn 7 Work 8 Buy 9 Eat 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 10 Drink 11 Sleep 11.1 Budget 11.2 Mid range 11.3 Splurge 12 Contact 13 Stay safe 14 Cope 15 Get out

Understand

Get in

By plane

There is air service to and from Sri Lanka, provided by the national airline Sri Lankan Airlines. Flights are available from origins throughout Europe, United States, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, the Middle East, India, and Pakistan.

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

Get around

Getting around by Tri-shaw (Three wheeler) is most convenient. You should always negotiate, bargain and agree on a price before you take a trip.For shorter trips inside Colombo you can skip the dealing and just pay Rs. 100 when you get off. If they argue, just tell them 100 is double of what locals would pay. Taxi is also good. The cars often have meters starting on Rs. 40. You seldom pay more than Rs. 200 for a trip inside Colombo. Rs. 500 will get you to Mount Levinja. Then you get more safty than in a threewheeler. And you get A/C.

See

Museums

• The Colombo National Museum - Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 7 - Tel : 2697467-8
• The Natural History Museum
• The Dutch Period Museum
• The Bandaranaike Museum

Galleries

• The National Art Gallery
• The Sapumal Foundation
• The Lionel Wendt Center

Do

• Galle Face at Sundown for a spectacular view
• Colombo Zoo is being renovated, and plan to have an open area for the elephants

Learn

Work

Buy

• Barefoot handicraft store, 706 Galle Road, Colombo 3. [1] Is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to get good quality souvenirs and hand made clothes. Check out their fabrics!

• Odel No 5, Alexandra Place,Colombo - 7. [2] a stylish department store, with its very own Delifrance outlet, clothing, houseware, sporting goods, books and movies, as well as Delight – for sweet indulgences from chocolates to exotic nuts.

Eat

• The Wadiya is in Wellawatte next to the Beach: great for an evening meal.
• Saras is one of the best Indian Restaurants. It is on Duplication Road.
• Mango Tree, one of the finest restaurants in the city.
• The Lagoon - seafood restaurant.

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

• Spoons, located at the Colombo Hilton is promoting a 'fresh experience' and tend to server 5 course dinners. Expect a meal to cost around $50+
• Ginza Hosen, this is one of the Japanese restaurants in Colombo. They have a sushi bar, the tathami rooms and ever tappenyaki. Meals here can cost from $50-150+
• Chesa Swiss, representing the best of frech cuisine, located on Duplication Road, have all your favourites from fresh garden snails to Chateaubriand for two, and Fondue to steak Cafe de Paris style! Again, meals are in the $50+ bracket.
• The London Grill, as the name suggests this restaurant is very British. It probably has the best ambience ever, and the food is just great. Located at the Colombo Plaza (used to be called the Lanka Oberoi).
• Royal Thai, located at the TransAsia Hotel (Ramada), is an authentic Thai restaurant hosting the usual favourites such as Tom Yam and Chicken Pandan leaves.

Drink

• Thambili (Orange Coconut juice) is the safest, since they cut it open in front of you (uncontaminated).
• Spring water with SLS certification are safe to drink.

Sleep

Budget

• Ranmuthu Hotel - 112, Galle Road, Colombo 3 - Tel:2433986
• Empress - 383, RA De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3 - Tel:2574930
• Hotel Janaki - 443, Fife Rd, Colombo 5 - Tel:08-222622
• Sapphire Hotel - 371, Galle Rd, Colombo 6 - Tel:2583306

Mid range

• Hotel Galaxy
• Renuka Hotel, Tel:2573598
• Galle Face Hotel

Splurge

• Hilton International, Tel:2544644. [3]
• Trans Asia Hotel, Tel:2544200
• Hotel Inter Continental, Tel:2421221. [4]
• Hotel Galadari, Tel:2544544. [5]
• Jaic Hilton Tower
• Colombo Plaza
• Holiday Inn
• Hotel Oberoi, [6]
• Taj Samudra, Tel:2446622. [7]

Contact

Stay safe

Cope

Get out

• Cambridge Villa Resort, [8] Just a 3.5 hours scenic drive from Colombo (175 kms)

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