With Dutch winter in full galore, I couldn’t help but escape to another warm sunny place on this earth. Friends of mine visited Sri Lanka last year and their stories made me wanna jump on the first plane going there. So adios amigos, we are going to Sri Lanka! With my brother as my travel buddy, I started this very special trip. No preparations once again, just seeing where the wind will take us. Starting off in Colombo Sri Lanka turned out pretty quickly like any other Asian country; warm, chaotic, super friendly, and not in a hurry at all (except for traffic).
Staying in Negombo
We decided to stay in Negombo which is close to the airport and the beach. Staying at the Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions in Negombo made sightseeing pretty hard. We could’ve easily spent our days hanging by the pool, having a typical Sri Lankan Ayurvedic massage or 2, and sipping fresh juices all day long. Nothing wrong with that. However, there’s more to Negombo and Colombo than chilling.
Colombo Street Life
The streets of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo are filled with colors. Whether it’s the tuk-tuks, the food, the beautiful sarees of the women, or the temples and mosques, dashes of colors cover the city. We spend most of our time in the chaos of the Pettah area walking around the markets. This is the place for treasure hunting and indulging in street foods. It seemed like it didn’t matter what time of the day you’d be visiting, it was crowded all day, every day. Not with tourists, however, so we got a taste of the city as I prefer it. Just going with the flow of the city’s rhythm.
Don't miss out on Crab Heaven
Just a short walk from the Pettah markets there’s a whole other world called the Fort area. While Pettah is crowded, busy, chaotic, and lively, Colombo Fort is probably completely the opposite with its grand colonial buildings and quiet streets. Not the most exciting area to spend a lot of time exploring, but do visit Ministry of Crab. This place is heaven. Make sure you’re hungry, ‘cause you won’t be able to say no to anything they have on their menu. Crab, crab, crab, and more crab, and alright some other tasty seafood as well.
Charming Colombo
Although Colombo might not be the prettiest city ever or will make you wanna extend your stay, visiting it is still worth it. The city gives you a pretty good insight into Sri Lankan city life, without the tourist traps and buses full of Chinese (no offense). Soak up the culture, the way all the different religions live peacefully side by side, let the locals tell their stories, eat delicious street food (try Kotthu!!) and let Colombo secretly charm you anyways…
Marthe
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Photos by: M. Barends©
Great pictures, visiting in August so looking forward. Thanks for the tips. http://www.thegreytraveller.com